This is a special post that I feel inspired to write this morning after receiving a question from a members of my paid online community. It’s a great question, a great concept, and I hear it ALL THE TIME from my clients, followers, readers and strangers. If you are feeling this way, please know you are not alone.

I’m sure many of you reading this post have tried something to help you heal from the digestive distress you have – gas, bloating, distension, diarrhea, constipation, some or all of these…

Perhaps you’ve tried cutting out gluten, or maybe dairy

You’ve added more fibre and are drinking more water…

You’ve taken a probiotic or digestive enzyme…

You’ve seen a Naturopath, Chiropractor, Acupuncturist or other health practitioner…

You’ve even heard of this “Low FODMAP Diet” and started trying to do this on your own…

But with all your hard work you’ve experienced little improvement. You’ve realized digestive health is complicated! There are so many different opinions out there, many different lists of foods to avoid or include and so many of them actually conflict! You know a lot about nutrition and healthy eating but this digestive stuff just feels overwhelming.

I’m with you my friend. That’s EXACTLY why I started www.stephanieclarimont.com and my dietetic practice. For years I have had the pleasure to serve people just like you, looking for symptom relief and wellness for the long-term, from all around the world.

I went through this myself 8 years ago… I was diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) along with Hiatus Hernia and an intolerance to Advil. I was doing my Masters Degree in Nutrition and the only advice I was given was “eat more fibre, drink more water”… it didn’t do much.

Actually… eating a high fibre cereal seemed to make my symptoms worse! “Weird” I thought… this is supposed to make me feel better right? I tried going gluten-free next and that helped a little. I felt maybe 10% better. Then I cut out dairy, “I must be lactose-intolerant”… that helped me reduce those really bad days.

But I still had symptoms, they were unpredictable, sometimes urgent, and the discomfort wouldn’t go away. Over the next couple years I developed the plan that I now use to help my clients change their diet, lifestyle, and finally feel good again.

I am now 99.9 % symptom-free. I enjoy food, eating out, pizza, cheesecake, lattes… ok but not in excess though!!! When you have IBS or other digestive issues, it is important to eat well for digestion, always. Even when you are feeling back to normal 😉

Ok so back to the question: Why don’t I feel better yet?

There are a couple different reasons:

One Piece of the Puzzle

You may be implementing just one or two things that you’ve read or heard can help improve digestion. This is just a small part of the whole system that will help you eliminate symptoms and allow your body to heal. Many of my clients have tried one or two changes on their own, but it’s once they put the whole puzzle together and follow our plan that they finally see significant results. There are quite a few strategies that need to be implemented together to see real improvement. And remember, everyone is unique and different. You probably need a plan that’s customized to you and your health.

The Mind-Gut Connection

If you’ve eliminated “trigger” foods from your diet, you may wonder why you don’t feel instantly better! You’re no longer eating the foods that are supposed to be causing this issue right? For many people it takes time to identify and eliminate all the potential triggers, and it may be more than jut food. There are other triggers like people, environments, activities and stress that can be leading to digestive issues.
We know that there is a large influence of stress and anxiety on the bowel. SO learning how this affects the body, what is contributing to your stress and anxiety, and then applying strategies to help you better manage and reduce the influence of this on your body is a critical component of improving your digestion and reducing symptoms of IBS and digestive distress.

It Takes Time

Think about how long you’ve been dealing with this. Months? Years? It can take the body time to heal. Whether you need to re-balance the bacteria in your gut or reduce inflammation, in our practice, we see most people go through a “healing phase”. It seems to take between 4 to 12 weeks for the gut to heal and for clients to start and experience really wonderful improvement – less bloating, less distension, no gas, better bowel movements!

We love what we do and feel proud of the work we’ve done to help hundreds of people suffering with gas, bloating, abdominal discomfort, diarrhea and/or constipation heal and feel more like themselves again.

There is a reason that following a step-by-step plan and getting the help of an expert can help people improve quickly and efficiently. We hear from past clients that the accountability of having a supportive person helps stick the plan, while working with an Expert Dietitian helps clients identify exactly what they need to do to heal the gut and improve.

It’s tough to do this on your own. It took me, a Registered Dietitian with a Masters Degree in Nutrition years to figure out exactly how to heal my body and reduce symptoms.

 

Wishing good gut health & wellness,

Stephanie

 

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