Major decisions are often hard to make.
Sometimes decisions just make sense but sometimes they require a lot of deliberation, thought, and processing. This spring I have decided to add an entire new section to the blog. A “Life After SIBO,” “Moving On,” “New Normal” section. Journey Through SIBO is all about SIBO, but it is also about the journey and journeys always have stages, including endings. Now, before you freak out, I am not ending the blog. But I have decided to add a section this year that is all about the ending stages of SIBO and moving on from SIBO.
SIBO left a lasting impact on my life. While my diet before SIBO was pretty awesome I have never wanted to go back to that diet or a full on Standard American Diet, or Modern Diet. As a result, my diet is part SIBO-friendly, part low FODMAP, as fresh as possible, and mostly low sugar- even natural sugars. It has taken three years for me and my family to really figure out the diet we want long term. Prior to SIBO I adhered to an anti-inflammatory diet. I stayed away from gluten, corn, dairy, and soy. When I was diagnosed with SIBO, I added dairy back into my diet and found it extremely helpful. But since SIBO, and having histamine intolerances I no longer eat a lot of dairy (with the exception of grass-fed, organic butter). So my diet has varied greatly over the years.
As a result of being on so many different diets for health purposes my family has developed dozens of recipes that we love. I often find myself making the best recipes from each category of diet and serving those at dinners and meals with extended family and friends. While some of these recipes are strictly SIBO-safe, others are nearly or almost SIBO-safe (varying by quantity or one ingredient), and still others are really great versions of traditional recipes that would be safe for helping prevent SIBO but not treating SIBO. And I want to share these recipes.
But… I have been very hesitant and even afraid to share these recipes.
When a someone is super sick, it is hard to see past the pain. So anytime I have put something on the blog that didn’t fit with someone’s SIBO diet I’ve gotten angry emails and kickback. I get it. I understand how hard it is to see something that you can’t have. But SIBO is a journey. It starts with a restrictive diet and moves into a less restrictive diet and on to a diet with even more variations and abundance. And all of those stages are important and necessary. I want Journey Through SIBO to incorporate all of those stages, not just the “I have SIBO and want to die, and if you dare show me a picture of a carbohydrate I will scream at you stage.”
I remember being there.
I remember spouting words of frustration at my computer towards bloggers who never knew me. But I also didn’t have the confidence that my SIBO wouldn’t last forever. I never had a SIBO guide or anyone who could show me there would be stages of my healing that would bring encouragement and freedom. I want to be that person, and I want Journey Through SIBO to reflect that hope and the reality of the SIBO journey. SIBO is NOT about being stuck in a stage of illness. It is about growing through the stages of healing and healing the whole body. It is not about being as “intense” or as restrictive as possible. Healing from SIBO should be about adding abundance back into your life.
In honor of the morphing identity of Journey Through SIBO, I want to share my husband’s favorite, nearly SIBO-safe recipe. If you can eat peanut butter (allowed by many SIBO diets) and also eat small amounts of cacao and small amounts of rice (also allowed in varying stages of SIBO diets), and honey (allowed on all SIBO diets, but not always tolerated), then you can enjoy this Peanut Butter Cacao Crispy Bar recipe.
My husband loves eating well and not having extra sugars or unnecessary ingredients or carbohydrates in our diet. He also loves healthy fats. When people ask my husband how he stays so fit – even though he is a computer nerd… he tells them that it is because he had to train his body to run off of fat instead of sugar because of my diet over the years. My handsome nerdy man grew up living off of sugar- seriously. He would eat straight up candy for lunch, and snack every day, and his mom would pile extra sugars into every meal she made. Now, my handsome husband won’t touch candy but loves homemade bars sweetened with honey or maple syrup and packed with healthy fats from butter, nuts, and cacao.
Over the last three years, I have tried every variation of this recipe and variations of the more traditional “Scotch Crispy Bars” to make them healthier, friendlier for SIBO, and easier to digest. This is my husband’s very favorite!
If you have SIBO and need to gain weight this is a great option that fits into the variations recommended by Dr. Siebecker.
6/5/19 A Note on Rice Cereals:
My favorite crispy rice cereal is Field Day Organic Golden Rice Crisps. It contains 1 gram of sugar that is added to make the cereal more crispy. When I first posted this recipe I was thinking this cereal had no added sugars to it.. hello ultra-exhausted-new-mom brain! But, it does contain a small amount of added cane syrup. Despite this, I still like this cereal because it adds nice texture without a lot of added sugars and is the most cost effective organic brand I can get locally.
My second favorite brand of crispy rice cereal is Erewhon Organic Crispy Brown Rice Cereal. It uses brown rice syrup for sweetener with LESS than one gram of sugar per serving. This is the cereal I used originally for this recipe, however it is a smaller box and a more expensive brand. So it is not as economical for my family.
If you have severe symptoms these brands may not work for you. But if you are post-treatment and looking for long-term, low-sugar options this is a good choice. If you are still struggling with symptoms puffed rice cereal might be a better fit for you.
Moving On - Peanut Butter Cacao Crispy Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
- 1/2 cup Grass-fed, Organic Butter
- 1/4 cup Clover Honey (or other tolerated honey)
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 4 cups Crispy Rice Cereal or Puffed Rice Cereal (use a brand without added sugar, or low sugar depending on your tolerance)
- 4 oz cacao chips (I use Pashca 100% cacao baking chips)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
-
In a small saucepan place the cacao chips. Melt over the lowest heat setting until smooth.
-
Place the peanut butter, butter, honey, and vanilla into a large pot.
-
Melt over low heat stirring often.
-
Once the mixture is well incorporated add 2 cups of the crispy rice cereal and mix until the cereal is coated.
-
Add the remaining 2 cups of crispy rice cereal, and gently mix in.
-
Dump the peanut butter covered rice cereal into a parchment lined 9x9 inch pan. With a spatula, smooth out the top of the cereal to make it flat and level.
-
Pour the melted cacao over the top of the cereal and spread evenly across the top.
-
Place in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours or until completely cool.
-
Once cooled, cut into bars and eat immediately or place back into the refrigerator until ready to eat. (These bars will melt into a sticky gooey mess at room temperature.)
Recipe Notes
If you would like to add even more fats, and some protein, or dilute down the rice add 1/2 cup of finely chopped pecans when mixing in the rice crisps.
Updated on 6/5/19 to clarify rice cereals.
11
marie conley says
I love your blog and I am finding it helpful. I am very thin and I am not sure what stage of healing I am at but I want to try these bars. I am finding it a struggle to find things to eat and traveling is hard because I have no food options unless I am in my own kitchen. I am going to make these but I couldnt find sugarless rice crispies. What brand do you use? Other snack and take along foods suggestions are appreciated. Thank you for the help. Much aprreciated!
Marie
Elena Wistey says
Hi Marie!
Try puffed rice for a completely sugar free option. (I added a note on rice cereals above.) These bars melt when they are not in the fridge or freezer so they won’t travel well. My favorite travel snacks are smoothies (if not flying), hard boiled eggs, tuna pouches, peanut butter packets, honey sticks, freeze dried low FODMAP fruits like strawberries and bananas, fresh grapes or oranges, carrots, cucumbers, and homemade trail mixes.