The 3 Things That Made the Biggest Difference in My Healing
I’ve been healing my gastritis since the Fall of 2023. Most days, I feel great, healthy, and like I can eat and drink almost anything I want. But it wasn’t smooth sailing in the early stages. I had severe nausea and burning daily, and I constantly felt full even though I didn’t eat very much at the time.
But over the last year, I changed my lifestyle to prioritize my healing and put myself first.
Doing a 90-day elimination diet and still keeping certain foods/drinks limited, even though I’m feeling better now.
I was completely symptom-free after my 90-day elimination diet without taking any medication. Afterwards, I slowly reintroduced certain foods until I felt comfortable. I do drink alcohol and caffeine now occasionally, but it’s no longer a daily thing.
During my elimination diet, I excluded the following food groups:
Tomatoes (and anything acidic: citrus, vinegar, etc.)
Alcohol (That’s a given. This was tough for me, but made the biggest difference in my overall health and mentality).
Caffeine (I replaced my daily coffee with a turmeric latte or chicory root coffee).
Chocolate
Refined sugar (I still ate fruit daily)
Gluten
Dairy
Spicy or deep-fried, greasy foods
After 90 days of a very restrictive diet, I lost a lot of weight and had to be patient in gaining it back. But I think this period of eliminating any potential triggers was extremely beneficial for my long-term health.
Managing my stress levels every day.
When I was stressed at work or had a fight with my partner, I would notice my reflux flaring up almost instantly. The gut-brain connection is real, and the sooner I learned that and started taking it seriously, the quicker my symptoms healed. This looks like daily meditation, outdoor walks, time in nature, and prioritizing time with loved ones. It also looked like less scrolling and staying cooped up inside.
I especially prioritize my morning and nighttime routine, staying away from the phone (immediate stress to the body with incoming messages and emails), getting morning sun, staying away from bright light before bed, and reading a book that brings me joy both in the morning and at night. The hours around my sleep time have become sacred and a great way for me to reflect on the day and set intentions for the day ahead.
Choosing herbal remedies over prescription drugs.
There is a time and place for Western medicine, but it’s often overprescribed, and side effects are given little consideration by doctors. Not to mention that these drugs don’t address the root cause (and they often make symptoms even worse).
PPIs (the most commonly prescribed drug for most digestive issues) reduce stomach acid. This minimizes symptoms in most cases, but doesn’t address the root cause. A lack of stomach acid is also not a good thing as the stomach needs to produce acid to properly break down food and kill bad bacteria before it enters the intestines. Overuse of PPIs can also cause SIBO (small-intestinal bacterial overgrowth) as they disrupt the gut microbiome.
Prolonged use of PPIs can also cause nutrient malabsorption. This can lead to fatigue, anemia, and worse digestion over time.
Lastly, stomach acids helps signal to the gallbladder when to release bile for fat and protein digestion. While on PPIs, the lack of acid could cause bile release dysfunction which can perpetuate bloating, reflux, and gas.
If you are on PPIs but are considering stopping them, make sure to slowly taper off, as acid rebound (a short-term worsening of symptoms) can occur. Send me a message for guidance on doing this safely.