Diets to Consider With Digestive Issues

There are a number of diets out there that could partially alleviate your symptoms. Who knows, you may even be lucky enough to find a diet that will alleviate all of your symptoms!

When one specific diet does not work though, you just may need to tweak one of these diets:

1. The Low-FODMAP Diet
– FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols, which are short chain carbohydrates and sugar alcohols that are poorly absorbed by the body, resulting in abdominal pain and bloating.
– FODMAP’S occur in some foods naturally or as additives
– More info here: https://www.dietvsdisease.org/low-fodmaps-food-list/

You can also check out this book: The Complete Low-FODMAP Diet: A Revolutionary Plan for Managing IBS and Other Digestive Disorders   (not an affiliate link)

2. The Specific Carbohydrate Diet
– The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) is a restrictive diet made for individuals with Crohn’s Disease, Celiac Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Cystic Fibrosis, Chronic Diarrhea, or Diverticulitis.
– To find out more information about SCD, check out the web site ‘Breaking The Vicious Cycle’ at: http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/home/

3. The GAPS Protocol
– The gut and psychology syndrome protocol comes from the idea that an unhealthy gut may lead to mental health issues.
– The GAPS Diet removes foods that can be difficult to digest and damaging to gut flora by replacing them with nutrient-dense foods to give the intestinal lining a chance to heal.
– To find out more information about the Gaps Diet, check out this web site. http://www.gapsdiet.com/

4. The Gluten-free Diet
– If you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance, this diet is the best place to start.
– To find out more information, check out The Celiac Disease Foundation. https://celiac.org/

5. The Grain-free Diet
– When the gluten-free diet isn’t enough the next step may just be grain-free.
– For more information see this article: https://draxe.com/grain-free-diet/

6. The Paleo Diet
– The Paleo diet includes foods a cavemen would of ate, such as grass-fed meat, seafood, fruits, and vegetables.
– For more information see this article: https://draxe.com/paleo-diet-plan/

7. The Autoimmune Paleo Protocol
– The autoimmune paleo diet is similar to the paleo diet but more restrictive by removing eggs, nuts, seeds, nightshades, alcohol, and artificial sweeteners.
– This diet may be for you if your gut symptoms come from an autoimmune disease like Crohn’s, Celiac’s, or Ulcerative Colitis.
– To find out more information about the autoimmune protocol and diet check out Autoimmune Wellness at: https://autoimmunewellness.com/

Everyone’s journey to better health needs to start somewhere, and any of the above philosophies are a good starting point and will open a wealth of information to you. Try not to get overwhelmed and take one day at a time. Put your ideas to pen and paper so you can keep track of your progress. If you slip up and eat something that you shouldn’t have, whether it be accidentally or intentionally, do not beat yourself up or dwell on it. Just commit to doing your best each day. Make sure you are patient with your body and the process, and understand that this process can take some time. Keep a detailed food diary of what you eat and how it makes you feel (physically and emotionally as well) Once you have identified foods/additives that affect you negatively, do your very best to avoid them, at least in the short term.

Good luck!

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Paleo Focaccia

Sometimes you just want some bread. You can make the paleo Focaccia plain or add one of the herb seasonings to enhance the flavour.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup almond flour
2 eggs
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
Italian Seasoning or Herbs De Provence

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8 X 8 inch pan with parchment paper.

In a small bowl mix together almond flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the coconut oil, and eggs. Mix all the ingredients together with a fork and spread the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning or Herbs De Provence.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the flatbread from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool so the bottom does not become soggy.

Cut into 4 pieces – 145 calories per piece

Enjoy

Gluten and Gluten-Free Sensitivity and/or Intolerance

Everywhere I look on the internet and in books, all I see is that all whole grains are good for you and that they are “super healthy.”

…But are they really good for everyone?

You may have an intolerance to gluten grains or you just may be sensitive to them, or you could have Celiacs Disease. In that case, it is best to steer clear of all gluten grains.

So what about Gluten-free grains?

If your reaction to gluten-free grains is the same as the reaction you get from gluten grains, do you remove them as well?

I would say yes. For how long though? 3 months? 6 months? 1 or 2 years? Forever? Only you can be the judge of the duration.

I have, in the past, removed all grains for 6 months then started to add them back in, only to have my symptoms come back with a vengeance. It seems that I can tolerate a small amount of gluten-free oats ground into flour. However, when I tried to add a small amount of whole brown rice back into my diet, I started having severe abdominal pain again. I waited a week and then tried a gluten-free bread with brown rice flour, gluten free oat flour, tapioca starch, and potato starch, only to have the pain come back. This time it has been a month since I have had any grains, and I am still getting abdominal pain. I have now removed them again, but this time I am not sure if I will ever add them back.

To me, I would rather not eat any grains at all. The “super healthy” potential benefits of these grains do not outweigh the risks for me. If grains cause me this much abdominal pain, they are clearly not “super healthy” for me.

Perhaps you can relate? How do different grains make you feel?

Roasted Vegetable Salad

Zucchini, mushrooms, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts are roasted and tossed with a tangy dressing.

Ingredients:
1 medium zucchini, trimmed , cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1 cup crimini mushrooms, quartered
2 cup cauliflower, cut into florets
2 cups Brussels sprouts, quartered
1/4 cup onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tbsp lemon zest
Dressing:
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp dried dill
1 tsp dried chives
1 tsp dried parsley flakes

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Place the vegetables in a large mixing bowl and toss with the olive oil, lemon zest, salt, and pepper, to evenly coat.

Spread the vegetables in one layer in a large roasting pan, and roast in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and allow the vegetables to cool for 15 minutes.

To make the dressing combine the lemon juice, oil, mustard, dill, chives, and parsley in a screw-top jar. Secure lid. Shake well to combine.

Place the vegetables in a large mixing bowl and pour over the dressing. Toss gently to combine and serve warm.