All: I can’t talk with any authority about what’s available in Australia. But you need to be certain what you are getting. A one-page summary with no interpretation simply doesn’t provide sufficient information or interpretation to be meaningful or helpful. I would look at the type and quality of information that DAYTWO or map my gut provide and ask your local providers if they can more-or-less match that. If not you’ll be wasting your money

Just looked at uBiome as would like to use them but seems like they don’t offer the SmartGut™ service outside of the USA: https://ubiome.com/go/smartgut-pilotprogram But they do offer other tests internationally here: https://ubiome.com/explorer

This is the difference between the two: https://ubiome.com/smartgut-compare

Issue is I have Ulceric Colitis and would really like the SmartGut™ test… Any recommendations in Australia? I have seen a specialist, but he’s a ‘traditional’ specialist that has just prescribed medication, not even asked about gut health etc so I need to find answers myself. Simply don’t believe that there is no link between the gut / diet and issues like UC and Chrones.

I have obviously cut out everything that I reacted too and no longer need to carry an epipen with me at all times.

That video sounds really good, how far along are they into making the system available. I have been warned about people who don’t really know what they are doing in regards to mapping. How do you find someone good? The process I have been going through with my doctor is not without merit though. I have been able to come off my anti depressants which I was on for years. The soles of my feet were covered in hives long after they would disappear from the rest of my body. I had forgotten what the soles of my feet were supposed to look like. Now I am not itching and scratching everywhere all the time and rarely have hives on my feet at all (the first place they always started). I am at a stage now where I can think about the next change which is food and wanting to get it right once and for all.

I’m nightshade intolerant. I discovered this after eating Goji Berries in the mistaken belief they could somehow give me more energy! Nothing could have been further from the truth. My gut health just got worse and worse. Nightshades, especially potato, make me depressed. Although potato makes me tired immediately after eating it, the mood effect kicks in about 24 hours later and it feels like a black mood, sort of like those cartoon black clouds above your head! Now when it happens, I can actually laugh about it as it feels so ridiculous. I am convinced that the mood is not the same as a normal type of depression though.

I’d need to know more of your medical history to express a view (which I’m certainly not suggesting on a public site). All I can say is that the advice in Michael’s book is extremely good and should help mood not hinder. For example 75% (at least) of serotonin is found in the gut (some sources say more like 95%) and is generated by the micro biome. So you can see how a healthy biome makes for a healthy mind! Suggest discuss with your GP?

I cannot see how it possibly could. The health of your micro biome is mainly dependent on what you feed it (i.e. what you eat) and to a degree by exercise. I’d concentrate on a healthy diet as recommended by Michael’s Clever Guts book

Hi
I’m interested in getting a 90 min colonic with abdominal massage. Can this do anything to improve my gut biome?
Thanks

I’d like to sign up too please?

I would like to sign up for the potato starch study and have a good nights sleep.

Hi, I started taking the inulin at night to improve sleep. It worked fantastically well, but when I woke up feeling somewhat subdued I thought little of it as I often have days when I feel low. However, the depression carried on , and it was the same type of depression, feeling at peace to the extent where I felt sad; completely emotionally numb, not interested in doing anything, not wanting to go out, a bit agoraphobic and feeling quite detached. My usual depression is very different, lots of anxiety etc. I tried taking it in the morning instead and this was even worse. I became very irritable and snappy, like something was being bottled up and now erupting. I stopped taking it, and two days later I was feeling much better. I tried taking it again a few weeks later and it produced the same effect. I have no idea why a prebiotic would produce this effect, but I have several conditions that may make my reaction different I suppose. I have been on several anti-depressants which worsened my mood in the same way i.e feeling emotionally numb and detached.

Hi Chickpea.. Can you be certain that the inulin was the cause? Is it possible other things were going on or changing at the same time which caused the depression? How long did it take for the depression to come on? and did it stop (how long?) after stopping inulin. Given that inulin acts as a fertiliser for a healthy biome, you’d have expected taking it to improve mood not depress it…

Hi, I have experienced depression from taking inulin, which is another prebiotic found in lentils, onions, asparagus etc. My sleep was wonderful, but mood less so; very unemotional or irritable. I don’t know anything about nightshade intolerance; but I’m guessing that your depression is not caused by blood sugar fluctuations as presumably you have had carbs before and not noticed this feeling before! I thought I was the only one who had this problem! Not sure why though; I had been doing intermittent fasting, taking probiotics and improved diet for ten months before taking inulin powder, so can it really be just a matter of a shock to the system? Anyway, hope you feel better. How many potatoes did you actually eat?

I should like to sign up for the potato starch study. Lack of sleep is such a problem to me, it is affecting my whole life.

@gordon Wanless: I’m a scientist. Yes the majority can be wrong; yes common sense is important, but an awful lot of this is counter-intuitive anyway. (For example fat DOES NOT make you fat). I’m persuaded by the scientific evidence when its overwhelming whatever our instincts might seem to tell us..

during ww2 the uk nation’s health improved because of limited calorie in-take…BUT NOT because of fasting

@ Gordon Wanless there’s an increasing and (in my view) overwhelming bank of scientific data to support the value of fasting. Denying it is somewhat akin to denying global warming !

Thanks for the reply.

Both of the answers make sense and I’m in the ‘can I cook’ these before trying the two week plan before committing to the two weeks. I may hold off that and just continue recipe testing whsle waiting for the medial problem to resolve.

I am under Drs consult at moment re vitamins (went in for facial numbness and came out with blood tests first). I’m only ‘just about’ in the normal range, but right at their lower limits for the 3 vitamins. If it wasn’t for the medical issue he’d have just sent me home with multi Vit tablets instead I had a B12 injection to trial first before adding in other vitamin supplements. Vit D will be the last addition to the treatment plan at moment.

Oily fish is not on my plate enough – much more of a white fish girl which will have to change, but at least my good fats/lipids were as high as the bad ones.

Pleased to have been of service!

Many patients don’t link all their symptoms together until carefully questioned, they might not appreciate the impact of their lifestyle on how they feel, or be unaware of differential diagnoses. Having symptoms doesn’t mean we meet the criteria for a particular medical condition.

Sometimes doctors misdiagnose on symptoms alone, hence the need for blood tests or a colonoscopy or a full blown elimination diet to confirm the presence or absence of certain gut conditions.

Thanks GrahamSPhillips for that link. It made me do some research and after doing a bit of detective work myself, I discovered that you can get hold of these strains in an Optibac probiotics product called ‘For every day extra strength’. Turns out that Optibac works with danisco the manufacturer, and that their extra strength supplement is exactly the same as the HOWARU combination, but with one additional strain. Hurrah!

Ikeeptrying: not sure which conclusion you refer to.

My comments are based on working in and studying healthcare. Initially the ‘orthodox’ (pharmacy/ research labs) but later in lifestyle modification (physical activity/ nutrition).

You pick up a lot from colleagues and clients, yet are reminded how little you know of such a huge field! And you learn how much misinformation is online. Truly frightening.

There is enormous overlap in symptoms with many health conditions, both physical and mental. In part this is because of the common underlying inflammation/ immune response/ imbalance in the gut flora/ modern lifestyle choices. It takes skill and knowledge to pick this apart.

When substantially reducing carbs we can get dehydrated, hence it is common to see lower carb recipes with more salt or other minerals. This is thought to help the body retain water. This should be somewhat balanced out by the potassium in the seven to nine servings of veg and fruit.

Reduced sodium alternatives to table salt include LoSalt (mix of sodium and potassium), sea salt (high in sodium but source of other minerals), celery salt (1/4 dried celery or celery seed), stock cubes/ stock pots/ bouillon powder, dried sea vegetables/ seaweeds.

Some salt/ sodium is essential for health. If you have previously been eating from all the food groups you may have taken more than you think: salt is in cheeses and seafood for example. It is also in many flavourings/ condiments such as soy sauce and stock cubes. Bear in mind sodium and other minerals are lost in sweat (outdoorsy).

Having said that a B12 and D deficiency might suggest you have not had a properly balanced and varied diet, perhaps not enough oily fish, organic eggs?

The initial stages of the CG diet are elimination, which would not be ideal when you are already deficient in some nutrients. IMO check with your doctor or dietician first.

The omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish are important in healthy cholesterol levels, and it is also the main dietary source of vitamin D.

The conversion of vitamin D by UVB light depends on the latitude, time of day and time of year. In the UK we need modest sunlight exposure in the middle of the day. Even then we can’t make vitamin D for several months (Oct to April?) so need to take it in food.

HTH!

Hi Denise. Unless you are hypertensive (and even then its controversial) I wouldn’t worry about the salt. The link between salt and cardio-vascular disease, much like the link between raised cholesterol and health, is probably (almost definitely) over-stated. As for vit-D almost everyone in England is deficient. Take a high-quality 400iu product from a reputable supplier

Thanks Graham I’ll bear that in mind
Firefox that’s interesting how did you come to this conclusion?

Hi – new and testing recipes before I ‘go for it’.

I rarely if ever eat salt and never cook with it either so it has come as a surprise to find most of the recipes ask for salt, and not an insignificant amount either (IMHO).

Having just had results of a blood test back showing raised cholesterol (both good and bad match each other in raised levels) and being shown to be low in vit B12 and surprisingly vit D (I’m a serious outdoor girl!) I’m concerned that the sudden additions of, for my body, high levels of salt will do more harm than good.

Am I being overly sensitive to the levels of salt in this diet?

I agree with you Firefox7275: it is a specialist field. That said, without the mapping , you are steering blind. While the advice in Michael’s book is excellent it is simply not possible to say what is a good diet for any one individual without knowing anything about your microbiota. I’ve just sent off my own sample for this reason and I’m awaiting the results with interest. One of my Israeli friends had her microbiome mapped by DAYTWO. There is no way you could have predicted what the results would be without the mapping – the outcome is often not what you expect.

Fascinating !

I have to say that doesn’t sound like a reliable diagnosis. While I’m not opposed to supplementation in principle, it all depends upon what you are supplementing and why? If you follow the advice in Michael’s book 90% of the time do you really need supplements or are you wasting your money?

The point about the mapping is this: unless you know the balance of your microbiome (its hugely individual) then you are steering blind:

thanks Graham. I do already own all his books and try to follow all the insightful advice. A stressful job and long commute often play havoc with my planning though. His work is well known here in New Zealand.

In a word? Yes! The micro biome in organic soil is totally different and far richer in variety . I’d say if you can afford organic then go organic

I’m interested to know whether others only buy organic veg or not? There is no mention in the book of pesticides and what if any effect these have on the microbiome. I grow my own veg and buy organic where I cannot peel the fruit or veg but wonder if I really have to worry about this??

I can eat sunflower seeds & Pumkin seeds. I can tolerate small amounts of cashew and walnuts.
Almonds, peanut’s and hazelnuts cause Gut upset even in very small amounts.

Just to add, avoid high GI foods in general but especially on the day before the fat day. I’ve massively reduced my carbs, but I always found that I was ravenous on fast days if I’d eaten a lot of carbs the day before

Which nuts and seeds aren’t you intolerant to?

Ikeeptrying: the symptoms you describe aren’t specific to Leaky Gut or any other gastrointestinal condition. If you have LG relatively lengthy elimination and reintroduction phases are indicated, ideally supervised by a registered dietician or nutritionist.

Fasting blood glucose in prediabetes/ insulin resistance would be elevated. I am talking about blood glucose dropping when fasting. That is classed as ‘normal’, but may lead to unpleasant symptoms when fasting for longer than usual (most people fast overnight), or when drastically reducing the carbohydrate content of the diet.

No mapping, don’t know where to go for that.

I have been seeing bio medical GP. I had my poop, wee, blood everything tested. He told me I had a leaky gut and I am taking compound capsules of vitamins and minerals designed to rebalance my body and heal my gut.

I was wondering about that too! Thank you

No Firefox, I haven’t, I wouldn’t go to my doc with these kind of symptoms as they aren’t taken that seriously by orthodox Medics generally, in my experience. I’ve read enough to recognise that my symptoms are v similar to leaky gut symptoms and by following the recommend treatment plan my symptoms have almost gone.
I did go to my doctor to get my blood sugar level check and they were normal.

I’m also a palmar psoriasis sufferer and stopped taking methotrexate after about two years despite a general improvement. The seaweed offers a glimpse of hope for a gentler approach with fewer (or no) side effects. I’ve signed up for the newsletter, and I’d also be willing to volunteer for any clinical studies on the subject.

Hi
I am intolerant of Almonds (and most other nuts). Can anyone recommend anything to replace Almond flour in the recipes please?

Ikeeptrying: have you been diagnosed with Leaky Gut Syndrome? Your symptoms could easily have been simple blood sugar dips and/ or
dehydration. Water alone does not hydrate us, we need a raft of nutrients to hold onto that water. Drinking too much water (esp. without food or with sweating) can flush out electrolytes.

Dietetics/ nutrition is a specialised field; tailored advice needs to consider the individual. Age, gender, lifestyle, current diet, diagnosed medical conditions, prescribed medication, etc, etc. Avoiding or increasing one food type can throw the balance of several nutrients off, necessitating adjustment in other areas of the diet or even supplementing.

Similarly the lab work in sequencing the microbiome requires expensive equipment and the time of skilled technicians.

For anyone who can’t afford or justify the cost of personal advice – inc. me! – next best is reading the Clever Guts Diet and other books by the experts from the American and British Gut Projects.

Getting the gut microbiome sequenced is not a short cut or fast track to better health. Ultimately we would still need to overhaul our diets, and measure success by improved symptoms.

To use changes in the microbiome as a measure of success means budgeting for regular testing.

I’ll look into that.

I was in Israel recently and saw the DayTwo app for myself. Very impressive. But even with the app you’ll likely need someone to help interpret the results and advise. For the UK my preference is Tim Spector’s mapymygut – you get the right information and someone to help interpret it for you and advise as part of the scheme

I think the healthiest possible combination is 5:2 (or some variant- there are various versions but the principle doesn’t differ) plus the Clever Guts diet. All I’d say is get your self good and stable on the cleverguts diet for a few months before trying 5:2 – if you try to make too many changes at the same time you are setting yourself up to fail

The Personalised Nutrition Project has been licensed to http://www.daytwo.com. It is only available in the US ($299) and Israel. They say they are going to expand to other countries.

Hi all i thought I’d update you all since I was last on here
I really tried to do the 5:2 back in April and kept getting bouts nausea and headaches, despite drinking about 2-3 pints of water, so gave up. I’d also just moved house felt a bit disorganised and disorientated. through reading the clever guts book and lots of googling I found out I had leaky gut syndrome and also my bouts of nausea and headaches which were like a hangover without having any alcohol are related to the leaky gut – it’s called gut fermentation syndrome. Since then I’ve worked hard on healing my gut taking michaels advice. – I’ve taken pre and probiotics and made my own kefir and drunk it daily. I haven’t had any weird hungover symptoms for about 3 weeks or more

So I’m going to add another layer to the plan I’ve made for myself and restart the 5:2 – taking it easy to start off with just one fast day this week and see how I go, then build up to two FD’s per week. Reading clever guts Michael recommends 800 on fast days with a Mediterranean type diet. Has anyone done this or been in a similar position ? Has anyone got any advice?

Yes, I believe the service is only available in the UK and USA and a paid service. I don’t know any free ones.