Again these dietary guidelines will need to be followed according to your current tummy status (weak to strong digestion). If your having regular flare ups than you need to be more strict & disciplined with the diet (but remember once things calm down then you can step out of the framework). If your flare ups are more irregular then you need to judge how strict you need to be. Remember a lot of this is going to be experimental and you need to create mindfulness and learn to be more in tune with your digestion. As a rule of thumb, this should be the dietary framework you work with most of the time.
PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER PREEXISTING ILLNESS OR ILLNESSES FOR EXAMPLE DIABETES, WHERE SOME OF THE DIETARY GUIDELINES MIGHT NOT BE SUITABLE THEN PLEASE ASK YOUR GENERAL HEALTH PRACTITIONER FOR ADVICE
KEEP A DIGESTION DIARY
PLEASE NOTE: We know that we have not included everything in our food list but as a general rule foods that are pungent, sour, salty, spicy can increase heat, acidity and inflammation within the body and foods that are sweet, bitter and astringent can help to do the opposite. This of course does not apply to every food for example fresh ginger in small amounts can have a cooling affect post digestion and sweet corn can create gas, which may increase acidity levels.
Avoid / Foods which can increase inflammation
Hot spicy food, deep fried food
Sour Fruits
Sour fruits, apples (sour) apricots (sour), bananas, berries (sour), cherries (sour), cranberries, grapefruit, grapes (green), lemons (small amount of fresh lemon juice / zest in cooking is ok for example in sauces) , lychees, mangos (green), oranges (sour), papaya, peaches, persimmons, pineapple (sour), plums (sour), rhubarb, strawberries, tamarind, tomatoes (sour)
Generally most pungent vegetables
Beet, burdock root, carrots, daikon radish, eggplant, garlic, chillies, horseradish, leeks (raw), mustard greens, olives green, onions (raw), peppers (hot), prickly pear (fruit) , radishes (raw) , spinach (in small amounts is ok), sweet corn, tomatoes (raw) , turnip greens, turnips
Flour & grains
Buckwheat, corn, millet, oats (dry), rice (brown), rye
Beef, egg yokes (whole eggs can be eaten when mixed in with other ingredients to make something else such as pasta), lamb, pork
(remember no animal fat & no animal skin, which also includes fish skin)
Avoid all pulses such as chickpeas (even hummus), kidney beans and butter beans
All legumes are ok except lentil
All hot spices, chilli oil, ground ginger, ground chillies and spicy curry powder
No nuts except coconut
No refined sugar sweets, chocolates
All sweeteners are ok except molasses & honey
All sweeteners are ok except molasses & honey
All diary apart from unsalted butter & cottage cheese
Sesame seeds
Drinks to avoid
Alcohol, caffeine, sweet fizzy drinks (things with lots of sugar, artificial flavours & colours)
We appreciate for some people alcohol is a big part of socialising so it is difficult to cut it out completely, so it is best to avoid spirits and try to drink wine or beer but of course in moderation and try to have a good few days in between drinking. If your digestion is weak at present then it is best to wait until your digestion is stronger before you start again.
Recommended foods
Food which can pacifies inflammation
Sweet Fruits
apples (sweet), applesauce, apricots (sweet), avocado, coconut , dates, figs , grapes (red & purple),mangoes (ripe) , melons, sweet nectarines, oranges (sweet), pears, pineapple (sweet), sweet plums, pomegranates, prunes, raisins, watermelon
most dried fruit are suitable such as raisins, figs, apricots, pears and berries
Generally most sweet & bitter vegetables
Artichoke, asparagus , bitter melon, broccoli , Brussel sprouts, cabbage , cauliflower, celery , coriander, cucumber, dandelion greens , fennel (anise) , green beans , ginger (small amounts) Jerusalem artichoke , kale, leafy greens, leeks (cooked), lettuce , mushrooms, okra, black olives, parsley, parsnips, peas, peppers, potatoes, rocket, seaweed, sweet tomatoes / cooked is best (cherry, sweet plum tomatoes), watercress
Flour & grains
Barley, oats (cooked), rice (basmati), rice (white), wheat, quinoa
Herbs & spices: basil, coriander, tarragon, parsley, sage, thyme, dill
No spices except coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel, fresh ginger, turmeric, small amount of black pepper, cumin & nutmeg
Chicken or turkey (white meat), rabbit, egg white, seafood (white fish is best), small amount of venison
Dairy alternatives: sunflower / olive spread, oat milk, hemp milk, coconut milk & rice milk (almond milk is ok in moderation)
Sunflower & pumpkin seeds
Agave syrup - good alternative for a sweetener
Teas : fresh mint, nettle, liquorice, fennel, peppermint, chamomile and redbush
Butter (unsalted), cottage cheese, ghee
Coconut oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil
For information on how to prepare your food please visit the preparation page & recipe pages