In 2006 my colon perforated from diverticulitis. Major colon resection saved me, but they left a sponge in me. Then I had three life-threatening infections and multiple iv antibiotics for weeks. (And again, I thank the surgeons and antibiotics for saving my life.)
After that my gut was wrecked and I spent years changing my diet trying to find relief from IBS pain that I finally came on my own to understand is SIBO. Along the way, as recommended, I ate *lots more fiber. I ate vegetarian. Disastrous. Then for years I had Some diminishing of pain with a low FODMAP diet, but I continued to become sensitive to/reactive to more and more foods till I barely ate anything.
Finally, in despair, in the last six months I have switched to eating Only animal-based foods: lots of red meat; poultry; fish; shellfish; eggs; and dairy (luckily I’m fine with dairy). You know where this is going, right?
My pain is gone. I have starved the SIBO (it’s not entirely gone, but I don’t want the antibiotics). I’ve lost twenty pounds. I’m no longer bloated and full of gas. I am not hungry. My life-long depression is better—completely unexpected! Ethically, I wish there were another way, but there isn’t for me.
It’s so contrary to the received nutritional wisdom (and ethical concerns) that I don’t even try to explain to friends. I wrote about this previously in your comments before I went all-out carnivore, but repeat it in case my example might help someone else.
Thank you again and going forward for sharing your knowledge.
I’m sorry you had to go through so much to discover the truth about diet and gut health. Received wisdoms need challenging but nobody’s doing that, except individuals like you who are forced to. Thank you for telling your story and I too hope it helps others.
Maria, I would go further… I think all plants are bad for everyone, it’s just that the issues are well-hidden in many people. But people’s health are sub-optimised when they eat plants. I am amazed to hear this truth from a dietician, it is just very abnormal to have someone with this qualification go against the indoctrination. Well done and thank you! Sometime in the distant future, historians will look back at what we are told to eat right now and be amazed at the ignorance.
I would describe myself as carnivore curious, but like fruit too much to give it up. Vegetables, on the other hand, I could ditch entirely. Some carnivores also eat fruit because it is highly probably that our Paleolithic ancestors also supplemented their meat diet with fruit on an opportunistic basis. That definitely goes against the grain, if you can pardon the pun.
Actually not a dietician at all! Don't think they'd have me, should in a moment of madness I decided I wanted to be one. They are the state-registered ones who work with doctors and in hospitals.
One of the many mistakes I made in trying to get healthy was to eat lots of dried fruit. Most of them were in the high FODMAP category, and because of being dried, the fructose concentration was very high. Somehow I managed not to destroy my liver, but I did have a lengthy period of leaky gut. Dried fruit consumption now ranges from tiny amounts to none.
I can't believe I used to recommend dried fruit, in the early days. And eat lots of it myself. It's strangely addictive, unlike fresh fruit. One piece and you can keep on going.
Does turning cabbage into sauerkraut make it better for the stomach? I've seen claims online that fermenting can help pre-digest foods so that are less harmful.
For most people, sauerkraut is a great natural probiotic food. But it is high in FODMAPs so has to be avoided by people who can't digest these sugars. I'm one of them!
In 2006 my colon perforated from diverticulitis. Major colon resection saved me, but they left a sponge in me. Then I had three life-threatening infections and multiple iv antibiotics for weeks. (And again, I thank the surgeons and antibiotics for saving my life.)
After that my gut was wrecked and I spent years changing my diet trying to find relief from IBS pain that I finally came on my own to understand is SIBO. Along the way, as recommended, I ate *lots more fiber. I ate vegetarian. Disastrous. Then for years I had Some diminishing of pain with a low FODMAP diet, but I continued to become sensitive to/reactive to more and more foods till I barely ate anything.
Finally, in despair, in the last six months I have switched to eating Only animal-based foods: lots of red meat; poultry; fish; shellfish; eggs; and dairy (luckily I’m fine with dairy). You know where this is going, right?
My pain is gone. I have starved the SIBO (it’s not entirely gone, but I don’t want the antibiotics). I’ve lost twenty pounds. I’m no longer bloated and full of gas. I am not hungry. My life-long depression is better—completely unexpected! Ethically, I wish there were another way, but there isn’t for me.
It’s so contrary to the received nutritional wisdom (and ethical concerns) that I don’t even try to explain to friends. I wrote about this previously in your comments before I went all-out carnivore, but repeat it in case my example might help someone else.
Thank you again and going forward for sharing your knowledge.
I’m sorry you had to go through so much to discover the truth about diet and gut health. Received wisdoms need challenging but nobody’s doing that, except individuals like you who are forced to. Thank you for telling your story and I too hope it helps others.
Thank you.
And thank *you for your unafraid work. I learn something from each post, even those I already know something about.
You and Gary Taubes have been immensely helpful.
Maria, I would go further… I think all plants are bad for everyone, it’s just that the issues are well-hidden in many people. But people’s health are sub-optimised when they eat plants. I am amazed to hear this truth from a dietician, it is just very abnormal to have someone with this qualification go against the indoctrination. Well done and thank you! Sometime in the distant future, historians will look back at what we are told to eat right now and be amazed at the ignorance.
I would describe myself as carnivore curious, but like fruit too much to give it up. Vegetables, on the other hand, I could ditch entirely. Some carnivores also eat fruit because it is highly probably that our Paleolithic ancestors also supplemented their meat diet with fruit on an opportunistic basis. That definitely goes against the grain, if you can pardon the pun.
Not your regular dietician:)
Actually not a dietician at all! Don't think they'd have me, should in a moment of madness I decided I wanted to be one. They are the state-registered ones who work with doctors and in hospitals.
One of the many mistakes I made in trying to get healthy was to eat lots of dried fruit. Most of them were in the high FODMAP category, and because of being dried, the fructose concentration was very high. Somehow I managed not to destroy my liver, but I did have a lengthy period of leaky gut. Dried fruit consumption now ranges from tiny amounts to none.
I can't believe I used to recommend dried fruit, in the early days. And eat lots of it myself. It's strangely addictive, unlike fresh fruit. One piece and you can keep on going.
Does turning cabbage into sauerkraut make it better for the stomach? I've seen claims online that fermenting can help pre-digest foods so that are less harmful.
For most people, sauerkraut is a great natural probiotic food. But it is high in FODMAPs so has to be avoided by people who can't digest these sugars. I'm one of them!