Is Your Gut Stressed Out? [Part Three]

Series written by Laura Mierzwa, RHN & Culinary Nutrition Expert

In my last blog post, part two of the Stressed Gut series, you learned about a client Vanessa who was embarking on a low FODMAP diet.

She had difficulty in wrapping her head around removing otherwise healthy foods from her diet like avocado, cauliflower, onion and garlic. On any other diet these foods are always recognized as being great for the gut. But, because they may be causing fermentation in the small intestine they are not always right for everyone.

When I recommend specific diets for clients with gas, bloating, constipation or diarrhea I always make it well understood that these diets are not meant to be forever. Rather, they are tools to be used to find out any foods that may be triggering issues.

With any elimination style diet, the foods are removed starting for 30 days, while giving the body as much digestive support as possible. After 30 days we reassess and see if any symptoms have improved

In Vanessa’s case, she felt relief of her bloating after 30 days but she was still slightly constipated. We increased the amount of low FODMAP fibre and increased the amount of water she was drinking and within 2 weeks she was having a regular bowel movement daily.

At her 6 week follow up she was back to work full time and seeing improvement in every area. No more bloating, regular bowel movements, and she even noticed her skin was brighter. Her energu increased and her stress reduced from the regular mindfulness exercises that we added in each day which were only 10 minutes long.

We went in-depth about food reintroduction, which is the most important part of any type of elimination style diet. This is where you find out which foods may be contributing to your issues. Taking it slow during this time and charting symptoms will give you the best results. Most of the time since we’ve removed many of the main digestive disrupting foods, people are able to tolerate many foods better than they were previously and of course some stay on the no list for longer periods of time.

During Vanessa’s reintroduction the main foods she noted that caused bloating were conventional dairy products and large quantities of garlic. Remember that it’s not only the type of food, it may be the quantity in which you are consuming it.

The low FODMAP diet is only one example of the many dietary protocols that I implement within my practice. It’s not right for everyone and may cause more harm than good if not implemented correctly.

Following a gut healing diet can be difficult. That’s why I created the Stressed Gut Program, to focus on making lasting changes that will support you in reaching your goals to optimal gut health.

Find out more by getting the free Optimal Gut Health E-Book here!