Elimination diets and IBS
I like to suggest temporarily eliminating inflammatory foods to my clients when they have IBS or a gut health flare-up.
Elimination diets are hard to do on your own, particularly if your only reference point is information on social media.
Elimination diets need to be well formulated, monitored, and at some point reversed
For most people it might be enough to remove ultra-processed foods (UPFs) do you know what food you are eating that would be considered a UPF?
Other people may need to consider FODMAPS, nightshade vegetables, gluten, and wheat, one or more of the top allergens, there are of course other things people can be reacting to.
As humans, we need to eat a varied diet, we need this to encourage and support a vibrant and diverse microbiome. When you learn to love your microbiome you feel better.
The more variety of protein, vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, and nuts in your day and your week the healthier you will feel.
The decision for most people when they follow an elimination diet is when to start to re-introduce the foods.
When you eliminate foods and eat a whole food diet and by that I mean no UPFs, it can take time to heal the gut, calm the immune system, and improve the mind and mood.
To be honest, what is the rush?
When you eliminate the food that you are reacting to, you can start to feel better reasonably quickly, but that doesn’t mean that your gut is healed, it means that you have started the process of healing.
Why rush to add everything back and eat ‘normally’ again? What is ‘normal’ anyway?
Give yourself permission to take your time.
Slow down if you can, in all aspects of your life. Try not to just eliminate food, but carry on stressing your body with a busy work and social life.
Take time to sleep, walk in nature, and practice some yoga and mindfulness.
Just be with the kids. Maybe they will benefit as well from some slow time?
Can you be alcohol-free? Can you restrict caffeine to 2 cups max per day?
Including lifestyle changes as well as an elimination diet will benefit your gut.
When you feel better, only you know when that is, then start to add back your favourite foods one at a time.
But it is vital at this point that you keep detailed notes of what you are eating and how you feel.
If you eat something and react, then you are not ready to introduce that food.
Wait.
Can you think about where you are sourcing your food?
Can you choose;
Dairy from grass-fed cows, sheep, or goats.
Wild fish.
Gluten from sourdough.
Organic vegetables.
Local in-season fruits.
Healthy fats.
Grass-fed meat and free-range chickens.
You don’t have to make all these changes but there is so much evidence that the quality of the food you buy impacts your health.
How long will all this take?
I don’t know.
Honestly, it depends on your lifestyle, sleep, stress as well as your diet.
It depends on your genetic pathways, your family, your community, your sense of joy, and your friendships.
Our health is an intricate web. Everything interconnects.
So where to start?
You can start with me. I will hold your hand through the process, guide you, and help you to make decisions.
Food is miraculous. It is so much more than just satisfying our hunger.
Jacxx
www.food4healthyguts.com
WhatsApp 07976 296116
FB food for healthy guts
Link for free 1-2-1
https://l.bttr.to/SGT1k
Reference
https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-9-10
