Eating higher fibre plant foods with an irritated or inflamed gut can lead to pain, bloating or diarrhea.
But does that mean you don’t tolerate them?
Not exactly 🤔
Instead, consider your gut in need of some rehab, the same way that you’d rehab your body in order to get back to full activity post-injury.
The reason why plant fibres feel irritating – but also why they’re so good for you – is that by definition they are hard to break down and not 100% absorbed.
So the undigested or unabsorbed plant matter travels through the gut where it may feel irritating, gets fermented by gut bacteria leading to pain or bloating, or drawing water into the gut leading to loose 💩
But you CAN increase tolerance.
I did it in practice for years: increasing intake of plants AND improving gas, bloating and 💩 at the same time.
It’s best done one-on-one but I know that not everyone has access to a dietitian so consider these tips with your doc:
1. Choose a low fermentation, soluble fibre like psyllium or partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG). These are less irritating and don’t cause as much gas as other fibres.
Start with 1 tsp (5 mL) a day. Drink at least 1 extra glass of water a day. Take separately from supplements + medications as it can bind them up. Wait until you feel no symptoms before you increase dose.
2. What about food? juiced or blended is your friend. Can’t eat chickpeas? Try 1 tbsp hummus. Can’t do greens? Try green juice. Veggies tough? Try making a roasted vegetable soup.
Cooking veg, and blending, makes veg easier to digest. A tiny bit is better than nothing!
3. Go slow and be consistent. It’s better to drink 1/2 cup of green smoothie every single day than to try a stir fry once a week. Your gut – and gut microbiome – need time to adjust. And it will!!
Hope these tips are helpful! Looking for more?
I’m doing a mini-deep dive on FODMAPS in my Nutrition with Desiree community Friday (it’s free!) or grab a copy of my book Good For Your Gut. The Soothe recipes are designed for compromised guts.
#guthealth #guthealing #guthealthmatters #guthealthdiet #eatplants #plantbasednutrition #vegannutrition
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