Digestive Health – Elsa Jones’ Nutrition advice

If you suspect you have a food intolerance it may be worth embarking on a guided elimination diet to help identify which foods may be causing your symptoms. The basic elimination diet first removes all potential food triggers from the diet, and then re-introduces these foods one at a time. When undertaking an elimination diet, it is vital to keep a food journal, and log all food items along with any symptoms experienced.

 

If you have unexplained digestive issues such as bloating, wind or constipation, you should consider embarking on a guided elimination diet. This process should always be undertaken under the guidance of a nutritional therapist who will be able to give you food alternatives and so avoid any potential nutritional deficiencies. You might also consider adopting a general ‘digestive friendly diet’ for a short period of time to see if symptoms improve. Below is a basic guide:

Foods to limit

• Red Meat
• Sugar and foods containing it i.e. chocolate, sweets, soft drinks
• Wheat (Pasta, breads, pizza, crackers, biscuits, cakes, cereals)
• Food additives & Preservatives – avoid all processed & pre-packaged foods
• Eggs & Dairy (milk, butter, cheese, yogurts, cream)
• Artificial sweeteners
• Chilli
• Alcohol
• Tea & Coffee

Digestive Friendly Foods – The foods below should make up the bulk of your diet:

Fruits
Most fruit and vegetables are good but the following are particularly detoxifying & digestive friendly – Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, fresh apricots, peaches, apples, kiwi, pears, mango.

Vegetables
Broccoli, red cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, kale, pumpkin, spinach, rocket, avocado, celery, lettuce, watercress, alfalfa sprouts, asparagus, french beans, artichokes, peppers, beetroot, cooked onion, garlic, fresh herbs.

Fish
All fish is digestive friendly except smoked fish, shellfish or processed/tinned fish.

Meat
Organic chicken, turkey, lamb, duck and wild game.

Starchy foods
Brown Rice, Millet, Corn, Buckwheat, Quinoa, potatoes, sweet potatoes, chick peas, beans and lentils.

Oils
Extra Virgin olive oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, coconut oil.

Nuts seeds
Almonds, cashew, brazil, hazelnuts, pecans, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, ground flaxseed (provided you do not have a nut allergy).

With food intolerances it is also worth understanding that sometimes it is not the food that is the problem, it is the person’s reaction to it. Underlying digestive problems such as low stomach acidity or poor digestive enzyme production are common underlying causes of food intolerance and often once these issues are addressed, symptoms improve dramatically. These types of issues are investigated and addressed as part of the nutritional therapy process.

Elsa offers one to one consultations to meet your individual health requirements.
Visit www.elsajonesnutrition.ie or e-mail info@elsajonesnutrition.ie

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