Always listen to your body!

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Today is Tuesday! So… here’s your tip!

postit_tipThe low FODMAP diet is an evidenced based diet shown to help improve symptoms in 75% of those who suffer with IBS…but sometimes there are overlapping food triggers for people with IBS. Not every one is sensitive to a cup of coffee ….but some people with IBS can be particularly bothered by the stimulant effect of caffeine.  If that’s you, go slow on the joe!

Fat can stimulate movement in the intestine…which for the person with fast transit of the intestine…eating a particularly fatty meal can send you running for the loo.  And if you have an overlapping diagnosis of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (many IBS patients do–in my estimation) then fat digestion can be impaired.  Gut bacteria get to your bile, a substance that is made in your liver and secreted from your gall bladder to aid fat digestion, before it can do it’s job!  In small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), the bacteria render the bile inactive.  Since bile helps make fat into digestible units—fat maldigestion can occur in SIBO.

Small amounts of acceptable low FODMAP alcoholic beverages seem to be well tolerated in my experience (a glass of dry white or red wine, for example) but OVERdoing alcohol is not recommended…of course, for general health BUT also alcohol can pull water into the intestine and lead to diarrhea. NO thanks!

We are all a little different…Always listen to your body.

Today’s post inspired by my intern, Amy Beliveau! Thanks Amy for the great Tuesday Tip!

21 replies on “Always listen to your body!“

  • Laury Hunt

    Digesting fat especially tough when you’ve had your gall bladder removed. I had that surgery back almost 40 years ago and was told I could eat anything after that. So not true!

  • Aurelia

    Hello!

    I could not agree with you more…I think many times are body can tell us something is wrong when words are not an option or to difficult to find and describe. I’ve suffered for years after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease and Lactose Intolorance without ever knowing what was wrong with me…thankfully, after trying the Low FODMAP diet about a month ago, I have been blessed with a cure! However, I have to ask…do you have any recommendations as far as dairy/gluten free candy bars that are also low in FODMAP’s? With Halloween around the corner, it seems the area of chocolate is still difficult for me to handle and I’m not sure why. Is there certain ingredients I should look for in chocolate or candy to be aware of? Thank you for everything that you do! May God bless you always!

    • katescarlata

      Chocolate ingredients to avoid: milk solids, milk, high fructose corn syrup. Most dark or semi-sweet chocolate should be okay–if there is little fiber in it; 1 gram or less. Of course, check for gluten too since you have Celiac disease.

  • Wendy

    I purchased garlic infused olive oil as well as Tuscan herb infused oil, which contains garlic, at a speciality store. Both times my tummy wasn’t happy. I wondered whether I am sensitive to garlic in any form.

  • Wendy

    I agree with Larry. No gall bladder, equals to tough fat digestion. But if I don’t eat way too little I get stopped up. I can’t stand high fat foods now, the viscosity in my mouth is eww. But I have noticed I’ll get a bit constipated and think…why? and go back over what I’ve been eating and notice, I’ve had barely any fat at all. Plenty of fiber!! and Plenty of Water! but hardly any fat equals hard poo. Can this be right?

    I’ve been following the 21 Day Tummy diet, but I often don’t use the dressing on my salads, I don’t like the feel of the oil. I’ll often use less oil in things…again, I don’t like the feel of it. At first I followed it to the T, and I had no trouble in the bathroom department, but now I’m having some constipation. It’s because I’m not eating enough fat isn’t it? As you said, listen to my body.

    Also, I’m not hungry, so I haven’t been eating as much. I’m just not hungry. should I make myself eat more? Lately all I want is my smoothie in the morning, an early dinner and normally a veggie and a fruit to snack on. Duh, don’t answer that, I’ll figure out how many calories I’m eating….I can do that on my own. I’m probably just not as hungry and self regulating because I hurt my hip and I’m not as active. I’m more concerned about the constipation. I’m thinking I’m not eating enough fat.

  • Trish

    Laury Hunt, I have found the same thing and wonder if having no gall bladder is a problem. Wish I could turn back the clock and think twice about having the operation! I can tolerate small amounts of fat to cook and make my own salad dressings. I have almost entirely removed alcohol from my diet; my rule is I have a glass at Christmas and birthdays. That way I don’t have to make a decision every time I am in a social situation. Caffeine – that’s another matter entirely. I drink tea, not coffee, and stop drinking it by about 3 or 4 p.m. each day – but no way could I live with no tea at all! It’s what makes life worthwhile.

    • sally

      Your comment about Tea, that enjoying it makes life worthwhile made me smile, how often I think that about something or other!

      Like a bright sunny day with lo humidity or seeing a beautiful tree in the morning, sparkling with dew drops.

      Hit the deck in the morning and its gotta be …a great cup of tea!(use to be coffee!)

  • Karen

    Such a basic concept that I need to remind myself of constantly! Sometimes my head doesn’t want to listen to my gut. Especially when coffee is involved :).

  • Marcia Heath

    Two things that may be helpful to your readers:
    1) My physician researched probiotics that don’t contain prebiotics and found one made by Kaire Labs. Order through Protherainc.com. The probiotic is Ther-Biotic Factor 6. It is very expensive, but is exceptionally high in CFU’s – 100 billion+.
    2) I ordered both the chicken and the vegetable broth concentrate from Savory Choice. Unfortunately, the vegetable one is NOT free of onion, although the chicken one is.

    • katescarlata

      Yes, Marcia–the vegetable broth from Savory Choice has onion–that is why I left it off the post. It’s unclear the benefit of high dose probiotics in IBS. More is not necessarily better. In my clinical practice–I have found some individuals benefit from probiotics–but the vast majority do not.

  • Valerie Yasner

    Can you tell me which chocolate chips you recommend and I believe the portion amount is 2 tablespoons, right? Thanks!

  • Gina

    Sigh. I have found that coffee is triggering for me. I love coffee and like to have a cup or three in the morning. I have tried switching to tea but find it is sooooo watery and not at all satisfying as a replacement for coffee. I drink peppermint and lemon ginger tea throughout the day and like it but even black tea doesn’t do it for me in the morning. Is it generally the caffeine that bothers people or the coffee itself? I may try decaf, and would love other suggestions too.

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