Megan Rand

Tag: elimination diet

  • Severe Stomach Pain and the Elimination Diet

    Severe Stomach Pain and the Elimination Diet

    I am so excited to share this guest post blog series with you!! Courtney Buckley is a Behavior Analyst with a great personal story to share here as well as 2 follow up blog posts:

     

    1) How and When to Overcome Resistance to Change

    2) 3 Tools from a Behavioral Analyst To Make Positive Changes in Your Life

     

    Let’s jump right in!!

     

    I am Courtney. In my day job I am a behavior analyst. I help people change their behavior through scientifically proven techniques, individually tailored to each person and their environment. In my personal life, I am just like you and many others out there. I struggle to maintain a healthy lifestyle that supports the personal views I have as well as accommodating the dietary restrictions that I have discovered I need to practice.

     

    In 2008 I started having severe stomach pain. This was a curl up in a ball and cry after dinner kind of pain. A don’t walk or move unless it is towards the bathroom kind of pain. I went through many rounds of tests with my doctor, but what ended up helping me most was an elimination diet. Through systematically eliminating different foods, I found out that unnatural fats such as deep fried foods (not healthy fats from avocados or nuts) caused me all of this pain and that I could not digest fats.

     

    I embarked on a mostly fat free diet, uneducated, and unsupported. And then I turned into a bulimic.

     

    I didn’t realize that not having fat meant not being full. I didn’t realize that there were different types of fats, and my doctor didn’t really educate me about this fact. So I ate, and I ate, and I ate fat free foods and felt really horrible. I felt horrible about myself, about my situation, and about … almost everything. I had gained 10 lbs and had started running again. But while exercising I was even more insatiable. I was just a raging mess.

     

    With the bad fats removed the pain disappeared for a while, but when the pain came back it was different this time. It was kind of in the same place, but obviously not triggered by the same foods. And I was having MAJOR cravings.

     

    Back to my computer to research and the evidence pointed to sugar. It is an addictive substance, has withdrawal like symptoms, and could cause massive cravings. So I set out to eliminate sugar, which turns out to be much harder than eliminating fat (if you ask me).

     

    After removing sugar all of the pain was gone. I had peeled back another layer and was discovering how my body responds to different food. Although it took 2 years of misery and research I have found a happy balance.

     

    Conveniently, all through my food struggles I received my masters Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis. I have been able to systematically apply some of the tools of my profession to my life. And I would like to share them with you.

     

    Continue reading the series below:

    1) How and When to Overcome Resistance to Change

    2) 3 Tools from a Behavioral Analyst To Make Positive Changes in Your Life

     

     

  • Tools for Reducing Constipation

    Tools for Reducing Constipation

     

    As with so many symptoms that many of us experience on a daily basis, constipation is extremely common, but that does not mean that it is normal!!  Constipation is a sign that there is a deeper underlying imbalance in the body. Keeping things moving daily through the digestive tract is extremely important for our health. When waste is not removed from the body consistently we start to reabsorb the toxins, by-products and hormones.

     

    Why work to hard to support your detoxification pathways and balance your hormones if you are just going to be reabsorbing the waste you were trying to get rid of? 

     

    There can be many different causes  for constipation from a candida or bacterial overgrowth such as Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), thyroid issues to food sensitivities and more.  Every person is unique and the trigger or reason can be different as well.

     

    If constipation is a consistent problem for you, I suggest that you start investigating with some health detective work.  Start with the basics such as drinking adequate water, getting daily movement or exercise and removing the processed foods out of your diet.  Next up I suggest a basic elimination diet if you haven’t already completed one.  You will be amazed how one food that you eat daily could be the cause of your slow digestion.

     

    Finding the underlying imbalance is an important, but in the meantime here are some tips.

    Tips To Relieve Constipation:

    • Drink plenty of water and start your day with warm lemon water or Lemon Water Elixir.
    • Avoid processed foods and foods that you are sensitive to. Although this is an obvious one, sometimes we tend to forget how much our daily meals can contribute to this problem.  I have had multiple clients who find that their constipation disapears after removing a food that were sensitive to.
    • Add a good quality probiotic . By doing so, you are taking huge steps towards colon health and good bowel movements.
    • Fermented foods and cultured drinks work well. By adding fermented foods to each meal, you add vital bacteria to your gut as well as detoxify the colon.
    • Digestive enzymes help break down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. If there are chronic digestive issues, you can add an enzyme or consume the Lemon Water Elixir 20 minutes before a meal to enhance your natural digestive enzymes.
    • Make sure to chew your food!! Don’t forget, digestion starts in the mouth (well actually the brain).
    • Add 1 ounce of aloe vera to your green juice or lemon water daily.
    • Mix 1 tablespoon of chia seeds with 10 ounces of water.
    • Magnesium is wonderful too. Rub the bottom of your feet with magnesium oil  or you can take in the supplement for such as with magnesium citrate. Follow the directions on the bottle.
    • Vitamin C is awesome for increasing bowel movements. I suggest you follow the instructions on the bottle. I consume 2000 mg per day with bioflavonoids
    • Walk briskly for 30 minutes daily.
    • Try 4 prunes soaked in warm water.
    • Try the squatty potty and make sure you are doing your daily squats.
    • Triphala is a great supplement you can find at your local health food store or buy online. Follow as directed on the bottle.

     

    Here are lots of ideas to get started with but you have to promise me that you will dig for the underlying cause.  If you have covered the basics and are still stuck as the reason for your constipation, look for a Functional Doctor in your area or FDN practitioner.

     

    Happy Pooping!

     

  • Autoimmune Basics: 5 Simple Steps to Transform Autoimmunity

    Autoimmune Basics: 5 Simple Steps to Transform Autoimmunity

     

    I love collaborating with and learning from other practitioners!  Today we have any extra special treat because Toréa from www.torearodriguez.com is going to give us a little lesson on autoimmunity.  In my personal practice, my number of clients with autoimmunity is on the rise and I know this is becoming more and more common in the general population as well.

    [image url=”http://gingernewtrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Torea-300×300.jpg” raw=”true” alignment=”left” margin_left=”0″ margin_right=”10″ margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”0″ width=”300″ height=”300″]Toréa is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® Practitioner who has first-hand experience with autoimmune diseases and how to regain health.

    Combining her scientific knowledge, risk-assessment and leadership skills along with her love for adventure, community and service, Toréa delivers a very unique experience when working to transform autoimmune disease into long-lasting vitality. Toréa Rodriguez is a former biochemist, Silicon Valley executive, and professional pilot. After diagnosis and healing of her own autoimmune diseases, she is now a certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® Practitioner and Vitality Transformation Coach.

    Check out today’s guest blog post by Toréa —>

    ————————————————————————–

    What is Autoimmunity? Autoimmune disease is characterized as the body attacking itself in an immune response. It’s one of the top ten causes of death in women and the elderly, and now affects one in 10 people worldwide. In fact, the incidence of autoimmune disease has skyrocketed over the past few decades and there are now more than 700 million people around the world are now affected.

    Unfortunately, conventional medicine and treatments have little to offer except for yet another prescription or more drastic measures such as surgery to try to negate the effects of autoimmunity in patients.

    Over 100 distinct autoimmune disease have been identified to date. These can affect at least one, but usually several, of the organ systems and tissues in the body. Further, at least 40 other diseases are suspect of having an autoimmune component. For example some diseases, like endometriosis, weren’t traditionally classified as autoimmune in origin but are now viewed that way by some researchers and physicians.

    It may, or may not, surprise you to find out that the incidence of autoimmune disease is commonplace in the industrial worlds, but rare or non-existent in contemporary cultures that still practice hunter-gatherer traditional lifestyles. The other suggested contributors to the dramatic increase are environmental factors; autoimmunity is not necessarily dictated solely by genetics. These factors can include: environmental toxins, chronic stress, minimized sun exposure (vitamin D deficiency), changes in GI microbiota, hidden infections, sleep deprivation, SAD (Standard American Diet)… I’m sure there are more too!

    So what can you do about it? Perhaps you have been diagnosed with, or suspect you have, an autoimmune disease. The good news is that there are several things that you can do to lead towards a significant reduction in symptoms or even complete remission!

    When I work with clients we always start with diet. It’s helpful to make sure that the diet achieves several things, most notably:

    1. Maximizing nutrients – we want to maximize the nutrients that will promote optimal immune function. This includes micronutrients such as selenium, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, glutathione and vitamins A, D, & K2.
    2. Calming the immune system – often times we may not know we are inducing an immune response just with the foods we eat. So I start with an Autoimmune Protocol type of diet to remove foods that may trigger or exacerbate an already overactive immune response.  Follow this elimination diet for 30-60 days before reintroducing foods again to build a custom diet template for my clients moving forward.

    From there we will look at lifestyle factors which include sleep quality, movement, recovery/rest and most importantly stress. Stress, and chronic levels of stress can damage the body and further exacerbate autoimmunity. In fact, in working with many clients, they discover that stress is the one element that will make or break their recovery from autoimmunity!!

    And of course it helps if you can find a functional practitioner to help you run some labs to find out what is happening at the biochemical level of your own body. When I work with autoimmune clients, almost all of them have some sort of hidden gut infection, that until dealt with, no amount of elimination diet or stress reduction will make them feel better!

     

    5 Simple Steps

    So here are 5 simple steps that you can start doing right now to help you transform your autoimmunity today! Remember, big issues like transforming autoimmunity, require little changes and little changes will take care of big issues. So it’s just about chaining together those little changes to make a huge impact!

    1. Take a day off! – do what ever you can to take a day off, or two or three! You may not be able to do this all the time, but try to schedule as much time as you can to devote that time to your self-care: nourishing, healing, resting, recovering, rejuvenating. Maybe that looks like booking a massage or acupuncture appointment for yourself. Or perhaps its as simple as taking a bath with some epsom salts and lavender essential oil.
    2. Get out in nature – a lot – “Weekend warrior-ing” in nature may be beneficial, but it’s not enough. I have found that I need to get out in the sunshine, feel the wind on my skin, or the earth/grass under my feet on a daily basis. Plus, regular sun exposure raises Vitamin D levels which is beneficial for those with autoimmune diseases [1, 2]
    3. Go Deeper – Investigate with a health professional (like an FDN practitioner) if you have any hidden infections or malfunctions. Functional lab testing is like having a window into the underlying biochemistry. It provides clues to how your body may be malfunctioning and the health professional can then help steer you back on track.
    4. Consider an elimination diet – I say consider because taking this on takes a bit of preparation and reading.  If you want to be walked through a program like this in a step-by-step manner with recipes and a group for support you can join the next seasonal detox with Ginger Newtrition.  Good places to start reading about it are here and here. If you are the book type, then The Paleo Approach is pretty much the best resource out there to date.
    5. Detox your environment – Yes, you could live inside a bubble, but that’s not practical to go to the grocery store in a huge bubble (which would have to be BPA free and non-toxic, right?). But you can start simply by looking in a few areas. I have written about detoxing your kitchen and bath to have a huge impact on reducing environmental toxins in your life (it’s all about the small changes taking care of big issues, right?). And if you have not grabbed Megan’s outstanding Toxic Home Makeover Guide yet, I suggest you do that right now! Its fantastic!!

     

    Ready to Go Deeper?

    As a special gift to the readers of Ginger Newtrition, Toréa is offering you a FREE 30-minute Vitality Discovery Session where we focus entirely on you… discovering areas where you might be stuck and developing a plan to investigate deeper with some functional lab testing.  Please take advantage of this offer as Megan is headed on maternity leave soon and Toréa is ready to fill in as needed!!! These sessions are normally $129 and, for a limited time, she will be offering these sessions FREE if you redeem the coupon code: GingerDeepDive. (Offer expires 30 Sept 15 at midnight PT)
  • Elimination Diet Basics

    Elimination Diet Basics

     

    Unfortunately, intolerances and food sensitivities are common in today’s world. I think this is really obvious when you go to a restaurant. A little over 10 years ago I was a waitress and things were quite different. The menus did not list gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free options. I would have had no idea what to tell someone if they asked for those things…and they never did! The experience of going to a restaurant today has changed dramatically and in just 10 years!

     

    Many children have sensitivities and intolerances to food as well; this is not just a problem for adults. Actually, it seems to me that the younger my client, the more sesitivities they have! (I have a theory about this but won’t get into it here). We learned this lesson very early on with my daughter. When she was 2 she had an eczema rash that wouldn’t go away for months. Once the lightbulb finally went off and I put her on an elimination diet, we quickly discovered gluten and dairy were the culprits. Within 2 days the rash was gone after removing those foods.

     

    When you ingest food to which you are intolerant, the body releases histamines into the bloodstream, causing inflammation. If the body thinks it is under constant attack, then we start to feel sluggish and may experience other health issues including candida, digestive issues, or blood sugar imbalances.

     

    An elimination diet starts with the premise that everybody is different, and as such, there is no one-size-fits-all diet. What works for you may not work for someone else, and vice versa. One person might thrive on grains, for example while they make another person drag.

     

    Food allergy tests are pricey and are not always reliable, as intolerances shift over time. When my clients test their food sensitivities while their gut is still compromised, their tests often show they are sensitive to EVERYTHING! If we retest after a few months of gut healing it seems to me that at that point we are actually seeing the foods they are sensitive to, instead of a list of the whole grocery store. The most inexpensive and accurate way to determine various foods’ effects on you is to do an elimination diet, in which you eliminate common allergens and add them back in one by one to determine your reaction.

     

    You can hear more about Chris Kresser’s opinion on the accuracy of food intolerance tests here.

     

    We all have one or many foods that may be wreaking havoc on our system, but if we’re eating several of the main culprits (wheat, eggs, dairy, corn, soy, sugar, and caffeine), it’s hard to tell exactly what’s triggering the reaction. Sometimes symptoms of intolerance manifest themselves immediately upon eating food, but other times there is a delayed reaction, further complicating matters.

     

    Using a food diary will allow you to systematically and objectively track your physical and emotional reactions to each meal and determine exactly which foods suit you or not. Ironically, it’s often the foods we crave the most that are harming us.

     

    You will be amazed how great you feel when you eliminate your personal culprits from your diet. And the great news is you can use the same technique of the elimination diet if you ever feel tired or have health issues in the future.

     

    Here are the basics. I suggest you remove the list below:

    • Remove the foods that people are most commonly sensitive to as well as foods that are hard on digestion. Ideally you will remove these foods for 3 weeks (this would be ideal if you are dealing with multiple health complaints, autoimmune conditions or severe gut dysfunction) but during the seasonal detoxes that I offer we are only strictly removing the whole list for 1 week. Most people can tell when a foods does not agree with them after eating so cleanly for only 1 week. I also suggest that you remove additives, artificial ingredients, sugar and caffeine. By removing these items you will have a very clean slate to reintroduce foods and see how you feel.

    Foods to remove

    • Coffee
    • Sweeteners (white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, agave or cane juice
    • Eggs
    • Sugar alcohols (often found in chewing gum, like xylitol)
    • Soy milk
    • Yeast
    • Nuts
    • Alcohol
    • Dairy products
    • Corn
    • Cheese
    • Gluten
    • Grains (only low-glycemic grains, soaked, allowed)
    • Soy (except miso)
    • Processed foods
    • Soft drinks
    • Nitrates
    • Artificial sweeteners
    • Potatoes (except for sweet potatoes or yams)
    • Beans (except for lentils, mung, and adzuki)

     

    • Reintroduce slowly and systematically. The most common food sensitivities are to gluten, dairy, soy, corn and eggs. These are good foods to start with and to watch carefully for reactions (if any of these foods are already removed from your diet than there is no need to add them back in).

     

    • Every 2-4 days, add back in foods that are common allergens or hard to digest, giving you the opportunity to see how your body reacts after you have cleansed for at least 7 days.

     

    • Be conscious of how you feel emotionally and physically when you consume food you have not eaten for at least 7 days and take the time to write this down. A journal is really important for this process!

     

    Watch out for any of these signs when adding food back into your diet. These signs can signify a food intolerance:

     

    • White coating on the tongue
    • Acid reflux or heartburn
    • Bad breath
    • Constipation
    • Foul-smelling stool
    • Headaches or migraines
    • Joint pain
    • Sinus issues
    • Clogged ears
    • Rashes or hives
    • Fatigue
    • Poor sleep
    • Water retention
    • Gas and bloating
    • Dry eyes
    • Weight gain or weight loss
    • Racing heart
    • Bags under the eyes
    • Food cravings, sugar or salt
    • Canker sores or a sore tongue
    • Difficulty breathing or cough
    • Poor concentration
    • Swelling of hands/feet


    This is your opportunity to see what fuels your unique body. I always suggest that you first test the food you most suspect is giving you a problem, often the foods that we can’t live without! Note how your body feels in your food diary during this process.

     

    By eliminating the foods from your diet that you are sensitive to, you may notice great improvements in your health without expensive tests! And this process can be used to check back in anytime in the future if you are not feeling your best. You can be a true health detective!!

     

    Is this overwhelming?

     

    If you feel like you wouldn’t know where to start or would have a hard time sticking to these changes, you can join one of our group seasonal online detoxes!!! The group follows a basic elimination diet over 18 days and you will be provided with recipes, what to eat, what to add back in, daily detox tools , daily emails and an amazing Facebook group for support.

     

    Join us!

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