hi there

i’m new here. i read the clever guts book over christmas, and it sounded like a good thing to do. i’ve suffered from IBS type symptoms for most of my life, most noticeably over the last ten years or so. i’ve tried cutting out carbs, triedcutting out tomatoes and gluten (after seeing a kinesiologist), and tried various IBS medication (prescribed by my GP). none of this has helped, and i’m getting a little desperate to try and find a way of improving things.

i generally get loose stools, pretty much every day, with maybe one day a week when i don’t. that’s the only symptom really, apart from gas sometimes. i’ve had stool sample checks done through the GP/hospital and they’ve come back with nothing. Both my dad and my sister have suffered with IBS-like symptoms most of the their lives, but they have been diagnosed with colitis, and kinesology worked for them, but not me.

after reading Michael’s book, i thought i would try the ‘Remove and Repair’ part of the diet. I have followed it pretty strictly for three weeks now (with one accidental bit of milk in my tea and a couple of glass of wine), but found no change at all.

i haven’t followed the meal planner ‘meal for meal’, but tried pretty much everything listed, spread over the last three weeks, with nothing else.

i’ve lost about half a stone, which i guess is a bonus, but i’m pretty disappointed with nothing else happening!

one other thing, i have found some of the information a little confusing/contradictory. a lot of the recipies contain garlic and onions, but it says in the book to reduce the amount of prebiotic food like this in the R&R phase. also butter is mentioned in some R&R recipies, but it says that shey should only be introduced in the 2nd phase.

I don’t know what to do next. quit the diet? Go back to my GP?

i’d love to hear of some advice from Michael or anyone qualified in these matters, as i’m feeling pretty low about all this.

thanks

J

Sorry to read you are feeling low, this may be telling depending where you are in the world (eg. seasonal affective disorder, low vitamin D). Similarly your ongoing loose stools or gut inflammation may have affected micronutrient levels (minerals, electrolytes). Any imbalances or low levels can take some time to get back to normal/ healthy.

Did you complete and analyse your detailed food and symptom diary in a ‘normal’ fortnight (not Xmas or other celebrations/ social events)?

What did your diary throw up about the *balance and variety* of your usual diet or any potentially problematic food types?

How does the rest of your lifestyle (weight, physical activity, smoking, drinking, sleep, stress) fit with official or Clever Guts guidelines?

The meal planners are examples, we all need to adjust and adapt based on our previous diet and lifestyle and the detailed food and symptom diary.

Quantity of each food (weighed, measured, recorded in the diary) is highly relevant. Do hold onto your diaries for your GP, or anyone they might refer you to in the future (registered dietician, gastroenterologist).

The small amount of lactose in milk in the odd cup of tea or the prebiotics in a clove of garlic should not be enough to affect anyone with a food intolerance. However for someone with a true food allergy even small ‘transgressions’ can reverse progress.

A couple of small/ UK official (125ml) glasses of wine isn’t a massive problem. Often the issue is the amount we actually have (eg. pub standard 175ml, home 250ml) and/ or what else we nibbled on and forgot to record!

Given the famlly history and your own medical history, you have a good case for a specialist referral if you are not able to resolve matters through overhauling your lifestyle, including Clever Guts.

HTH!

hi there.

thanks for replying.

can i ask, are you a professional in this field, or a fellow sufferer, or both?

i have been keeping a food diary since i started the diet, but not before. it hasn’t really brought up anything of any significance. to be honest, i feel like my symptoms have possibly been worse over the last three weeks, since i started the diet.

i keep fairly fit, am not overweight, don’t smoke, sleep fairly well and don’t consider myself that stressed normally, though i have had anxiety episodes in the past.

yes, the meal planners are guides, but i guess a lot of us are grasping at straws here not knowing what to do. following the R&R diet seemed like a possible solution..

i’m wondering how long i should stick it out if it isn’t improving things…

I am no longer practicing, but worked in and studied healthcare for a couple of decades. My roles were in lifestyle healthcare and included nutrition consultations. I worked with both the general public and UK National Health Service staff. Barely anyone met the basic diet and lifestyle guidelines!

Try not to grasp at straws or go in ‘all guns blazing’ – easier said than done! – work steadily, mothodically and logically. The detailed food diary (p.187), staged eliminations (p.190), and slow reintroductions (p.194) are accepted practice in healthcare.

The average Westerner’s diet is restrictive, poorly balanced and poorly varied. Christmas and New Year we are even worse! This leads to a ‘bad’ gut flora and micronutrient deficiencies (vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids).

If your gut is already inflamed and easily irritated, making too many changes at once can worsen this. Whilst you atill have loose stools key micronutrients are being flushed out, ‘good’ microbes don’t have the chance to feast on the banquet of wholefoods you are supplying, can’t evict the ‘bad’ microbes.

From a ‘standard/ average’ food and symptom diary one can consider the amount and types of fibre (and mineral) rich foods eaten, the amount and types of sugars and refined/ processsed starchy carbs, the balance of inflammatory to anti inflammatory fats, amount and variety of brighly coloured non starchy vegetables and low sugar fruits.

Aside from prebiotic fibre some of the most common nutrient deficiences are magnesium, vitamin D3, long chain omega-3s and haem iron (esp. women). All are potentially relevant in gut conditions. Foods rich in these are oily fish, certain seeds, cocoa/ low sugar dark chocolate, organ meats (such as liver), more oily fish!

We frequently overeat – serving size and/ or frequency – processed wheat, other white carbs (rice, peeled potatoes), sugar added or sweetener added snacks and drinks, land animal muscle meat, dairy from intensively farmed cows, certain nuts.

Hopefully some of my generalisations will click with your memories of your pre-Clever Guts diet.

thanks again for your response. i didn’t mean to pry, but you get so much advice online that is unsolicited you have to be careful!

so you reckon i should do this gradually… i just don’t really know where to start! so have a ‘normal’ diet and add one meal from the R&R menu or something?

cheers

i forgot to mention, after seeing the kinesiologist, i was recommended taking various supplements, including colloidal zinc, glutamine and Lactobacillus Rhamnosus. they said it’d help. i took it for around 5 weeks, whilst avoiding gluten and tomatoes, but i’m not really sure i felt any benefit..

i have been eating plenty of oily fish, over the past three weeks, some dark chocolate, plus pumpkin and sunflower seeds with at least one meal a day…

i was wondering if over-eating might be something relevant. i’m not overweight, but sometimes am a little greedy with portion sizes!

You are right to be cautious. There is so much unscientific, useless – even dangerous! – health advice on blogs and forums, from alternative practitioners and others working in fields allied to health (eg. some personal trainers).

Most health professionals agree that a *properly balanced and very varied* wholefood diet is ideal. If anyone but an expert with access to your medical history and/ or food diary advises anything else be suspicious!

If you want or need to avoid a whole food group or food type over the longer term – for example gluten grains or cows dairy – check with a doctor, dietician or pharmacist how best to substitute or supplement. There is also sensible advice on reputable websites (health charities, UK NHS, US government, registration bodies for dieticians/ nutritionists) and books written by medical professionals.

Keep it up with the oily fish, ensuring variety (mackerel, sardines/ pilchards, trout, herring, salmon) because different species have different nutrients. Other seafood/ molluscs and crustacians (oysters, scallops, mussels, crab, prawns) and seaweed/ sea vegetables are good sources of minerals including zinc and iodine. So longer term work on variety.

If you have been avoiding most grains, do have plenty of other fibre and mineral rich foods, these should help ‘bulk’ and firm the stool. Clever Guts suggests gluten-free grains and certain seeds and nuts. Ground flax or linseeds and chia seeds are particularly good because they are very rich in soluble fibre. IIRC they are both good sources of magnesium, as are pumpkin seeds.

Limit sunflower seeds, their fat and mineral profile is not helpful. Some people find ‘harder’ nuts and seeds (hazelnuts, almonds, pumpkin) are gentler on the gut if they are soaked in water for a few hour or toasted before eating. If you soak flaxseeds or chia the soluble fibre forms a slimy gel, as it would in the gut. Hence their use in recipes such as the chia pots.

Since you have eliminated the worst offenders – sugar, refined grains, dairy – it seems a shame to reintroduce those. Maybe check the balance and variety of the diet at this point using your food diary?

So how many servings of low sugar fruits and non starchy vegetables, if you are eating the full rainbow (blue/ black, deep green, yellow/ orange, red), enough fibre and mineral rich bulking stuff (seeds, nuts, gluten free wholegrains) and so on.

You might consider reintroducing free range or organic eggs – intolerances are not a major issue, you don’t seem to identify an allergy, they can help bind the stool, are nutritious and versatile. Don’t overdo your portions (one not two or three at first) because sulphur containing eggs can lead to smelly gas depending on the balance of the gut flora.

Then fermented or probiotic rich foods (p.136) one by one and in small quantities at first.

As far as portion size and greed goes, it depends which food group. Given you have lost some weight but do not need to, ensure you are eating enough energy dense/ nutrient rich wholefoods. So seeds and nuts (again!), olives, avocados, coconut, low sugar dark chocolate. If or when you reintroduce dairy, traditional aged cheeses fit into this group.

Most fruit and vegetables are primarily water, so their bulk should not stress the digestion any more than drinking liquids. But the prebiotic (fibre, FODMAPS) content of some can be an issue for irritated or inflamed guts. Berries are not normally problematic so can be eaten regularly, but then we have the issue of what to eat them with when cutting sugar, sweeteners and milk!

thanks a bunch for this. most helpful..

i’ve been to the docs this morning, and have to return a couple of samples, and am being referred for a colonoscopy. you never know, they might find something!

i’ll deffo try and boost my oily fish, eggs and nuts seeds… i think i’m doing ok with the rainbow of veg.. have tried a few chia pots too. an acquired taste, maybe..! i’ve been eating fermented cucumber, hoping that it might help, kimche too..

can i ask what cheeses you recommend? i’m not sure what traditional aged cheeses might be

cheers

j

Very pleased to read that you have offered further medical tests and a referral.

I love traditional cheeses. And I love that research suggests health benefits! According to the experts, we are looking for any or all of:

– sheep/ goats/ cows that live outdoors on a natural diet (higher levels anti inflammatory fats)

– UNpasteurised milk (wider variety of microbes)

– matured in a traditional way, such as rind washed or cave aged (encourages certain groups of microbes)

– different types of cheeses, eg. soft and hard, blue veined, white rind (variety of microbes again).

grand, thanks for that…

i’ll look forward to researching cheeses when the time comes!

Here in Europe we have the PDO system. Under this system only cheeses that are made and matured in a particular region, from local milk, using specific traditional methods, can be labelled with a particular name and use the PDO logo.

You may well be able to find other traditional/ artisan/ small production (microbe loaded and gut friendly) cheeses from a good delicatessan, cheesemonger or farm shop.

Dr Mosley mentions *Greek feta PDO* which is made from pasteurised sheep and/ or goats milk. I like the barrel-aged stuff.

Prof Tim Spector – British Gut Project, The Diet Myth – mentions trials with unpasteurised hard cheese and people taking antibiotics. This group includes French *Comte PDO* (cows milk), Swiss *Gruyere PDO* (cows milk), Swiss *Emmental PDO*, Italian *Pecorino romano PDO* (sheeps milk). There is a study on Pecorino romano and heart health.

Then there are softer unpasteurised cheeses, such as French *Camembert de Normandie PDO* (cows milk), French *Roquefort PDO* (blue, sheeps milk), some French *Epoisse PDO* (rind washed, cows milk), some Spanish *Manchego PDO* (sheeps milk), British Stichelton (blue, cows milk). There is a study on Roquefort and heart health.

HTH!

i’ll look out for that… thanks…

symptoms have changed over the last few days… constipation followed by loose stools.. any thoughts or suggestions?

i haven’t eaten anything different, perhaps increased in the intake or rainbow veg and seeds..

no worries if not, you’ve been helpful enough!

Well I am hoping that these are the first steps towards a happy and healthy gut! 🙂

How are you defining constipation?

Medically constipation is often defined as no bowel movements for three days and/ or having to strain excessively.

HOWEVER if it follows using laxatives or a bout of diarrhoea, the large intenstine may have started out empty. The large intestine is a big old beastie, and can hold three days worth of food waste.

As far as straining, it could be that you are unaccustomed to the feeling of normal movements? Or that your gut muscles have become a little lazy?

But it is always worth checking with your family doctor, practice nurse or pharmacist.

i guess i just mean constipation as in not passing anything for a day, and the next passing a few tiny hard stools (then followed later by soft stools)…. not chronic, i know, but noticeably different from my normal routine…

gut muscles could be out of shape, i guess… how do i get them in shape? just eating healthily, i guess?

Hi JPWG.. keep a detailed ten-day food diary and record your symptoms as well. Then we may be able to advise more specifically. It might also be worth having your microbiome analysed ..

hi there

i have been keeping a detailed food diary since the start of the month. to be honest (apart from a couple of days of inactivity/slight constipation) there has been no variation in symptoms during the whole month, just loose stools. i’m not sure how useful this is, yet…

i have thought about the microbiome testing, but it sounds expensive, and don’t you tend to get a very scientific result, not something that someone like myself could make any sense of?

Suggest post the food diary (including fluids) plus any medication and let’s see if we can spot anything. I’d also try SYMPROVE which one of the very few probiotics with proven efficacy. You need to commit yourself to taking it consistently for 3 months (NB: there’s a 4-pack version which saves a lot over the single bottle)

here is my food diary for this month. almost all food is from the R&R diet, and all is made from scratch apart from the houmous (from a supermarket)..

i hope it might help? things have got no better since i last posted..

03/01/18
breakfast: scrambled eggs, green bread
lunch: green salad, carrot and turmeric soup, chia and red pepper crackers
dinner: turkey burgers, sweet potato wedges and green salad
snacks – apple, orange, banana, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: nothing

04/01/18
breakfast: coconut milk, spinach, berry and cinnamon smoothie
lunch: turkey burgers, carrot and beetroot salad, avocado
dinner: creamy cashew mushrooms, brown rice and kale
snacks – apple, orange, banana, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: slightly loose stools

05/01/18
breakfast: porridge with banana and honey, almond milk
lunch: carrot soup and chia crackers
dinner: salmon steak, broccoli, kale and sweet potato
snacks – apple, orange, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: slightly constipated

06/01/18
breakfast: porridge with berries and honey, almond milk
lunch: salmon with pumpkin and sunflower seeds, green salad and avocado
dinner: creamy cashew mushrooms, kale, carrots
snacks – apple, orange, banana, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: slightly loose stools

07/01/18
breakfast: granola with berries and almond milk
lunch: green salad, houmous, avocado, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, pickled cucumber
dinner: beef goulash, kale leftover rice
snacks – banana, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: loose stools

08/01/18
breakfast: porridge with berries and honey, almond milk
lunch: chicken and veg soup , green salad with houmous
dinner: prawn and seaweed cougetti
snacks – apple, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: slightly constipated in the morning then loose stools

08/01/18
breakfast: porridge with berries and honey, almond milk
lunch: chicken and veg soup , green salad with houmous
dinner: prawn and seaweed cougetti
snacks – apple, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: slightly constipated in the morning then loose stools

09/01/18
breakfast: granola with berries and almond milk
lunch: green salad with seeds, houmous, chia crackers
dinner: beef goulash, kale, spinach and new potatoes
snacks – apple, nuts and raisins, Satsuma, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: slightly loose stools then slightly constipated later

10/01/18
breakfast: porridge with berries and honey, almond milk
lunch: chicken and veg soup , green bread
dinner: chicken curry and cauliflower rice
snacks – apple, banana, satsuma, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: slightly loose stools

11/01/18
breakfast: granola with berries and almond milk
lunch: green salad with seeds, houmous, green bread
dinner: cod with salsa verde, green beans, kale and boiled potatoes
snacks – apple, banana, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: loose stools

12/01/18
breakfast: porridge with raspberry chia jam, seeds and honey, almond milk
lunch: mackerel, green salad, salsa verde
dinner: breakfast bread, houmous, olives, carrot, raspberry chia jam
snacks – apple, satsuma, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: very loose stools

13/01/18
breakfast: granola with raspberry chia jam and almond milk
lunch: green salad with houmous and breakfast bread
dinner: creamy cashew and mushrooms, kale, boiled potatos and broccoli
snacks – apple, banana, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: none

14/01/18
breakfast: porridge with raspberry chia jam, seeds and honey, almond milk
lunch: vegan meatballs, cauliflower and rice
dinner: chick pea, green peas and kale curry, breakfast bread
snacks – apple, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: slightly constipated then loose stools

15/01/18
breakfast: granola with raspberry chia jam and almond milk
lunch: mackerel, green salad, breakfast bread
dinner: chicken and veg soup
snacks – apple, satsuma, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, black decaf coffee x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: very loose stools and wind

16/01/18
breakfast: porridge with raspberry chia jam, almond milk
lunch: chicken and veg soup
dinner: green salad with houmous, avocado, radish, breakfast bread, seeds
snacks – apple, banana, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: loose stools and wind

17/01/18
breakfast: granola with raspberry chia jam and almond milk
lunch: salmon steak, green salad, beetroot, radish, breakfast bread
dinner: houmous, green salad, breakfast bread
snacks – apple, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, black decaf coffee x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: none

18/01/18
breakfast: porridge with berries and honey, almond milk
lunch: cabbage and coconut curry, dhal and small amount of white rice
dinner: bean curry, apple coleslaw, green salad, coconut balls
snacks – apple, satsuma, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3, 3 small glass of red wine
SYMPTOMS: loose stools

19/01/18
breakfast: granola with raspberry chia jam and almond milk
lunch: salmon steak, green salad, beetroot, radish, breakfast bread
dinner: houmous, green salad, breakfast bread
snacks – apple, kiwi, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: loose stools, stomach cramps

20/01/18
breakfast: porridge with berries and honey, almond milk
lunch: scrambled eggs, spinach, breakfast bread
dinner: leftover beef casserole, salad, brussel sprouts
snacks – apple, chia pot, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: none

21/01/18
breakfast: granola with raspberry chia jam and almond milk
lunch: houmous, green salad, breakfast bread
dinner: roast veg (peppers, onion, garlic, courgette, butternut squash), brown rice, houmous dressing
snacks – apple, kiwi, banana, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: loose stools

22/01/18
breakfast: granola with raspberry chia jam and almond milk
lunch: tinned tuna, rainbow salad, seeds
dinner: roast veg (peppers, onion, garlic, courgette, butternut squash), brown rice, houmous dressing, sprouts, spinach
snacks – apple, satsuma, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: none

23/01/18
breakfast: porridge with raspberry chia jam, almond milk
lunch: tinned tuna, green salad, avocado, seeds, picked cucumber, poached egg, breakfast bread
dinner: chicken with honey, ginger, carrot & cabbage coleslaw
snacks – apple, kiwi, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, water x 3, fruit tea
SYMPTOMS: slightly constipated then loose stools

24/01/18
breakfast: granola with raspberry chia jam and almond milk
lunch: chicken and veg soup, breakfast bread
dinner: cashew and smoked tofu stif-fry, with pepper, courgette, mushroom, spring onion, garlic, ginger and brown rice.
snacks – apple, banana, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: loose stools

25/01/18
breakfast: porridge with berries and honey, oat milk
lunch: houmous, green salad, coleslaw, pickled cucumber
dinner: cauliflower, kale and pea curry, and brown rice, pickled lettuce
snacks – coconut, apple, dried fruit, banana, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: loose stools

26/01/18
breakfast: granola with raspberry chia jam and oat milk
lunch: tinned sardines, green salad, radish, kimche, seeds, spring onion
dinner: chicken gougons, kale, peas, roast butternut squash
snacks – coconut, apple, banana, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, water x 3, fresh orange juice
SYMPTOMS: very loose stools

for some reason it won’t let me post my (rather long ) food diary…. maybe it is too long?

i’ll try it in two bits:

PART 1:

here is my food diary for this month. almost all food is from the R&R diet, and all is made from scratch apart from the houmous (from a supermarket)..

i hope it might help? things have got no better since i last posted..

03/01/18
breakfast: scrambled eggs, green bread
lunch: green salad, carrot and turmeric soup, chia and red pepper crackers
dinner: turkey burgers, sweet potato wedges and green salad
snacks – apple, orange, banana, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: nothing

04/01/18
breakfast: coconut milk, spinach, berry and cinnamon smoothie
lunch: turkey burgers, carrot and beetroot salad, avocado
dinner: creamy cashew mushrooms, brown rice and kale
snacks – apple, orange, banana, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: slightly loose stools

05/01/18
breakfast: porridge with banana and honey, almond milk
lunch: carrot soup and chia crackers
dinner: salmon steak, broccoli, kale and sweet potato
snacks – apple, orange, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: slightly constipated

06/01/18
breakfast: porridge with berries and honey, almond milk
lunch: salmon with pumpkin and sunflower seeds, green salad and avocado
dinner: creamy cashew mushrooms, kale, carrots
snacks – apple, orange, banana, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: slightly loose stools

07/01/18
breakfast: granola with berries and almond milk
lunch: green salad, houmous, avocado, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, pickled cucumber
dinner: beef goulash, kale leftover rice
snacks – banana, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: loose stools

08/01/18
breakfast: porridge with berries and honey, almond milk
lunch: chicken and veg soup , green salad with houmous
dinner: prawn and seaweed cougetti
snacks – apple, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: slightly constipated in the morning then loose stools

08/01/18
breakfast: porridge with berries and honey, almond milk
lunch: chicken and veg soup , green salad with houmous
dinner: prawn and seaweed cougetti
snacks – apple, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: slightly constipated in the morning then loose stools

09/01/18
breakfast: granola with berries and almond milk
lunch: green salad with seeds, houmous, chia crackers
dinner: beef goulash, kale, spinach and new potatoes
snacks – apple, nuts and raisins, Satsuma, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: slightly loose stools then slightly constipated later

10/01/18
breakfast: porridge with berries and honey, almond milk
lunch: chicken and veg soup , green bread
dinner: chicken curry and cauliflower rice
snacks – apple, banana, satsuma, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: slightly loose stools

11/01/18
breakfast: granola with berries and almond milk
lunch: green salad with seeds, houmous, green bread
dinner: cod with salsa verde, green beans, kale and boiled potatoes
snacks – apple, banana, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: loose stools

12/01/18
breakfast: porridge with raspberry chia jam, seeds and honey, almond milk
lunch: mackerel, green salad, salsa verde
dinner: breakfast bread, houmous, olives, carrot, raspberry chia jam
snacks – apple, satsuma, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: very loose stools

13/01/18
breakfast: granola with raspberry chia jam and almond milk
lunch: green salad with houmous and breakfast bread
dinner: creamy cashew and mushrooms, kale, boiled potatos and broccoli
snacks – apple, banana, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: none

14/01/18
breakfast: porridge with raspberry chia jam, seeds and honey, almond milk
lunch: vegan meatballs, cauliflower and rice
dinner: chick pea, green peas and kale curry, breakfast bread
snacks – apple, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: slightly constipated then loose stools

PART 2:

15/01/18
breakfast: granola with raspberry chia jam and almond milk
lunch: mackerel, green salad, breakfast bread
dinner: chicken and veg soup
snacks – apple, satsuma, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, black decaf coffee x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: very loose stools and wind

16/01/18
breakfast: porridge with raspberry chia jam, almond milk
lunch: chicken and veg soup
dinner: green salad with houmous, avocado, radish, breakfast bread, seeds
snacks – apple, banana, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: loose stools and wind

17/01/18
breakfast: granola with raspberry chia jam and almond milk
lunch: salmon steak, green salad, beetroot, radish, breakfast bread
dinner: houmous, green salad, breakfast bread
snacks – apple, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, black decaf coffee x 1, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: none

18/01/18
breakfast: porridge with berries and honey, almond milk
lunch: cabbage and coconut curry, dhal and small amount of white rice
dinner: bean curry, apple coleslaw, green salad, coconut balls
snacks – apple, satsuma, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, fruit tea x 1, water x 3, 3 small glass of red wine
SYMPTOMS: loose stools

19/01/18
breakfast: granola with raspberry chia jam and almond milk
lunch: salmon steak, green salad, beetroot, radish, breakfast bread
dinner: houmous, green salad, breakfast bread
snacks – apple, kiwi, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: loose stools, stomach cramps

20/01/18
breakfast: porridge with berries and honey, almond milk
lunch: scrambled eggs, spinach, breakfast bread
dinner: leftover beef casserole, salad, brussel sprouts
snacks – apple, chia pot, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: none

21/01/18
breakfast: granola with raspberry chia jam and almond milk
lunch: houmous, green salad, breakfast bread
dinner: roast veg (peppers, onion, garlic, courgette, butternut squash), brown rice, houmous dressing
snacks – apple, kiwi, banana, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: loose stools

22/01/18
breakfast: granola with raspberry chia jam and almond milk
lunch: tinned tuna, rainbow salad, seeds
dinner: roast veg (peppers, onion, garlic, courgette, butternut squash), brown rice, houmous dressing, sprouts, spinach
snacks – apple, satsuma, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: none

23/01/18
breakfast: porridge with raspberry chia jam, almond milk
lunch: tinned tuna, green salad, avocado, seeds, picked cucumber, poached egg, breakfast bread
dinner: chicken with honey, ginger, carrot & cabbage coleslaw
snacks – apple, kiwi, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, water x 3, fruit tea
SYMPTOMS: slightly constipated then loose stools

24/01/18
breakfast: granola with raspberry chia jam and almond milk
lunch: chicken and veg soup, breakfast bread
dinner: cashew and smoked tofu stif-fry, with pepper, courgette, mushroom, spring onion, garlic, ginger and brown rice.
snacks – apple, banana, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: loose stools

25/01/18
breakfast: porridge with berries and honey, oat milk
lunch: houmous, green salad, coleslaw, pickled cucumber
dinner: cauliflower, kale and pea curry, and brown rice, pickled lettuce
snacks – coconut, apple, dried fruit, banana, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, water x 3
SYMPTOMS: loose stools

26/01/18
breakfast: granola with raspberry chia jam and oat milk
lunch: tinned sardines, green salad, radish, kimche, seeds, spring onion
dinner: chicken gougons, kale, peas, roast butternut squash
snacks – coconut, apple, banana, nuts and raisins, small piece of dark choc
drinks, black decaf tea with almond milk and teaspoon of honey x 3, water x 3, fresh orange juice
SYMPTOMS: very loose stools

Some days you seem to be having a lot of cruciferous vegetables/ brassicas (kale/ cauli/ broccoli/ cabbage/ sprouts if Brussels/ radish) or pulses (beans/ lentils/ peas) or naturally occurring sugars (tropical fruits/ raisins/ other dried fruit/ juice/ honey).

Any or all of these can be problematic in IBS or similar. You might have reintroduced or increased the quantity too quickly? Consider focussing on low sugar ‘fruits’ (any berries, red and blackcurrants, rhubarb).

Also consider more flax/ linseeds/ chia seeds for the soluble fibre/ bulking. I could not get on with ground flax – AKA cardboard! – so have a couple of tablespoons of cracked (Granovita Linseed Plus). Note that these have lactose (milk sugar) and fig/ plum extract so caution if you do try them.

As above: can you see any pattern at all between your symptoms and what you consumed in the 24-48 hours prior? I’m almost thinking if you picked what you ate on your best two days and simply stuck with that (alternating) for a week that might reveal something.

Other thoughts? get your microbiome analysed and interpreted. Without that you are essentially steering blind. Are you suffering the symptoms of dysbiosis? It seems likely from the symptoms but without the analysis who knows.

There are no fermented foods in your diet I think. These are pre and pro-biotic so feed the good bugs at the expense of the bad. I’d look at that section in the cleverguts book.

Are you aware of the 5:2 diet? Same author ! Highly recommended and would work perfectly along side Cleverguts. Buy the book! Watch the programme: https://vimeo.com/170735109

And finally take a look at the Symprove website. Its one of very few probiotics with proven efficacy and its specific to IBS

hi there

firefox: what would you recommend i replace the brassicas and cruciferous veg with? it said in the book that the dark green veg is great for the gut, so thats what i’ve been focussing on.

i haven’t really had many pulses, apart from peas, but i guess i have had bananas most days, plus dried fruit and honey in my tea. i think i might struggle having tea or porridge without honey!

i will focus more on berries then, and the soluble fibre…. i though i was having enough each day, but clearly not..

graham: to be honest i can’t see any pattern emerging from the ok days (and the 24/48 hours before). the meals were different each time, and the breakfasts/drinks/snacks similar to what i had on other days too.

i have heard about getting your biome analysed, but it is expensive isn’t it, and you just get a scientific result rather than a guide of what you should and shouldn’t eat, don’t you?

i have been eating some kimche, and chinese pickled cucumbers, so some fermented foods. but in the book it doesn’t recommend fermented foods or probiotics until the 2nd part of the diet, and i’m still on the first.

i am aware of the 5:2 diet. to be honest, perhaps naively, i have followed the r&r diet pretty faithfully, after reading the book, and thinking it all made sense, hoping it would make some difference. i’m pretty disappointed that it hasn’t. i feel a little bit duped. i know that everybody’s bodies are different but i would have expected some positive impact at this stage, not negative, as it is currently. i’ve not had any diary, gluten or refined sugar in nearly a month now, eaten nearly everything in the recipe book, and frankly it is making me more miserable (not to mention my poor family)!

so, i don’t feel that inclined to read another MM book and follow further advice that could lead me to further disappointment, and possibly worse symptoms!

it is really confusing the amount of advice you get, and contradictory information. i just don’t know where to turn, and i just don’t have the money to pay for expensive testing.

i don’t mean to sound ungrateful. i do appreciate people trying to help. thanks..

It is worth re-reading the book, or at least parts of it. I am often reminded of stuff that had slipped my mimd when I post page references!

By going in ‘all guns blazing’, you have missed all the prep and much of R&R. I feel bad saying that because I *LOVE* your determination and enthusiasm.

See section on sugar and alternatives (p.150-155). The helpful practices “cut right down on sugars and sweeteners … Including sweetened drinks and juices.” (p.188).

Also during R&R try to avoid “very fibrous vegetables” Four of the examples are brassicas/ cruciferous (p.191).

In the example planner sidebar “maximum of two servings of fruit a day … Avoid snacking between meals” (p.262).

Dark green veggies are not healthier than blue/ purple (polyphenol antioxidants, multiple references in book), reds/ yellows/ oranges (carotenoid antioxidanta), prebiotics such as inulin and resistant starch which are in some of the paler plants, healthy fats in oily fish, olives and avocados

Eat the rainbow, long term a really wide variety (20-30 varieties a week, p.191). By all means eat some cruciferous veggies which are rich in healthy – but potentially gassy – sulphur compounds. Less fibrous versions include baby kale, tenderstem broccolli, sprouting cauli (biancolo), pak choi, watercress.

Balance that with other vegetable and fruit families: lower sugar bushy fruits (berries, sour currants), alliums (onion family), roots (beets, carrots, parsnip), gourds (squashes, courgette, melons, cucumber), nightshades (peppers, tomato, aubergine), mushrooms (dried and fresh), less fibrous leaves (watercress, baby spinach, rocket), lower risk pulses (sugarsnaps, mangetout, edamame).

There is some b@st@rdising of botanical families here, but hopefully it is helpful. I realised how poorly balanced my choices are with a similar exercise.

Serving size is relevant: in the UK 80g fresh weight. Only half sn apple or banana but a terrifying pile of salad leaves! Introduce small servings of prebiotic rich/ FODMAP.rich plants at first.

My methods of sweetening stuff, limiting sweetening are not all othodox nor all R&R friendly!

1. Use your apples and pears, as they come or stewed. I buy dried pears (no added sugar, packed as skin on halves). These are naturally lower sugar and higher in prebiotic pectin than dates or raisins.

2. Add less sour fruits (blueberries, strawberries, blood oranges, creamed coconut) to sour ones. Or add sweeter dairy if lactose tolerated (eg. canned evaporated milk but not condensed, real cream).

3. Others swear by inulin and certain spices (eg. cinnamon, nutmeg).

4. Pair lower sugar fruits with salty or savoury, instead of making a sweet meal. Traditional goat or sheep cheeses, flavoured seeds and nuts, various fish and seafood, Prosciutto di Parma (no nitrates/ nitrites) or other air dried ham, souffle omelette.

5. If I have to sweeten (sour fruits with sour live yoghurt is just too much!) I use erythritol or lactulose, both of which exist in nature, aren’t digested/ absorbed by us, act as prebiotics. BUT may cause gas or loose stools if overused (FODMAPs) so use soaringly to take the edge off, no more.

HTH!

thanks firefox. glad i don’t just come across like a total grump!

i’ll be sure to cut down on sweetened drinks… and the fibrous veg… and cut down on fruit (never thought i’d say that!) and get that rainbow going again…

i was trying to avoid tomato, as this kinesiologist said i seem to be intolerant of them. you think i should ignore that and eat them? quite a few recipies in r&r include tomatoes..

cheers

i guess as i’m trying the r&r diet that i shouldn’t really try any of these dairy things, yet (with ref to sweetening things)…?

Not much more I can add. The vimeo of Eat Fast and Live Longer is free to view; basic microbiome analysis via British Gut is less than £100 (but you’ll need someone to interpret the results at an additional cost ). Symprove is an obvious next step to try (but you need to take it consistently for 3 months to establish whether or not it will work)
Good luck!
Graham

thanks graham..

out of interest, who would you recommend to interpret a biome analysis?

that symprove looks interesting, but i’m just not sure i can afford it..

cheers

Hi JPWG – its a service I offer. Alternatively check the map my gut website for others.

thanks graham. can i ask how you are qualified in this area?

i’m thinking of getting a test done by

http://www.intolerancelab.co.uk

any thoughts on this? its not very expensive. they test your hair to see if it identifies any intolerances. to be honest, things are no better with the r&r diet. i just feel if i have a guide to what i might be able to avoid then it is a start? what if ingredients on the r&r diet are giving me problems? i’d never know..

or possibly the york test?

Inexpensive, simple-to-perform, accurate and evidence based tests for food intolerances and food allergies are offered on the NHS. Thankfully you are in that system.

To date, elimination and reintroduction diets supervised by an appropriate healthcare professional (dietician/ doctor) remain the ‘gold standard’. This is guided by the medical history and the detailed food and symptom diary (p.187). Individual foods/ food groups/ food types are eliminated and reintroduced in stages (p.190). Clever Guts is a DIY version of this proven system.

Many people who have gut dysbiosis/ digestive symptoms/ medical conditions linked to dysbiosis/ chronic systemic inflammation *do not* have a diagnosable food intolerance or food allergy. Telling them that they do may be the catalyst to ‘cleaning up’ their diet, but can easily be the trigger for it becoming more restrictive or more imbalanced. It can stop them seeking medical help for undiagnosed conditions.

The fact is that the vast majority of westerners consistently make unhealthy diet and lifestyle choices. Most of us don’t know what all the official healthy living guidelines are. Most of us fool ourselves about how healthy or unhealthy our diet and lifestyles are.

To significantly improve our health many of us simply need to eat a properly balanced and very varied wholefood diet, be physically active each day (at least 10,000 steps), maintain a healthy weight, don’t smoke, reduce drink and stress.

Unfortunately the media and internet are drowning out the scientifically proven stuff with quackery and quick fixes. Sensible long term programmes like Clever Guts can work, but are less likely to if combined with the quackery and quick fixes.

hi firefox

i’ve been asking at my GPs for food intolerance testing for years, and they have declined every time, preferring to prescribe me various drugs that haven’t had any effect at all. when that didn’t work recently they did mention the low FODMAP diet, and when i pushed them they offered a colonoscopy, which is progress, i guess..

i’m not adverse to FODMAP, i just figured that if i had a place to start from (like graham suggested before) it might help?

i am aware that these ‘food tests’ might not be the answer, but i’m just feeling that after a month of working really hard on the r&r diet, (which has just made my symptoms worse), that i need to explore other avenues. as you said, i could have gone in too full-on, or mis-read certain areas, but i’ve tried to correct that now..

after reading a bit about the york test, there is a fair bit of support too, from BANT registered nutritionalists as part of the package… i’m not 100% sold on this, but it seems a bit a little more sensible than the (expensive) kinesiologist i saw, who told me to avoid tomatoes and gluten. i have done this since the start of november, and had no improvement in my symptoms at all

In the UK anyone pacticing as a “dietician” has long been required to have a specific honours degree (many in the NHS have masters degrees), one year pre-reg experience, register with the British Dietetic Association (BDA), engage in continuing professional development (CPD). The same level of rigor as for pharmacists and other allied health professionals.

“Nutritionists”/ “nutritional therapists” etc were NOT protected or regulated titles in the same way. Some practitioners had rubbish online certificates, others had good honours degrees in their subject (or joint honours or a masters). Even the level 2 module in nutrition for personal trainers is useless. It covers little more than the official healthy eating guidelines!

I do not know where the move to professionalise the field of ‘nutrition’ and separate the healthcare professionals from the alternative practitioners has got to now, nor which registration body is equivalent to the BDA. Please check the registering body and practitioners qualification level carefully before trusting their knowledge and research skills.

A half hour telephone consultation with a practitioner who doesn’t have access to your medical notes or detailed food and symptom diary sounds like a sales pitch opportunity.

I am sorry to read that your GP did not properly signpost or refer you to reputable sources of information (NHS website, charities dealing with IBS and other gut conditions, dietician) on healthy eating, food intolerances/ allergies and eating for IBS at a much earlier stage. That would likely have avoided you going in ‘all guns blazing’ instead of slow, steady and methodically.

Which specific tests for food intolerance were you asking your family doctor for? There are prick tests for allergies, colonoscopies for structural abnormalities and changes, blood and urine tests for certain nutrient deficiences and certain markers for underlying diseases, but AFAIK most food intolerances are diagnosed with a medically supervised elimination and reintroduction diet. Whivh is not dissimilar to how IBS Is treated with diet modification.

yes, you might have a point being sceptical about such things, but i don’t really feel my medical notes will tell them much anyway. i’m certainly not going to do anything rash..and without doing some research first..

i’ve had all sorts of blood tests, urine test and stool sample tests over the years, up to last week, and all have come back clear. i can’t tell you off hand exactly what they were all for but certainly coeliacs, colitis and helicobacter. i jut asked if it were possible to have a food intolerance test, to see if it would identify and foods that i might be intolerant to, but this was declined.

i have been referred for a colonoscopy, so fingers crossed that might help. not sure how long i’ll have to wait, mind.

cheers

Many health conditions are diagnosed wholly or partly by exclusion: negative/ ‘normal’ or borderline test results are as important as positive/ ‘abnormal’ ones to a medical professional. In diagnosis obviously blood, urine or stool samples are important but so is weight and BMI or bodyfat, blood pressure, heart rate and so on.

Your medical notes also include what specifically you reported or how that was interpreted, visual observations, when (how long ago & time of year), what tests were not done (in error or deliberately) and many other snippets of information that seem irrelevant or insignificant to a layman.

The devil really can be in the detail, which is also why the detailed food and symptom diary is so important. Which specific foods, their form (raw/ cooked/ whole/ blended/ juiced etc), the weighed or measured amount, time of each meal or snack and symptom can all be relevant.