It’s the biggest catch 22 in disordered eating recovery.

It’s a part of my story & so many who have sat across from me in my office.

“I got sick and felt so helpless, when I looked online every one pointed to food as a place to start”

“My stomach hurts ALL the time, so I cut out 3 different food groups. It still hurts, but I can’t imagine adding those foods back in.”

“You want me to eat more? That causes digestive upset every time, that doesn’t seem right to me.”

Maybe one, or all, of those resonate with you. Stomach pains, GI upset, and food sensitivities are a side effect of being human. We all throughout our lifespan will experience discomfort and pain through our GI tract. It’s human nature to pursue relief in the midst of pain. In this day in age, there are *millions* of social media health gurus or a know-it-all neighbor ready to share with you their life-changing nutrition advice that will rid you of stomach discomfort for the rest of your days. Worth a shot, right?

I usually see clients a year down the road from that point. It worked till it didn’t. Now, they still have digestive concerns and they only have about 6 safe foods they eat.

why restriction doesn’t help & actually hurts most digestive concerns

Our digestive system is wildly complex. It contains voluntary and involuntary muscles, endocrine and exocrine hormonal systems, participates in acid/base balancing, and works to maintain the health of over 30 trillion bacterias in your intestines.

Jumping straight to restriction as a first-line defense for GI concerns is likely to exacerbate any and all concerns.

Less consistent eating or less volume of food = muscles in the GI track weaken, lose coordination, and have less tone

Less food = disrupts the homeostasis of hunger/fullness & blood sugar hormones

Less variety = overgrowth of less beneficial bacterial colonies in the gut, undergrowth of more beneficial bacterial colonies leading to further bloat, reflux, gas, and irregular bowel movements

Less freedom & more anxiety around food = increased risk for developing disordered eating and furthered anxiety with food

my encouragement for you🤍

ED behaviors wreck havoc on the GI system. Especially restriction. Between losing muscle strength for mechanical digestion & food transportation or starving off enzyme production and microbiome populations – restriction hurts our gut. Any and all type of restriction must also come with a warning label that reads, “Caution! Engaging with this behavior could increase your risk to furthered anxiety and disordered eating.” It’s a slippery slope.

I really do understand why restriction or ‘cutting back’ or trying an elimination diet would provide a sliver of hope in the midst of stomach issues. Constipation, bloating, gassiness, weird poops, early fullness, stomach pain in the context of orthorexia or anorexia behaviors are a sign of malnutrition NOT food intolerances. Working with an ED RD can help you navigate all this, I know it can be a lot.