Understanding Inflammation, Gut Health, and Diet Culture: Breaking Free from Fad Diets!
Is it inflammation, is it your gut, or is it just...diet culture?!
It feels like every few years there's a different trending diet that HAS to be the solution to all your tummy problems...but maybe diet culture is really the problem!
You've heard it before:
"Cut out these 12 foods to reduce inflammation and stop fatigue, breakdown, and weight gain"
"Reduce toxins in your body and stop inflammation"
"An irregular cycle is because of inflammation"
and then...oh wait! A few years later here comes another diet centering around your gut health!
"Become bloat free and heal your gut"
"Your gut health is affecting your weight"
"An elimination diet and bone broth will fix your gut health"
and after gut health, along came HORMONE health! But when do we hop off this carousel of diet trends?!
For years, marketing and the media led us to follow the newest, trendiest diet in order to be healthy, but it's only harming our relationship with food and is actually likely less healthy than nourishment individualized for YOU!
Now that's not to say that everything you see online is 100% made-up, there tends to be slivers of truth lying amongst all the information. So, let's discuss these diets a little more in depth...
It is unclear when the anti-inflammatory diet started but people have been talking about it for decades. It's no secret that continuous inflammation in your body can create some chronic concerns but the research of how to "cure" inflammation in the body is never a one size fits all, which is where the research has gone wrong. There have been a number of diseases linked back to chronic inflammation including heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers - HOWEVER - the inflammation in your body is not the SOLE reason for these diagnoses.
So what do we know?!
We know the perfect diet does not exist. We know that the anti-inflammatory diet encourages individuals to cut out entire food groups from their diet which can be harmful on your digestive process as well as affect weight-cycling, energy, mood and mental health in a negative way.
Bottom line: cutting things out = restriction which has the potential to do harm! Instead, focusing on adding things in like antioxidant rich foods can help fight existing inflammation in the body!
Now, let's talk gut health!
Okay, we've all heard of probiotics and prebiotics, right?! But WHAT ARE THEY.
Really quick, probiotics are live microorganisms that live in foods you consume to maintain the microflora in your body, or bacteria that should be there. Prebiotics are soluble fibers that act as 'food' for the microflora in your body, the bacteria that's supposed to be there!
So when we hear all this talk about:
"Taking probiotics is good for your gut health"
"Probiotics can heal your IBS and high cholesterol"
"Probiotics can get rid of your allergies"
Obviously it sounds enticing, right?! So here's the science behind it!
A gut healthy or gut healing diet focuses on the consumption of probiotics and prebiotics. By consuming both, you're allowing the bacteria that should live in your body to be continuously present and doing its job.
Sounds great right?
It can be for some people!!
Now, here's the downside.
There are trillions on trillions of strains of probiotics. It's nearly impossible to know what strains your gut needs, so choosing the right probiotic for you is usually just a big guess.
It's also becoming popular to consume probiotics that cosmetic companies have started to add the labeling of probiotics into their products. There is not evidence showing that these products have been tested for probiotics or any specific strains. More so, some food products promoting probiotics have not been tested for living probiotics microorganisms so it's not guaranteed whether you're actually consuming them or not. Sounds like marketing to me, huh?
So what's the alternative?!
When GI symptoms become frustrating and even debilitating it is sooo normal to want to try anything that might help, this is why it's strongly recommended to work with a registered dietitian and medical team that specializes in gastrointestinal diseases/disorders.
You DON'T have to listen to diet culture, and you CAN hop off the carousel and break free from the "trends".
Remember that the healthiest thing for YOU is probably not going to be the healthiest thing for your best friend. Nutrition is complex and an individualized approach is usually best.
This is also why I LOVE the intuitive eating framework. No one knows what's best for your body better than your actual body.
The intuitive eating framework teaches you how to interpret the messages your body is using to tell you what, when, and how to nourish yourself.
The answers have been within you the whole time.
Want to learn how to get your intuitive eating journey started?
Check out my Ditching Diet Culture Workbook for a FREE taste of how you can find freedom from dieting.
