My husband has been in agony since March, losing twenty pounds he didn’t need to lose.
In short, perplexed doctors have led me to a deep dive into food research.
DOCTORS DIDN’T HELP
In March I basically diagnosed him with SIBO and a need to focus on a whole food diet, no processed food, eat more protein, and more complex carbs.
It’s been a long journey that included a trip to the emergency room where the doctors explained to him that no, he is not having a heart attack.
In fact, all the tests they ran show that his body is working just fine.
A month later a visit to a GI specialist who, like all the previous doctors, didn’t understand why he could possibly have days of gut-wrenching agony after eating too many carbs and processed foods.
After much more testing he was diagnosed with SIBO. He was given the low FODMAP diet which wasn’t helpful but only more confusing.
Meanwhile he did the obligatory antibiotic then probiotic…with MORE pain!
PROCESSED FOOD PROBLEMS
Further research (this time into the lives of actual SIBO patients who finally feel better) confirmed my suspicions.
I even finally found one medical site that confirmed a small group of doctors that proposed that if SIBO patients just ate less sugar, no more processed food, and more fiber, their symptoms would ease.
On top of that I later learned that any carbs (found in pure fruit and veggies, and even whole wheat bread) would be better processed if eaten in smaller amounts at each meal, and through the day, since my husband tends to load up on one food group at a time.
For example, don’t load up on all fruit in one meal, or all starchy bread/rice/pasta in one meal.
Smaller portions of a bit of this and that for a balanced diet (like a half cup of fruit, a cup of starch OR tiny portion of dessert) with a larger portion of protein, balanced out with salad and veggies.
Of course, homemade salad dressing (just olive oil and splash of lemon juice) is better than any store bought salad dressing. (More on that in a bit.)
But still random gut-wrenching pain.
From my research I learned that despite what the GI specialist said, proton pump prohibitors only add to SIBO pain.
When I told my hubby that, he quit taking the proton pump prohibitor and felt better.
And then another round of gut wrenching pain. Hmmm, he insisted on eating protein bars, which have labels full of ingredients, like MSG, that don’t grow on the farm.
When I researched each of those processed ingredients, I found that they convert to sugar in the body.
HEALTHY FOOD MISNOMERS
While experiencing all this, I recalled the 90s when “healthier” food was put on the shelves with the label low sugar/low fat/low sugar…poor health spiked!
- Low sugar food has more fat and salt added to make tastier.
- Low salt food has more sugar and fat added.
- Low fat food has more salt and sugar added.
- Why? Taking out one of the major taste wows (fat, salt, sugar) makes it so unpalatable that manufacturers add more of the bad to round out the taste.
- Food before the 90s was processed, but not ultra-processed like today.
CUTTING THE ALCOHOL
And now I’ve read that beer (which my husband occasionally enjoyed) might be a culprit, and even white wine.
Maybe not red wine?
Since my husband is happy to experiment, he’s sticking with red wine for now, if at all.
DESTRESSING
Like me, my hubby easily becomes anxious, and we’ve traced that anxiety has propelled SIBO symptoms when he was otherwise eating clean.
Anxiety acts as a catalyst for any health issue we are dealing with.
Thus, destressing by eating good food, exercising, sleeping well, and deep breathing goes far.
EVERYONE WANTED TO KNOW
And everywhere I turn people randomly ask what’s going on, so I just casually mention the SIBO and food research in like two pithy sentences, because who wants to hear all that?
Um…everybody! {{{shocker}}}
And then while talking to a friend about hubby’s pain and my food research (hence the reason they’ve seen less of us lately), he wanted to know more because that sounded like what his wife went through. When the doctor could not diagnose why she couldn’t get out of bed, they did their own research which led them to a holistic diet for their entire family. His entire family feels so much better, now.
While at my favorite hair dresser for a relaxing hour. (I have lots of hair and she is so patient with a long layered trim and Brazilian (temp) blow out), she asked, so I mentioned the agony/food story in the obligatory two pithy sentences.
She totally perked up, wanting every single research detail, which led to our mutual rant about doctors who act totally clueless to the need to eat healthy food, and the difficulty in finding that healthy food.
btw my hairdresser is in her late 20s or early 30s, cute, slim, looks to be in great shape, but said something I’d never expect from a young gal in Northern Virginia.
LEARNING FROM THE PAST
My young hairdresser proclaimed: If everybody returned to life of the past and lived on two acres of land, growing and raising their own food, we’d wipe out most of the ADHD, aches, pains, and illnesses of the present day.
That pretty much sums up all my food research.
All the doctors my husband has seen is like most that I’ve read on the internet: oh, we won’t make you give up sugar and processed food. That is really tough to do so we’ll give you one of these 5 different diets where you have to lose your mind in how you can eat this sugar but maybe not that sugar so you can still enjoy sugar. Yet those diets (like the FODMAP) is only successful at 60-70% depending on the research one reads.
Yet holistic doctors say that if we pursue in eating unclean foods (processed food, sugar, low fiber) then we will incur inflammation in our bodies that will yield _____________________. (Fill in that blank with any agonizing symptom, disease or disabling crippling condition.)
For every health scenario my friends and family come across, I’ve researched and discovered that processed food is a culprit.
ORGANIC FARM INGREDIENTS FOR THE WIN
Now I spend hours each week shopping several grocery stores which each have a few healthy items that others don’t, to stock my pantry.
Then weekly I enjoy shopping at the local farmer’s market, with produce that’s far better than I happen to find in the grocery stores. I’m not looking forward to the lack of this opportunity in the winter.
Using organic spices (with no added salts of sugars), I am cooking up lots of protein, with fresh veggies, and with whole grains on the side.
RECOMMENDED READING
Since we have a shared Kindle reading list, my hubby highly recommended a New York Times Bestseller that he purchased in 2014: The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet by Nina Teicholz
The author is a science journalist who, after doing food reviews for restaurants serving her butter, meat, and cheese, she lost stubborn weight although she had been on a Mediterranean Diet and exercised.
Fearing her cholesterol levels, the doctor said they were fine.
Curiously, Teicholz began researching the history of America’s famed diet to reduce cholesterol, from which she learned shocking information!
I’m in the middle of reading the book now, which only makes me angry with the federal government who pulled the wool over our eyes beginning in the 1950s with their faulty research methods.
We need to flip the food pyramid and remove processed ingredients from our food.
You don’t have to take my word for it, read the book for yourself! 😉
