Today’s questions come from Gina. Gina is interested in the antioxidant foods I ate while healing from SIBO. She also asks about the amount of bone broth I consumed.
What antioxidant foods did you eat for helping heal SIBO?
Antioxidants seem to be a missing link in healing SIBO. Often we hear about what to remove but very rarely do we hear about what to add. In order to propel my healing, I chose to offer my body as many nutrients as it wanted. I drank teas and added small amounts of juices to meals and ate berries when tolerated.
Antioxidant Rich Teas
Silver Needle Tea– a white tea, containing antioxidants catechism, flavonoids and polyphenols. White tea can decrease stomach acidity so it is best between meals and not with food. Silver Needle Tea can help detoxify your digestive system according to therighttea.com. Silver Needle Tea does contain caffeine.
Honey Bush Tea– much like Rooibos tea, this tea helps with inflammatory bowel disease with its anti-inflammatory properties.
Berry Teas – made with elderberries, currants, rose hips, or hibiscus, berry teas contain lots of antioxidants and can be a great way to start or end the day. My favorite berry tea is the Super Berry Tea sold by Townshend Tea.
- Elderberries– commonly used for colds and flu, elderberry can work as a diuretic and a mild laxative, it is high in vitamin A, B, C, and includes antioxidants flavonoids, anthocyanins.
- Currants– contain vitamin C, B vitamins, antioxidants anthocyanins, iron, and are helpful for infection, and inflammation.
- Rose Hips– also a diuretic and laxative, rose hips contain vitamin C, vitamin A, carotenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols, leucoanthocyanins, catechins, and have anti-inflammatory properties.
- Hibiscus– contains vitamin C, and flavonoids. Hibiscus is also a diuretic, is used to treat constipation, and can help with digestive issues. Hibiscus is not good for pregnancy and may have hallucinatory effects in large quantities.
Antioxidant Rich Juices
Juices are best in small quantities and watered down when symptoms are still present. Many SIBO patients have a hard time digesting sugars so it is best to start very slow with juices. When I started juices, I began with a gulp or two and increased the amount as my body tolerated.
Pomegranate Juice – includes anti-inflammatory properties, vitamins C and K, as well as potassium and folate.
Carrot Juice – includes antioxidants called carotenoids including beta carotene, vitamins C, E, K, and minerals magnesium, calcium, as well as potassium.
Pineapple Juice – contains vitamin C, bromelain, and manganese.
Cucumber Juice and Green Juice – Small amounts of cucumber juice and green juice can add a powerful punch of B vitamins and anti-inflammatories.
Cherry Juice – can reduce pain and inflammation, and is high in potassium. Small amounts of cherry juice in the evening can even help promote sleep. Cherries are moderate FODMAP food item.
Berries
Fresh berries are packed with antioxidants and are always a treat when symptoms allow. I added berries to yogurt, ate them as treats, and added small handfuls to salads when tolerated. While cooking and drying can alter the nutrients of foods, a little can go a long way. If cooked berries are all you tolerate, this is a great place to start. Small amounts of dried berries are a great snack or addition to yogurt or a homemade trail mix.
How many times a day and for how long did you eat bone broth?
Almost every day. 1-3 times a day in whatever amounts sounded good. (If ever a food didn’t sound good or taste good, I stayed away from it, even if it was bone broth. Sometimes too much of a good thing is just too much for the body.) I made bone broth 1-3 times a week in my 6 quart crockpot. So, I consumed at least a quart a day. I know that sounds like a lot especially if you don’t really like bone broth. This lasted for about 8 months. Now I eat a thicker bone broth usually 1-2 times a day in smaller quantities, and cook foods in broth that call for cooking in water.
I don’t particularly enjoy drinking bone broth so I learned to put it in any recipe that called for water. Soups, stews, cooking and steaming vegetables, and later as my body allowed, beans, lentils, potatoes, gravies, pastas, rice, and other recipes. Anytime I needed to add a little bit of water to a savory dish, I would add bone broth. I also ate a meal my husband and I call “Single Serving Rescue Soup.” I always had broth in the crockpot and vegetables and cooked meat in the fridge, so I could make a simple soup for myself at any meal or snack. Either when I was feeling fine or for those days my tummy needed extra love and care. For the better part of 6 months Single Serving Rescue Soup was my go-to breakfast because it always set my day up for success, especially when I returned to work full-time. To make Single Serving Rescue Soup, I would throw some cooked meat, tolerated vegetables, and herbs and spices into a pan. Get it hot with a dash of oil or a small spoonful of broth and then add enough broth to make a meal. I probably have twenty different go-to recipes for Single Serving Soup. Because I alternated kinds of broth I was able to keep it interesting. I made cardamom-beef curry soup, roasted chicken and thyme soup, beef-vegetable soup, taco soup, elk stew, coconut cream soups, and more.
As always, please remember I am not a doctor. Consult your doctor for medical advice.
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Lisa says
Wow: these soups sound wonderful: cardamom-beef curry soup, roasted chicken and thyme soup, beef-vegetable soup, taco soup, elk stew, coconut cream soups, and more. would you mind sharing how you made these? I need all help i can get; been fighting SIBO off and on for 4 years. and your web site gives me hope!
Elena Wistey says
I would be happy to share my single serving soup recipes! Stay tuned.
Imogen Jennings says
I suffer terrible bad breath from methane dominant sibo with acid reflux bothering me every day. Have you heard of any advice on how to heal the acid reflux. Every morning im like “yuk!,i don’t even want my mouth in my body it tastes and smells sooo bad” its literally like a dog pooped in there. Help please
Elena Wistey says
Hi Imogen Jennings,
I would recommend talking with your doctor about these issue. There are a lot of different options for the acid reflux that your doctor could recommend for your specific case. You also may have another issue going on that needs to be addressed. Please reach out to your doctor,
Elena