Onward! To my intestine-y destiny!

[ericopolis]

I've been struggling with gut health for a decade and a half now. I've been through the gamut of tests and possibilities. Conclusion: All roads lead to my diet! 

 

The major issue is that my digestive system, MY GUT, has been abused and neglected so often for so long that it is quite difficult to pinpoint what foods are troubling me and what are not.

 

I recently went on two month long candida diet to battle a candida overgrowth in my gut, which I got under control. YAY! But right after this I fell back into old eating habits. I also had a small surgery that left me pretty inactive for two months and wreaked havoc on my stress levels and emotion (equalling an increase of "comfort foods")

 

My eating habits are not as bad as I use to be, there has been some progress, but definitely still in the bad-for-my-gut zone. My digestion has been a mess.

 

I've been struggling with my digestion for so long and have fallen off the horse so many times. I've never had anything be such a struggle before and have a history of being hard on myself about it. (Even quitting smoking wasn't this challenging.) I've also been afraid to be open about how often I've had to get back on the horse. Didn't want to sounds like a broken record or that I was looking for pity on something I was unwilling to correct. 

 

Well, no more! Feeling guilty, beating myself up, and hiding are only getting in my way. I'm kicking them to the curb!

 

I've started tracking my diet and symptoms again. I've also started to slowly cut out possible irritants to see how it affects me. I've made huge changes in my diet before with some success, but nothing has been conclusive. I am accepting that this may not be something I can tackle all at once, but that it is a slow and steady process of regaining my health.

 

I'm glad to have this forum here. Thank you for reading my respawning rant!

[Glacier]

Are you in to probiotics? Cutting out irritants is definitely important; so is building up your gut flora... Apologies if you've already been down this rabbit hole... But there are lots of ways to get those friendly bacterial critters so they can help you digest things Pills can keep things simple. If you can find them, kombucha, yogurt, and live pickles (not the vinegar kind, the kind made by lacto-fermentation) are great, but expensive. I like to ferment my own stuff (mostly kombucha and vegetables... Somewhere in the recipe forum I posted my method for carrot pickles...) because it's cheap and I like the kitchen-wizardry!

[ericopolis]

Thanks Aelinn!

 

I am! I've been taking two types of probiotics nightly for a while now. I also drink a GT's kombucha every day. I have a scoby to start making my own kombucha again, but just haven't yet. I should start that tonight!

 

I've never had live pickles before. I will search for them. I would love your method for method for carrot pickles if you happen to stubble on it again. Thank you!

[Twibbly]

I buy Bubbie's pickles in the refrigerated section of my local health food stores. They're tasty!

[ericopolis]

Thanks, Twibble! I just looked them up and there are more than a few places that sell them near me. Can't wait to try!

[Glacier]

+1 for Bubbie's!

And here: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/43567-easy-yummy-probiotic-ginger-carrot-pickles/?hl=probiotic

You can skip the ginger, or switch it for garlic and/or dill.

[Twibbly]

Bubbie's also makes sauerkraut, if you like that sort of thing.

[Aegle]

Have you heard of Mark's Daily Apple? It's a website about primal living and good health. Good luck on your journey to better health!

[Bookworm_Tess]

As a person who found it funny until I remembered I suffer the same ailments, here's my two cents: I'm turning to chinese medicine. I really don't know what else to do but to approach things from a whole new point of view. I don't know if that will work, but I'm all out of options. Btw, paleo made it worse.

[Tzippi Longstockings]

I don't like kombucha, but I make my own whey-free kvass out of fruit, and it's wonderful!

http://www.rebeccawood.com/recipes/fruit-kvass/

[ericopolis]

Aelinn - Thank you for the carrot pickles recipe. I will be giving that a try.

 

Twibble - I got Bubbie's pickles at whole foods today and they are delicious! Thank you!

 

Aegle - Steve has mentioned it in his posts. I checked it out a bit but haven't delved to deep. I'll give it another go eventually I am sure. Thank you for the good luck!

 

Bookworm_Tess - I've been going to see a wonderful naturalist for a few months now. He specializes in herbs and acupuncture. I've seen a lot of improvement and I love going. What he explains makes a lot of sense to me. Unfortunately, if I'm eating like crap, there isn't much anything is going to do. I am excited to see what improvements I will see with this along side managing my diet. I hope you find success with it.

 

Tzippi Longstockings - I've not heard of kvass before. It sounds delicious! I wouldn't have been able to have had it while on the candida diet because of the sugar, but it might me a good fit for me now. Thanks for pointing me in that direction! (also nice Avatar picture)

[Glacier]

Fyi, the sugar doesn't stay. I mean, if a ferment tastes sweet, obviously there's some sugar left, but plenty of it gets converted by the bacteria. So if sugar is a worry, ferment until the flavor is as un-sweet as you can stand. But be careful, a mouthful of vinegar can be an unpleasant surprise (ask me how I know...)