At the peak of my gut issues, I would have done ANYTHING to have a normal and functional gut. I ran all the fancy stool tests. I swallowed 10 pills at each meal as I took all the hip supplements I was reading about on the SIBO threads. I meditated for 15 minutes twice daily to fix my squirrely gut brain connection. I walked daily. I filled my tummy with only organic foods. I deprived myself even the occasional sip of alcohol.
The urgency that fueled my approach led me down many rabbit holes that promised immediate relief. Underneath it all, fear governed my decision making. I wrestled with my symptoms daily because they scared me. I didn’t want to feel this way forever. I believed I was broken and that I just needed to find the right diet and supplements to keep symptoms at bay.
For 2 years, my life revolved around my gut. I went to extremes to “fix” my it. I yearned for symptom freedom. But, my gut health never improved. Eventually, I said “screw it” and threw in the towel. I stopped fighting my biggest fear—that my gut symptoms were here to stay. If I was going to have symptoms no matter what I did, I was going to go out and live my life, despite these uncomfortable symptoms.
I started eating out more. I re-connected with friends I hadn’t seen in awhile. I joined rec basketball and sand volleyball leagues. I ate out more.
I would go to these activities and events uncomfortable, bloated and in pain. But, I enjoyed my time with loved ones and my favorite hobbies much more than my months spent at home making my strict meals alone.
And, that was a turning point in my journey. I wasn’t focused on gut health outcomes anymore. I wasn’t assessing, checking or trying to fix my symptoms. Like the 5 stages of grief, I entered some sort of “acceptance” stage of my gut journey and it suited me. The less I focused on my gut and the more I focused on returning to activities that brought me joy—the more I made progress.
I have seen this similar pattern with hundreds of IBS patients. With IBS, you want to work smarter and not harder. Don’t get blinded by the finish line. As the title of the piece describes, good gut health is NOT a destination. Focusing on the systems that build true gut resiliency yields better outcomes than focusing on immediate symptom reduction.
IBS Proofing vs Symptom Reducers
Good gut health has become a big business. Many online influencers and wellness brands promise symptom relief fast as long as you take their 10 supplement protocol. They promise to “fix” your gut and find the single root cause that is driving your symptoms (usually some microbe that only they can find on a GI MAP).
And to be fair, diet changes and supplements can help symptoms. I use supplements in my own practice to fill nutritional gaps and to help symptoms. But, these are band-aids NOT solutions.
Temporary low FODMAP or restrictive eating can help calm down and reset the gut for some IBS patients. Symptom reduction and band-aids can help, but they can also lead you down the wrong path—chasing symptom relief vs building true gut resiliency.
You can not find optimal gut health at the end of a 6 week low FODMAP diet or a 4 week gut protocol. Optimal gut health requires building a system that fosters a healthy gut brain connection. Building an IBS Proof gut takes time. Chasing symptom relief can distract you from strategies that will fortify your gut long term.
What are my good gut health practices?
I have been practicing good gut health for nearly 8 years now. As I stated above, I developed a lifestyle that was IBS-proof. I have daily habits that help my gut brain connection stay resilient.
IBS proofing is not staying on low FODMAP forever. Or taking every probiotic under the sun to find the one that helps your symptoms. Again, these strategies have merit, but they are not going to build and maintain a resilient gut. The good news is that the habits that help build a strong gut also benefit your overall health and wellbeing.
What habits do I practice regularly to IBS proof my gut?
Eating a wide variety of plant foods
Consuming green tea and other polyphenol rich foods
Prioritizing balanced meals with enough of each macronutrient
Making sure I am hitting at 30 grams of fiber daily
Eating at regular meal times 90% of the time
Checking nutritional status with apps like Cronometer occasionally to ensure my nutrient needs are being met
Walking in the sunshine most days
Playing tennis a few times a week
Spending quality time with my kids each day
Spending quality time with husband each day
Planning coffee dates or hangs with my friends a few times a month
Prioritizing at least 7 hours of sleep (usually my kids cooperate)
Bi-annual testing of nutrient status to ensure my nutrient levels stay optimized
Each one of these habits helps my gut stay optimized. My investments into my gut health are also diversified, which helps me weather gut stressors better. I am not perfect in all these areas. Usually, I shoot for B+ work.
These systems aren’t always easy to maintain. Getting enough sleep has been challenging with 2 small children and sometimes impossible for me. But, I try my best. I know that with these systems in place—my gut is typically solid.
My gut has had some additional acute gut stressors like food poisoning and antibiotics the last few years. Yes, these can cause acute symptoms and lingering symptoms for a few weeks. I provide myself with acute support for these instances too, but I seem to recover fairly easily with my habits locked in.
The biggest takeaway being—sometimes it is helpful to zoom out and look at all your habits and to ask a simple question—is this habit building a resilient gut or not? The more you can focus on habits that nurture your gut brain connection the better!
Shifting some of these habits can be really hard. It can take baby steps. It also may require prioritizing what variables to address first and what to tackle second. But, as the Mandalorian says, “this is the way”. These are make or break.
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