Through my work as a dietitian in the hospital, I interact every day with patients who struggle with digestive issues. I listen as they describe debilitating abdominal pain, gas, nausea, constipation, or diarrhea. To cope with the symptoms, many develop a long list of “forbidden” foods. Patients also confess that their intense fear around food has completely overshadowed any pleasure that may have previously been associated with meal times. The good news is that digestive upset can often be prevented, or at least managed through dietary changes.
We can all eat the most powerful foods on earth, but unless our bodies can properly break down and absorb what we eat, we are not able to utilize the nutrients. In her book, Passionate Nutrition, Jennifer Adler says, “You know that old adage ‘You are what you eat’? It’s not quite that simple. You are what you digest and absorb.” If you experience digestive discomfort, how can you find foods that work for your body and release some fear associated with your meals?
- Keep a Food Log. I know that everyone wants a quick fix. We are all searching for the cure-all diet for optimal health. However, each person has a unique digestive system and therefore responds to foods differently. It may take some time to determine which foods you can tolerate and which foods don’t jive well with your body. Be gentle with yourself and approach this process with curiosity rather than criticism. Try using a chart to track the foods you eat throughout the day along with any symptoms you feel. You especially want to note the following symptoms: headache, mental fog, abdominal pain, nausea, cramping, gas, bloating, lethargy, constipation, diarrhea.
- Choose Soft, Low Fiber Foods. This is the most difficult recommendation for most of my patients. We are so inundated with recommendations to increase fiber & eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, so how could I possibly be suggesting the opposite!? When the digestive tract is inflamed, reducing fiber will help ease the digestive process. I promise no devastating events will happen as a result of avoiding raw salads and whole grains for a little while! During times when my digestion needs some assistance, I tend to rely on yogurts, soft fruits, smooth nut butters, soft-cooked vegetables, white rice, and soups (like the yummy butternut squash soup with turmeric depicted here!). As your digestive symptoms subside, you can slowly re-introduce fibrous foods. Be sure to increase your water intake along with the increase in fiber. [Mount Sinai’s Fiber Chart is a great reference for you to use to determine the fiber content of common foods.]
- Feed Gut Bacteria. Introduce pre-biotics and probiotics to your diet to promote healthy gut bacteria. Pre-biotics are low-digestible carbohydrates that feed your gut bacteria. They cannot be digested in the upper GI tract and are fermented in the large intestine. The fermentation process leads to the stimulation and growth of beneficial gut bacteria. Common prebiotic foods include: raw dandelion greens, raw garlic, raw leek, raw asparagus. Probiotics are live microbes, which have the ability to modify gut pH, antagonize pathogens, produce lactase and stimulate the immunomodulatory cells. Common probiotic foods include: active-culture yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, pickled fruits & veggies, and fermented meat/fish/eggs. Altering your fecal microflora through the use of pre- and probiotics can alleviate many uncomfortable symptoms associated with poor digestion. See my older post Probiotics for a Healthy Gut for more information on how bacteria in the gut play a powerful role in digestion.
- Create a Sense of Calm. Emotion plays a significant role in digestive function. The enteric nervous system (the nervous system of the gut) is commonly referred to as the “second brain” due to its reliance on the same neurons and neurotransmitters found in the central nervous system (the nervous system of the brain and spinal chord). When food enters the gut, the enteric nervous system communicates with the central nervous system in order to carry out the process of digestion. Stress triggers the fight-or-flight response, which disrupts the normal digestive process because your body has diverted its attention to a perceived threat. (When your body believes it is in eminent danger, smooth digestion is no longer a priority!) Slowing down at meal times and creating a sense of calm can help the direct all of the body’s energy to efficiently digest and absorb your food. I know it’s not always possible to sit down for a leisurely meal, but try simply taking a deep breath before taking your first bite.
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Adler, Jennifer. Passionate Nutrition: A Guide to Using Food as Medicine from a Nutritionist Who Healed Herself from the Inside Out. Seattle, WA: Sasquatch Books; 2014.
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