Optimal healthy gut diet plan

Can hidden food sensitivities significantly impact gut health, digestive capacity and overall gut function?

You bet they can. A lot.

In this post, I discuss an amazing clinical case of complete resolution of severe gut symptoms following a healthy gut diet plan based on the IgG food sensitivities testing and following the elimination diet.

For reliable and validated testing, we use the ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay) testing for IgG-mediated food sensitivities test, called IgG FoodPrint®.

I wrote about the ELISA IgG food intolerances testing in my previous post and described the methodology applied for our clinical study utilising the elimination diet based on food sensitivity testing. Find out more about it another remarkable weight loss case study.

More than a year into our clinical study, the healthy gut elimination diet is proving to be a safe and effective nutritional therapy for a number of conditions including gut dysbiosis, hormone imbalances, autoimmune disorders and weight loss. It’s particularly effective for the vast majority of gut disorders we see in clinic such as diarrhoea, constipation, reflux, flatulence (gas), indigestion and enzyme deficiencies, to name a few.

We find that following the elimination diet based on the IgG food sensitivity testing significantly decreases gut inflammation (and inflammation throughout the body), improves digestion and elimination, decreases leaky gut symptoms, and calms down the immune system. These positive changes support and speed up the gut repair processes in the vast majority of our clients.

Restoring gut health by addressing food sensitivities – a case study

Clinical case presentation

Callum, a 17-year-old teenager, was suffering for many years with severe gut symptoms, tiredness and low stamina.

Prior to the testing, he listed the following main symptoms:

Severe diarrhoea multiple times per day significantly impacting his daily life. It was ‘very bad’ in the 6 months before testing and starting the elimination diet.
Stomach pains and cramps
Difficulty with focus and concentration at school, brain fog
Impaired ability to play sport – he loves playing soccer at school; however, his ability to play was significantly impaired because of low stamina and constant tiredness, as well as frequent diarrhoea episodes

Callum’s initial IgG food sensitivity test results

High sensitivity ‘red’ foods: 34
Borderline sensitivity ‘yellow’ foods: 4

Main foods/ food groups that needed to be excluded based on the IgG test results were:

Dairy – cow, goat, sheep milk and all products made from them
Gluten – high sensitivity to wheat and barley and all products made of them
Eggs – both egg white and yolks
Yeast – both types of yeast Brewer’s and baker yeast
Nuts (6) – most of the nuts he ate on a regular basis

See the initial IgG food sensitivities test results for the most intolerant foods below:

IgG Food intolerances testing sample results

Progress timeline

I consulted with Callum three times over the 7 months period, to help him understand the results and safely implement required food restrictions, provide nutrition advice and develop a healthy gut diet plan including meal plans and recommendations, and monitor progress.

Prior to Callum doing the test, his mother also did the IgG testing and she worked with me over 6-9 months to implement the elimination diet, achieving great health improvements in the process. Subsequently, she was in a great position to support Callum going through a similar process.

Callum was very determined to closely follow the elimination diet from the start. He decided to remove all ‘red’ and ‘yellow’ foods from day one, and replaced as many foods as possible with dairy-, gluten-, egg-, yeast-free options. There were also many other common foods on his ‘red and yellow’ lists which required careful label reading to avoid them These were soy, corn and sunflower oil, among others – see the table above.

Consultation #1: 1 month after starting the elimination diet

Prior to doing the IgG test and starting the elimination diet, Callum had a ‘bad diarrhoea’ daily, which significantly impacted his life and school activities, including playing soccer. He said he ‘felt terrible all the time’, consequently he was keen and very motivated to give the diet a go, especially when it made a big positive impact on his mother’s health and wellbeing.

He removed all ‘red’ and ‘yellow’ foods from the start. The most challenging for Callum was to eliminate dairy and gluten, as he loves Italian foods like pasta and creamy sauces. However, he did manage it to do it just fine by having rice and other gluten free grains instead. He also missed having corn, one of his favourite foods!

Soon he found a few suitable gluten free breads and started enjoying eating them. Callum was very diligent when eating out to avoid the ‘red’ foods on his list. Subsequently, he either ate a meal before going out or brought his own food. He mostly stopped buying take-away foods as they likely contained problematic ingredients, and enjoyed the ‘safe’ and tasty meals his mother cooked for him.

After starting the healthy gut diet, he felt much better after about a week, and after a month he hardly had any gut or any other symptoms like fatigue. He noticed he got ‘a bit of diarrhoea occasionally’ (around once a month) but this didn’t bother him anymore – he knew he was on the right track to feeling well soon!

He loves playing soccer and because of his gut symptoms, tiredness and low energy ‘he didn’t perform well’ and was frustrated by his limitations. After about a month following the elimination diet, he was back playing soccer and felt his stamina was almost back.

Consultation #2: 3 months on the elimination diet

Callum reported that all his symptoms further decreased by about 95% compared to pre-diet situation. He said it was easy for him to follow the diet, and he praised his mother for her dedication and for cooking tasty and healthy meals for him.

He became an expert at reading food labels looking for ‘unsafe’ ingredients, as he was determined to 100% adhere to the elimination diet!

Also, his focus and ability to concentrate at school improved dramatically.

He was happy playing soccer again without feeling tired or worrying about having diarrhoea.

Consultation #3: 7 months on the elimination diet, after the IgG food intolerances retest

Callum stated that he had a complete resolution of symptoms after 6-7 months on the elimination diet.

His energy levels and stamina were very now good. During the 6 months on the diet, he put on muscle and lost body fat, resulting in his athletic abilities and strength increasing.

All gut symptoms i.e. severe diarrhoea and stomach pains were resolved 100%.

He was able to focus on his school work and his concentration abilities were back to normal. He said ‘life was so much easier now when he wasn’t constantly focussing on his debilitating health issues, and he now enjoyed leading ‘a normal life’ of a busy teenager.

After doing the retest, he was pleased to see that some of his favourite foods were back on the ‘green’ list i.e. he could start eating them again. These included potato, corn, egg yolks oats and spelt bread.

He stated that he plans to stay on the elimination diet (as per his retest results) for a foreseeable future as he enjoys the foods he can eat and, importantly, he found a safe and effective eating method that works for him.

Importantly, he doesn’t feel deprived by not having certain foods because he knows they are ‘not agreeing with his body’ at this point of time.

As a bonus, the diet also helped to clear his skin of pimples/ acne, which he was very pleased about.

IgG food sensitivities retest results

High sensitivity ‘red’ foods: 21 (down from 34 initially)
Borderline yellow foods: 4 (same number, different foods)

His repeat IgG test indicated much improved gut function, decrease in leaky gut symptoms / improvements in gut wall integrity, improved digestion and a better functioning and less reactive immune system. After doing the IgG testing for a while I know from experience that identifying and eliminating food sensitivities is one of the most effective ways to heal leaky gut naturally.

Please note that we are not aiming to have zero food intolerances after retesting, as they are present all the time, numbers fluctuating depending on our diet, stress level, adequate sleep, environmental triggers etc.

Importantly, the test also showed that Callum’s diary, gluten, egg white and nut sensitivities in particular, need more time to resolve or decrease.

Key point: The most important marker of healing the gut and the effectiveness and progress of the nutritional therapy is the elimination or significant decrease in the symptoms, which are different for each person. Improvements in symptom manifestation indicate lower gut inflammation (and decreased inflammation systemically), leaky gut repair as well as better functioning immune system.

Symptom tracking table showing Callum’s progress over 6 months

Summary and conclusions

At our final consultation, Callum expressed his enthusiasm for and commitment to the IgG-based healthy gut diet as the main way to resolve his gut symptoms and restore gut health. He said ‘it was rough at first as it required changing longstanding eating habits and familiar tastes and likes’. But after a few weeks when he started feeling significantly better, his motivation increased and remained high throughout the process.

The ‘green’ or allowed foods he eats now ‘make him feel healthy’. Needless to say, the elimination diet ‘made a massive difference’ and helped him greatly to continue with his studies and sport activities. After finishing high school he wants to study either law or do actuarial studies. Go Callum!

Overall, he was ‘extremely happy with the results after just 6-7 months adhering to the healthy gut diet nutrition plan we developed and he implemented so well. He continues to closely following the elimination diet and decided to stay on it for now, eating only the ‘green’ foods listed in his retest results.

Notably, Callum’s gut and digestive repair therapy was solely based on modifying his diet, based on the IgG test results, plus adhering to food combining principles and adequate water intake. He took no supplements for the duration of the elimination diet.

In the process of fully committing to and closely following the elimination diet, Callum displayed an admirable determination and the will to significantly change his diet and eating habits, and he stuck to it!

As a bonus, he also learnt much about nutrition and how certain foods impact his body in negative ways. He understood that to look after his body and mind, he needs to follow the nutrition clues given to him by the body i.e. eliminating/ decreasing the ‘trigger’ foods for a period of time (some of them likely for a long time), to feel good and stay well.

From a professional and personal perspective, it was an absolute pleasure working with Callum and his mother to help him turn his health around and lead a happy and thriving life.

So, if a 17-year-old teenager can do it, so can you!

Feel free to get in touch with me today to discuss your circumstances and how the IgG food intolerance testing can help you, too. The test will help you to identify gut healing foods, lower gut inflammation and significantly improve overall gut health. In my experience, removing foods marked high on the IgG test is one of the best bloating treatment I know!

If you have been searching for an online gut naturopath or nutritionist helping clients based anywhere in Australia, please get in touch.

Book an online consultation now or click on the button below to book a free 15-minute initial discussion to talk about your circumstances and ho I can help.

I look forward to helping you get better health and wellbeing soon!

Good health and blessings

Joanna Sochan
Wholistic Health and Lifestyle Therapist
Natural and Lifestyle Therapies for Abundant Health and Wellbeing

Additional resources

Disclaimer: The above material is for informational and educational purposes only. It should not be used to self-diagnose and it is not a substitute for a medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, prescription or recommendation. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should not make any changes in their health regimen or diet before first consulting a doctor or other qualified health provider with any questions they may have regarding a medical condition or their particular circumstances.

Joanna Sochan is a Natural Therapist and founder of Naturimedica Holistic Wellcare. She has a passion for helping clients transform their lives by becoming healthy and well naturally. Joanna has 12+ years experience in clinical practice and has special interest in solving complex cases, gut health, food sensitivities, hormone imbalances, autoimmune disorders and weight loss. She helps clients individually (mostly online) Australia-wide and also offers online therapeutic programs, eCourses and self-help eBooks. View full bio.