Diets and my gut health

[CaptainHarville]

I need to diet. I'm currently fatter than I've ever been but I have a problem that as soon as I make changes to my diet my guts struggle. Constipation, piles, diarrhoea, flatulence etc. Its horrid.

I know part of the problem is changing my diet too quickly so trying smaller changes. But I find my guts really struggle when I eat more fibre but most healthy food seems to be high in fibre.

Is there anything I can take to help my guts cope? Probiotics? Laxatives? Supplements? Any advice appreciated.

Ask your doctor to check out your gut/bowel issues you might have something treatable. Or at the least get it ruled out that you don't have a form of bowel disease.

If it is IBS based, it would be worth trying the low fodmap diet. If your GP thinks IBS is your issue, ask to be referred to the dietician, who can help you through the stricter elimination element of the Fodmap diet.

Otherwise track all your food on my fitness pal (free website) note how you feel daily in the food note section. See if you can build up a pattern of food followed with bad symptoms.

My dietician said most of the time food will effect you within 24 hours. So any ill effects means you are only looking at the last 24 hours of food intake.

HTH

Btw I have a bowel disease and IBS both diagnosis by a consultant. He told me (amongst a ton of other stuff) that I should avoid fibre and limit my fruit intake to a maximum of two portions a day.

So just because something like fibre is healthy for the general population, doesn't mean it is healthy for everyone !

You have to find what works for you.

Maybe eat the same food but just smaller portions?