1. make it vs. buy it
It is my firm belief that you can’t heal from SIBO if you don’t cook your own food. I’m pretty soap-boxy about this - hence the website.
Unless you have a personal chef that’s a gut-health expert, you’re going to have to step up. Because there’s going to be a whole pile of stuff you can’t eat for a while, and you need to control for that.
Almost all convenient foods – even high quality, organic versions – are full of hidden extras, perils, thwarters. Even the healthiest brands, even Whole Foods prepared foods contain flour or other grains, soy, sugar (in endless forms), and gums. Every single one of those will slow your progress. You won’t feel good and you won’t get better because you’re feeding bad bacteria.
If you love cooking, you’re lucky. And if you don’t, you need to shift that mindset ASAP. You may have spent a lifetime telling yourself and others that you don’t like to cook, you don’t know how to cook, you don’t have time to cook – whatever. That perspective is gonna hold you back. Attitude is everything so choose a good one.
2. low fodmaps rule
There is some controversy about the “right” diet for SIBO, which lives in the broader context of overall gut health. My goal here is not to provide a complete education on this very complex subject. There is a wealth of information available if you're interested. You may already have learned that a lot of it is confusing and conflicting. Please visit the resources section to learn from the experts in this field that I have found most trustworthy based on my nutrition education and personal experience.
"
Here’s what worked for me: a low FODMAPS diet, coupled with SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet) principles geared toward overall gut health.
"
FODMAPS are short-chain, fermentable carbohydrates that feed your bad bacteria. You need to eliminate them as much as possible while you’re trying to eradicate. A lot of foods you’ve always thought of as healthy are NOT healthy when you have SIBO. There are many whole grains, fruits and veggies that you can’t eat. Here’s a low FODMAP food list for your reference. It comes from my fantastic naturopath, Dr. Sally Lamont.
Click to download fodmaps chart.
The SCD diet is used by many practitioners to heal a variety of gut disease, including IBS, celiac, Chrohn’s, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis and a wide range of food intolerances. I tried to eat SCD compliant foods as much as possible. But if the idea of following two diets feels overwhelming, just focus on FODMAPS.
There are several FODMAP apps that can help you plan and shop. I personally use the one below, because it’s both comprehensive and free! Most important, it includes safe amounts for every food, which makes a huge difference. When I follow these portion guidelines, I can eat a wider range of foods and my tummy is much happier.
Word to the wise: do not freak out about all the things you can’t have. Glass half full, people. Focus on what you can have and be grateful for it. All of the recipes on this site are compliant and delicious. My friends and family are amazed at how good this food is. Nobody is complaining (and believe me, they would).
The best news is that you will start feeling better IMMEDIATELY once you start eating this way. Seriously, within 2 days you’ll notice a difference.
3. quality matters
Food is fuel. If you put water in your car’s gas tank, that vehicle won’t run. And if you put nutritionally void, toxic, inflammatory foods into your gut, it won’t run either. Then the rest of your body breaks down.
In order to heal SIBO, you have to bolster your intestines to create the proper environment for healthy bacteria. You have to replace damaging foods with nutrient-dense foods to get the job done. Give it the old double whammy.
The foods that can accomplish this mission are pastured, grass-fed, organic and unprocessed. These ideas are “trendy” for a reason. They solve a range of health problems by providing additional vitamins vs. vitamin depletion. Anti-inflammatory Omega 3 fats vs. inflammatory Omega 6 fats. And fewer toxins for your body to battle so it can focus on showing your bad bacteria the door.
If you can’t afford to buy the top notch everything, then buy the best you can afford. Focus on organic, which at least eliminates toxins. Use healthy oils like avocado and olive and coconut vs. processed oils like canola. Try not to buy a lot of packaged stuff. Do I sound like a broken record?
4. warm not cold
This might seem like a weird one, but trust me. You may think smoothies and salads and crudité platters are healthy – until your belly inflates like a birthday balloon. Cold, raw foods are hard to digest if your gut is compromised.
Cooked foods are basically partially digested for you. Your body doesn’t have to work as hard to break them down. Soup, stew, anything from a crockpot is your friend. Even more so because these foods are easy to cook in big portions. (Spoiler Alert: Just gave away one of the Cooking Strategies.)
And since we’re thinking out of the box, who said smoothies had to be cold? Warm them up a little. They’re delicious.
5. the right amount
When I first heard about restricting my intake to ¼ cup of nuts or 2 tablespoons of almond flour or ½ cup of fruit, I rolled my eyes. It seemed super annoying and persnickety to be that conscious and limited - so I kind of ignored those details.
Once again, I wondered why I wasn’t feeling well even though I was eating SO healthy. It took me awhile to get my head around the idea that broccoli and gluten-free banana bread made me feel sick if I had too much, but they were fine if I had just a little.
I ultimately realized that it’s pretty cool to have 20 macadamia nuts when you can’t have hardly any other snacks. And to enjoy one piece of gluten free toast with olive oil and prosciutto but not two. We tend to over-eat as a culture, in case you haven’t noticed. Learning to eat more consciously and moderately is not a bad thing. It’s a bonus!
