• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Bridgetown Nutrition

Sensible nutrition solutions for a healthy gut

  • Home
  • About
    • Bridgetown Nutrition
    • Riley Wimminger
  • Services
    • Services
    • Testimonials
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • SIBO Resources
    • About SIBO
    • SIBO Symptoms
    • SIBO Treatment
    • SIBO Diet
    • SIBO Favorites
    • Restaurants Portland
    • Reading Material
  • Blog
  • Contact

2014 Recap

December 31, 2014 By Riley 5 Comments

2014 has been a year of hope, excitement, frustration, and most importantly, learning.  I have learned so much about myself, nutrition, the medical field, the food industry, cooking, toxins, and how these all impact our overall health.  As I reflect back upon where I was one year ago, I am hopeful that I will continue to heal from SIBO and that new discoveries will be made that contribute to helping restore a more vibrant and less restrictive lifestyle for SIBO sufferers.

Often times for people with SIBO it is difficult to recognize our progress until we reflect upon how we felt quite a long time ago.  One year ago, having bowel movements every 3 or 4 days was normal for me (sorry if that’s TMI).  Also, waking up nightly from extreme itching was not uncommon.  I had painful acne on my shoulders and I would have a few zits on my face every now and then.

My typical foods for the day (one year ago) were as follows:

  • Breakfast: gluten-free oats, flaxseed, walnuts, rice milk
  • Lunch: mixed green salad with raw shredded yam, cashew cream, chopped walnuts, avocado, sun dried tomatoes, cucumber, with a homemade chili vinaigrette
  • Dinner: gluten-free flatbread with tomato paste, sliced bell pepper, and chicken
  • Snack: handful roasted almonds
  • Treat: gluten-free vegan pastry- I had to have my treats…every day

Things have changed (to say the least).  First, I have bowel movements usually every day.  Sometimes, if I am lucky, even two or three times in one day.  Itching is sporadic and I often go a week or two without any.  Waking up with extreme itching only happens when I really overindulge (such as xmas eve when I ate 1.5 cups of mashed yams). And acne?  What’s that?

These improvements in my symptoms, however, have not been without extreme deprivation, self-control, and a whole lot of money.  Sometimes I wonder whether I have actually healed or whether I have just restricted my diet enough and implemented the right supplements (low dose erythromycin & ginger for MMC motility, magnesium citrate for loose stools, herbal anti-microbials off and on as needed for complete emptying) to control my symptoms. I do not feel that my diet nor my supplements (especially the anti-microbials) are sustainable for the long term.

Here is an example of my typical diet now:

  • Breakfast: salmon patty and acorn squash with coconut oil and cinnamon
  • Lunch: turkey breast dipped in olive oil served with roasted beet and fennel
  • Dinner: ground beef, bison, goat or elk patty with roasted celery root and carrot

I eat very little fruit (1 serving per week of blueberries, raspberries, or banana), minimal nuts (10 per day max), no gluten, no soy, no dairy, no legumes, extremely minimal grains (1/2 cup cooked white jasmine rice/month), no raw veggies, low FODMAP veggies, limited nightshades, and minimal high free thiol foods.

Here are some treatments and testing that I would like to explore in 2015:

  • Nutrigenomics- specifically CBS upregulation
  • Analyzing my gut microbiome via Ubiome.com
  • Four day stool test- need to research about the different companies
  • Heavy metal testing
  • Lyme testing
  • Taurine for gallbladder health (UPDATE: this supplement made me feel awful because it is a sulfur amino acid)
  • Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT)- currently only legal in the US for C. difficile, but individuals report trying it on their own at home (I do not know if I could mentally handle this treatment)
  • Probiotic enemas- same reluctance as previous treatment

My goal for 2015 will be to continue to search for the root cause of my digestive issues and not give up.  There are definitely times when I feel like giving up and just eating a giant cookie, but somehow I seem to always find the inspiration to continue to be hopeful that this is not a ‘forever’ diagnosis.  Perhaps it is my loving and supportive family, my loyal blog followers, and/or my fellow sufferers.  Thank you all for following my journey and helping me remain hopeful!  Here is to a wonderful and healthy 2015!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Previous Post: « Maya Abdominal Therapy for IBS
Next Post: Interpretation of my Organix Urine Acid Test »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Gwen Farnham says

    December 31, 2014 at 7:10 am

    > Riley- You are truly an inspiration, a couargeous and tenacious young woman. Thanks for sharing!

    gwen > >

    Reply
    • sibowithhope says

      December 31, 2014 at 7:16 am

      Thank you Gwen! You are so sweet! By the way, I think you were the first person to introduce me to organic. I remember coming over to your Savier house when I was really little and having Annie’s white cheddar pasta. You made it the best!

      Reply
  2. sarah says

    March 3, 2015 at 3:37 pm

    Hello! I commented once before to see how you were doing with SIBO. I found out I had SIBO in November of 2014, did a round of metronidazole and rifaxamin, followed by Allimed allicin capsules and oregano all while following Dr. Siebecker’s low-FODMAP/ SCD diet exactly. {Isn’t she great, BTW?}. Anyway, I’m finishing day 10 of 14 on the homemade elemental diet because I was still having symptoms even after those treatments. Just curious if you’ve ever considered that for your SIBO…I’m crossing my fingers that it knocks it out this time around. Hope you get better, too.
    Blessings,
    Sarah

    Reply
    • sibowithhope says

      March 4, 2015 at 7:41 am

      Hi Sarah,

      I have not done an elemental diet due to my sulfur issues. I handle sulfur amino acids when they are in meat, but not in pure form amino acids.

      Riley

      Reply
      • sarah says

        March 5, 2015 at 2:24 pm

        Gotcha. That’s too bad. SIBO is hard. I’m glad to have found your blog!
        Sarah

        Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Follow On Social

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
BROWSE RECIPES

Subscribe to Newsletter

* indicates required

Search

Recent Posts on Instagram

Let’s make my favorite lentil soup…but in the Let’s make my favorite lentil soup…but in the Instant Pot! I love using the Instant Pot to make it when I have a busy day ahead and want a meal warm & ready when I’m tired. Find the stovetop version & full recipe on my website (BridgetownNutrition.com): Spiced Vegetable Lentil Soup.
Protein-Boosted PB&J Breakfast Bowl 🥜🍓🥣 ( Protein-Boosted PB&J Breakfast Bowl 🥜🍓🥣 (a.k.a my go-to breakfast when there aren’t dinner leftovers around)! Breakfasts without at least 15-20 grams protein don’t keep me full until lunchtime. This bowl? 28 g protein, 17 g fiber, PLUS antioxidants, healthy fats, and more! 💪🏻
GREEN BANANAS! If you find ones that are fully gre GREEN BANANAS! If you find ones that are fully green and firm, throw them in the fridge to stop the ripening (or peel and slice to keep in the freezer for longer). When ready to eat: peel, slice, and steam for a starchy side for chili, soups, and more. They’re rich in resistant starch, which helps promote a healthy gut microbiome. Ripe bananas (yellow with brown spots) give me acne and make me more congested, but not these 🎉 Gimme all that potassium, magnesium, B6, and resistant starch. Have you tried steamed green bananas?
Allergies & Insomnia: Is There a Connection? In ho Allergies & Insomnia: Is There a Connection? In honor of May being National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, I decided to share about this connection I’ve noticed in case it helps anyone else. I included my story with allergies and insomnia, what the research says, and some things that have helped me (Neti pot and Allegra are only the tip of the iceberg). Go to BridgetownNutrition.com or find the link to my blog in my profile.
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Disclaimer

The information on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. For such services, please consult your healthcare provider.
logo
Health Ads by

Footer

Connect with Riley

Welcome! I'm Riley- master's degree trained nutritionist. Dedicated to helping you overcome digestive (IBS/SIBO/SIFO) & related issues. Just like I have. I share flavorful, healthful, mostly low FODMAP recipes that go above & beyond- gluten-free, dairy-free (except butter/ghee), soy-free, & easy on the oats & eggs! Newer recipes are less likely to be low FODMAP as I continue to heal and expand my diet. I want to help you live a healthier & happier life. Read More…

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest

SIBO-Friendly Breakfast
Super Simple Antimicrobial Pho (Low FODMAP, GF, DF)
Low FODMAP Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
Track Your Nutrition & Health Data with cronometer.com

Copyright © 2023 · Privacy Policy · Terms of Service · Admin · Log in