On p.191 of the CGD book it says to avoid Alcohol, but on p 192 in the Polyphenol-rich foods it says to include wine. Which is correct please?

Weaglie: potentially they both are!

Firstly there is a huge difference between an occasional standard serving of red wine (a tiny 125ml) and regularly sinking a full bottle (six servings). Try to have a really wide variety of polyphenol rich foods, and try to stick to recommemded serving sizes (often way smaller than we think!).

Secondly cooking with that glass drives off the alcohol but may retain the antioxidants. Think of wine as an ingredient or as a condiment, as many of the healthiest Mediterraneans do.

Thirdly we should be tailoring the ‘remove and repair’ stage, taking into account our detailed food and symptom diary, and potentially breaking it down into several stages (p.190).

So, depending on your previous alcohol intake and your previous symptoms, you might need to exclude red wine from one stage or from all stages of your personal remove and repair.

HTH!

Thanks Firefox. I only would have a standard 125ml glass every other night. Sometimes I’d have headaches because of sulphies in the wine but no other symptoms. It’s hard to know what is causing my gut symptoms as even though I’ve been on Clever Guts for 3 weeks, my bloating and cravings have gone but constipation remains. I will go back and read more about breaking it down into stages, maybe I have missed something that can help with my symptoms.

Hi Weaglie: I’d make a conscious effort to increase dietary insoluble fibre (do it gently.. incrementally) so INULIN powder might help

Weaglie: encouraging results, so pleased for you!

For constipation consider your hydration levels (inc. water in veg/ fruit, having coffee/ alcohol with not instead of water), soluble fibre intake (flax and chia seeds, prebiotic rich veg), physical activity level and timing of first meal (moving and eating stimulate the bowel), side effects of any prescribed medication.

If all that doesn’t help, as GrahamPhillips suggests prebiotic supplements may be useful. I have both inulin and lactulose (pharmacy laxative, safe for regular use) and find they have different effects. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking and, as GP says, start low and go slow!

Thanks Firefox for you input and info on pharmacy laxatives.