Cure That Bloating Part II
Here's Part II on how to fix 90% of all bloating and digestive issues...
(if you missed Part I, reply to this email and we'll get you a copy)
Last week we discussed how removing specific items from your diet for a period of four weeks was the first step to resolving bloating and GI issues
If you’ve taken the plunge and adapted what you’re eating to just meat, vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats you’re probably feeling a LOT better by this point. We routinely get reports of significant weight loss, improved energy, better sleep, and yes… the disappearance of bloating, as you clean up what you’re eating.
You may also have realized that a vast majority of “food” available to us as Americans contain one or many of the ingredients you’re attempting to avoid. It can be a harsh awakening coming to terms with the idea that most of what you find on the shelves, whether at the gas station or the grocery store, is not really fit for human consumption. The cost of eating it greatly exceeds what you pay at the check out.
Step 2 - Reintroduction
Once you have taken a four week break from the suspect foods list in my previous email, it’s time to test each of these food groups for tolerance. Careful reintroduction is important because your reactions to foods will have changed after a period of doing without them. Your gut will have healed to some degree and responses to inflammatory food will be less confusing.
For instance, corn is well tolerated by many after eliminating wheat for a while, but routinely causes problems if eaten within days of each other. This is called cross reactivity. Also, eggs cause issues on a damaged gut, but are relatively safe for many people after four weeks of elimination of the entire list.
The How To
Try out one single food group at a time. For example, to test dairy, try some cheese along with other safe foods you’ve been consuming regularly, instead of having pizza which contains several of the suspect food groups. Singular foods will allow you to assess individual reactions and not confuse the test by introducing multiple variables at the same time.
Also test different individual foods within groups. People tolerate heavy whipping cream and hard cheeses much better than skim milk and soft cheese. Homemade sourdough bread seems to be tolerated much better than store bought white bread. Agave based spirits like tequila or mezcal with soda water and ice tend to cause far fewer issues than white wine or beer.
Wait for at least 24 hours between food tests, and waiting several days is an even better idea if you do feel a significant reaction. Did you know wheat can stay in your digestive system for 7-10 days?
What to look for
During testing, did you notice the bloating or digestive problems come back? Did your weight jump up the next day indicating an inflammatory response? Was there a change in joint pain, brain fog, sleep quality, nasal congestion, swelling, or other symptoms? If you had no reaction to the food at all, it’s likely safe for regular inclusion in your diet.
If you had some mild symptoms, it might be worth it to have that food occasionally with a full understanding of what it might cost you. As an example, dairy causes me some congestion and mild stomach discomfort. However, I dearly love a good ice cream sundae. Balancing these, I indulge every month or two getting whatever I want from the local ice cream shop and enjoy every bite. I know what it’s going to cost me, so I eat it guilt free, but infrequently.
During the reintroduction process, identifying foods that cause significant to severe symptoms can help you eliminate the worst of your problems and steer clear of those items completely.
Knowing what foods will cost you in discomfort puts you a big step closer to aligning your nutritional choices with your values.