This section of this report is designed to add additional information in an attempt to give you all the tools you need to conquer your health concern. These questions have been heard over and over in my office. Let’s separate the type of questions into three categories: Advice for everyone and advice for those having some trouble achieving the results they are looking for with this treatment. I have also provided some advice to use after you have successfully completed my program.
Advice for Everyone
Isn’t my stress causing my symptoms and shouldn’t I wait for a time when my stress level has lowered before I start your program?
No. Neither stress nor anxiety causes Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), IBD, Crohn’s Disease, any type of colitis or other health conditions. I get asked this question all the time as if the patient is looking for a reason that they can’t be cured. They do know one thing: Each time they get anxious or experience stress, their symptoms rise up and smack them. Therefore they draw a conclusion that anxiety/stress causes their bowel issues. It doesn’t, it only exacerbates an already unhealthy gastrointestinal system. Think of it this way, I don’t screen my patients at my front door to determine how much stress is in their lives or how anxious of a person they are. This protocol still reduces or eliminates everyone’s symptoms regardless of their stress or anxiety level.
What the patient will notice as they go through my program is that life will still present all of the challenges they are used to and they will still react the same way, anxiously, but their gut will not express itself with the same uncomfortable symptoms as before. As explained earlier, imbalances in bacteria and chemistry are responsible for your symptoms, anxiety/stress only makes them worse if those imbalances are in place.
What if I get an infection and need to take an antibiotic?
Take one! I’m not against the use of antibiotics, I’m against the unnecessary use of antibiotics. First, see if you can muscle your way through the infection to see if your body catches up to it and you don’t need the antibiotic after all. If you get to the point that you need the antibiotic, then by all means we will take one. You prevent yourself from damaging your probiotic balance and entering that vicious cycle that results in gastrointestinal problems by taking the probiotics I recommend in this report while you take the antibiotic. Take probiotics during the course of antibiotics and for 2 months after.
What if in the past, I have tried some of the advice in this report and found it not to be effective. Can I just use some of the advice?
Don’t pick and choose the products or dietary advice that you believe might help you the most. You have already been designing your own plan and I know you’re well educated in this area, but I also know that you haven’t yet put together a comprehensive program for the elimination of IBS. If you had, you wouldn’t be reading this. It doesn’t matter you have tried some of this advice. Let’s start over.
It is the comprehensiveness of this program that makes it effective. Everything most be done together and in the proper order. The foundation of the program applies to everyone and consists of the recommended products detailed in this report, which may be of a higher quality than what you have used in the past and dietary advice that could be a bit more detailed. It needs to be taken seriously and follow it 100% in order to see if this advice applies to you. Don’t cheat, use that same discipline you use in other parts of you life. You won’t regret it.
Are artificial sweeteners safe to use?
In order to get well you should eat only foods as nature intended them to be. Artificial sweeteners don’t fall into the natural category.
The worst culprit of all is aspartame, also called NutraSweet and Equal. The FDA maintains a database of common complaints of this product and stomachaches are #5 and diarrhea is #7. Stop using them immediately, even if you don’t have these two symptoms. Whenever a patient comes into the office with unexplained symptoms that traditional medicine cannot identify or treat successfully, I ask the patient if they consume any type of artificial sweeteners. If the answer is yes, eliminating them from their diet reaps amazing rewards. Especially for digestive problems.
Also, Splenda, Sucralose and Acesulfame K are also artificial sweeteners in spite of the manufacturer’s attempts to sweet talk the public into thinking they are derived from natural substances like sugar. Splenda and Sucralose both are derived from sugar but their dirty little secret is the addition of a chlorine molecule to the partial sugar molecule. The same chlorine used in the water in your pool. No thank you! Acesulfame K is also a non-tested product with yet unknown side effects. Beware, avoid like poison because they all have long-term health risks. Follow a simple rule: If man has created, altered or processed the product, your body will not understand it and will react negatively to it.
Click here to read more about the dangers of artificial sweeteners at Dr. Dahlman Online.
Click here to read more about artificial sweeteners effect on cholesterol at Dr. Dahlman Online.
How about Stevia?
Maybe. Some “stevia” products are just stevia and others contain very little stevia. There are a few things to know about the safety of stevia as it is far more complicated than one may think. As with many mass-produced products from well-known large manufacturers of food, shortcuts and twisting the English language play a large role.
Many “health conscious” people believe that any product that contains stevia must be healthier for them to use than good old-fashioned sugar. I agree that too much sugar is detrimental to a person’s health, but should you substitute it with something that you truly don’t understand?
Most stevia products are a combination of a low calorie natural sweetener like erythritol, sorbitol, dextrose or rice maltodextrin. Then they add rebaudiana A (that’s NOT stevia) and natural flavors. Rebaudiana A is a low calorie extract of the stevia leaf, it’s not the full leaf with the most sweetness. One product on the market sweetens with agave inulin.
Stevia is not safe for a couple reasons:
- All of the “natural” sweeteners mentioned above may cause gastrointestinal complaints for some people. Not everyone, but does it for you?
- The sweeteners mentioned above come from genetically modified corn (GMO).
- Inulin may also causes gastrointestinal complaints.
- There may be about one percent of actual stevia in these products. The rest is the GMO sweeteners.
- Rebaudiana A comes from China and is also GMO.
- The “artificial flavors” mentioned in some of the products are not natural. There is a loophole in FDA labeling.
The only safe stevia product is one that only contains stevia and possibly a small amount of water and alcohol. Read your ingredient labels.
What about my genes? Aren’t I predisposed to my gastrointestinal condition?
Only if you flip your genes on… What? Yes, genes can be flipped on and off. Not everyone with bad genes see those genes express themselves. A person must do something or have something done to them that flips a gene on to express itself as a health condition.
Think of the fact that not all women with the BRCA1 or BRCA2 breast cancer gene get breast cancer. We all lead different lifestyles, expose ourselves to different things and also eat different diets. The easiest answer is the women who don’t get breast cancer have, for some luck of the draw, led a much different life…perhaps healthier…than the women who do get cancer. Even though they have the same gene.
The same applies to gastrointestinal conditions. Just because your father, grandfather, brother or some other member of your family had the same gastrointestinal condition you have…or more than one member of your family did…doesn’t mean that you are destined to be stuck with your symptoms and condition. You aren’t. You can flip that switch back off…if it’s genes at all.
Consider that I don’t screen my patients for genetic defects, though I could with today’s technology…I take all patients that come to me, and almost all of them will see a complete reversal of their symptoms…never to come back.
What is an empty stomach and how can I tell?
I talk a lot about “empty” stomach in this free report in regard to not drinking with meals or for one hour after or taking some supplements on an empty stomach.
Simple: Your stomach is empty when you have not eaten in one hour.
You can drink liquids one hour after eating, not during. You must take your probiotics before a meal…when your stomach is empty.
Many may wonder how they get all the water they need each day with this rule? You have many hours a day to hydrate yourself with water. This rule restricts water intake for about three hours per day (three meals a day). No complaining.
Exception: Soups…even with vegetables or meat/chicken in it…is considered a liquid for this rule. Eat it first and no need to wait to start your sandwich.
Be an ingredient label detective, not a nutritional panel detective.
It’s very important to know exactly what is in your food…if they have an ingredient label. Fresh chicken breasts or a bag of carrots don’t have an ingredient label. The rules I teach about in this report require you to read all labels looking for the foods that I am suggesting you eliminate from your diet. Read the ingredient list.
Not the nutritional panel that lists calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbs, sugars and protein. Do not waste your time by looking there for clues as to if this is a good product to eat based on my rules. Read the ingredient list.
Also, pay no attention whatsoever to statements on the product label like: “This product was produced on equipment in a facility that also processes wheat, gluten, dairy, nuts, peanuts, eggs or shellfish.” This type of statement has no relevance at all to what we are trying to do with your diet.
Be an ingredient detective, read the ingredient list.
Advice for Anyone Not Yet Symptom Free
Why do all foods cause me trouble…even water? I hardly eat anything.
The hallmark of gastrointestinal conditions is the overwhelming frustration trying to figure out what to eat and what not to eat. The patient…usually very smart, having learned quite a bit about their condition on the internet and using much common sense…rarely can discover all the foods that are bothering them. Many times they are avoiding foods they needn’t avoid.
This results in many people whittling down their food choices to a handful…or less. Safe foods they think. But, how can they be sure? They’re still quite frustrated with their condition, aren’t they? Still have symptoms. What have they really accomplished?
When a patient complains about water, they haven’t put together all the pieces of the puzzle.
The main reason is that people have feelings about food. Two examples.
I have found that almost all patients have an arbitrary time frame of between 20 minutes to two hours…that if a food does or does not cause a problem for them in that time frame, they declare that food to be problematic or safe. The problem foods are then avoided. This begins the whittling down process. A couple problems with this approach.
Problematic foods that you have yet to identify may keep your gastrointestinal system in a condition of constant uproar. This may give the impression that all foods…or most foods are the problem when they are not.
Also, no one ever really eats just one food at a time to make this determination. Some do, but it’s rare. Perhaps they eat the same thing most of the time (safe foods) and then they add one food to that meal and they have some trouble…that could be a proper test, but maybe not.
Let’s think about how this process begins. The person starts to have gastrointestinal problems. At some point they begin to wonder about foods that might be the villain. And they apply the 20-minute/two hour rule every time they eat.
That brings me to the second example. People have feelings about what foods are good/bad for you, contain all that nasty fat (improper perspective – fat is NOT harder to digest) or are protein, which is considered by some to be harder to digest. No on all counts! If someone has a pork chop and carrots for dinner and feel horrible shortly after, the majority of people will blame the pork chop because it is fatty and meat is harder to digest. They could be wrong, especially if they have no idea that fructose can cause symptoms. I described fructose intolerance and the foods that contain fructose earlier in this report.
So, the person eliminates the pork chop and continues with carrots…and other fructose containing foods…and never realizes it’s the fructose that is causing trouble. So, they eat again and they have trouble because there is fructose in the meal. And their “safe” food choices keep getting smaller.
Test single solitary food if you want. It’s the only correct test. One must eat only one food and see what effect it has on them. I am not really advocating that, just pointing out the most logical process to determine if this one food is a villain.
Controlling variables – eliminate or introduce
The success of my treatment plan has much to do with the controlling of variables. As an example, dairy is a variable and we eliminate it since it is so well known to be a dietary villain. Other foods can be tested, but must be tested alone.
Re-introduction of foods can only be a true test if you do it with a single solitary food. Never introduce new foods together at the same time.
You can eliminate multiple foods at one time in order to try to become comfortable…you want to feel better soon, right? But, you won’t truly know what foods were the culprit until you re-introduce them…one at a time.
I’m constipated. Any other advice for me to become more comfortable?
The treatment plan detailed in this report is usually sufficient enough to eliminate constipation in most patients. But for some, while the program takes effect, it may be important to consider a few things and try them to accelerate the treatment plan.
Water
Such a silly stupid suggestion, but it might actually be that simple as many people don’t hydrate enough. For some, it may solve the entire problem. Here’s why.
If you don’t drink enough water (yes that means 6-8 glasses per day) you may be in a constant state of dehydration. There are some very important organ systems dependent on water for maintaining your life. How about the brain? How about your heart? There are others also. If you don’t take in enough water and need water in other parts of the body, the brain is very smart. It will take the water from wherever it can get it. From the bowel is the easiest place. This then creates a hard stool that will either occur infrequently or will be hard to pass.
Getting enough water everyday may be very helpful as you rebalance the bacteria and chemistry of the gastrointestinal system. Additional causes of dehydration are also any drinks that contain caffeine (coffee, tea, soft drinks), which are diuretics and forces water out of the body. How many of you are also taking a diuretic along with your blood pressure medication? You all need additional water.
If your excuse for not drinking enough water is because you work in an environment where you can’t run to the bathroom whenever you want to (I’ve heard them all, haven’t I?) the solution for you is to drink small amounts frequently. If you drink large amounts at a time the body only needs so much and you will have to excrete what you don’t need at that time. If you drink small amounts many times, the body will use it for your normal processes and not have excess to excrete. And you won’t have to run to the bathroom. Drink your water!
Sufficient Caloric Intake
Do you eat enough? Seriously. Many people don’t. Some with constipation don’t eat as much as they need because eating makes them uncomfortable. Others just don’t eat enough for other reasons.
If you don’t eat enough for your metabolic needs based on your weight, height and activity level, you might be constipated.
I have had many patients…especially females…sorry ladies, that might eat one half or one third of their caloric needs for the day. So, if that’s you…it makes sense that you might only have a bowel movement once every 2 days or if you only eat one third of the necessary calories…you might have a bowel movement every three days.
Google your caloric needs by going to a website and enter your weight, height and activity level and then find a website or app to use to enter your daily diet. You might be surprised how far off you are as to your caloric needs. Eat!
Magnesium Citrate
Laxatives are common, but can be rough on your insides. Magnesium citrate works well for some as it pushes water back into your large bowel without being rough. It’s the same reason milk of magnesia over the counter products are used.
Remember the above comments about being dehydrated and the body will smartly take water from the large bowel to hand off to more vital organs? Magnesium citrate reverses this process. Coupled with proper hydration, this may work well for some.
At my secure online store, I have a product called Mag Citrate. Two tablets at bedtime is the starting dose. Oh yea, drink your water as well.
Fiber Products
Fiber products are also viewed as a sensible answer. Get your fiber, everyone hears. Well, let’s get it from your food and NOT from some processed, pharmaceutical company, mass-produced product.
The well-known fiber products like Metamucil, Citrucel and Benefiber are very rough on your insides and escort nutrition out of your body before it’s absorbed. Bad idea.
Eat whole natural plant material for your fiber…and more of them!
What if I am already using a laxative right now and want to begin your program?
Not a problem for now. I want you to remain comfortable. But, the goal should be to get off of them. Some folks use colonics for relief. Same goal, get off of them as soon as you see the progress you are looking for with my treatment plan.
Wean slowly, no cold turkey. My treatment program makes this possible for almost everyone with constipation who uses some form of laxatives or assistance.
Can I eat nuts or popcorn as a snack?
A bad idea until we get a better handle on exactly what is causing all your discomfort and start seeing progress…and maybe not even then.
Nuts and popcorn can be very rough on your insides. I have seen them cause nausea, stomachaches, pain, gas, bloating and diarrhea.
Let’s stay away from them for the time being till we get a better understanding of what is good and bad for you while your gastrointestinal system heals by using the supplements I recommend.
Dr. Dahlman, I was doing so well on your program and was totally symptom free, but something has changed and I am back to some of the old symptoms I used to have. I’m doing everything like you said to do. Any advice?
This struggle is sometimes part of the process. These things happen and there is always an answer. We learn from this. And it’s usually your diet.
But wait, didn’t this person tell me they are doing everything just like I have told them to do?
Maybe, but maybe not, as sometimes things are not as clear as one may think. So, let me ask two questions about your diet to see if you are really eating according to my rules. Both questions are similar, but different and may reveal something that you are not considering.
First, are you eating any new foods that don’t break any of my rules and second, are you eating more of any foods that you have been eating all along that don’t break my rules?
New foods are many times tried because you are looking for more variety to eat because I have taken so many foods and food groups away from you. Normal response, but in your answer you may find foods that are causing your symptoms. You aren’t blaming those foods because as far as you are concerned and according to your knowledge of my rules, they should be safe to eat. But maybe they are not.
The solution is identify the new foods and stop them to see if that eliminates your discomfort.
If you are eating more of foods you have been eating all along, there may be a clue here. Sometimes foods that don’t seem to cause trouble may do so when you eat more of them.
As an example, if you are eating more fruit (very common response to a limited diet) and begin experiencing symptoms you can’t explain…is it the fruit or is the clue you are getting is that at a higher level of ingestion, it’s the fructose in the fruit that’s causing your trouble.
This means that all foods that contain fructose are a problem for you and you can only determine this if you completely 100% eliminate all fructose from your diet. A fructose intolerance is a growing problem for people with gastrointestinal conditions. Ten years ago we didn’t see it as much.
This does not mean that the one fruit you just ate and then experienced symptoms from is the problem. This does not mean that fruit in general is your problem. It means any food that contains fructose is the villain.
Please review the no fructose rule detailed earlier in the free reports or the articles about how to eliminate fructose.
What are normal foods?
This is not a question asked by patients but a concept I must explain as there are certain foods that might be a bad idea to eat. Lately, there are so many unusual new foods available…and they don’t seem to break my dietary rules. You may be eating something that you have not put a critical eye on at all and it or they may be part of the reason you still have symptoms.
Normal foods for our purposes, has no logical definition. It’s simply my definition.
Normal foods are foods that most Americans eat. What? Many Americans eat a lot of junk food and foods that I wouldn’t eat…you might say. True, that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about foods that are typical good old American cuisine. I’ll explain more in a moment.
Normal foods are also foods that I have much experience with in my patient population over the last two decades. They are not foods that I have no experience with and I may not have the best advice for you if you are eating them.
Some examples, as I can say with surety that most of my patients:
- Don’t use hemp products.
- Don’t put hot sauce on everything Yes, I had that patient once.
- Don’t put chia seeds or other less well-known seeds on their food.
- Don’t use protein powders
- Don’t use “green” powdered drinks.
Many years ago, I would have considered coconut products to not be “normal”, but recently they are quite mainstream.
So, the basic idea here is that I don’t have a large amount of experience with patients using “non-normal” foods and how they react with “normal” foods and the supplements I recommend. Not yet.
Stick with normal foods according to my definition. Don’t allow your emotions to dictate whether or not you use something. Don’t ever say you “need” a food or certain supplement. No, you don’t.
That means you may have to temporarily give a few things up, but the success of my treatment plan is the manipulation of variables. Get some things out of the equation and reduce any variables that may confound our decisions. WE can re-introduce them later.
See my comments about controlling variables and solitary foods a few pages above.
If fructose is my problem, how would I know?
A fructose intolerance usually presents as pain or nausea, gas and bloating, loose bowels or inconsistent bowel behavior. Any person can have one, two, three or four of these symptoms and have a fructose intolerance. You do not have to have all four.
Inconsistent bowel behavior is when a person has one or two good days and the three bad days. Or they have one good day, two bad days and then three or four good days. No pattern at all. Very inconsistent.
If this seems to be your pattern or you have any or all of these symptoms after being on the program for a while, try eliminating fructose. You will know if this is meaningful advice for you within a week or so.
If you see improvement in the first two weeks, continue with this elimination for at least a couple months.
If I have to give up fructose, does that mean forever?
No, for most patients, I’m not sentencing you to a lifetime of no fructose. For some reason, eliminating fructose for a couple months seems to rest the bowel from having to digest it and then when you re-introduce it into your diet, you can tolerate it better.
Do it slowly and what you will find is that there is a line out there somewhere. If you cross over that line, in other words eat too much on any given day…you may then see some symptoms return. Learn where your line is and stay below it.
Once you learn this line, it doesn’t mean you can’t go over it on any given day or holiday…at least you will know what caused your symptoms.
A few patients may find that fructose intolerance is a problem forever. Very few.
Could my medications be causing some of my symptoms?
Yes! Little known is that the insert that comes with your medications contains data about side effects that the medication has caused in a small percentage of people. Most common side effects of medications used for gastrointestinal complaints of all kinds are pain, nausea, diarrhea, constipation and other discomfort that you may be experiencing. Are you one of them? Read your insert…bet it will be for the first time, won’t it?
I already know what foods I’m allergic to by the way I feel. I’m avoiding them. Do I still need a food allergy test?
Probably…and because you actually don’t know what foods you are allergic to. You think you do because the term “allergy” is little understood and used incorrectly. Many people think that an adverse reaction in their body that they link to a certain food is an allergy, though it may be an intolerance.
The difference between and allergy and intolerance is that an intolerance happens within the digestive system and an allergy happens within the bloodstream.
An intolerance, happening within the digestive system is a simple inability to digest…or tolerate…the particular food. An intolerance mainly causes symptoms associated with the digestive system such as gas, bloating, indigestion, reflux, heartburn, diarrhea, alternating diarrhea/constipation, pain, spasms or vomiting.
The main food intolerances are to dairy, gluten and fructose containing foods.
A food allergy happens within the bloodstream when foods…not fully digested…cross over from the inside of the digestive system through unhealthy tissue and into the bloodstream. Once there, the body will not recognize the not fully digested molecules and the immune system gets involved.
First, the immune system creates an antibody to that specific food. Each time the antibody comes into contact with those molecules of food, chemistry is generated that has far-reaching effects on the human body. You cannot feel the creation of this chemistry, though you can feel and experience the long-term effects of it. This chemistry may have consequences to the bowel, but the mostly widely accepted understanding of this chemistry is that it creates inflammation in the body.
If you suffer from an inflammatory condition…of any kind…or have reached a point in your treatment plan as described in the “Step-by-Step Thought Process” section of this report, it is important to identify your food allergies and to heal you digestive system to prevent the foods from crossing over into your bloodstream.
You can be allergic to ANY food, regardless of whether or not you think it’s a healthy food or whether or not it’s organic. It’s all about ANY food that crosses over to the bloodstream through and unhealthy digestive system. Food allergies go away in a few months and intolerances may never go away.
Are spices allowed?
We have to be careful here. Some are and some are not. When confused about what to eat and what not to eat, eating bland is always the best choice…but not the most delicious.
Salt and pepper should be no problem as long as you don’t use a lot of them. Be careful with pepper as it can irritate the stomach and small intestine. Cut way back on it if you have any pain or nausea issues. If you love pepper, you’re probably in trouble.
Green spices like oregano, dill, thyme, etc. should be no trouble at all.
“Hot” spices are where we really have to be careful. Cumin, paprika, turmeric, cayenne, chili powder, curry etc. can be very irritating and cause pain or nausea issues.
Usually garlic is not a problem, but if you love it and use it a lot, might be best to avoid as a test.
I’m eating a lot of eggs because my diet is so restricted. Is that alright?
I don’t know, so let’s test that. If you enjoy eggs and eat many of them…even if it’s three or four times a week for breakfast…they may be a problem.
Eggs are in their own category when it comes to being a potential dietary villain. I’m sure you have noticed statements on food labels that say, “This product was produced on equipment in a facility that also processes wheat, gluten, dairy, nuts, peanuts, eggs or shellfish.”
So, we already know that eggs are suspect for some people…and they may be for you. Once again, test this variable…get it out of the equation (you) and let’s see if your symptoms change after eliminating them.
But I love these foods, can’t we eliminate other foods first?
In all the years I have taken care of my patients, if a person expresses an emotion about a food…I already know that food has to be eliminated from the equation to see what happens next.
Comments like, “I love cheese” or “That’s my favorite food” or “I can’t live without that food” or “but I eat popcorn every night as a snack”…always mean that they are eating it too much and should avoid it to see what happens. It’s usually centered about dairy products, but bread and pasta come in a close second. People can have feelings about any food and if you can admit this to yourself, you may see great results. Be honest!
How about lettuce?
Lettuce, how can that be bad…bunny rabbits eat it. But, it can be. I have seen any type of lettuce drop people to their knees in pain, cause gas and bloating, stomachaches and sometimes diarrhea. Be careful with lettuce and raw spinach, but don’t eliminate from your diet unless you know for a fact that they cause you problems.
Have you switched to natural non-caloric sweeteners to avoid fructose or sugar?
Most health conscious patients avoid artificial sweeteners…that’s good…and because of my program, some are avoiding fructose or sugar in general because of a low carb diet. They will turn to all natural non-caloric sweeteners known as polyols like xylitol, erythritol, sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol and isomalt.
Polyols are sugar alcohols commonly added to foods because of their lower caloric content compared to real sugar.
Two others growing in use are dextrose and agave inulin. They are sugars, not sugar alcohols.
These sugars and sugar alcohol molecules can be poorly absorbed by some people in the small intestine of the digestive tract. Arriving at the large intestine, they act as a food source to the bacteria that live there normally. These bacteria then digest/ferment these molecules and can cause symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) such as abdominal gas and/or bloating and distension, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea and/or constipation and other gastrointestinal complaints.
This occurs in a VERY small percentage of patients. Try them if you wish, but be careful and pay attention to any reaction.
If you are avoiding fructose because of my treatment plan, remember that the advice is to do so for about 2 months…maybe a bit more. Your digestive system will rest and then be able to tolerate fructose more efficiently. Then go back to fructose to see how your system handles it.
If you are avoiding all sugar because of a low carb diet and are using the above sugars and sugar alcohols, consider not doing so if they cause trouble…use good old fashioned sugar, but less of it.
Advice when you have achieved your goals and are symptom free.
Can I add back all the foods that I have been avoiding?
Yes, some, maybe all and maybe none. Confused? This is the most common question asked when a patient has reached the point where they have achieved their goals and are now symptom free. Every patient wants food back, but not everyone will be lucky enough to get all the foods they have been avoiding back into their diet.
Some patients don’t care because they are now so much more comfortable after years of discomfort and medications.
But most want some of these foods back. So, what’s the plan to add them back? Be conservative. One at a time and in small amounts.
Since most people are interested in getting dairy products back into their diet, let’s try a small amount of cheese on a salad one day. Sit back and wait for a few days to see if you sense any negative changes. No? Then go ahead and eat it again or some other dairy product. Sit back and see what happens.
There’s no science to this or specific way for everyone to do this. Be cautious and conservative in your approach and the way I just described applies to the reintroduction of any food or food group.
After a patient has completed the treatment plan and then six months or 2 years later they call me and say, “Dr. Dahlman, I can’t believe it. Some (all) of my symptoms are back and I’m doing everything just like you told me. Do I have to start the whole program over?”
Luckily for me, and my patients, this phone call takes place only a few times each year. And every time it’s a dietary problem that is causing the symptoms. Here’s why.
When a patient first starts to re-introduce foods after a successful completion of the program, they do so conservatively, trying one food at a time, waiting in between for symptoms to show up just like I just explained. And for these patients, nothing negative happens. A few days later they add some cheese to a hamburger and then a few days later they try some of their child’s or husband’s ice cream. Each time they do, they nervously wait to see if symptoms appear. And they don’t.
And the re-introductions continue.
Or, you begin to eat wrong again, ignoring all the advice I have given you. Your diet may still play a huge role in why you have symptoms. Don’t ignore it completely.
And realize the treatment plan you have just used has eliminated your symptoms and restored health and balance to your body or specifically your gastrointestinal system. We can do that. This program does not suggest that we can “cure” you of a dairy intolerance or “cure” you to tolerate gluten or fructose better.
So, if you see a return of symptoms, use the just discussed advice above AND realize that your condition is not back, it has not returned….you just have a problem with dairy…or gluten…or fructose…or some other food.
The health condition you have just fought so hard to eliminate is just that. Gone!
And you should be congratulated for the effort you have put into achieving that.
Congratulations.
Special advice about gluten – stop eating it even if my treatment plans don’t suggest you do.
Gluten is a topic everywhere anymore. And it should be as I have seen it cause many more health troubles than what we have discussed in this report. So, it may be worth it to you to stop eating it to see what happens.
In this report I have detailed a step-by-step approach to trying to solve your health condition. So, you may have never gotten to the “no gluten” rule as your main concerns and symptoms have been conquered before you needed to try. Mission accomplished.
But, I have seen many patients who simply decided to eliminate gluten because it has been in the news so much lately. I highly recommend that you do as well. I haven’t eaten it since 1975.
I have heard comments from women about how their hair, skin and nails all reacted favorably to no gluten. Many people report clearer thinking. The most common comment is that the person just feels better.
You try it and let’s see what happens. Let me know!
