Real Food Fall 2019

healthy
habits
Gut Feeling
To cut through an overload of information on gut health, here are
some pointers for eating without upsetting your stomach
BY ERIK TORMOEN
If your stomach is sensitive, hopefully you realize it’s also
pretty amazing.
The human gut developed during our hunter-gatherer
period, some 1.8 million years ago. We ate simply—meats,
leaves, nuts, fruits. Then, within the relative blip of 10,000
years, our food changed dramatically, as described in
“Cooking for the Sensitive Gut” by nutritionist Joan Ransley
and gastroenterologist Nick Read.
We started cultivating grasses for flour, preserving spoils for
winter, and cooking things for taste and digestion. Industrial
farming worldwide let us eat out of season. Food became more
plentiful, more diverse and more processed.
Meanwhile, the old gastrointestinal tract—a 20- to 30-foot
tube that works overtime as a “chopper, mixer, digester,
extractor and salvage system in one,” as described by Ransley
and Read—still hasn’t caught up.
Thus, some of us deal with digestion-interferent disorders,
diseases and intolerances. They include irritable bowel
syndrome (IBS), celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative
colitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and lactose
intolerance. Direct causes range from multi-factorial to
relatively unknown. Still others of us report frequent inflammation,
bloating, stomachaches, constipation, diarrhea and other
bouts of digestive discomfort unrelated to disease.
“Many times, there’s not a one-size-fits-all solution,
unfortunately,” says Mary Wirtz, a clinical registered dietitian
at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. As research comes
in about gut microbiomes, we’re still discovering how our
stomachs’ unique bacterial ecosystems work. Until then, there
are simple ways to address digestion issues that cut through
the noise of gluten-free, dairy-free, big-diet advisories.
1. CUT DOWN ON PROCESSED, SUGAR-ADDED FOODS
AND SATURATED FAT. Yep, you guessed it. These are the big
offenders. Concentrated sweets include the obvious—pastries,
candy, sugar-sweetened beverages—and the less obvious,
like granola. Added, refined sugars can cause painful gut
inflammation. Without significant fiber, they also do nothing to
aid digestion. Saturated fat, found in regular-fat dairy products
as well as red and processed meats, can also provoke flare-ups.
2. GET 3 TO 5 SERVINGS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
PER DAY. “From an anti-inflammatory perspective, we really
promote more of a Mediterranean-type diet, where the
predominate basis is plant-based,” Wirtz says. Fiber-rich
fruits and veggies move digestion along—but, of course,
don’t go overboard. Those with histories of abdominal bloating
and diarrhea risk exacerbating those symptoms by adding
too much fiber too fast.
3. TAKE THE TEMPORARY-ELIMINATION APPROACH.
Wirtz sees many patients who come in blaming gluten for
their stomach issues. Usually, she says, the trigger is not
the gluten—a cereal-grain protein often found in convenient
sources of fiber, vitamins and minerals—but the refined sugar,
saturated fat or added salt.
Still, the gut works in mysterious ways. Those who can’t pin
down a diagnosis can try eliminating one suspect for two to
three weeks. They might target wheat, dairy, acidic foods or
anything else. After removing the ingredient for 14 to 21 days,
reintroduce it into your diet and pay attention to how you feel.
4. STAY ON TOP OF LOST NUTRIENTS. “With dairy, similar
to gluten, people at times can unnecessarily cut it out,”
Wirtz says. “But,” she adds, “there’s no reason why dairy is
PHOTO SEWCREAM - ADOBE STOCK
18 real food fall 2019