Hello SIBO Friends,
Thank you for the emails that you send me through my contact page. I work hard to reply to you as you are very special to me. SIBO is hard, and we all need help! Because of your emails, I have decided to answer some of your common questions and post them here under SIBO Q & A. I will address one question in a post sent in through my contact page from one of you. So, please keep your questions coming, they are very helpful to others!
Our first question comes from Tony from France. Tony asked if I could offer tips for managing chronic SIBO and brain fog.
Let’s tackle chronic SIBO.
Chronic SIBO is hard.
When you have an infection in your intestines your body is constantly fighting the infection while the infection is constantly attacking your body and stealing your food. Because you are fighting an infection your immune system is in overdrive, just like it is when you have a cold. Have you noticed that you sleep more than you did before you had SIBO? You are sleeping more because your body is working hard to fight the infection.
Have you noticed that you sleep more than you did before you had SIBO? You are sleeping more because your body is working hard to fight the infection.
Because SIBO is good bacteria in the wrong location, the bacteria causes damage to your intestines. You need to implement daily activities to repair your body. SIBO destroys the microvilli that line your small intestines. The microvilli break down and absorb nutrients from your food. When your microvilli are damaged your body struggles to break down your food and absorb nutrients appropriately. Sometimes, damage to your intestinal wall even allows bigger, unwanted molecules of food to get into your blood stream causing all sorts of issues- like brain fog, a sluggish feeling after eating, or my least favorite feeling: like my wires are all crossed throughout my body and my body feels confused!
Lastly, as your body is competing the SIBO for the food you eat, it is helpful to eat foods your body can absorb instantly or with very little digesting. This enables your body to absorb food in the upper intestines leaving less nutrients for the SIBO bacteria usually located lower in the intestines.
Helpful things to support your body through infection include
- Sleep, naps, rest, read a book or watch a movie if you can’t sleep
- Vitamin C supplements – derived from food that your body can absorb, talk to your doctor about the right supplement for you, as too much vitamin C can cause irritation
- Zinc supplement
- Bone broth, preferably from marrow bones – fast easy nutrients that are building blocks for cellular function
- Minimize your risk- when you are super sick, risk is not a friend. Whether it is not getting enough rest, that second drink you would normally have, cheating the diet because you are tired of it, or risking something you know your body doesn’t love, risk can cause symptoms.
Helpful things to protect your body from the destruction of SIBO
- Bone broth!!! It helps line your intestines with a nutrient dense coating helping protect and heal your microvilli. If you aren’t ready to make it, you can try it here in a SIBO friendly version.
- Fish oil -taken at night reduces inflammation in your intestines (my favorite brand is Nordic Naturals, you can buy them on Amazon or if you feel like Amazon is taking over the world, try your local natural grocery store.)
- Stop feeding your SIBO- if you have not already changed your diet to a lower carbohydrate diet please do OR modify your diet to provide for your needs better. And remember, no one diet is a cure-all.
Helpful things to calm your body
- Visualize yourself healing- weird, but it works. Even just three minutes of quiet time at the end of your day to visualize yourself getting better helps heal your body and encourage your mind.
- Minimize fiber- a common complaint with SIBO whether you lean towards constipation or diarrhea is that raw fruits and veggies make symptoms worse. Try minimizing your fiber intake for a couple of days or cooking all of your fruits and veggies and see how you do.
- Go liquid for a day or two- try eating mostly liquids for a day when your symptoms are bad and see if it gives your body a break. Try chai tea, SIBO-friendly smoothies, bone broth, nourishing blended soups.
- Consider what you need- is there something that you just really want to do? Go get a massage, stay on the couch and watch football all day, go to the woods and scream for an hour, or maybe you just want to eat scrambled eggs with cheese for three days – no matter how weird or stereotypical it is, do something to take care of yourself. Calming your physical symptoms often starts with releasing tension and calming and encouraging your mind and soul.
Helpful things to feed your body, not your SIBO
- SIBO Specific Diet, low FODMAP diet (cheat-sheet here), Specific Carbohydrate Diet, or GAPS diet
- Stay away from grains that are hard to break down
- Eat honey instead of sugar
- Take your own food wherever you go! You cannot rely on restaurants or friends to get your diet right. I know so many people have good intentions but one mistake in making a recipe could cost you days of symptoms.
Let’s tackle brain fog.
Brain fog is caused by excess gasses released from the bacteria that cause SIBO. The gases are absorbed by your body and excreted through your lungs in the air you breathe out- this is why the breath test is the standard test for SIBO. When the gasses become more than your body can get rid of, they continue to circulate in your blood stream which means they end up in your brain making you cloudy or foggy.
Brain fog is often worse during a round of antibiotic or antimicrobial treatment. This is caused by the dying bacteria releasing additional gasses.
The best way to combat brain fog is to help your body detox or get rid of those gasses.
Some helpful ways to manage brain fog include
- Castor oil packs – this link has great info on castor oil packs. Note: 20-30 minutes is enough to help if you can’t afford the longer time
- Gentle exercising – going for a walk, doing yoga exercises
- Detox baths – here are ten ideas to get your started. While not well studied, epsom salt added to a bath can help rid your body of toxins
- Fresh air – I’m not sure this is scientific, but it always seemed to help my brain fog by spending 10-20 minutes outside.
- Water – staying properly hydrated helps your body get rid of toxins appropriately
- If you are on treatment and the brain fog is too much, talk to your doctor about slowing down your treatment.
I am not a doctor. Please consult your doctor for medical advice.
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