I’ve suffered with gastrointestinal issues literally all my life. Even as a small child I would get a stomach ache whenever I was anxious about something. I was also a picky eater, and I’m sure the limited variety of fruits and vegetables in my diet contributed to the condition.
In college and into young adulthood, I was treated for ulcers and other conditions associated with poor gut health. In recent years, the situation became much more restrictive as I developed a cycle of symptoms that limited my activities, restricted my social involvement and threatened to make my life so small it seemed unbearable.
A Diagnosis Gone Wrong
I appealed to my doctor for a diagnosis and treatment. In her opinion, based on my history and worsening symptoms, I had IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). I was advised to follow a FODMAP diet, which restricts the short chain carbohydrates found in foods like cruciferous vegetables, grains, legumes, dairy, alums and nightshades, foods that often cause the symptoms I was experiencing.
Unfortunately, over the next three years following that diagnosis, I had systematically eliminated most foods as my symptoms became more serious. I didn’t understand that the reduction of fiber and variety in my diet was essentially starving my essential bacteria causing an imbalance and restricting its ability to effectively digest food and absorb nutrients.
I returned to the doctor and was referred to a Gastro Specialist. Tests were run to eliminate a long list of conditions, and I was finally diagnosed with Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth, SIBO. I was prescribed a powerful antibiotic intended to destroy all the bacteria in my gut over a course of two weeks. Then, I was prescribed a probiotic to reestablish my gut microbiome, which is the community of bacteria, fungi and microbes that live in the intestines and are essential in processing food into nutrients.
The Turning Point
Feeling there must be more I could do to improve my own health I began to do research into how to grow a healthy gut microbiome and discovered a life changing video by Sean Spenser, MD, PhD., Gastroenterologist and Physician Scientist from Stanford University School of Medicine. I had found the guidance for which I had been searching.
Dr. Spencer advised against taking packaged probiotic or supplements to reestablish a healthy gut diversity and recommended instead using a wide variety of plants, specifically consuming 30 unique plants each week. He also recommended consuming 30 grams of fiber each day and a dose of pre and probiotics from fresh and fermented foods.
It all seemed overwhelming, but I was so grateful for the promise of a healthy body, I committed to the protocol. And I am very pleased to report: eight months later I am virtually symptom free and able to eat whatever I want, including those foods that once caused me terrible discomfort.
The Protocol That Saved Me
The American Gut Project, published in 2018, was the largest study of human gut microbiome, collecting self-reported data from over 10,000 people around the globe and found that those who ate a varied diet of whole food had the most robust and diversified population of the bacteria, microbes and fungi that not only facilitate digestion and over all physical health, but mental health, vitality, immune defenses and health span.
Currently, the study is being continued through the Microsetta Initiative at University of California San Diego and is continuing to make discoveries of how important the gut microbiome really is. Recent studies reveal 95% of Serotonin, the hormone that regulates sleep, mood and appetite and Melatonin that controls digestion, immunity and our Circadian rhythm are produced in the gut, and that there are both receptors and transmitters found not only in the brain, but also in the gut.
This two-way communication highway is called the bidirectional brain gut axis and it regulates the parasympathetic nervous system through the Vegas nerve. Recent hypothesis, postulating that gut issues might actually be a contributing cause of anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions are being tested.
What Types of Plants Fall into This Regime?
Eating 30 plants per week may sound unrealistic until one realizes that plants don’t just mean fruit and vegetables. For the purpose of this protocol plants include herbs, spices, legumes, marine plants, all kinds of greens, grains, seeds, nuts, tofu, cold pressed olive oil and pretty much all non-animal based, whole food that is unprocessed.
A relatively easy to prepare salad of several kinds of lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, garbanzo beans, parsley, cucumber and olive oil vinaigrette can easily provide 10 plants in one healthy lunch, and you can include any type of protein and dairy you choose to balance the dish. The trick is to rotate plants on and off the weekly menu. It does require a fresh supply of products and a variety of pantry staples, but once I started to explore all the options, I found it quite doable and enjoyable.
Helpful Tips
Go slow
Fiber can overwhelm the digestive system if it’s increased too quickly. Listen to your body and advance at a pace that is comfortable for you. Remember this is an adjustment you’ll likely maintain for life, so it’s important to not rush and make changes in increments.
Go Beyond Rice
Expand your rice and whole grain repertoire. Consider adding quinoa, faro, amaranth, wild rice and barley to provide a varied diet and reach the goal of 30 plants per week.
You Can’t Be Wrong with Nuts and Seeds
Add nuts and seeds of all kinds: walnuts, almonds, pistachios, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, etc., to salads, slaws, dips and desserts.
Give a Chance to Long-Rise Sour Dough Bread
Eat long-rise sour dough, a minimum of a 12 hours rise, instead of regular white bread. The long fermentation increases the bioavailability of the nutrients, allows gluten flour to break down and to produce prebiotics that feed the good gut bacteria.
Try Dry Fruit
Dried fruit is extremely nutritious, and a good source of fiber. Try adding raisin, cranberries, and apricots to desserts, salads and yogurt.
Drink Plenty of Water
Being sufficiently hydrated helps with gastro motility – the muscle coordination required for food to pass through the digestive tract. Be cautious with caffeinated and/or carbonated drinks and those with high sugar content – these drinks can affect digestion.
Natural Prebiotic Options
Resistant starch is a prebiotic, a source of nourishment for the bacteria in the small intestine, that can be produced by placing cooked rice in the refrigerator overnight before reheating to enjoy. Unripe bananas are another excellent prebiotic. I eat one every morning.
Fermented Foods as Probiotics
Sour kraut, kefir, kombucha, yogurt, kimchi and other fermented foods are all good sources of probiotics that feed the bacteria that live in our colon. It only takes a few tablespoons a day, so try incorporating them into your daily routine.
Add a Supplement if You Wish
I choose an edible supplement that is made of a variety of dehydrated foods. It provides six grams of fiber, which gives me a good head start on my goal of 30 per day.
Snacks Are Encouraged!
A medium bowl of popcorn contains three grams of fiber, a cup of granola with blue berries and kefir contains six grams of fiber.
Keeping a dietary log with total grams of fiber per day and a running inventory of the unique plants consumed helps establish a routine. After several months, I was able to keep track in my head most days and eating this way became second nature.
Resources to Read Further
Want to know more and dive deeper? Here are some resources:
Hack Your Health, The Secrets of Your Gut on Netflix
Thirty Different Plants Per Week
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Gastrointestinal Disorders
I hope this information is helpful.
Remember, stress is often a contributing factor in gut health. Meditation, somatic breathing and time spent in nature are all ways to mitigate its effects. Consider adding them to your wellness routine.
Living with gastrointestinal issues can be miserable but there are ways to heal your system through food and an improved diet. It takes effort, discipline and initiative, but I promise you it is worth it.
Let’s Have a Conversation:
Have you been misdiagnosed in the past? How did that affect your health? What gastrointestinal issues have you experienced? How did you deal with them? Have you heard of the 30 plants a week protocol?
