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?!

Hi NormskiB, assuming the apricots are dried they will be quite high in carbs. Have you used the my fitness pal app? Check it out and you can add the ingredients of these bars and it should give you a more accurate idea of its nutritional value.

Anyone want to see an instant Human volcano? Bell Peppers and Cubanelle Peppers will get an immediate vomit reaction from me, like fire to gasoline. Everyone I have ever known has tried to tell me that I must have had some kind a bad experience related to Green Pepper. They couldn’t be more right. It’s the Green Pepper itself. From the time I started eating food as a toddler, I respond to them the same way as i do now. Immediate instantaneous Gagging and Vomiting. I was slapped out of a chair by a stepfather for it. Why? Because he loved them and was insulted by my immediate gagging response to a breakfast dish he worked so hard to create. Time ad nauseam to my suffering everyone that I have ever met wants me to eat their newest dish with; you guessed it, Green Peppers. I have actually had a person come to my house to cook their favorite secret dish “Steak & Peppers”, for me and my wife. My wife who by the way, knows damn well, that I don’t ever want to see another green pepper for the rest of my natural life. She had no idea that what the dish was. I even warned him that we were okay as long as he wasn’t cooking with green peppers. He laughed and said, “Don’t Worry About!” As soon as the G.P.’s hit the frying pan, I jumped to my feet, Looked at my wife in total disbelief. Before I embarrassed my wife, I had to immediately leave our apartment before the G.P. Volcano goes full Blown. I couldn’t even be in my own apartment while it was being cooked. So I had to leave before the Vomit Volcano Started. Once the Nausea faded, I headed for Micky-D’s for dinner. Now that doesn’t mean I didn’t try to get over this, because I tried. LORD….! That was a huge mistake. Whatever I did manage to get down, caused me to have gas, cramps and diarrhea. I did that for me just to see if I could get past this. I am Done! Not even for the love of money. Human “Green Pepper” Volcano Out. Mic drop!

Also I note Yeo Valley now do a Kefir yogurt which is advertised as having 14 strains of bacteria. It may be an even better bet if you don’t fancy culturing your own Kefir?

If no one objects to you advertising Sainsbury’s and Waitrose i would think you can get away with mentioning the yogurt brand 🙂
We buy Yeo Valley Natural and use it to culture our own….. other brands are available…..

I buy a live organic yoghurt, which is available in most supermarkets, at least Sainsbury’s and Waitrose. Don’t know if I break advertising rules by mentioned it by name. Just look at the cartons of plain whole yoghurt for the word live.

Hello Everyone – have just read Michael’s book from end to end and excited about getting going. However, could someone tell me which supermarkets, if any, sell Live yogurts? My nearest health food store is miles away. Many thanks.

As a Type 1 diabetic, I count carbohydrates in my meals and adjust my insulin accordingly. How many carbs are their in the recipe for Apricot and Pistachio Bars ? They are delicious, but I’m guessing carb content. Can anyone help ?

No idea, but I can strongly suggest you not to follow the suggestions on the internet since it’s a baby you are talking about. Better to take only professional help.

Hi everyone, newbie here! I’ve been fighting with irritable bowel syndrome for years and I’m here to learn from your experiences.

Thanks for sharing that I really appreciate it.

Do you think the antibiotics helped at all? or you feel there was no noticeable benefit?

Yes, I’ve been considering the microbiome test. However, I hadn’t heard of Bioscreen before reading this thread and I’m wondering if they’re no longer in business since I can’t find their website. There’s a functional website for Bioscreen in the USA which I think is unconnected and nothing in Victoria. Do you think they were connected with uBiome (a big name in microbiome no longer operating as of this year)?

Other microbiome options:
– DayTwo is another option but that requires a trip to the US (which DayTwo actually didn’t recommend when I asked them) and also seems more focussed on diabetics and GI (although I think IBS is also considered in their research). They seem to be backed by at least some peer reviewed science.
– Viome can be done in Australia but doesn’t seem to be backed by independent peer reviewed science (yet). It doesn’t mean what they’re doing is invalid but it doesn’t fill me with confidence. However I’ll probably do it just to roll the dice and see if I get any useful insights (it requires a trip to Australia though).

Have you tried reducing carbohydrates with FODMAPs specifically? Not sure if it’s relevant to leaky gut but I’ve had good results with IBS (diarrhoea type). If I avoid /reduce these foods I’m generally free of symptoms. It’s useful but not a cure of course and I’m not sure which of the foods I really need to avoid. How does one diagnose leaky gut btw?

I just looked up Dr Jason Hawerlak. I like his bio – looks promising. I see he’s in Tasmania, you’re going to fly over there? Do you know which company he uses for the testing?

Hi Simon,
Six months in and it has definitely helped. We are still doing a low carb, no sugar way of eating and that makes a big difference. If we ( my husband also did the program) go off the rails a bit and start eating to many carbs or sugar then things start to go down hill. So I’m not sure if we are totally cured of these bad bugs but as long as we stick to the diet we’re good. And we’re not too anal about what we eat. There’s lots of delicious things. We don’t do Keto but just low carb.
Yes we did do the antibiotics and they didn’t seem to cause any problems. Although I think if I had my time over I probably wouldn’t. If you look into Dr Jason Hawerlak from Tasmania I think he has a better approach. I am going to get my follow up test done through him I think.
Are you thinking of getting the test done?

Cheers
Lyndal

Hi Lyndal,
Six 7 months on, do you have any updates? Really interested to know. Did take the antibiotics? Did they work?
Thanks,
Siimon.

I can not participate now in discussion – it is very occupied. But I will be released – I will necessarily write that I think on this question.

I am currently going through a stomach bug now, and I’ve come to the conclusion that it definitely may have been the milk kefir I’ve been drinking three days before my stomach bug. I have had the worse indigestion, stomach bug, feeling nauseous, diarrhea, constipation. To the point I CANT MOVE!
I’m on day 5 of this, and my stomach isn’t back to normal. I’ve backed off and now only taking about 100mls instead of drinking a cup (about 430mls), or probably just going to back off completely.

Shouldn’t have done smoothies so soon with it. I’ll keep you updated !