I know you’re looking for the one diet that fixes it all instantly. Unfortunately, everyone’s body is different. And. . .every SIBO patient’s internal bacterial environment is different and will therefor respond to foods differently. Also to be considered are underlying and overlying conditions in addition to SIBO that can create food reactions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, food intolerance, autoimmunity, and others.
The main target for any SIBO patient is to eliminate foods that rapidly ferment in the gut. These are the sugars, starches and fibers. But, what most people don’t realize is that even some meats have a high enough sugar content, or are difficult to digest due to other issues, and that they too can produce symptoms.
Here, I will detail out the basic dietary guidelines that have shown to be helpful to the people in my clinic that have successfully dealt with SIBO. But here’s the basic principle:
ELIMINATION • PROVOCATION
This is a technique used to find out which foods you are sensitive to. You start by eliminating everything from the diet that causes you any symptoms of bloating, belching, abdominal distention, pain, gas and all of your other lovely SIBO presentations.
This process should take days to weeks, but in a short amount of time, you should see significant improvement in your belly. And remember, what you eat today may not create problems for you until tomorrow or the next day or the day after that, so don’t assume you’re okay with a food just because you don’t have an immediate reaction.
Once you have been on a consistently symptom-free eating plan and used any recommended supplements, you will be instructed as to when it is safe to begin adding foods back, one at a time. If at any time a food causes distress, immediately remove that food, even if it is on the safe list.
DO YOUR VERY BEST TO ELIMINATE ALL FOODS THAT PROVOKE YOUR BODY
WHEN IN DOUBT, LEAVE IT OUT!
Foods to Avoid
It is recommended to avoid the following foods in each category. This is in an attempt to avoid fermentation and irritation in the gut. This is not an exhaustive list, so use your good judgment. If it probably isn’t okay, don’t eat it.
Maybe Baby
Don’t you just love maybe? You can look at this two different ways. You can be irritated that I cannot definitively tell you whether or not you can safely eat this foods, OR. . .you can be hopeful that they fall into the Safety Zone for you.
Recommended Foods
This is not an exhaustive list, but these are the commonly eaten and relatively well tolerated foods that I can confidently recommend to the SIBO population. However, if you eat a food that does not agree with YOUR body, please eliminate it, at least during your healing phase.
Additional Information
Now keep in mind, there are many more details to successfully implementing the SIBO Diet including:
- Keys to Success
- How to Avoid Hidden Offenders
- Sample Menus
- Recipes
- Lifestyle Tips
- Eating Out
- Travel Tips
- Resources
…and so much more!
Don’t miss out on all of these Tips for Guaranteed Success which can be found in Dr Lisa’s EndSIBO eBook: A Lifestyle Guide to Overcoming SIBO so You Can Get Your Life Back!
Your free copy will be on its way right away, just Request it Here.
Super Important!
It really must be stated clearly that diet alone may be enough for you to see symptom relief. HOWEVER. . .this will not eradicate your SIBO. You will still have bacteria that is growing out of control in your small intestine if you fail to properly support your system so your body can restore itself to health. From there, your condition may continue to progress and your body may begin to suffer in other ways such as adrenal fatigue, immune deficiency, nutritional deficiencies, just to name a few. I cannot say this enough. Please see the article How to Overcome SIBO: A Three-Sided Approach.