9 stone, 5’8” , aged 36. I’m a dental hygienist and walk at least an hour a week and swim twice a week. I’ve always had reflux symptoms although mild, since being a teen and various gps have given range of advice from eat smaller portions at a time to get more exercise. Had investigations with a camera down as far as the larynx which was NAD but they were misinterpreting my symptoms as complaining of a lump in the throat so this was never going to show anything anyway, it wasn’t a lump in the throat I was getting,it was having to always clear my throat. Then they thought It may have been an asthma cough so put me on montelukast. I’ve not been taking this for a while though. Only medication I take is symbocort inhaler. Sorry for the long post!

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

It’s complex. I ‘d need to know your weight, BMI, lifestyle, any ongoing medication etc. Fats in themselves should not lead directly to reflux, but its very individual. Have you seen your GP? If not you should. Given your symptoms you MAY be at increased risk of oesophogeal cancer. The GP will likely want to order some investigations. I strongly advise you speak to your GP

Research shows poor technique with inhalers is a widespread problem … Even amongst doctors, nurses and pharmacy staff! Ask the pharmacist to recommend easier to use inhaler products and/ a spacer device, and then have your mother retrained in how to use them correctly.

Review dental health and oral care with the dentist or pharmacist. Consider switching toothpaste and mouthwash free of anionic surfactants (eg. SLS) and drying alcohol if present.

Diet-wise first is the detailed food and symptom diary (p.187), everything weighed and measured. Consider the *balance and variety* of the diet, including *essential* fat soluble nutrients (vitamins A, E and esp. D, long chain omega-3s), and types/ quantities of prebiotic rich wholefoods.

Focus on the long term principles of Clever Guts not the recipes. The full rainbow of bright and dark coloured (p.119-124) low sugar fruits and non starchy vegetables, twenty to thirty varieties a week (p.191), carbohydrate wholefoods richer in resistant starch (p.268-269), fermented vegetables (p.140-146), reduced fat live dairy (kefir/ yoghurt) …

*Whole* flax/ linseeds are not broken down in the human digestive system, the so the fats and minerals are not released. But the prebiotic mucilage (gel) is, soak in a glass of water to see this effect.

Ask the doctor about referral to a registered dietician. Discuss any supplements and the food and symptom diary with the dietician, pharmacist or doctor, because these have access to her medical notes and/ or list of prescribed medication.

Make any changes *slowly one at a time*. Some fat is essential but may well be better tolerated little and often. For example a triple strength fish body oil capsule with each meal (if the relevant medical professional agrees).

my mum has had her gall bladder removed and she cant eat very much fat at all otherwise she gets terrible pains similar to those she had when she was hospitalised with acute pancreatitis and infected gall bladder. she has massively reduced her fat – butter, cheese, cream, fried foods, bacon etc. and reduced alcohol significantly. she has lost lots of weight and feels better for it but suffers with repeated oral candida infections (GP puts down to steroid inhaler) I am concerned that she has underlying gut health issues and wonder how she can make changes Clever Guts style without having the negative effects from the oils and fats in the recipes? i have suggested live yoghurt but that it needs to be full fat – she is not keen. i have suggested capsulated probiotic supplements from Holland and Barrett but that these need to be consumed with fat to survive the stomach acid. she also takes a digestive enzyme (i forget the name) to replace the job of the gall bladder. she likes fruit and veg and doesn’t have much processed food.
Can anyone give me any advice please? many thanks

Yep, not doubting the whole body-wide benefits of HIIT at all. I will be interested to see the evidence as it emerges with more research in to HOW it works with the Gut.

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

just wondering what the current thoughts in the profession are about fats in the diet being linked to gastric reflux? i do suffer with some symptoms, mainly the cough and hoarse throat but never took any medication. was told once that dietary fats cause the stomach to produce more acid and then this comes back up through the esophagus. just starting on the CG diet and its fairly high fat. i have a low BMI and take regular exercise.
many thanks

Thanks for this but, this kind of translates to experiment with all your whole foods until you find which ones you should and shouldn’t have in the R&R phase. Which would mean it wouldn’t be just a 2 to 4 weeks, but months. And it kind of undermines the idea of going to the experts to find out what to do. I could have gone through the process of selectively leaving out foods from my diet until I some kind of improvement, with some “symptoms”, but I am all interested in the reset idea by itself which is not going to be possible with constant experimentation. In addition to this there is not practical way of knowing how the biome is reacting to each change individual change.

So I need a little more precision, can you /anyone help?

Anyone have opinions on which alternatives to butter and butter mixes are best….mixed with rapeseed, olive oil or should we just go for regular butter?

Any problems with EasyYo – sachets are easy to use – labelling suggests lots of bugs so, if true, why not?

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, Dollygrip.

I did try one type of keffir and didn’t like it at all, but perhaps I shouldn’t give up quite so easily.

The recipe itself doesn’t read as particularly appetising! I immediately want to add lemon or cocoa.

A whole frozen banana in a smoothie adds a creamy texture, the flavour is too subtle to come through. Nut butters without salt or sugar can just taste oily.

If you are in ‘Remove & Repair’ you would be breaking a twelve hour fast and won’t eat again until lunch (p.262). The average person might well need that amount of calories/ fat/ protein for eighteen hours.

But if you are in ‘Reintroduction’, you might be combining the cashew and banana pot with a dense nutty bread and jam (p.264). Which sounds like nut overkill.

Some of the breakfast suggestions are much ‘lighter’ on energy from fat and protein than others. I find skimping on low sugar berries (one 15ml tablespoon?) just as odd as 125g cashews!

I think if the recipe is unpalatable to you, then it is wrong. Even if it hapoens to be technically correct.

Hi I’ve been experimenting with various different recipes in the Clever Guts book with a pretty good success rate, but this particular recipe calls for a ratio of 250g of cashews to one medium banana. It’s supposed to make two servings. Isn’t 125g of cashews a massive amount for one person to eat for breakfast? You can barely taste the banana and other ingredients in it, it’s like a grainy cashew puree…. perhaps this is a typo? Because I tried it with 170g cashews (weighed after soaking, in case that was my error) and it still seemed like too much cashew and too little banana. Anyone else had this experience?

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)…?

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

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!

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.

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).

GrahamSPhillips: Yeah, I think the 5:2 seems like a good diet and I have tried it before. When I have a body I’m happy with I think I’ll get back on it or some variation of it.

I used to drink green tea a couple of years ago so I’m fine with the taste, didn’t find any in the shop though so I might have buy online. Or I just drink oolong tea which is somewhere between green and black tea and available everywhere her. It’s also my favorite tea 🙂

The instant coffee I’m drinking is the cheapest Nescafé so it shouldn’t be hard to find that information.

I don’t think its about the intestines being clear for Akkermansia, I think it’s about the competition backing off a bit giving them a chance to thrive although i’m not certain. The eat the mucus lining the large intestines, As I understand it no bacteria should be in the small intestine and if they are they are in the wrong place.

The keto proof coffee in the morning is because I’m trying to go into ketosis, I’m very intrigued about getting the body to more effectively use fat for energy, together with the coffee in the morning I have a cup of kefir and a glass of kombucha with potato starch. In the evening I have an omelet with meat and vegetables keeping both the calories and carbohydrates fairly low. I also exercise a lot at the moment. Right now I have a two week window where it doesn’t matter much that I’m tired som I see it as a good window to quickly lose some weight

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..

To a greater or lesser extent which wholefoods you eat at a given point in the ‘Clever Guts’ process is personal/ unique to you.

The ongoing analysis of your detailed food and symptom diary (p.187), if you are working in the recommended stages (p.190), local food availability, season, household budget, moral/ religious/ cultural restrictions … all may play a role.

Maize products – inc. sweetcorn – are eaten very frequently by some but rarely by others, much as wheat or rice may be (often due to culture/ ethnicity). If you need to cut back on serving size or frequency or take a complete break from all forms of maize do so.

If you simply need to chew regular sweetcorn thoroughly (p.189) so it doesn’t reappear in the toilet semi intact do so. Eating some sweetcorn might be a good monitoring strategy for those who eat too quickly!

Just seen GrahamPhillips response! Whilst there may absolutely be some benefits to good quality coffee – instant or otherwise – I remain in the ‘balance and variety’ and ‘caution on an empty stomach’ camps.

William: The caffeine and polyphenol content of instant coffee is apparently highly variable, presumably depending on the quality of the beans and each stage of processing (as with cocoa). The manufacturer might be able to supply information on the average caffeine content of their product.

Since the ‘Fast Diet’ was published Dr Mosley has increased the suggested calorie limit on a fasting day (reported in the media if you want to follow that up). I am pretty sure it was early 2017, so have been after researching and writing ‘Clever Guts’. Might also be worth following up?

Which section{s} of the gut are Akkermansia and their mucus ‘banquet’ found? How empty does that really get when not eating for X hours? What does Akkermamsia eat when not fasting?

The large intestine should certainly not be clear unless prepping for a colonoscopy! And the small intestine can only empty into the large intestine if there is sufficient space. Mucus production is surely a continuum not an ‘on-off’ situation?

If you do choose only to have a light liquid breakfast on a fast day, I wonder if it might be better to have something more nutritious than ‘bulletproof coffee’? The butter, coconut oil and instant coffee don’t supply much more than fat calories. Other milk products have a better range of micronutrients (vitamins/ minerals/ amino acids), ditto cocoa.

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
Can anyone point me to a comprehensive list of what one can eat in the reduce and repair cycle. For example sweetcorn isn’t mentioned, so it thought it was ok, then it thought well it’s kind of fibrous and sweet, so is it ok.

The Fast Diet (aka 5:2) was brilliant. Mosley as usual bang on the money scientifically and wall ahead of the curve in terms of medical thinking. The original programme is still available online here and I cant’ recommend it too highly:
https://vimeo.com/170735109

Yes it appears Akkermansia tidies up the gut wall and lives on the mucus. Too much “akker” ain’t good either! But I think a combination of fasting (5:2 or 16:8) plus Cleverguts is a perfect combination.

Coffee (black) contains a lot of polyphenols and current thinking is its good for a healthy microbiome.

Yes to green tea but be warned its very much an acquired taste. I’d start with green tea plus lemon or ginger etc until you get used to the taste.

Nothing on PubMed but there were lots of results on Google Scholar, some of them seemed to be relevant. I guess I’ll have to take a closer look.

A normal amount of coffee for me is about 6 cups, fasting or not. It shouldn’t add up to that much caffeine though since as I understand it instant coffee has significantly lower caffeine than regular coffee. Might still be a good idea to cut down a bit though, I’ll take a trip to the shop looking for green tea. It’s more important to me to drink something rather then it having to be coffee specifically.

Akkermansia eats the mucus in the guts when you are fasting, thats why I want to keep long fasting periods rather than spreading out the calories through the day. I haven’t read the “Fast Diet” book either but my understanding is that that book was written when less was known (at least by Dr Mosley) about the gut microbiome.

There likely is no body of research on one specific ‘food’ and one specific microbe. A complicating factor is the many coffee products on the market, the differing qualities and quantities drunk. But do check PubMed and Google Scholar.

That seems like a lot of caffeine. Is that normal for you or only when fasting?

Caffeine kicks in the ‘fight or flight’ response: that stimulates (potentially irritates) the gut, can reduce sleep quality, can contribute to chronic low grade inflammation.

As such caffeine/ coffee has the potential to negatively affect the microbiome. You might mix it up with green tea, fruit teas, coconut water, cocoa or suchlike.

Or distribute your calories through the day. I have not read Dr Mosley’s ‘Fast Diet’ book, but it is my understanding you cut calories substantially rather that don’t eat at all.

Exactly so: consider your detailed food and symptom diary (p.187) and any previous experiences.

Some of us regularly consume soya products/ gluten grains/ cows dairy/ sweetened soft drinks/ coffee/ alcohol and others rarely do. Some have previously tried eliminating one or more suspect food types, and others are totally new to it. Some regularly eat oily fish or plenty of vegetables (but most of us do not!).

Where you were or are should help guide where you go next. Use your diary to help identify potentially problematic foods *for you*, but also to look at the balance and variety of your diet, between foods groups and within them.

HTH!

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.

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

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

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

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

I’m a gym regular – mainly low grade cardio and weights with some HIIT moments thrown in. I’m also an avid sauna-goer. I’m wondering if there is any evidence that the sweat sessions of a sauna may help or hurt the micro biome?

Another way to sterilized the jars is by removing the seals, putting them in a cold oven and bringing the temperature up to about 120 C, then letting them cool in the oven. I use this for bottling jams. If they are dirty or have been used before and need a scrub, Sodium metabisulphite soak helps.

I’ve just experimented with a commercially produced “live” kefir made by Biotiful Dairy and found it highly palatable. The plain sugar-free version is quite mild, though I’m not sure how highly Michael M might rate the quantity of bacteria. There are plenty of different kinds in there according to their website and at around 10b per litre, may not be as high as is desirable, but it makes up for it by being easy to drink….in fact I could easily swallow four 250ml bottles a day without blinking.

In my copy it’s the first sentence:
Foods which commonly cause gut problems include gluten, dairy, eggs, soya
then over the page:
Choose from fish, eggs, chicken, game red meat, soya, nuts, tofu, tempeh

So the answer seems to be some people need to leave it out and some don’t?

Just to clarify, After the fatty breakfast coffee i have several cups of black coffee (instant coffee) during the day, it’s those I wonder if they affect Akkermansia.

According to the book Akkermansia eats the mucus in in your guts while fasting and is supposedly “one of the good guys” that you want to flourish. But what about drinking coffee during the fasting hours? Does that have a negative effect on Akkermansia?

Most people say yes to coffee during fasting but I haven’t found anyone mentioning Akkermansia in connection with coffee.

Also, I’m currently trying “keto proof coffee” (1 cup coffee, 1 tbs coconut oil and 1 tbs butter), 1 cup of kefir and on glass of kombucha with 1 tbs potatostarch for breakfast hoping that that will get me well through 12 hours of fasting. Should i skip that and just continue the night fasting until the evening? I’m trying it for the first time today so I guess I’ll see if it works as intended, usually my breafast is just kefir.

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)

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?

What have you been eating AND most importantly drinking? And are you also fasting?? Headaches might simply be due to caffeine withdrawal for example. Yes, keep up your electrolytes -sometimes a bit extra dietary salt can help.

How old is your friend? Male or female? How many courses of antibiotics and which ones? Are there any other medical problems? For example an early sign of type2 diabetes CAN (I stress CAN) be repeated urinary infections. We’d need some specifics to be more specific in our answers! Hope that helps?
Graham

The advice in the book is excellent. Pre and Probiotic foods to feed the good bacteria so, fermented foods (take your pick .. Kefir, Kimchee, kombucha, Sauerkraut) plus prebiotics – a diverse range of foods with the highest amounts of insoluble fibre (to feed the good bugs at the expense of the bad). Its all in the book.

As for probiotic supplements – there’s limited evidence for certain specific supplements and specific conditions. What (specifically) are you wanting to achieve?

I also tend to recommend INULIN powder – but take it slowly !!

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 ..

Take a look at the Blue Zones (Dan Buettner). I agree with Firefox. It does seem , tho, that vegetarians outlive omnivores but I suspect that’s because those who do eat meat in the western world eat very poor quality meat. So my suggestion is to eat a small, high quality steak (when you can afford it) rather than a large, poor-quality steak. And so forth

Sleep and exercise both seem to help a healthy biome. In general terms we know what a healthy biome looks like, and in general terms we know its affected by diet, lifestyle, sleep, exercise and medication. You are looking for a very specific answer and I don’t think it actually exists YET! Remember research in the microbiome field is in its infancy.

As for HIIT, there’s loads of evidence of benefit (cardiovascular; mental health etc etc). If you read Michael’s book :Fast Exercise there’s plenty of information and evidence