Bailey - Gut Health Diet Plan, the: Recipes to Restore Digestive Health and Boost Wellbeing

THE

GUT HEALTH

DIET PLAN

THE

GUT HEALTH
DIET PLAN

Recipes to Restore Digestive Health and Boost Wellbeing

CHRISTINE BAILEY

To my three beautiful children, Nathan, Isaac and Simeon, for tasting enthusiastically every recipe created, and to my amazing husband, Chris, for his support and encouragement. Also, to Isaac, who has experienced the healing power of food in resolving his autoimmune condition you have been my inspiration.

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A healthy gut is the foundation of a healthy body, yet how many of us feel less than vibrant and struggle daily with unresolved digestive issues or food sensitivities? I am a qualified nutritionist and a chef trained in functional nutrition, and I know first hand the pain and life-limiting consequences that digestive illness can bring. Through my work with clients and in my own experience, I have also discovered that digestive problems can be resolved permanently through a combination of dietary and lifestyle changes and the implementation of a gut-healing diet.

At 29 years old, when I was 28 weeks pregnant with my first son, I was rushed into hospital with unexplained fever and pain that was discovered to be a gangrenous bowel. My son was born prematurely and I had emergency surgery to save my life. Most of my bowel was removed and I later discovered that I also had coeliac disease and a number of gut infections, including parasites.

Using functional laboratory tests, I identified the underlying issues of my illness and implemented treatments, dietary changes and supplement protocols to restore my digestive health. During my path to healing I realized how little science-based practical information and resources were available for people in a similar situation. Although there were plenty of research studies on therapies and medications, there was little in the way of practical step-by-step dietary support. The Gut Health Diet Plan is intended to provide that information.

You might be reading this book because you have gut problems or because you want to improve your overall health. It brings together my experience as a trained chef as well as my knowledge as a nutritionist to introduce a range of practical resources and recipes that anyone can implement to transform their digestive health. It is a functional approach it recognizes that if we can identify the underlying triggers that cause disease and dysfunction we can intervene early to correct imbalances and improve our overall health and vitality. Each case of digestive illness might be unique, but the foundations to restore gut health are the same. Once you understand why your symptoms occur, you can take steps to restore your gut and enjoy far-reaching benefits for your general health.

In this book you will find details of the problems that can occur in the gut and how to deal with them using my simple five-step functional approach. There are over 70 recipes tailored for the five steps and general gut healing, and a suggested menu plan for each step will guide you through.

Digestive problems can have a profound effect on a persons quality of life. The issues might be experienced as abdominal pain and discomfort, bloating, constipation or diarrhoea, or they can be more severe leading to inflammatory bowel conditions or coeliac disease. If you suffer with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or another digestive disorder, you will know that it affects your daily functioning, work and lifestyle. It can interrupt your sleep, and that leads to increased fatigue, anxiety and depression. It can also be difficult to get the underlying causes diagnosed and treated, although gastrointestinal disorders are among the most common reasons for seeking medical help.

IBS accounts for more gastroenterology referrals than any other gastrointestinal disorder, with an estimated 520 per cent of people experiencing symptoms. For many, those symptoms occur daily and for many years.

Studies now show, however, that the health of our digestive tract can also have profound effects on the rest of our health. Many people with digestive imbalances also experience other symptoms and health conditions, including mood disorders, fatigue, muscle aches and pains, autoimmune conditions, allergies, hormone imbalances, migraines and skin conditions.

We now know that a healthy-functioning digestive system is the cornerstone of overall health and vitality. For anyone seeking to improve their health in the long term and to reduce their risk of illness later in life, addressing the underlying imbalances in the gut is an essential starting place.

My five-step programme will enable you to achieve improvements in your digestive symptoms and promote renewed health permanently. There is no quick fix or medication that will cure all your digestive symptoms, but if you can identify and tackle the underlying cause, you are far more likely to experience improvements in your health for good.

IBS affects one in five people, making it the most common digestive health condition diagnosed; however, there is no single laboratory test for the condition, making it difficult to diagnose.

The criteria for diagnosis used is known as the Rome III Diagnostic Criteria for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. IBS is referred to as a functional disorder because it is not typically associated with any obvious abnormality or tissue damage. It can be associated with other gut disorders, so it is important these are ruled out by your health-care practitioner. The criteria for IBS diagnosis includes recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort for at least three days a month over the last three months with two or more of the following: