LindsayAfter my last post, The Healthy Gut, I promised you my next post would be some information about how to turn a belly frown upside down. As usual, I have been very slow in getting a post up (wedding planning suuuuucks), but hopefully if I include a couple photos of cute puppy bellies, you’ll forgive me. See below.
From my previous post you may remember that I took a leave of absence from law school for some stomach issues which resulted in moving back to Arizona for a year to see some doctors. Prior to going to the Mayo clinic there, I saw a gastroenterologist who diagnosed me with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). IBS felt like a cop-out diagnosis because I didn’t have any bowel issues, I had nausea and vomiting issues. So I ended up seeking a second opinion at Mayo which led to my current diagnosis of mild gastroparesis.
While I was home that year, my dad told me a story of how he became ill with some kind of digestive/intestinal condition when he was in college. He said his doctor diagnosed him with IBS and gave him a simple, over-the-counter remedy which cleared everything up. My dad said he thought that same remedy might help me, so he stopped at the store to pick it up. Then, out of a brown paper bag, he pulled a bottle of Scotch. Keep in mind that at this point I hadn’t been able to eat anything besides chicken soup and the BRAT diet for about 6 months.
While we may not have made huge medical advancements in the area of digestive disorders over the years, I’m really glad doctors offer better advice now than “Go drink a bottle of Scotch.”
In my dad’s defense, it was a really good bottle of Scotch.
I’m not a doctor. In fact, us lawyers are often secretly jealous of doctors, because despite the fact that I have a Juris Doctorate, no one calls me “Dr.” But don’t tell any doctors I said that – lawyers and doctors like to remain casually suspicious of each other. But I digress…. The following is provided for information purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Talk to your doctor before making any changes to your treatment plan. Unless s/he tells you to drink a bottle of Scotch, then find a new doctor.
The speakers at the Healthy Gut Summit talked a lot about a leaky gut. The intestinal lining serves as a barrier to prevent some particles from entering the bloodstream. Apparently bacteria, viruses, undigested food particles and toxic waste products can “leak” from your intestines into your bloodstream when the digestive lining is damaged. I’m not the biggest Dr. Oz fan, but he does have a pretty interesting article on Leaky gut here. Symptoms of a leaky gut include:
- bloating, gas, cramps, aches and pains;
- seasonal allergies or asthma;
- hormonal imbalance (such as PMS or PCOS);
- skin issues; and
- food allergies or intolerances.
Signs that you may have trouble digesting food also include malabsorption of vitamins and minerals. For example, I have chronically low iron and vitamin D. Ironically, I have chronically high folate. Apparently I absorb the shit out of folate.
There seems to be disagreement over what causes a leaky gut, but it is speculated that it can be caused by:
- stress
- diet
- medications
- bacteria imbalance
- certain medical conditions
puppy belly!
used via cc license by flickrsummer
I’m not sure that I have a leaky gut, and I’m certainly not suggesting that anyone else does. However I do think that with all of the processed foods consumed and stress encountered by the average American, our guts aren’t happy. So, what can we do?
- Probiotics. A good probiotic can help restore the good bacteria in your gut. Many foods are high in probiotics, such as: yogurt, miso soup (also high in sodium for us POTSys), sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha, kimchi, and pickles. However, many of these high-probiotic foods may be a no-go for people on special diets, such as non-dairy or low histamine diets. Probiotics are also available as a supplement from your local health store. I have not taken probiotics in the past, but just ordered some, so I will let you know how it goes.
- L-glutamine. L-Glutamine is an amino acid that is often given to help repair the digestive tract after chemotherapy. Also have not tried this one, also about to.
- Digestive enzymes.
- Homemade Bone Broth. Just as it sounds – bone broth is a broth made from animal bones. The collagen in the bones helps support digestive health. There are many recipes available online.
- Ginger. Ginger tea has always helped to settle my upset stomach. Homemade ginger tea can be made by adding a tablespoon of fresh ginger to hot water.
- Diet. I am noticing more and more that what I eat makes a difference in how I feel. It’s subtle, but noticeable. To the extent possible, avoid refined sugars and artificial sweeteners. Honey makes a great natural sweetener. I know dairy is bad, but I really love cheese. Perhaps one day I’ll give it up, but for now, it will remain as a once-in-a-while treat.
- Small meals. Eating small meals has made the most noticeable difference for my gut. I try to eat about 5 small meals throughout the day, instead of 3 large meals. It seems to help eliminate some of the bloating and nausea.
- Apple cider vinegar (ACV). ACV can help control blood sugar, soothe intestinal spasms and counteract bacterial infections. Studies suggest mixing 1 tablespoon of ACV and 1 tablespoon of raw honey with a cup of water. *Again, those on low histamine or other special diets may want to skip this one.
- Magnesium. Not only does magnesium aid in digestion, it also helps relieve constipation.
It should be noted that there are also many pharmaceutical options available for stomach and intestinal issues, but this list focuses on non-pharmaceutical options.
I’ve had more stomach upset and nausea than usual, so I’d love to hear your tips as well! What have you found that helps with your digestive issues?
“Never eat more than you can lift.”
— Miss Piggy
Smell ya later.
– Linds
Ooh, I wanted to chime in on this post because I am soon traveling to California to receive two procedures from double-board certified autonomic specialist Dr. Arata. He said that in his experience, almost every dysautonomiac also has SIBO, which can lead to leaky gut and make autonomic symptoms much worse. That was the first I’d heard of leaky gut or SIBO, so it sounds like there’s something to it. I look forward to following your progress. Btw, I am also a lawyer with EDS/dysautonomia. And I too AM secretly jealous of doctors because even though I have a J.D. no one calls me “doctor” either! Lol!
i’m glad i’m not the only one secretly jealous of doctors! we have “esquire”, but somehow we sound pretentious when we use it, whereas doctors sound sophisticated and brilliant when they use “Dr.”
very interesting that dr. arata said almost every dysautonomiac has SIBO – i’ll have to look into that further! thanks for sharing!
Hi Linds,
Great post. My stomach issues, diagnosed as IBS, have been with me all my life, with the predominant symptom of constipation which turned the other way when I first got pots. I now alternate. I find probiotics the most useful for my stomach. I have also cut out sugar, wheat and processed foods, eat 5 small meals that include protein. I’m still working out if I have a histamine problem because my allergies could just be from having pots and gut issues. I have also recently started taking l- Glutamine but I’m thinking of taking a digestive enzyme too.
Have you had the MTHFR gene test or looked into any of that? I have the same issues with high folate but low b12 and iron and apparently it can have something to do with the MTHFR gene?
Hi Jo! I need to look further into the MTHFR. i had a gene test done by 23andMe (before they stopped doing genetic testing), so i have the results, i just don’t know exactly how to read them. i know there are a bunch of websites out there where you can plug in the information and they’ll tell you about your MTHFR.
is there a particular brand of probiotics that you like?
Hi Linds, the probiotic I’ve used for years is just the simple inner health plus capsules. I know there are better ones out there apparently, though I did try a more complex one and my stomach wasn’t happy so I’ve just stuck to the one I know is ok. I was given a potent one recently from a naturopath but I’ve yet to start it. I might give it a try. She says it’s good for SIBO. Just thought I’d add that I follow the low histamine chef and she recently had her 23andme interpreted by selfhacked.com and says he is great.
I have Fructose malabsorbtion, or as is often called in the US, dietary Fructose Intolerance. Was diagnosed by a hydrogen breath test….after MANY other tests had been performed.
Many people can’t digest certain fermentable carbs correctly. FODMAPs. But that isn’t really important here. But a low FODMAP diet is helping a lot of people with IBS, and other digestion issues. This was really discovered at Monash University in Australia.
It’s a rough diet to stick to, but you often don’t have to stick to the strict part forever.
But to the point I wanted to make.
Honey is 100% fructose. People love it because it is all natural and made by bees, and it has a lot of good stuff, but it can spike your blood sugar and mess up how your body processes sugar. Much like high fructose corn syrup. I’m not saying honey is evil, but it needs to be used in tiny amounts. People don’t understand that it is pure fructose, but they understand that HFCS is bad. It’s the fructose that messes us up. Our sweeteners need to be 50% glucose 50% fructose…or less fructose for our bodies to absorb them properly. and that is what sugar is. and you know it can still mess you up if you eat too much.
Maple syrup is a sweetener that is the lowest in fructose, and all natural. It doesn’t taste as sweet of course, but if you get used to a less sweet taste, that’s a good thing.
For people with IBS and many other intestinal problems, Align is one of the most recommended probiotics. I’ve really looked into this one. Not all probiotics are the same. Look up which ones you are thinking about, how they are monitored, what they are made of….ect. They really focus on different things.
and I eat a lot of Greek Yogurt, most people who have trouble with dairy can tolerate it because they remove the whey.
most people with dairy issues can also tolerate hard cheeses for the same reason. So if you love your cheese, you are probably safe there. I was very afraid I was messing up with the dairy until I found this out.
However, I was tested for lactose intolerance and I don’t have it.
Yes, a LOT of people have SIBO. if you haven’t been tested, it is worth it to be tested. I’m lucky I didn’t have it. It can cause leaky gut fast!
My cousin’s wife just went through a bunch of test, they thought she had gastroparisis, and it turned out she didn’t. She was still so miserable. So full if she ate the tiniest thing. Throwing up…ect. Today they took out her gallbladder. I sure wish it was easier for GI doctors to figure out what is going on!
thanks for this installment on the Gut Series.
I’ve promise I won’t say too much more.
I doubt I know much more. haha
Hope the wedding plans are going well and getting easier….well one can hope.
Interesting Wendy. I pretty much follow fodmaps. I have the monash university fodmap app and find it helpful. I am also ok with yogurt and hard cheeses. I am diagnosed lactose intolerant but I get constipation mostly.
Jo, you might find Kate Scarlata’s blog interesting, katescarlata.com. She has a plethora of information. She is a registered dietitian here in the US that is very active in this diet. I eat a smoothie that is found in one of her books every morning that has flax in it and it helps keep me going. It is easy to get constipated on this diet, we have to work at keeping our fiber up. I also use Miralax if I need to, it’s safe on the diet and very gentle. But I try to stick to flax and up my fiber as much as possible. Kale has been good and I can eat more than it says.
Hopefully, I’ll be getting a new phone soon and I can get the Monash app. Right now I’m going by the list Kate keeps updated on her blog.
Good luck!!
wendy
Thanks Wendy, I’ll take a look. The smoothie sounds good.
thanks for the info about honey, wendy! i don’t like things overly sweet, so i tend to not use too much sweetener, whatever kind. i like honey only because local honey can help with my allergies a little, but i do really enjoy maple syrup (the real stuff) as well. i like that it’s not as sweet!
I’ve heard magnesium can help if you crave chocolate (jumps up and down!)….and I’ve also heard that if you have “too much” magnesium (or you can tell your sweet spot with mag if that if your bm’s are loose (kinda) then you know you have enough.
I have horrific insomnia and one of my doctors told me this great cocktail: zinc, magnesium and melatonin. I swear by it. Literally and figuratively. But, when you’re exhausted at 8:30 PM you may or may not be up at 3:50 AM and then write “weird” comments on virtual friends blogs….
hehe
haha! i love “weird” comments! i’ve been having a little bit of insomnia lately. unfortunately, melatonin gives me bad tachycardia, but i wonder if just magnesium and zinc would still be effective…….?
Urg, I never got this comment! Lame WordPress and it’s changes. That’s a huge bummer about the melatonin but I’d go ahead and try the Mag and Zinc anyway? I have heard so many good things (and read) about Mag that maybe it wouldn’t hurt? I sure hope you can find some relief.
Since the hysterectomy I wasn’t on estrogen for a while and was suffering desperately from insomnia. This was the only thing that worked and helped me actually sleep. 🙂
Boy, looking at this comment and my original one I can sure see the diff between WordPressing at 7 AM and 3 AM! 🙂
Hi,
I “cured” my problems with L-Glutamine and Blessed Seed black seed oil (their Strong one, it tastes disgusting as most things that are good for you do). Been 4 months and last month not taken either and no problems. Stools are back to normal, anxiety is almost gone, the physical symptoms of anxiety have gone completely, basically all the symptoms of Dysautonomic Nervous System. Now life can go back to normal. YMMV.
That’s great! Thanks for sharing.