Is there a simple answer to is slow or fast digestion better or does it depend?
Just wondering – does slow digestion mean your body has more chance then to absorb more nutrients and hence faster digestion is worse?

You will sometimes see articles something like “Fix your slow digestion” so I am confused why a fast digestion would be better?

…and how does fiber (insoluble and soluble) play their part in this given they are supposed to make bowel movements easier, though unsure if that has anything to do with the actual digestion or nutrient absorption?

Thanks!

I was wondering exactly the same thing, let’s see if somebody knows about it

Hi
Just recieved the 8 Week Blood Sugar Diet Recipe Book from Amazon and there is a pretty comprehensive shopping list on page 18.

Sounds like IBS to me! I have the same problem, especially with green bell pepper – and all sorts of other foods like gums, sugar alcohols, inulin/chicory root, olive oil, brown rice, soy, etc. Lookup references to FODMAP.

I’m so glad I found this forum. I’m 54 and have been unable to eat peppers since my early twenties. Within 20 minutes I start to get a tingling in my fingers and lips, and discomfort in the stomach. Within a couple of hours I’m violently sick. Usually lasts about 12 hours or so.
When this first started I thought it was just food poisoning. But it kept happening and I eventually narrowed it down to what I’d eaten the meal before.
The trouble is, peppers are so annoyingly trendy! They’re in everything. Even sushi from Pret! Every time you go to someone’s house for dinner you can pretty much guarantee something will be laced, garnished, covered, coated or based on chillies or peppers! I feel like I’m walking a tightrope whenever I eat out. They are often not mentioned on restaurant menus so I get my wife to test anything that is served and “looks” like it might have peppers or chillies in it. Luckily she’s happy to oblige!
I eat just about anything else. But these damn pepper things kill me. I’ve never heard of anyone else being the same as me so I’m well chuffed that there are other people with similar symptoms. I’m not such a freak after all!!😁 ( well, not in this sense anyway!)

Any testing recommendations in new zealand? Thanks

I can’t eat them at all, cooked, raw or dried! Started in my 20’s too. I end up in agony for about 12 hours, to the point where I can’t do anything but wait for it to pass, as no pain relief or antispasmodic meds work. I get the sweats, have vomited a few times and/or felt sick. I’ll feel as if I need to go to the toilet sometimes but I never can. Safe to say they’re now avoided like the plague! I’m fine with potatoes, tomatos and chillies. Onions I can do but I am starting to think they might be going the same way as I have started to get quite gassy after eating them. It’s a funny old intolerance to have though, people always seem surprised when I say I can’t eat them 😊

Hi All.
I’m looking to get my microbiome tested but the one Michael used in the book is no longer available (uBiome). Any recommendations – how was the atlas one? Also, I’m 5 months pregnant so would it be better to wait until I have had the baby? If so, how long should I wait before my microbiome gets back to something resembling my normal one?

I wondered how your test from Atlas Biomed went, KFal? It seems to be the company that carries out the testing for The Chuckling Goat, but doesn’t include a chat with a nutritionist as part of their own test, which CG does. It’s also £20 more expensive than CG, but I see it recommends ongoing tests to measure what improvement occurs once following their diet recommendations, which CG does not, so I’m divided about which to go for.

I was about to ask this question and, luckily, searched first.

I’ve been buying Rapeseed oil in a bit of a push to support farmers (rural community so probably a bit deluded). Anyhoo, I brought some “Mr. Hugh’s” from Tesco and thought I’d see if I could find any details on their website about pesticides and such. The bottle says “Harvesting in tune with nature” which seems…vague.

I have found some UK + Organic Rapeseed Oils available and was wondering if these would neatly sidestep at least two of the points raised though I appreciate I’ll need to stock up on Olive Oil if I’m going to get those sweet polyphenol antioxidants.

I recently brought a load of “Itsu Miso’Easy Traditional Miso” sachets in the hope that they’d give my microbes a high five. Alas, the ingredients on these particular sachets were:

soybean paste, (water, soya beans, rice, salt), water, ALCOHOL*, yeast extract powder, salt, sugar, seasoned kelp extract (kelp, salt, dextrin). *in caps for added drama.

…and I’m pretty sure that Mosley mentions somewhere in the book that alcohol will murder microbes with brutal efficiency. From reading previous replies I’m starting to think that this might do more harm than good if I were to drink it…thoughts?

I am a 57 year old post menopausal female who does not have diabetes. I would like to lose some weight though, so last week I did a 40 hour fast ( first time ever and it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be) followed by time restricted eating for the rest of the week . I didn’t lose an ounce 😢. I am wondering if, because I am post menopausal, and the fact that my weight is creeping up, if I am becoming gradually insulin resistant and that this is the reason why I didn’t lose weight ? I am thinking of still fasting and doing TRE and at the same time monitoring my insulin levels to see what they are and if they drop and if this ties into weight loss or not. I would be grateful for some advice on this and any suggestions for home testing insulin kits if possible ? Many thanks .

I had my spleem removed two years ago and I’m just coming to the end of the course of low level antibiotics (clarthromycin) that I’ve been taking while my immune system adjusts to the loss of my spleen. I want to restore my gut bacteria, but given my reduced defense against bacteria infections, I’m not sure whether it will be safe for me to follow the clever guts diet.

Another vote for the Chuckling Goat test, highly recommended.
I had my initial test done with The British Gut Project (really The American Gut Project) and it gave a lot of data but no interpretation so was pretty useless to me!
I more recently had one done with Chuckling Goat and got a great report along with a phone conversation to interpret the report and results. They also provide recommendations on products to improve the gut health based on your own results. My nutritionalist was Chelsea and she was so helpful. Wish I hadnt wasted money on The British Gut Project now! Although those results are providing a bigger picture to help scientists learn more about global gut health patterns. Its a Crowd Funding project and more for their benefit than yours.

I’m also interested in this as my mother had a colonectomy 25 years ago and now has dementia. My father’s diet has been low fibre for this time, with negative health impacts. Now they’re living with me I’m trying to find a diet that supports the health of my father and I that doesn’t mean cooking differently for my mother.

I’ve had this same question too! I saw one recipe with sourbread. And I’m confused that there is paneer (though happy because I indulged in it two nights ago!! 😂) in one recipe, and white potatoes in another. I prefer clear black and white but am coming to accept this diet isn’t like that!

I also have had a vegan parmesan and don’t know what would be worse… The dairy in real parmesan (though I’m vegetarian so would be finding a veggie version) or the chemicals in fake!! 😂

Hi all,

I’m new here, I’m 37 and vegetarian. I used to take iron tablets to supplement but after a bout of antibiotics (erythmycin) that I had to stop on day 3 because I felt so unbelievably nauseous, I stopped absorbing iron in tablet form. This was a year ago last August and I’ve been on liquid iron ever since. I did try going back on tablets when the liquid ran out in November, thinking of course my gut would be healed by then, and was amazed how quickly I crashed.

I’m excited to join the community and am hoping by following the plan my gut can heal and absorb iron more efficiently again. Has anyone had experience of this happening? I’m lucky that I don’t experience gut pain or symptoms, but I have been battling fatigue for the last four years (even when my iron levels are well maintained) so I’m hoping this will help with that too.

I’ve been intermittent fasting (16:8 daily) for the last month so this is the next step. My liquid iron is full of sugar and breaks the plan but unfortunately I can’t be without it! Looking forward to connecting with fellow gut healers and would love to hear your thoughts, experiences or success stories! 😊

since my twenties ive developed stomach migraines when ever i eat cooked or uncooked bell peppers ,chillies ,paprika ,cayenne pepper i cant even eat lollies coloured with paprika extract it makes eating out or buying prepared foods problematic . i am fine with tomatoes and potatoes can eat cooked onion and small amounts of spring onion. two of my four daughters have developed the same intolerance in their twenties to the capsicum family. i cant eat foods now with inulin or dietary fibre my diet is returning to childhood one of meat and three veg . As soon as an ingredient label says spice blend i put it back on the shelf .

I have had a horrendous year and even worse week. On and off bouts of sickness diarrhoea ,led to me collapsing last week and being rushed to hospital. I’ve now decided to change my diet completely. Mine is hereditary, from my grandmother. Advice grateful.

I have just ordered a kit from Atlas Biomed which is the top recommendation in this list:

https://dnatestingchoice.com/microbiome-testing

I am only new to this website, so my post is quite delayed but if it helps you then it is worth sharing.

Your symptoms sound similar to mine. I had a colonoscopy to reveal no signs of celiac or other related issues. My symptoms were bloating and gas after meals, constipation, fatigue and sometimes headache. Long term it created a fatigue pattern and very low immunity. I was “diagnosed” with SIBO and treated with a course of Vancomycin (a pretty brutal antibiotic).

I am still on the journey but I manage with a low-FODMAP diet. I have identified that Fructose and Lactose are the worst offenders of the lot, and it is through trial and error that I have realised this. I am still looking for a long term solution but in the meantime, I have very little pre-biotics in my diet (not ideal).

Probiotic tablets also sometimes flare up my digestion issues. I hope this has been helpful. Hopefully more research in this area will continue to help the global sufferers!

It was like reading about myself! so frustrated by multiple attempts to find source of problem. At the moment am finding best results by having small meals i.e. dividing normal portion 2/3 and having other third later in the day. Although this helps there are still days of constant nausea and dreadful diarrhea. Any suggestions very welcome. BTW I take a pro-biotic and IBS over the counter relief.

Hi I’d like to try 16:8 As part of my efforts to lose weight and I’m wondering is it ok if you have Gastro oesophageal reflux disease GORD which I take omeprazole for. Basically I try to avoid fatty spicy foods or anything that I know might trigger the acid reflux etc.

Has anyone got any experience of this please?

Hello,

I’ve joined here in my vain attempt to basically eat without my stomach doubling in size. I have been diagnosed with IBS but it seems to be a diagnosis arrived from “your stomach gets enormous, you sometimes have gas, all the tests are clear, you must have IBS”.

I’ve had the camera up and down (all clear), I’ve kept food diaries (can’t pinpoint anything), but my stomach looks like I am about to give birth 3 times a day, and deflates to flat if I go without food for about 3-4 hours. I have googled and have heard there is a medical difference between a bloated stomach and a distended one, whereas I thought they were the same thing. I don’t know which I have then.

Because of this, I don’t know whether to follow the Fast 800 and only include low-FODMAP foods or not. Is there a low-FODMAP version, with recipes/meal plan anywhere that I could try?

Can anyone else see themselves in what I wrote and did you make a breakthrough to discover what is going on and how to stop it?

Thank you!

Suffered from intermittent itchy red eczema patches (often stress related) and flakey skin since childhood. Began intermittent fasting August 2019 and noticed skin changes within a month. I have lost about 2 stone over several months and feel much fitter. My wife said skin shedding is no longer there (no dust inside clothes !) and skin looks much better. (We have been married 51 years) . I still have itchy skin and wonder will this eventually reduce now I have changed my diet. Anyone else notice this when changing their diet?

Hello Clever Guts friends 😊
Here is the Phyto Health site (which I believe is Pia’s company) that sells the capsules.
https://www.phycohealth.com/collections/inner-health/products/seafibre-3-starter-jar-pre-order

Hi,

I have completed the 8 week blood sugar diet in the past very successfully (although the weight has crept back on). I am a type 2 diabetic, and I have found that the only way I seem to be able to bring my sugars under control is to avoid all processed carbs inc rices and all potatoes. Can I follow the clever guts diet without the grains, sweet potatoes etc or are they essential to the diet?

Thanks in advance!

If you are eating oats are they gluten-free? A lot of oats grown in the UK are grown as a follow on to wheat or barley (and so contaminated in the field) or milled in a facility that also handles gluten. The floating, light stool, bloating etc I get when I have made a mistake (plus a lot of much more serious side effects).

I am coeliac and am just passing on wisdom from some of my errors.

Can kombucha be made with herbal teas rather than black, green or white tea?

My GP suggested I try the clever guts diet as she said “it can’t do any harm” and suggested using fermented foods including sauerkraut.

I am concerned about the amount of salt and the amount of vitamin K. I have to have a low salt and low vitamin K diet. Can I wash the salt from the sauerkraut? I think one portion of commercial sauerkraut (not available at the moment of course) contains more than my day’s salt ration in a single portion of sauerkraut. How much vit K survives the fermenting? Vit K will mess with my INR and I can’t get the regular blood tests at the moment 🙁

Does Gnocchi qualify as a resistant starch?

Hi there,
Just wondering if someone could tell me if I can cook the Gut-Soothing Bone Broth in a slow cooker ? And if so for about how long?
Or is it best cooked in a large saucepan as stated in the recipe?
Thanking you

Good day Peeps,
I have just joined Clever Guts and saw Sashammp’s post regarding lactose intolerance. The issue I have is that I cannot tolerate full fat milk, butter, or cream which started to occur at around the time I was 15, before that we had butter and Gold Top milk (in UK that’s full cream although I have never since a baby been able to eat cheese: all my siblings are cheese eaters. In my older years I can sometime tolerate very small amounts of mozzarella but any overstep makes me bilious and can make me vomit. So I am curious to know how I can follow the Clever Guts Diet without full fat products. I was a heavy smoker but stopped in my late 30’s, and a heavy drinker for 40+ years I am now focused on being teetotal since July 2017 so was thinking about the BSD too but may hit the same problem.
Any thoughts would be well received after all I have managed thus far without but do want to repay my remarkable body with it’s own joyful retirement. 🙂

Hiya
Sorry you ‘re feeling so rubbish! Your symptoms sound very similar to my daughter before she was diagnosed coeliac – stools, gas, skin, build. Once she started being really strict and cutting out gluten completely she improved massively.
If you do want a coeliac test though, you have to keep eating gluten, otherwise it’ll show as negative.
Hope you get sorted

Burping you sauerkraut in the first few days is normal.

old post – but i have the same issue
In the first 2-3 days there’s a LOT of gas produced, which expands the whole jar – as the bubbles are trapped in the kraut. So it just pushes all the cabbage & liquid up & out of the jar.
I put my jars into a bowl, they overflow & its a quick cleanup.
You then just mash it all down again – even using fermenting weights doesnt work – the gas just gets trapped.

Hello!

I have had gut problems for 2 years, have been waiting for an appointment for tests but due to current situation obviously there is no way to see a doctor and my appointment has been cancelled. So I thought I would try to solve it myself! Having had a good around, I cannot find anything that aligns exactly to my symptoms so wondered if anyone could help me out…

History
– Previously no problems or intolerances growing up
– Was served a frozen tuna in 2017
– Did a physique competition in 2018 involving strict high-carb and high meat diet and supplements (nothing illegal)
– I live a healthy lifestyle and am otherwise very happy (barely drink alcohol, exercise and gym daily, no junk food, plenty of water, vitamins)

Symptoms
– Inflamed, painful stomach daily (waking me up at night at times)
– Gassy flair ups after every meal
– Constipated, but then going daily (no dhiarria) – sometimes discolouring
– Occasional UTI’s, or a similar feeling
– Probitics seems to be making symptoms worse (45 days into taking them + cutting out intolerant food – listed below)

So Far I have tried: –
– Scans at the hospital – found nothing, but haven’t been able to have my gut tested yet
– Intolerance tests (discovered a bad intolerance to dairy (which I had already cut out for months) and also gluten (which I have now newly cut out 45 days ago).
– Plus smaller intolerances to soya and beans, sharp fruits, garlic.

As mentioned, I have cut out all the above and been taking probiotics but symptoms are worse than ever. I’ve been listening to some fascinating podcasts, but nothing they talk of seems to align directly with the symptoms I have.
If anyone can shine any light on the above it would be a massive help in this unique time where its difficult to see a doctor!

The yellow colour and floating suggest there are fats that are undigested.
no idea what it is/could be. hope you find out soon.

Hello everyone,

please tell me if anyone has a clue what might be wrong with me, or if anyone has had the same symptoms.

MY SYMPTOMS:
– I usually have very loose stool, multiple times a day, commonly a brighter/yellowish color, stool is very light: it floats on water and is difficult to flush; undigested food particles are not uncommon (especially seeds)
– occasionally excessive and very smelly farting can occur
– I have acne
– I am quite skinny (although I am gaining muscle recently due to bodyweight training)

MY LIFESTYLE:
– I generally feel very good almost all the time
– I am a whole-food vegan (no sugar, white flour, oil, etc.)
– I eat oats every day, otherwise my diet is diverse and rich in fruit and veggies
– I don’t eat wheat and avoid bread in general
– I exercise very often
– I drink water kefir frequently, eat kimchi and tempeh occassionaly
– I do yoga and meditation daily, go for walks in nature frequently; stress levels are very low (at least as it seems to me)

So it seems like I’m living the healthiest possible life and also feel great, but my digestion and acne don’t go away. My doctor gave me enzymes, but it didn’t help. Now I am waiting for colonoscopy, which will be in a few months. Any ideas what’s wrong with me? What should I do?

Hi, I bought a kombucha kit on Amazon about 6 months ago and have made about 50 gallons so far. It is so easy and delicious I wanted to share what I have learned. I boil 4 cups of water in a pan then add 8 green tea bags, letting it sit for 20 plus minutes. Meanwhile I add about a teaspoon of chopped fruit (orange or pineapple are great) to each of 6 pop top bottles (Amazon again) then about a cup of kombucha from a previous gallon brew 7 to 10 days old (after relocating the scoby and some liquid to a large bowl), I then add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to each bottle and then fill it with kombucha. These are then stored in the box the bottles came in for 7 to 10 days. Back to the pan of tea, I remove the tea bags and stir in 1 cup of sugar. I then rinse the gallon jar after pouring any remaining kombucha into the bowl and then fill the jar about 1/4 of the way with cold water. I then add room temperature water until it is between 68 and 80 degrees ( I have a temperature strip on the jar). At this point I add the scoby and left over liquid and then top up with water. I then stir it and attach cloth to cover opening. My original instructions suggested testing the pH level but I do not.
The steps above have evolved after trial and error and start to finish take about 40 minutes. I do not burp the bottles. After about a week I put 2 bottles in the fridge, replacing them after consumption. I strain the liquid before drinking. I am now up to 3 gallon jars, bottling every 4 days. Every bottle has been delicious.
Hope this helps, please ask if you have any questions.

Hi

I have been reading the book about better gut diet and there is not mention peanut.
Is ok to integrate them into my diet when I follow this recommendation in how to have better gut health.
I am just wondering because I have been looking into some other advice for better gut health and then the peanut is on the ban list.
with my best Kristín M

I have bought mine via Amazon a couple of days ago (no surprise). I am yet to action it, its quite daunting but so keen to make this new knowledge a way of life, good luck.

Hi just starting out on this journey. can someone tell me the best place to buy a Scoby to start making Kombucha.

You need some Kefir Grains and organic whole milk (I use T@scos), a jar and a nylon sieve and a spatula. Its pretty simple! Put the grains and milk in the jar, ferment at room temp for 24 hours ish, strain, and return the grains into fresh milk and repeat.
I purchased my grains here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Organic-Milk-Kefir-Grains-Live-Tibetan-Mushroom-Superfood/303191821136?hash=item4697a40b50:m:mh4fQNmRT9LW6RCPB1B6-rg the instructions are here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c2vuA2OQTw.
I ferment mine until the curds separate from the whey then strain, that leaves me with super thick, tangy kefir that can be eaten with a spoon like Greek yogurt. I’m guessing the extended fermenting time would also reduce the lactose and allow more bacteria and yeasts to form. Hope that helps

Hi there,

I’ve tried, but I’m very sensible to lactose so I get a difficult digestion when I do. Lea Gogos supplement just really work wonders for me!

Do you have a recipe for the home made kefir? That sounds like something I’d love to try! 😍

Hi Malaguena25
I wonder if you actually need to take the Lea Gogo supplement prior to consuming Kefir as Kefir is supposed to be low in Lactose.
From Google:
‘The lactic acid bacteria in fermented dairy foods — like kefir and yogurt — turn the lactose into lactic acid, so these foods are much lower in lactose than milk. … Summary Kefir is low in lactose because its lactic acid bacteria have already pre-digested the lactose’
Have you tried taking it without?
Have you considered making your own Kefir. It’s pretty easy and I’d like to think is much more powerful (so more pro biotic) than shop bought (mine certainly seems much more active ((fizzy)) than the shop bought stuff I’ve had and has a stronger flavor (a acquired taste that I’ve come to crave).

I noticed that Lactobacillus paracasei (two billion CFU’s required per day for 5 weeks.)can be helpful in managing hayfever. I would love to be anihistamine free this spring. Any recommendations for a tablet/or other way in which to get the correct dose?

I’ve been drinking this brand’s Kefir for a few weeks almost regularly (3-4 times a week) and it has helped balance my gut out so much! I’m also lactose intolerant so I just take a lactase supplement from Lea Gogo before the refit and it works perfectly for me! I can recommend also the Biotyful Kefir, I bought mine at Morrisons and the Lea Gogo supplements I bought on their website : http://www.leagogo.com.

Can you recommend some probiotics that have helped you? I’ve been using the ones from Holland and Barret but I’m not sure I love them.

I have been having IBS issues too. If it was only the stomach problems then I could live with it but the persistent tiredness and braig fog is utterly depressing. Here’s hoping a change in diet will bring some relief.

Hey how has noone from the website sorted this yet?!