Heal your gut MENU

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Winter is taking a toll not only on our mood and energy levels, but also on our digestive system. It can be especially challenging for people with auto-immune conditions like Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis (ME!). Every March my main goal is to heal from this season of inflammation season that came with the winter storms and stress.

In general, I follow the main instructions for UC patients , but modify it a little. For example, I still drink coffee, but I avoid legumes and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower. I also avoid dairy and I ALWAYS try to stay away from processed foods (even when I feel 100%).

Here’s my menu for these sensitive weeks:

Break fast:
2 Pumpkin Muffins
Latte with almond milk (Matcha latte if avoiding coffee)

Lunch:
Nice portion of Rotisserie Chicken, GF grains and sauce (read about it from my previous post!)

Snack:
2 pumpkin oats balls or cocoa protein balls

Dinner:
Low-FODMAP veggies such as tomatoes, cucumber, carrots and bell peppers
Sourdough toast with avocado/baked tofu

Snack:
Almond/coconut milk yogurt with seeds and chocolate chips

I want to emphasis a few things:

  • This menu/lifestyle is not good for losing weight. Inflammation and discomfort are never about calories. My focus is to bring balance and health to my system. Being hungry is out of the question.

  • We are very different from one another, and there’s not one menu that fits all. You might have to sub coffee with matcha or herbal tea. If you are vegan/vegetarian the protein will also look different of course.

  • This menu is dairy free but not gluten free. I’m not sensitive to gluten (but yes to gazillion other things…) so that’s why I’m consuming some gluten (though not a lot). This is something that you can experiment with and see for yourself. You can go all GF or consume some dairy if you feel that’s what works for you.

  • Always be in touch with your doctor, especially if you are diagnosed with any gastrointestinal condition.

  • Stay away from trends. While trends can be powerful and sound promising, they can throw our body out of balance. For example, it is very trendy now to consume healthy fats. I agree, healthy fats are great, but suddenly consuming too much of it can throw us off. While it’s tempting to try all the trends, always listen to your body and take it with a grain of salt (no pun intended!).

  • This is only a sample menu… it’s definitely not what I ALWAYS eat. After a week I usually feel better and can start consuming a wider variety of food again.

You want to feel better but it’s still overwhelming. I get it. Contact me and let’s chat!