Bloating, Achy, Gassy Feeling and How to Troubleshoot!..Part 2

I hope you got something of of part one. I know it was a lot but it is all so helpful. Here is the last of what I learned from Dr. Allison Siebecker . Remember that these tips aren't for eating Paleo or Primal they are for anyone who struggles with IBS, bloating, gas, etc... Even if you aren't on a low carb diet- these steps will help you find out what is hurting your stomach problems.

What do I do if I have a sweet tooth and what would the best Sweeteners be for cooking and eating?

Here are some sweeteners and a blurb about what they do and where they go in your body.

• Honey- would be the best because it is ready to be absorbed –monosaccharide. There are tons of benefits in honey. Try to buy local honey because it can help fight allergies.
• Pure glucose (dextrose)-  will absorbs in GI tract
• Stevia- Difficult to bake with, may be packaged with insulin (prebiotic)
• Maple Syrup

Try to limit or avoid:

• Agave-very high in fructose, contains prebiotics
•  xylitol and erythritol, table sugar-limit amount

Here is what Dr. Allison Siebecker says about sweeteners: “My patients do better with a little bit of honey in their diet."

Dairy seems to be a controversial topic among health food gurus. I am always seeing mixed reviews but on thing that seems to be consistent is that you need to do what feels best for you. If you drink milk and get cramps- DON'T DRINK MILK!!!

Troubleshooting Dairy:

Problem: Lactose- bacteria can feed on (milk sugar)

Troubleshoot:

Eliminate dairy for several days and see how you do. It is different for everyone.

Try lactose free dairy

Use lactose free dairy products

Make your own yogurt

Choose aged cheese- Gouda, brie, cheddar, monetary jack

Choose Ghee and butter

If dairy is a problem avoid:

• fresh cheeses- mozzarella, chev, creamed and cottage cheese
• Store bought yogurt is NOT lactose free but if you must have it choose greek yogurt. 

“Majority of my patients can tolerate lactose-free dairy. In fact, their health improves when they include it.” Dr. Allison Siebecker

Another thing I hear is: "How do you eat so much fat in your meet yet you still lose weight?" "Doesn't fat make you fat?" No! That is not the case. Fat burns Fat!

Fat Factor-

-Fat stimulates bowel movements

-reducing fat consumption may benefit those with diarrhea

-increase fat consumption to help with constipation

The basics of Troubleshooting:

-Try lactose Free dairy

-Avoid starchy tubers

-Avoid beans

-Avoid raw veggies and fruits

-Adjust levels of Fat accordingly

For more information do your research and check out the following links:

www.siboinfo.com (your phone/skype consultations available

SIBO class (7 hours) available at www.SIBOinfo.com/learning-more.html

Bloating, Achy, Gassy Feeling and How to Troubleshoot!

I have been really into learning about the foods we eat, why we eat them and how they help or hurt our bodies. I've noticed a lot of the foods that Brandon and I have cut out have helped my stomach to feel better. I used to get stomach cramps, feeling of being bloated and let's not even talk about Brandon's gas ;) 
As most people who eat Paleo know, everyone does it differently. What works for  one persons body, does not work for the other. I can't handle too much cheese or dairy but Brandon is okay with it. We consider Brandon- Primal and I consider myself Paleo. Paleo and Primal also look different to each person.

• Swiss Paleo (Primal- consume dairy)
• Slow Carbers (consume beans)
• Athletes (consume starches)

So how do you know which one is right for you? Troubleshooting!!!!
I listened to the Paleo Summit last week and I tuned into a session by Dr. Allison Siebecker
She talked about IBS and even people who eat right, still struggle with IBS. If you want to know if you have IBS, get straight to the answer and get tested. Your doctors might only give you the basic Colonoscopy. But research your issues and ask for some of these specific tests. 

• Breath test- Small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) lactose/ fructose intolerance
• Endoscopy- will test for Reflux and GERD or Celiac disease
• Heidelberg test- tests the amount of stomach acid when a meal is consumed
• Gluten sensitivity testing
• Cross Re-activity testing, colonoscopy- helps rule out Chron's and Cancers
• Stool testing- tests for parasites and yeast overgrowth in the colon.

Okay now that we know how to get tested- let's learn a little about our body and how it functions: 

Small Intestine:                              

SIBO- Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth-84% of people with IBS have SIBO. It damages the small intestine, bacteria destroy disaccharide(lactose, sucrose, maltose) enzymes lining the small intestine and this  creates inability to properly process disaccharides.

Properly Process Disaccharides- “when we don’t have these disaccharide enzymes, the carbs we eat can’t finish being digested. The bacteria EAT those improperly digested disaccharides. They are food for them! They eat the sugars and then they make GAS!”

Large Intestine:                                

Gas causes IBS symptoms: bloating, constipation, diarrhea, pain, visceral hypersensitivity.

Constipation: Decrease in fiber because of lack of grains, slow down the transition, soluble fiber feeds bacteria, insoluble fiber adds bulk to stool. You need to increase in fiber with veggies, nuts and seeds

What do we do to avoid these symptoms in our intestines? 

Low Carb diets:

GAPS diet, Low FODMAP diet, Paleo, Primal, Slow Carb,  You need to troubleshoot your digestive track and see what the main cause of your symptoms is. 

Trouble shoot constipation:

Issues: Can't got to the bathroom, Cramps, Bloating, Gas

Troubleshoot: Try taking Magnesium- 1000mg before bed. The Magnesium will draw water into colon via osmosis.

*Adjust dosage appropriately

Fat Digestion:

Symptoms: nausea, feeling overly full

 Troubleshoot: Increase fats slowly to avoid symptoms

Slow Carb Troubleshooting:

Issues: Beans and sweet potatoes contain starch, starch breaks down maltrose and isomaltrose (disaccharides), bacteria consumes disaccharides, beans contain prebiotics that feed bacteria.

Troubleshoot: Fix beans by soaking overnight prior to cooking, beans and tubers are high in soluble fiber(bacteria food)

Specific Carb Diet Troubleshooting:

Avoid if IBS- Potato, sweet potato, yap, parsnip, turnip. These tend to bind you up!

Try: Rutabaga, Beets, Carrots, Celery, Squash. These tend to be more tolerable! 

Troubleshooting veggies:

Veggies can be troublesome for those with IBS.

 Troubleshoot: Peel, de-seed, and cook them. Don’t eat raw veggies if you have digestive problems.

 Identify tolerable veggies by paying attention to your body after eating them, if you notice symptoms.

Trouble shooting Fruits:

Fruits contain high levels of sugar alcohols. Sugar alcohol tolerance depends on the person (figure out what works for you- I personally get very gassy when I eat too much fruit!)

Troubleshoot: Peel, de-seed and stew fruits. Eat in moderation (especially if you are trying to lose weight). Pay attention to your body and note how you feel after the different types of fruit.

Troubleshooting nuts and seeds-

Veggies, Fruits and nuts all contain prebiotics (non digestible food ingredients) 

Troubleshoot: Eat nuts and seeds raw, dry roasted, soaked over night, remove skin, cook with Blanched Almond flour, Coconut butter/ oil

Avoid- nuts soaked in Vegetable oil, Canola oil, and Peanut oil.

IBS friends-Coconut can be troublesome, use in moderation and note how your body feels after eating. 

In general Eat all things in moderation, try about 4 oz of seeds/nuts a day.

Okay that is enough for you to get started. In part two, I will share Dairy, Sweeteners and an overall idea of our diets. I hope this is as helpful to you as it was to me! Happy Troubleshooting.