Gutsy Food Nutrition Therapy

There is no perfect way to eat.

What is best for you and your IBD will be different from the person down the street.

Looking for some help but not sure where to start?

Click on the link in my bio to schedule a free discovery call!

Choosing what to eat is a surprisingly complicated decision. This is just a quick brain dump of things that influence our decisions:

➡Taste
➡Family Preferences
➡Habit
➡Emotions
➡Culture
➡Cost and Access
➡Environmental Impact
➡Convenience
➡Cooking Skills
➡Time
➡Health
➡Knowledge

I believe EVERYONE would be better off if they shifted their mindset and prioritized the nutritional aspects of food more in their decision making.

If you have Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis, don’t just eat for your overall health. Also eat to actively treat your IBD!

Share in the comments what ‘eat to treat’ looks like for you! 👍

If you’re struggling with IBD inflammation, it’s likely you are also struggling with maintaining a healthy weight.

Here are 6 tips for foods that provide a lot of calories, protein, vitamins, and minerals in a small volume. They are also low in fiber which is often better tolerated when experiencing GI symptoms.

1⃣ Eat small amounts of food more often. This is easier for your digestive system to process when not operating at its best. Aim for 3 meals + 2-3 snacks per day.

2⃣ Yogurt parfaits with full fat plain yogurt, applesauce or berries, a spoonful of honey, and possibly some granola if tolerated is easily 300-400 calories per serving and high in protein and probiotics.

3⃣ Avoid eating plain foods - always look to add a dip or spread like smooth nut butter, hummus, oil/vinegar, butter, guacamole, or pesto.

4⃣ Homemade smoothies made with a frozen banana, a large handful of greens, berries, honey, full fat yogurt, and a generous scoop of nut butter can easily get up to 400-500 calories per serving. A great way to get your fruit and veggies in liquid form.

5⃣ Grain free baked goods use nut flours and more eggs so they tend to be higher in calories and protein than baked goods made out of traditional grain flours. The nut flour is so fine that it doesn’t aggravate symptoms.

6⃣ Nutritional shakes contain 250-360 calories per 8oz serving. They are also filled with large volumes of vitamins and minerals. If they are effective at inducing remission of IBD as Exclusive Enteral Nutrition, there is no downside to incorporating them into your intake during periods of inflammation.

Which one of these ideas do you plan to try? Share your thoughts in the comments! 👇

Wondering why you struggle so much with weight loss during IBD?

Weight loss can be a sign of active inflammation.

Inflammation in your GI tract is what I describe as a triple threat to your nutritional status and ability to maintain a healthy weight.

Here are the 3 ways in which inflammation causes weight loss:

⬇ It decreases appetite. When you don’t feel hungry you don’t eat enough.

⬇ It decreases your intestines ability to digest food and absorb nutrients. What you eat, your body gets less of.

⬆ It increases your energy needs, because inflammation burns calories. So again, what you eat your body gets less of.

You can see why with active inflammation you are fighting an uphill struggle to eat enough and gain weight. 🧗

Stay tuned for nutritious high calorie tips coming in a few days…

I am so proud to live in Washington State - 1 of just 18 states that observes Juneteenth with a paid state holiday. It is an important day in our nation's history to recognize and reflect on each year, just as we do so for MLK, Veterans, and others.

Happy Father's Day!

Here’s a shout out to all the Dads out there cooking from scratch for their kids on a therapeutic diet. 🫶

Or for themselves because it’s an important part of their self care and IBD management. 👊

Enjoy your day!

One of the s*%iest things about IBD is that you can also have IBS. As if you didn’t have enough to deal with.

IBS – Irritable Bowel Syndrome. A digestive syndrome characterized by abdominal pain, gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation.

I know what you’re thinking - “nope. I don’t have IBS. My IBD causes those symptoms.”

But what about when you are experiencing those symptoms and you go to your GI and they tell you you’re doing great? “No inflammation! You’re in remission!” 👍

If you were actually confused and slightly disappointed to hear those words - it’s possible you might also have IBS in addition to your IBD. No - this isn’t some sort of new IBD baseline that you have to get used to and tolerate.

If you need help navigating diet for IBD that is complicated by IBS - send me a DM or contact me through the link in my bio. 🫶

What Happens When You Are Diagnosed with IBD?

When you are diagnosed with IBD it is a life altering event that needs to be given time and space to process.

The diagnosis has ramifications for every aspect of your life. It can change your relationships, career options, finances, education plans, outlook, etc. It can involve lifestyle modification, medical appointments, and therapies that need to be prioritized over other things in your life.

You may experience fluctuations in your mood, energy and your perspective on the situation. One thing that you need to remember is that whatever you are feeling is valid and those feelings need to be acknowledged.

The other thing to recognize is that you are an individual and although there may be people who have gone through something similar, it’s ok if your experience or feelings are vastly different.

Listen to your body, listen to your mind and do what you need to do to support yourself.

For those of you that have already been through this process, what is one piece of advice you can offer someone else just starting their journey to help them out? Share in the comments.

(And of course I am here to help you in whatever way I can so don’t be afraid to reach out.)

It is easy to get IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) mixed up.

The names are similar but the conditions are VERY different.

With IBD your immune system is attacking your gastrointestinal tract and this causes inflammation and permanent harm to your intestines. It is common to have abnormal labs and the damage and inflammation to your intestine can be seen with imaging like an endoscopy or colonoscopy. This is how the disease is diagnosed.

With IBS you experience painful GI symptoms but without inflammation or damage to your intestines. During an endoscopy or colonoscopy there is no visible sign of disease or abnormality of the intestine and lab work is often normal.

Despite their differences - both IBD and IBS can negatively affect quality of life and accurate diagnosis and good treatment are a must.

Now that you know the difference between IBD and IBS – you might be thinking – is it possible to have both? 🤔

Unfortunately yes…stay tuned later this week for more information on this!

IBD Bloat is REAL and These Hacks Can Help…

Hack # 1 Smaller Portions of Food More Often
Hack # 2 Drink Lots of Water and Tea; Limit Everything Else
Hack # 3 Get Up and Move After Eating
Hack # 4 Eat Yogurt on the Regular…(for the probiotics)
Hack # 5 Don’t Chew Gum and Don’t Use a Straw…(both increase swallowing air)
Hack # 6 Eat a High Potassium Evening Snack…banana, nuts, avocado, yogurt
Hack # 7 Massage Your Belly and/or Gentle Yoga

Is one of these your “go-to” or do you have another that you could share with us? Post in the comments!

Following a therapeutic diet for your IBD does not eliminate donuts from your life!

Check out this yummy grain-free donut recipe from Comfy Belly. A great resource for delicious SCD and mSCD recipes!

https://comfybelly.com/2010/05/coconut-flour-donuts/

Every decision is an invitation…

Every day you are faced with food choices that can take you in a positive direction towards your health goals or move you away from them…

Choices that will inspire you toward growth and ones that will keep you stuck.

Every decision is an invitation and you get to CHOOSE.

Choosing something different than you typically choose may just lead to something exciting and new!

…improved pain, decreased inflammation, weight gain, weight loss, more energy, remission…

What are your health goals and the choices you’re thinking about to lead you somewhere new?

Curious if The SCD Solution is Right For You?

The SCD Solution is a 12 week program for those that want to implement the Specific Carbohydrate Diet for treatment of their IBD quickly and correctly without any guesswork.

Inside the program you receive:
✅weekly lessons and step-by-step instructions that cover everything you need to know to begin the SCD, ensure its effectiveness, and navigate challenges.
✅PDF tools including food lists, meal plans, recipes, and more.
✅One-on-one virtual nutrition counseling appointments with me as your personal IBD registered dietitian.
✅Access to our private Facebook community for an additional source of support, tips, and troubleshooting ideas from other SCDers.

If you’ve been considering starting the SCD but have been unsure where to start, I would love to discuss the support I can offer you.

Give me a 🙋 and I will message you with more details.

What Exactly Is Nutrition Therapy?

Nutrition therapy or diet therapy can mean different things to different people and so understanding what this term means can be confusing.

When I say nutrition therapy for IBD - what I mean is the modification of one’s diet for the purpose of improving IBD symptoms and inflammation.

Is this a one size fits all solution?

Absolutely not.

There is no ONE diet shown to benefit IBD. There are actually SEVERAL which is really cool because it gives you options.

👉 Small, incremental change over time to improve healthy eating habits and food choice
👉 Exclusive Enteral Nutrition (EEN)
👉 Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD)
👉 Modified Specific Carbohydrate Diet (mSCD)
👉 Crohn’s Disease Exclusion Diet (CDED)
👉 Mediterranean Det
👉 IBD Anti-Inflammatory Diet (IBD-AID)

Having options however is typically followed by the question - “okay, well which one is best?” In short, my answer is the one that you’ll do. The diet or eating plan that you can stick with, day in and day out. THAT is the one you should choose.

Anyone want to share some nutrition therapy options that I didn’t include here? Any options here you are unfamiliar with? Post in the comments and we can all learn from each other!

Today all over the world we raise awareness of inflammatory bowel disease.

This year the slogan is IBD HAS NO AGE putting a focus on those aged 60+ living with IBD who are underrepresented in clinical trials and long term medication safety monitoring.

Reach out to the person/people you know in your life today and tell them you love them ❤

My heart goes out to all the parents out there scrambling to find formula for their babies. The stress of this is just too much. 😔

If you need to run a question by a pediatric dietitian - please send me a DM or contact me using the link in my bio. ❤

When your preschooler asks for rainbow carrots for dinner - you make it happen!

Veggie lentil soup with parm + strawberries + rainbow carrots 😋

Happy World Baking Day!

While the act of baking isn’t one of my favorite activities…eating the outcome of baking is DEFINITELY one of my favorite activities! 🍪

A common concern I hear from clients looking to implement diet change for their IBD is that they LOVE baked goods. And somewhere they heard that in order to eat well for their IBD they have to give them up. 😕

Well you definitely didn’t hear that from me!

To celebrate World Baking Day I am sharing a recipe from my program The SCD Solution for a grain-free, sugar-free carrot cake. The almond flour, eggs, and honey support a healthy microbiome with protein, probiotics, and plant prebiotics. It is very moist and not too sweet. I enjoy it with a cup of tea for 2nd breakfast!

Please give it a try and leave me a comment letting me know what you think! Happy baking! 🧑‍🍳

Knowledge is Freedom

So many of my clients have lived for many years believing that food choice doesn’t matter when it comes to their IBD flares. Diet recommendations for IBD were (and sometimes still are) all about damage control…how to minimize symptoms of inflammation and avoid eating something (but the details were vague on what that something was) that might make things worse. As a result I saw a lot of clients develop a fear of food which is not a healthy relationship with the thing that provides our body with the fuel it needs to operate.

Now we know that diet absolutely matters when it comes to your IBD treatment. It can induce remission and partners with your other therapies to maximize benefits and keep you in remission longer.

Nutrition therapy - or the modification of food choices to influence your IBD symptoms and inflammation - looks different for each individual. It is not a one-size-fits-all. If you’ve been hesitant to look into it because you don’t want to use Exclusive Enteral Nutrition (EEN) or follow the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), you should know that these aren’t your only options and nutrition therapy doesn’t have to be as rigid as you think.

Having the knowledge to leverage diet in a way that fits in your life and improves your IBD symptoms can give you back control of your life. And get you back to enjoying food.

What is something you want to do/enjoy but your current GI symptoms are not allowing you to?

INTRODUCING NUTRITION THERAPY RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT

Since we are a community built around the common interest of evidence-based information about diet and IBD - I will be routinely posting about current research in this field.

Published just a couple months ago in February this study looked at the IBD Anti-Inflammatory Diet (IBD-AID) and whether or not it could alter the balance of microorganisms in the gut microbiome of people with IBD.

Swipe to the end to get straight to the takeaways. Or scroll through for a summary of the study and its findings.

If you need help making changes to diet for your IBD - DM me or book a free discovery call using the link in my bio

Are These Things Contributing To Your Symptoms?

This may come as a surprise to you but did you know that ultra-processed foods are one of the MAIN reasons you or your child with IBD continues to struggle with lingering IBD symptoms?

Yep…when I look at root causes that are contributing to bloating, pain, increased stool frequency and urgency…I look at everything including your exercise routine, sleep habits, stressors, and nutrient deficiencies.

These may not be things that your gastroenterologist has time to address during your appointments with them, but based on the research I am sure they are aware of the contribution they make to their patient’s GI symptoms and inflammation levels. After working with many clients and patients I have seen how significant these offenders can be and how when they are addressed - they can greatly improve your quality of life.

So I am curious…if you are doing an honest evaluation of your life, how many of these things do you think might be implicated in your symptoms?

Share in the comments so we can see if there are similarities within the group!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Here’s a shout out to all the Moms out there cooking from scratch for their kids on a therapeutic diet. 🫶
Or for themselves because it’s an important part of their self care and IBD management. 👊

(Don’t worry Dad’s – a similar shout out is coming your way next month because we see you too! ❤)

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Did you know that with IBD you are at increased risk for struggling with anxiety and depression?

Living with IBD you feel all the ‘feels’. Afraid, isolated, worried, hopeless, embarrassed, worried. But also grateful, supported, hopeful, empowered, and strong. It is likely that your emotions mirror how you are feeling physically. In part this is because our gut is connected to the brain by our vagus nerve. This connection is sometimes referred to as the gut-brain axis. Signals run along this nerve between the two, therefore what is going on in our gut can affect our brain and emotions. And what goes on with our emotions can affect our gut. 🔁

If your mental health can affect your gut, it makes sense that an important part of managing your IBD and staying healthy is seeing a mental health provider. One specially trained in gastropsychology or experienced helping individuals with chronic conditions might be a best fit.

Ask your gastroenterologist if they have a good local recommendation for mental health providers in your area. Another wonderful resource is . Visit their website and search the GastroPsych Directory to find a specialized mental health provider in your area.

https://theromefoundation.org/rome-gi-psych-committee/

Easy Ways To Say No

While there are obvious situations where a straight-up “NO” is the only proper response, there are times where you may need to be a bit more diplomatic as you uphold a boundary.

Boundaries are important for your mental, emotional and physical wellbeing and are also a key success strategy to help you meet your goals.

For instance…if you are looking to follow a therapeutic diet for your IBD such as the SCD or IBD-AID but there is someone or something in your life that is getting in the way of that goal, you may need to start saying “no” more often.

Here are some of the most effective ways to say no without hurting someone’s feelings or having to give a detailed explanation.

🙂No thank you. [smile] What are your plans for the weekend?
🙂No thank you. I have made some changes to my diet, so I brought my own food.
🙂Sorry I am not eating that right now as I work on improving my health.
🙂Thank you for thinking of me! I am going to take this home and share it with my family. It looks delicious.
🙂That sounds like fun but I’ll need to take a raincheck.
🙂Thanks for the invite, do you mind if I bring [fruit, veggie tray, homemade dish that fits your diet] to share?
🙂I wish I could but I’m already committed to something else
🙂No thank you. I ate before I came so I’m not hungry.

These short phrases soften the “no’ with a short explanation that should stop the conversation and in most situations not require you to explain further.

Do you have a “no” phrase that you have found works well for you? Share in the comments!

What Is This Gut Microbiome Thing I Keep Hearing About?

You’ve probably seen a lot in the media about the relationship of our gut microbiome to our health, but do you understand what exactly it is? 🤔 Let’s get clear on the gut microbiome because it turns out with IBD it plays a very important role in your disease.

Inside our gut (our small and large intestine) live TRILLIONS of micro-organisms. They do work related to your digestion, processing and absorbing nutrients, metabolism, body weight, mood, your immune system, sleep, etc. Collectively these trillions of micro-organisms and their genetic material is referred to as your gut microbiome.

The kinds and amounts of bacteria and micro-organisms that populate our gut microbiome is influenced by lots of factors including genetics, age, stress, illness, and lifestyle factors like diet. Studies show that people with IBD have an imbalance - or ‘dysbiosis’ - of their gut microbiome.

Good news is that we have control over lifestyle factors that can influence our microbiome and correct this dysbiosis. ⚖

This is where nutrition therapy comes in. Nutrition therapy is the modification of one’s food choices to change the gut microbiome and improve IBD symptoms and inflammation.

I am so glad you’re here 😀👏

The connection between exercise and our gut microbiome

Did you know that like diet - exercise can have a positive influence on your gut microbiome? 💪

What we know about how physical activity improves the gut microbiome we have learned from studies on athletes. These studies show that exercise changes the gut microbiome for the better by reducing inflammation, intestinal permeability (leaky gut), and increases the variety of bacterial species in our GI tract.

Regular physical activity is a healthy habit for everyone - especially for those with IBD. We are all pretty familiar with its benefits of maintaining a healthy weight and increasing the strength of our muscles and bones. But for those with IBD some of the other benefits of exercise such as these GI changes to increase the diversity of the gut microbiome, its ability to strengthen the immune system, decrease stress, and improve mood are particularly valuable. It is another tool in your toolbox to manage your IBD.

Consistent physical activity has never been my strength. But I know that I work well under deadlines so I recently signed up for a half marathon this summer. It is my 2nd half marathon and the first one I hope to finish still in a jog.🏃 Here I am enjoying the southern Washington coast this weekend and stretching after my training run. It always helps to have adorable stretching buddies waiting for you at the finish🥰 What activities do you enjoy that get you exercise and fuel healthy bacteria in your gut?

Overlooked Contributors To IBD Inflammation

When you ask your gastroenterologist for help dealing with an IBD flare, they probably are not going to focus on what you’re eating, how much sleep you are getting, or how stressed you are.

This is because gastroenterologists usually have a set framework that they work within, focused on medication management.

They might ask about your diet, sleep, and stressors and give a few brief suggestions, but they aren’t given the time during appointments to dig deeper into these lifestyle habits that are so important to your IBD management.

The reason I can focus more on these habits and give you tools to improve them, particularly diet - is because it is my area of expertise. Unhealthy habits in the areas of sleep, stress management, and diet lead to dysbiosis of the gut microbiome - a ROOT cause of your IBD that contributes to the inflammation and symptoms you are experiencing.

It has been my experience over and over again that when these contributing factors are addressed we see a big improvement in flare symptoms and gut inflammation.

If you want to know more about these overlooked contributors, post “ME” in the comments and I will respond with some information.

Just A Little Reminder…

If you are trying to change your eating habits one of the simplest things you can do is work on ONE THING AT A TIME.

I know that may sound simplistic but when you do a complete overhaul of your diet and try to change everything at once it is difficult and you are more likely to feel overwhelmed, unprepared, and to not continue with the changes long term.

Remember…little changes in habits lead to big changes over time. This is especially important to remember when you don’t have it in you to make all kinds of big changes to your diet at once.

Give me a 🙌 if you needed this reminder today

My Favorite Part of Easter

My favorite part of Easter is definitely the eggs. Coloring eggs, hiding and hunting for eggs, and most of all EATING the eggs.

Eggs are extremely nutritious and a part of any healthy IBD diet as long as you aren’t allergic. What are the nutrients and health benefits of eggs?
Protein - each egg contains ~7g of complete protein for building and repair of body tissues such as muscles and cells
Vitamin A - great for vision
Vitamin E - fights germs and protects cells
Vitamin K - helps cuts stop bleeding
Calcium/Vitamin D/Phosphorus - necessary for bone health
Zinc - helps the immune system
Choline - good for the brain and nervous system

I plan on eating my fair share of hard boiled eggs this week to get the nutrients my body needs to refuel after chasing my kids hunting for eggs this weekend, and visits with family and friends.

What was your favorite part of Easter this year? I love learning about the traditions of others - please share yours in the comments below.

Every Body Needs These Three Things

As you are working to transform your health and move yourself from IBD inflammation to remission there are a few things that EVERY BODY needs to feel healthy and happy…

#1: Supportive and Understanding Community
#2: Sleep, fresh air, and healthy activity
#3: Nutrient rich meals that nourish your gut microbiome

In my program The SCD Solution, these three things are foundational to what we work on as I help walk you through the process of implementing the specific carbohydrate diet for your IBD management.

If you are ready to give your body what it needs so that you can have the life you desire - post “I’m ready” in the comments!