My experience fixing my gut
From about 2019 to 2023, I thought I was allergic to gluten. I got tested for celiac disease multiple times and they all came back negative, but I also knew that gluten usually caused me to feel pretty ill (all the fun stuff: bloating, diarrhea, stomach pain, brain fog). Every few months I’d convince myself that I was delusional and eating gluten would be fine, I’d eat gluten again, then I’d be really ill and I’d stop eating gluten again. I ended up seeing a gastroenterologist and got loads of tests done, and all the tests came back fine. It was very frustrating not knowing what was wrong with me.
Around October 2023 my symptoms became much worse, and every week or two I’d feel so ill I wouldn’t be able to work for an entire day. I became determined to figure out what was going on, so I started to do a lot more of my own research, having received very little help from any of the doctors I’d seen thus far. I came across the term “IBS,” which stands for irritable bowel syndrome, and the symptoms seemed to line up pretty closely with mine. I immediately went on a “low FODMAP” diet, and saw some fairly good improvements, though it’s also an incredibly restrictive diet and it was not fun.
I decided to reach out to a specialist IBS clinic to seek more advice. I had a series of calls with one of their specialists, the first of which involved discussing all the medical ailments I’d ever experienced, my lifestyle, and my food habits. The intention with this session was to develop a holistic understanding of my gut’s “life experience,” and to start to develop a plan of action for how I could fully recover (and get off the low FODMAP diet).
I went into this experience being pretty skeptical - my instinct is to find something more “data-driven” and receive advice from “real doctors.” However, the experience has been transformative. I’ve experienced basically no symptoms for the past two months, and I’m pretty confident my gut health will continue to improve.
What did I learn?
First and foremost, I learnt that your gut bacteria is pretty important, and it was something I’d entirely neglected. My diet wasn’t varied enough, and I wasn’t consuming enough probiotics (good bacteria) or prebiotics (food for good bacteria). My gut was probably full of bad bacteria, so my food wasn’t getting digested properly.
I also learnt that the way you approach food is also very important. I would often snack late at night, and eat food while working or watching YouTube videos. I was rarely in a relaxed state of mind while eating, and I usually wasn’t even thinking about eating at all.
What did I do to change things?
I now have an alarm that goes off at 5pm to tell me to eat my final meal of the day, and I won’t eat any food afterwards. That gives my gut plenty of time to recover after a hard day of digesting food.
I’m taking probiotic and prebiotic supplements (S. Boulardii, L. Rhamnosus GG, and PHGG) while I start introducing more diverse whole foods into my diet. The main natural sources of probiotics that I’m now eating are yoghurts, kefir, tempeh, and I might explore “kimchi” at some point. Similarly for prebiotics, I’m now eating more oats, legumes, and a wider variety of fruits and vegetables. I’ve started taking Omega 3 supplements as vegan diets are often low in Omega 3, and I’m considering L-Glutamine too.
Finally, I’m drinking a lot more water, and I also add some electrolyte drops to my water bottle every morning.
Where do I go from here?
I’ll continue taking the supplements for a while, and will be investing more time into home cooking, adding varied foods into my diet, and being intentional about eating.
If you think you may have IBS, I would strongly recommend seeking professional support from an IBS specialist, and feel free to contact me if you have any questions :)
