My dear SIBO friends,
We need to talk.
We have to talk about serving sizes. I know we hear so much about this topic in our modern world of fast foods, pre-made meals, and unhealthy snacks. But we are not talking about serving sizes because of you, but because of the SIBO infection that lives inside of you.
Serving sizes for SIBO are not determined by your body mass, your ability to burn calories, or your stellar metabolism, or self control. Serving sizes are determined by what your body is physically capable of absorbing BEFORE your infection has the chance to steal your food from you.
I know this is not fair. And this may not be what you want to hear, but it will maximize your healing and help bring or keep your SIBO infection under control.
There is a huge difference between what is allowable on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and what is allowed within the SIBO Specific Food Guide. My freezer can vouch for this as there are gallons of frozen beets from my summer’s garden that I grew and put up when I could “eat beets” according to the SCD. But since the publishing of the SIBO Specific Food Guide in November of 2014 “eating beets” was restricted to “2 slices.” And it is true, I can tolerate 2 slices of beets but no more without awful symptoms. And who wants to take a quart-sized bag of beets out of the freezer for two slices?
Transitioning off of the carbohydrate rich foods of our modern world is difficult. It is okay and even good to use nummy SCD recipes that you find online to help with that transition. But if you are planning on beating your SIBO infection and regaining your health, you likely cannot eat anything and everything in whatever amounts you desire that are “SCD legal recipes.” Especially if you have an infection that your doctor has described as, “off the charts,” “severe,” “raging,” or anything that means “cannot be cured with just 10 days of antibiotics and no additional treatment like diet.”
You can use those delicious recipes to help you transition. But it is of the utmost importance to slowly decrease your serving size of those baked goods, and treats to something that is going to be the most helpful for you. It may take some time to discover your personal tolerable serving size. But start with the SIBO Specific Food Guide on Dr. Allison Siebecker’s website and go from there.
Of course you can work directly with your own doctor and apply knowledge you already possess to determine proper portions of foods and helpful serving size to maximize your treatment. But I write this because every day I see recipes that are SCD or supposedly “SIBO friendly” that are portioned out to be more harmful than helpful for someone truly struggling with SIBO.
Now, I know that some of you will switch your diet to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and do one round of antibiotic (herbal or pharmaceutical) and then a month or two later be able to transition back to your traditional diet. You will not have any difficulties with the SIBO infection returning or reacting to any foods and your journey through SIBO will be as simple and as perfect as it could possibly be. Maybe you even were able to have your insurance pay for your Rifaximin treatment. But most of us will not be like this. Most of us will have to make significant changes and watch serving sizes in order to get our infections and our gut to heal.
If you have SIBO, serving size will likely be your biggest struggle with your diet. I am deeply sorry. Please know that you are not alone. And PLEASE look into the SIBO Specific Food Guide. It may make the difference between overcoming SIBO or struggling with SIBO for years.
If you need more convincing than my pleas to look into the SIBO Specific Food Guide, know that I did not have the luxury of following the SIBO Specific Food Guide when I did my first round of antibiotic treatment (as it was not yet published) and my infection promptly came back. I followed the SCD PERFECTLY. Took antibiotics and my infection returned within three months. And it was much, MUCH worse than originally.
When I spoke with my doctor about my symptoms returning and being much worse than before, she asked me what I was eating. I was a little offended as she knew I had been following the SCD and I was so committed to getting better that there was no way I was going to cheat on the diet. She asked me if I could have possibly eaten something that would cause the infection to flare back up. I said, “No.” And according to the SCD, I was right.
A month later when we reviewed my test results showing my raging infection had returned to off the chart levels the SIBO Specific Food Guide was published. Literally, days before my appointment. My doctor and I went over the SIBO Specific Food Guide together. We talked about trying to add more foods into my diet as I was mostly eating yogurt, jerky, and soup, and we talked about paying attention to the portion sizes. Although I had followed the SCD to a “T,” according the SIBO Specific Food Guide I was eating way too many beets, squash, almond flour, dried coconut, and many other foods. And I was facing another expensive and longer antibiotic treatment.
Following the proportion sizes on the SIBO Specific Food Guide revolutionized my treatment and minimized the symptoms of my “raging infection.”
I want your infection to go away for good the first time you have to do a SIBO treatment. Not the second or third. Please consider following the suggestions on the SIBO Specific Food Guide and watch your proportion sizes.
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Andrea says
I believe this is my problem as well, but more of a stacking issue. While I’m following the specified portions of green beans, zucchini, or peas, I will have all of those, with a mound of roasted carrots, cooked spinach, etc, so basically a huge bowl of goodness with some protein and that would be my meal. I’m trying to get my fiber in since it’s the methane sibo C but Since I’m no better, I’m Starting to think this is a portion control/stacking issue. Would love to hear your comments!