What if I told you that the cause of your gas, bloating, constipation/diarrhea, etc... has more to do with what you’re NOT eating, and less to do with what you are eating? Let me explain... If you’re getting these symptoms on a regular basis, it means you’re not effectively digesting & breaking down your food. But here’s the thing... we as humans don’t actually produce a lot of the necessary enzymes needed to break down the fiber in many of these “problem foods”. Because of this, we actually rely on the beneficial bacteria in our gut to do this job for us. Unfortunately a LOT of us are lacking those beneficial bacteria because we don’t give them enough love or feed them what they need to thrive. These bacteria NEED prebiotic fibers to live, and if we don’t give them what they need, they’re not going to stick around for very long. Over time, not only does this make it harder and harder for you digest certain foods - but it also makes you a lot more likely to develop overgrowths of bad bacteria, fungi, or parasites that continue to cause inflammation & damage in your gut. Now look, this situation SUCKS because the only way these people can find relief is by going on ultra-restrictive diets where they avoid all the foods that cause their gut issues. The problem is, the more you restrict... the more you starve your good bacteria of the food they need to thrive and be healthy. So what the hell?!? Think of it like this... it’s kinda like injuring your ankle, and deciding the best way to avoid pain is by never exercising again. Yes, you are avoiding the pain... but if you never rehab it and rebuild strength, you’re never going to get back to where you were before. The same thing applies with your gut. You have to start with where you’re at, and really think of your gut like an injured muscle. If you ever want to build back strength and be able to tolerate more foods, you eventually have to incorporate those foods back into the diet. The secret here... is you have to go SLOW. You don’t go on a 5 mile run to rehab an injured ankle. You go VERY light, and gradually build back strength over time. The key is to focus on ADDING, not subtracting. 💯 I also want to note that YES we do use low FODMAP diets with our clients... but this process should be temporary while we help to give your gut eco-system a nudge in the right direction. Most people stay on these diets WAY too long, and that’s ultimately the problem. #gutissues #bloating #guthealth