I never thought I would feel grateful for getting food poisoning.
I got food poisoning a few years ago, and the symptoms lasted for months.
The initial tests all came back clean. A few months later, I was finally diagnosed with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and gastroparesis (delayed emptying of the stomach). Since I was a child, I'd had gastroparesis but had never been diagnosed.
Eradicating the SIBO required me to do a low-FODMAP diet, which made me re-evaluate my eating habits.
I realized that since I was always low on energy and nauseous, I would opt for quick energy-boosting snacks that did not take up too much space in my stomach (chocolate, wafers, etc.)
I then started reading a lot about the role of the gut microbiota in inflammation, fatigue, and autonomic function and slowly worked to improve my diet.
It was hard because when I was low on energy, it was hard to cook, and I often craved comfort foods.
Dietary changes are challenging for most people. But when dealing with chronic illness, there is a whole other layer of fatigue and comfort foods.
This is why I so strongly believe in support.
Health coaches do not prescribe food plans, but we work with clients around behavior change and eating habits.
When I was working with a health coach, I knew that my goal was to reduce my sugar intake, and my coach helped keep me accountable.
At the same time, she helped me become aware of some of my blind spots and how I used sugar to cope.
Now, I no longer have food poisoning symptoms, SIBO, and I am no longer nauseous!
I no longer have energy crashes and can go for hours without eating, and I feel fine.
I now actually crave and enjoy vegetables.
None of these were true before my food poisoning.
But it taught me the power of the microbiome, the power of what we put in our mouth, and how it affects our entire body.
If you’re ready to make some changes in your eating habits, click here for a coaching session where we will dive into it.
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