There are a variety of factors that can influence your IBS symptoms. I have discovered my key ones are FODMAP foods, Food intolerances, Stress and Anxiety. I will continue to share with you how i tackled each of these factors head on to help grow a healthy happy gut. In this post we will be looking at the FODMAP diet, Food Intolerance tests and the after care of our gut.
Disclaimer* This post isn’t about LOOKS. Its about our internal health and happiness. I was so insecure on the left and found a new level of confidence on the right.
FODMAP – Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols, which are short chain carbohydrates and sugar alcohols that are poorly absorbed by the body. These are what cause (or a factor of what causes) the pain and bloating .
- This diet cuts out many common foods that may contain high FODMAP foods.
- I eliminated them for around 8 weeks and then gradually reintroduced into a low-FODMAP diet to see if they cause symptoms (elimination diet). It is not meant to be a permanent solution because it is very restrictive, but it may work well enough to be a treatment for people with gastrointestinal (GI) problems.
For a list of high and low FODMAP foods i would highly recommend purchasing the Monash University App https://www.monashfodmap.com . In addition to this, you could download the FODMAP A to Z app which i have found extremely helpful in knowing what i can and can’t have during this process. Note that excessive low fodmap foods can however become high fodmap foods with excessive consumption… something i didn’t take into account during this time!
Food Intolerance test
Where i went: http://beachhousechiropractic.co.uk/food-sensitivity-testing/ Test: The Cambridge Food Detective IgG test £66.
This was super easy to get done. All i had to do was book an appointment, turn up, have a prick of the finger for some blood to be taken for a sample and by the end of the day i had my results ready! Results: Highly Intolerant: Whole eggs and Cashews. Moderate: Soybean and Brazil nut. Low: Durum Wheat.
This test was vital as during my time following the FODMAP diet, although i was eating low FODMAPS, i was also eating a lot of food (mainly eggs, cashews and soy) which i was according to the Cambridge test, intolerant to.
As you could imagine, by this point i was eating less and less, something i didn’t want to happen as my diet was getting more and more restrictive. I was basically eating everyday fish, chicken and salad. In turn i was getting more frustrated but i knew i just needed to give this a good shot in order to heal my gut.
Probiotics, bone broth and apple cider vinegar – I genuinely think these has been one of the biggest factors in my gut healing process. I was recommended after my intolerance test that in order to introduce high fodmap foods again, in order for my stomach to tolerate them, it needs to be fit and strong again. At this stage it literally felt like it had been ripped up from the inside out.
Apple cider vinegar, Probiotics (i now use BioKult) and Bone Broth
Probiotics – Your gut flora plays a critical role in your health. However, your gut flora can get thrown out of balance allowing harmful bacteria to overpopulate. Probiotics should be introduced as they are a safe and promote a healthy balanced gut flora. They are live bacteria or yeast found in food and supplements. Some common examples of probiotic foods include yogurt, sauerkraut, tempeh, kimchi and other fermented foods.
Symprove: I began using symprove as it was highly recommended as an efficient way to get probiotics back in my gut populating away. As it is a liquid form, it was easy to start reintroducing these bacteria back in my gut. However, with each weekly bottle costing around £22, it was an expensive option seen as it was a 12 week programme. However, i can say it definietly made a difference in my gut. I felt less inflamed and over my sensitivity to food decreased.
BioKult: As a less expensive alternative i now take two BioKult capsules daily in order to continue introducing these good bacteria. So far so good , my symptoms have not flared up in a long time woo woo.
Bone broth – coming from a vegetarian/ vegan background this sounded like my worst nightmare!!! but at this stage, anything was welcome into my tum if it was to make me feel better. It is said that bone broth helps inflammation and healing the gut. How? Drinking bone broth daily may be a simple way to get anti-inflammatory amino acids into the body. Collagen and gelatine are vital proteins found in bone broth required to build and repair the GI tract lining and reduce food sensitivities.
Apple Cider Vinegar – Every morning i mix a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water. Why? It was suggested some digestive issues could have been due to a lack of bile being produced by the gut. In order to recreate the same conditions, apple cider vinegar aids in the digestion of foods. Like other fermented foods, unpasteurised apple cider vinegar contains healthy bacteria – the gut-friendly bacteria that helps to keep your digestive system working properly. Cider vinegar could provide relief for those with stomach problems because it neutralises stomach acid whilst acetic acid fights harmful bacteria.
The next blog will be dedicated to how you can relieve your IBS symptoms through simple lifestyle changes. Please feel free to share if you have found this helpful ❤ Lets share the tummy love.
The Gut Diaries 