How to Identify the Right Foods for You and Feel Guilt-free After Eating

Have you ever felt more self-conscious about your body after eating a ‘naughty’ food like ice cream, brownies or pizza? Did you also feel heavy, bloated and sluggish after eating them?

If you did, then I have great news for you! You can learn how to see food with a different perspective, so you don’t feel guilty ever again after eating any type of food. You can also learn which foods your unique body can and can’t digest well and how to replace the foods that don’t make you feel your best.

Let’s start with what are the signs and symptoms that suggest you’re eating foods that you can’t digest well?

• Uncomfortable bloating
• Smelly gas
• Excessive burping
• Reflux
• Indigestion
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Stomach pain
• Nausea

If you experience any of these symptoms after eating, then you might not be able to digest some foods completely. Why can’t your body digest them? It can be due to an enzyme deficiency or an inherited metabolic disorder. It is very common for people to have low amounts of the enzyme lactase. These people are intolerant to lactose or dairy foods. People with metabolic disorders can have a defective gene that causes an inability to break down specific food compounds like fructose. An example of this is fructose malabsorption, which happens when cells on the surface of the intestines aren't able to break down fructose efficiently.

So, how can you identify the foods that are right for you and that your body can digest completely? First, you need to track in a food symptom journal what you eat and how you feel after eating. The most common foods that people can’t digest well are gluten, dairy, alcohol, caffeine, refined sugar, soy, some nuts and FODMAP foods. You can start by testing one food that you suspect you’re intolerant to and writing down how you feel after eating it. Once you identify the foods that don’t make you feel great, then you need to find similar tasting alternatives that you can digest well. If you replace foods rather than eliminate them, this process will be more enjoyable and sustainable.

This process alone will help you see food as medicine, as information that you give your body to create a specific outcome. You can heal yourself from the inside out with every bite you take, with every food decision you make. If you eat the foods that are right for your digestive system and you practice mindful eating so you eat until you’re satisfied, then guilt will be a thing of the past!

If you have a menstrual cycle, then you can learn to eat with your cycle to regulate your hormones and have less period pain and PMS. You can do a lot of good to your hormonal health just by having the right foods and nutrients in each phase of your cycle. However, this is a story for another time.

If you give yourself 3 months to follow the steps outlined in this blog, then it is very likely that you will successfully find the right foods for you and heal your relationship with food. If you want to learn more about how to put this into practice, then join us at the next Serotonin Series on Thursday, October the 7th at 8pm.