So for a while now I’ve been stuck in a bad cycle of GI issues. From horrible acid reflux that’s causing esophagitis and damaging my body, and also a bad balance of my gut micro biome. I’ve been prescribed PPI’s but recently discontinued them because I don’t think they’re helping and also just making matters a lot worse. On top of that I need to get back on my antidepressants and I’m not willing to take a risk with the nasty interactions that may occur. Does anyone on here have advice on paleo? I’ve heard it can be very beneficial and even solve a lot of these problems. I already am taking garden of life mens probiotics, and not much of a difference has been noticed yet but I’m trying to stick to it. I suppose my question is, what is paleo? I’ve been trying to do my own research but am getting quite overwhelmed with how broad of a diet it seems to be. What should I be cutting out of my diet and what CAN I actually eat to follow this diet and maybe eventually solve these issues without having to take PPI’s which clearly seem to be a medication that doesn’t actually do much to solve the issue at hand. If anyone has advice on foods they eat for a paleo diet I would really appreciate some help.
Read the FAQ.
You can almost certainly completely resolve these issues with diet. Ask me how I know … Haven’t had acid reflux in years now. PPIs are bad news. That’s not the solution.
Paleo, Plant Paradox, etc. I’d definitely look at staying keto with whatever option you go with, as it’ll very likely have a profound impact on your mental health.
Personal Paleo Code by Chris Kresser is a complete roadmap and plan for Paleo. Plant Paradox by Gundry is another fantastic program. But really, any elimination diet + keto is probably going to work for you.
About 20 years ago, I had severe daily reflux/GERD, not helped much by PPIs. It was miserable.
I adopted a strict gluten free diet, primarily Paleo, after experimenting with elimination of various categories of food.
In close to 20 years now, I haven’t had so much as a trace of reflux/GERD. It took a good part of a year to vanish.
In making the transition, weathering the rebound reflux caused by quitting the PPIs, and helping GI healing, I found that DGL (deglycyrrhizinated) licorice lozenges were extremely helpful, and I used them for about a year.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7348626/
The dietary change had dramatic results over time, completely eliminating every trace of the reflux problem. Prior to the diet change, I’d elevated the head of my bed about 4 inches relative to the foot of the bed, and I stopped eating after 6 pm, and those changes resulted in modest benefit, but the dietary change was much more dramatic.
If you have digestive issues, it’s worth asking your doctor to test you for coeliac disease before you consider paleo, as eliminating gluten before you get tested can make it impossible to test later.
You might then find doing a “whole 30” a good place to start. Whole 30 is basically paleo with a time limit. If you like it, extend it, if you find it too restrictive, follow the W30 guidelines for reintroducing a few food items.
Keep a food/symptom diary
The easiest version for me is keeping everything as simple as possible, and nothing processed. This makes me feel my best and not stress or think too much about it. I got rid of my acid reflux this way, and have dropped 25 pounds, among other things.
- Breakfast: a banana and eggs (some yolks, some whites), or I might skip it all together
- Snack: another piece of fruit or some nuts
- Lunch: fish, beef, or chicken, and vegetables
- Snack: another piece of fruit or some nuts
- Dinner: fish, beef, or chicken, and vegetables