Why Elimination Diets like AIP or Low FODMAP aren’t the long-term fix for bloating

You’ve cut out dairy, gluten, sugar, garlic, onions, apples, coffee.. And somehow, you’re still bloated + miserable.

And now you’re terrified of going off your elimination diet plan and going out to eat. Where you used to be able to go out to eat without any extra thought.. You’re now researching menus in advance to see if they have “safe” foods you can tolerate.

You’re constantly unsure if your next bite or meal will set you off. The fear… the bloat… the cycle feels endless.

But is it really the food? OR is it the fact that your gut is too inflamed + not capable of absorbing your food well right now?

I dive into the 7 common root causes of bloat and signs that point to what’s your specific culprit inside my Free Bloat Decoder Guide. << Get it here.

But inside this blog, I’ll go over what elimination diets are, diets like AIP and Low FODMAP, why I don’t recommend them long-term and how to actually heal your gut.

What an Elimination Diet Actually is (And Isn’t)

An elimination diet is a temporary diet intervention that is typically used to help calm gut inflammation, improve symptoms of autoimmune conditions and identify potential food triggers that may be causing flare-ups of symptoms.

Key word here is TEMPORARY. 

While I am not a huge fan of elimination diets in my practice unless we can identify clear reactions or we can see gluten reactivity on a GI map, they can help to reduce GI symptoms + support the integrity of the gut mucosa/aka gut lining amongst other things. A permeable gut lining = lots of symptoms like acne, fatigue, bloat, etc.

But so many women are told to follow these diets… FOREVER. Promised that these diets will help them heal, when that just simply isn’t the case.

This is especially true for my ladies with endometriosis, IBS or autoimmunity where there are usually MULTIPLE factors driving symptoms– poor gut health being one of them.

Low FODMAP and AIP for Endometriosis and IBS and Why They’re Everywhere

FODMAPs are types of carbohydrates poorly absorbed in the small intestine that are fermented in the large intestine, causing digestive symptoms like gas, bloating, and pain, particularly for people with IBS or SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). A low-fodmap diet aims to remove these foods (fruit, vegetables, grains, dairy, etc) to help improve GI symptoms. Read more about low-fodmap + IBS here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00394-020-02473-0

FODMAP rich foods are NOT bad– most of them are nutrient dense af… they can just be harder to digest when you have a bunch of gut bacteria or pathogens, sluggish gut motility or a “leaky” gut lining. This is especially true for those with endo or SIBO.

AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) is another diet I see a lot of endo + autoimmune babes get recommended to improve inflammation and reduce symptoms of Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, etc. This diet involves avoiding grains including gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds, legumes, nightshade veggies, coffee, alcohol, refined + processed sugar. In theory, by reducing as much inflammation + triggering foods as possible, the AIP is said to bring relief.

These diets can help to ease symptoms in the short-term, especially with “IBS” and with endometriosis where SIBO commonly overlaps. That’s why it’s much easier to recommend these diets, but more often than not, they’re recommended with ZERO exit plan.

Why Restriction Alone Doesn’t Heal the Gut

More than likely, your bloat isn’t a result of a low-fodmap or AIP diet deficiency. Chronic bloat often stems from issues like:

• Low stomach acid/ digestive enzymes
• Poor bile flow
• Sluggish gut motility
• Bacterial overgrowth (SIBO or SIFO- small intestinal fungal overgrowth/ aka candida)
• Mineral imbalances
• Leaky gut + inflammation from stress, poor motility, environmental factors

While these diets may remove the trigger, they aren’t addressing any of these underlying causes of your bloat… or other health symptoms that stem from these root causes.

If your house is full of smoke, removing the candles won’t stop the fire, honey.

The Hidden Cost of Over-Restricting 

• Nutrient depletion. When you cut out multiple food groups, you run the risk of causing a lot of nutrient deficiencies like B vitamins + magnesium. These deficiencies can worsen symptoms in the long run.
• You starve out your good gut bacteria by depriving it of the fiber rich foods that help to feed it. Your good gut bacteria helps to support healthy weight, insulin levels, your immune system + general health.
• A sh*t relationship with food. Remember what I said earlier about being terrified of food? This food fear is VERY real. And it further perpetuates bloat. Food is social, culture, experience, etc. We shouldn’t be scared of it.
• Emotional exhaustion. You get fed up with micromanaging your meals all the time. You just want to EAT + be present with loved ones when going out to eat.. And that’s hard as heck to do when you have a laundry list of food restrictions.

As someone who has endometriosis, a long history of GI issues including a laundry list of food sensitivities, my gut/ food issues wrecked my relationship with food and I see this with a lot of my chronic illness baddies. We don’t move like this in my 1:1 world. I help you heal your gut + your relationship with food.

How to Reintroduce Foods Safely

I know sometimes people throw their hands up and say “F it. I’m going to go back to eating normally.” However, I would still recommend reintroducing foods slowly. Why? Because just because you’re not reacting to 15 different foods, doesn’t mean you might not be sensitive to things like gluten or eggs. 

Some tips for reintroduction:

• Start with ONE food at a time + start with a small amount, slowly increasing daily.
• If tolerated well, wait a few days before adding another food + repeat
• Track symptoms while re-introducing AND sleep, stress, cycle phase, etc.

Note: If you experience reactions (especially to more than one food), this still doesn't necessarily mean food is the issue for you. It can just be timing or the fact that your gut still needs some work.

I HIGHLY recommend working with a practitioner (like yours truly) who can help you address root causes of your gut issues before reintroducing.

What Real Gut Healing Looks Like

Now that you know elimination diets don’t actually heal your gut, let’s chat about what will:

• Restoring digestive capacity → run a GI map stool test to uncover your gut’s hidden imbalances, look at nutrient absorption + rule out factors affecting motility
• Rebuild gut bacteria by eating a DIVERSE diet with lots of color + fiber → If you don’t tolerate fiber or healthy foods well, this is an invitation to dig deeper into your gut.
• Address your stress/nervous system → we don’t just wake up with SIBO or other gut issues. Our nervous system + gut are directly connected. To heal your gut means to regulate + support your nervous system
• Rebalance minerals + hormones → mineral + hormone imbalances can both be triggers for bloat. If you have endometriosis, check out my blog about Endo Belly.

You deserve to enjoy food again without having to tiptoe around it.

For the Bloat Protocol Framework I use with every 1:1 client coming to me with constant bloat, my gut supportive meal framework, my top gut health supplement recs, and MORE, my Bloat Remedy Protocol is for YOU. Grab it here. $97 value for only $24.

If you’re ready to stop DIYing your gut healing journey + use functional labs to uncover what’s triggering your bloat so you can start addressing the root, my 1:1 VIP Health Coaching Program or Lab Intensive Package could be a good option for you. Hop on over to my contact page to contact me for more info OR book a low-pressure discovery call using the link below.