The key for me is to always rule out anything medical first , and then I ’ d look at the diet and lifestyle basics : fibre , fluid , movement , stress , alcohol intake and how they eat .
Do you find patients with gut health issues are motivated ?
Yes , I do . They ' re so motivated because their gut issues can impact their entire sense of wellbeing , so they ' re keen to get on top of it . Most people lean towards the idea of cutting something out of their diet to manage symptoms , but more than ever I ' m finding that adding into their diet is more effective : more plants , more fibre , more diversity , more fluid . It ’ s a great space for dietitians to work in to help reduce the perception we have of being the ‘ food police ’. We find ourselves adding so much more to diets rather than restricting what people eat . It ’ s turning ‘ diet mentality ’ on its head .
It ' s not hard to encourage people to add things back in . They ' re usually just looking for permission .
© Dietitian Connection 17 Infuse | February 2023