How I've Naturally Improved Digestion
Hey, hi, hello — I’m back to share a little bit more about that meal plan life, specifically how it has helped drastically improve my digestion!
Now for starters, I’m NOT saying you have to follow a meal plan to improve your digestion, but doing so helped me:
pinpoint digestive stressors
consciously focus on micronutrient intake
recognize and assess where added sugars were coming from
prioritize whole food sources when consuming healthy fats
proactively consume more carbs in the form of nutrient dense plants
When I look back at some of my old MyFitnessPal entries from my IIFYM days, I wasn’t totally alarmed. I have always been a clean food freak, loving a variety of plants, lean meats, seafood {self proclaimed seared salmon addict over here} and organic whole grains. What did shock me though was how often I was missing the mark on important macro and micro-minerals like: calcium, iron, potassium, and Vitamins A and D.
When I decided to have my coach, Mark Tomanek (@themegatron_) take over my diet, 4 weeks out from my first bikini show this past season, I went all in on the meal plan. Read more about how I ditched IIFYM here. Even in the final weeks of prep, consuming the lowest amount of calories I ever had pre-contest, Mark’s plan had me ticking all the macro and micronutrient boxes. Suddenly I felt like I had more energy, but how? I was eating less, doing more. Within two weeks I dropped 7 lbs, likely a good portion being water weight my depleted body was holding onto. Oh and my bloating…disappeared. And you wonder why I am a meal plan convert now?!
As I move into my fourth week post-show we have steadily been adding calories back in and with that has come a lot of variety. My food is colorful AF and my body is thriving. You know it’s working when you have your first few ‘free meals’ and suddenly the bloating and gas are back. If that doesn’t prove that the body loves consistency, I don’t know what else does.
So what about YOU? What if you’re struggling with some gut sensitivity, occasional bloating, cramping or gas, what can you do?
Here are a few of the dietary and lifestyle changes I have made that helped NATURALLY get my digestion and gut health back on track!
Real food > momentary pleasure. As someone who deals with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), there are a few common culprits I’ve always been mindful of, one in particular being sugar substitutes. Artificials like sucralose and sugar alcohols like erythritol, when consumed multiple days in a row, are a digestive nightmare for me. Within a few days of consecutive use I get bloated AF with abdominal cramping. Even now, you’ll see me opt to use protein powder 2-3x max per week (swapping in 225g of egg whites instead) and I NEVER consume skinny syrups, low-carb ‘healthy’ ice cream and rarely can be seen with a processed protein bar. Those were all choices I made LONG BEFORE the meal plan bug bit me too. Aside from my date night free meals, my diet is honestly 90% whole foods at this point, with a Rice Krispie treat thrown into my intraworkout carb mix every few days.
Fiber fanatic. During the IIFYM phase of this year’s prep, as calories dropped I really started to struggle to hit a minimum of 25g of daily fiber. I found myself relying on things like double servings of oatmeal and low-carb high-fiber tortillas or wraps to help me fill the quota quick. Fast forward to today, I exceed fiber on a daily basis and entirely through REAL, whole food sources such as chia seeds, banana, berries, avocado and sweet potato.
Oh yea, we cut out oats. Little did I know that morning oatmeal I loved so much was actually doing more harm to my digestion than good. Even gluten-free versions, same heavy, bloated feeling that within a week of removing was gone! Don’t get me wrong, oats are great and contain soluble fiber which should aid digestion, right? Well for me, they unfortunately do the opposite. Pulling in water as they are broken down in your digestive tract resulted in a lot of gas and water retention for me. Not to mention that it is possible to have an intolerance to prolamins, the proteins from oats, which likely could have caused some additional discomfort for me as well…I mean I was eating oatmeal every single day for the last year at least, never switching it up for variety. So we swapped in cream of rice, an easily digestible carb that gives me the release of fuel I need for intense lifts. Not a COR fan? Try grits or even quinoa flakes if you want to give your stomach a little break.
We also cut out dairy. This shouldn’t have come as a surprise to me as many members of my immediate family are lactose intolerant, but actually being ‘forced’ (I say that 1/2 jokingly) to remove it from my diet was exactly the push I needed to finally determine if its an issue for me as well. And bingo; less bloating and clearer skin than I’ve had in years…I’ll take it. Since prep, I have allowed minimal dairy back into my life and in small doses, I feel fine i.e. eating something made with butter or milk. But after this past weekend’s date night where I decided to go whole hog on some baked lobster mac and cheese, lesson learned. Still got some bloating and gas hanging around 2+ days later. A few years ago I already started opting for almond or other nut-based milks, so thankfully the biggest hurdle I have yet to face is my ultimate love, ice cream. But Ben & Jerry’s has some bomb dairy free options, so we geeeewd friends.
Whole food fat sources. This is another big one, so eye opening for me! I am a nut butter lover. And when I say nut butter, I’m not just talking peanut butter, I love it all — almond, cashew, mixed nut, hazelnut, etc. When I got my first meal plan back in prep and didn’t see any type of nut butter my heart sank a little, like whaaaat, my fat intake was set moderately, what gives? Well I learned quickly that whole food sources truly make a difference in your body composition. The changes we have seen in my physique since consuming more whole food fat sources is pretty remarkable. My current fat staples include: chia seeds, avocado, whole eggs, coconut oil and almond butter…yes that nut is back! I also take MorphogenNutrition Morphomega each morning as my omega-3 fatty acids supplement, which is anti-inflammatory and can help lower triglyceride levels.
Hydration nation. Water intake is another key component to digestive health, I aim for a minimum of 1.5 gallons per day. But did you also know when you drink your H2O can impact your digestion? Mark has a great post about digestion here, which includes his tips for managing water intake. Making simple changes to how and when I chug has helped me tremendously. Key takeaway: Limit water intake 15 minutes prior to meals, during meals and 15 minutes post meal to avoid expansion of food and slowed digestion.
Sleep and stress management. I’ve talked a lot about how my quality of sleep has improved this last year, but it’s taken work on my end. Your gut and your brain are intricately connected, so nourish your brain just as much as you try to nourish your bod. Aim for a solid 7-8 hours of sleep per night and make sure you actually UNWIND. For me, my nighttime routine includes: 8:30pm bed time; phone goes into Do Not Disturb mode 30 minutes prior; no more checking emails or social scrolling; sometimes a mug of tea; usually a hit or two of weed (just being honest!) or my fave CBD supplement, Cured Nutrition’s ZEN. I always have my workout clothes picked out and my meals for the next day prepped and packed too!
Okay, so I threw A LOT at you here! A few cliff note takeaways if you’re interested in naturally improving your digestion and overall gut health:
Limit artificial sugars
Eat the rainbow, go for more color and variety, especially plants!
Try removing common digestive stressors for a few weeks and see how you feel; I’d start with dairy, legumes or even gluten
Opt for more whole food fat sources: chia seeds, avocado, coconut oil & whole eggs
Experiment with better water intake management around meal times
SLEEP
I’d love to hear more about YOUR gut health! What’s working for you, what isn’t? Fermented foods you recommend? Do you take a probiotic (PS, I do! Thanks to my girl @themomma_bee for hooking ya girl up with Plexus probiotics and magnesium! Shoot her a DM on the ‘gram to learn more.)
Leave a comment below or tag me on IG with your very best digestion tips, because sharing is caring!
-Xo Kelly