Do You Want to know which foods can lead to SIBO? Try the FP Calculator
Dr. Norm’s research on the biochemistry of digestion points to a new way of understanding the connection between dietary malabsorption in our small intestines, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and its related conditions. Some SIBO related conditions include:
- Acid reflux | gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPR)
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Leaky gut
- Crohn’s disease
- Celiac disease
- Autoimmune diseases
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
Looking through this new lens, he developed a science-based, safe and easy way to control malabsorption by avoiding or limiting certain types of foods. This ground-breaking dietary approach is called the Fast Tract Diet, which is the primary focus of the Fast Tract Digestion books.
The defining feature of the Fast Tract Diet is Dr. Norm’s mathematical formula called “Fermentation Potential” (FP). FP is a calculation based on nutritional facts information and the Glycemic Index. It gives you a specific point value which is also translated into Low, Moderate or High symptom potential, but you do not have to the math yourself.
The Fast Tract Digestion books give you the FP value and symptom potential for over 300 foods. Ready to put the Fast Tract Diet into action? Try the Fast Tract Diet App available on Google Play and iTunes.
To complement the Fast Tract Digestion book series, he launched an free online calculator to derive the Fermentation Potential of foods. The FP Calculator will help you determine serving sizes or avoid certain food all together, so that you can get relief or prevent symptoms of SIBO and its related conditions. To learn about daily allowances of FP and the Fast Tract Diet, read the Fast Tract Digestion books or try the Fast Tract Diet App.
Try our FP calcurator now.
“Knowing the FP of various foods allows one to avoid those with a higher FP, which should reduce SIBO and symptoms of GERD and/or IBS.” – Michael R. Eades, M.D., Co-author of New York Times Best Seller, Protein Power
Using the FP guide taught me how to change my diet & improved my SIBO symptoms dramatically. I highly recommend this book for anyone that is looking for a logical guide to foods, recipes and suggestions to improve your digestive health.
Thanks Sabrena : )
Hi Norm,
Love your site, so helpful for someone like me with SIBO.
Question; what do you think of Olive Leaf Extract? It seems safe to me. Will it cause damage to my healthy bacteria?
Hi Lauren,
Any antimicrobial, including plant-based supplements, can inhibit both healthy and bad or pathogenic bacteria. But given a choice, olive leaf extract may be a bit less risky than a more potent broad spectrum antibiotic.
I have been begging doctors to prescribe Rifaximin and Neomycin for me, but here in Canada I have finally just gotten myself onto a 9 month waiting list for the breath test. Its been a pretty miserable wait, as I’ve had this already for 2 years after eating too much fruit and beans in an attempt to be vegan. (I also went through a huge breakup at the exact same time, so, major stress.) I am now going to try this system called Zenframes/MindFit which uses glasses that emit light to alter brain waves while you listen to audio messages coupled with specific frequencies and rhythms; its supposed to put you into alpha and theta brain states. There are programs of IBS, stress, insomnia, etc. I figure if rifaximin only has a 10% margin against the placebo, plus a bunch of potential side effects, I might as well turn myself into an experiment to see if I can get my mind to heal my body. I am also doing 30 minutes of breathing exercises and 15 minutes of meditation every day. Thoughts? THANKS!!
9 month wait list ? That’s insane and not necessary. Where in canada are you ?? If your near Seattle my naturopath orders them here takes a few days!!!
National health care…unfortunately what we all want here for some reason. Free isn’t better. :(
Hi Rebecca,
Actually I am going to do it with my naturopath now instead. Ya, to get it for FREE, through our health care, its a wait. To pay $300 you can get a private test. I just decided yesterday that I should bite the bullet and get tested.
I’m in Toronto, not close! :)
* get tested NOW rather than wait, I mean
I really enjoyed your book and will mention it as a diet to consider to my IBS patients as an MD. I have SIBO (diagnosed by high levels of methane on a breath test, no hydrogen). I have gotten some results following the diet by NCNM’s Dr. Allison J. Siebecker, ND. I hope that refining that with the FP may help my facial rash that some MDs and NDs think is rosacea. I am curious how soaking grains and nuts and how fermentation affects the FP? I make the 5 minute Artisian bread, raw goat yogurt, and sauerkraut and had hopes that they would help.
Your contribution to medicine via your book is appreciated.
Happy to hear it Aleksandra. Here is a recent post from the DHI Facebook page: “Soaking and removing the water from beans decreases fermentable carbs raffinose, stachyose, and verbascose, as well as sugar and starch”. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12489819
It would be really interesting to get some data (glycemic index testing) on grains before and after soaking. Perhaps someone knows of some and will post.
Fermentation is still the best way to reduce fermentation potential as many of these hard to digest carbs are used for fuel by a variety of bacteria and and / or fungi during the process – which occurs in a mason jar, not our intestines. The result is lower carb fermented foods.
Thank you so much for publishing your work. Your book has helped me more with my SIBO than any other avenue I have used in at least ten years. I will pass your message on to anyone I know with GI difficulties. I spent seven years just gluten free only to find that it wasn’t the answer. Thanks to you I can enjoy french bread again and other things that I thought were the problem .
Thanks for the endorsement Ali. Glad the Fast Tract is helping you. I agree. Gluten free doesn’t complete the picture for many as gluten free foods often contain far too much resistant starch, fructose and fiber. On the other hand I believe that many people do have significant sensitivity to wheat. Luckily, this does not seem to be a problem for you.
Hi, I’m getting ready to buy your book soon, but just have a couple questions. I was curious about both Jasmine rice & sticky rice. When I asked an Asian friend if Asians tend to get heartburn on a traditional Asian diet. She said no and when I mentioned sticky rice she said that’s usually the only time Asian get heartburn is when they eat sticky rice. Could you tell me what the difference is between normal white rice I can get at the store and Jasmine or sticky rice? What makes jasmine & sticky rice better than other white rice? I know we’re supposed to stay away from the whole grain varieties because of the fiber. Also, I’m not keen on Splenda because of the bad articles I’ve read on it, but what about glucose? I know that goes straight to your blood, but is that good for your body? Won’t eating lots of high glycemic foods cause spike in blood sugar and therefor other problems that come with high blood sugar levels? Could this cause diabetes as all the research warns? Thanks so much! I’m excited to get started soon and have already cut out sugar. It’s def helped the bloating, but not the heartburn yet. Of course I have a super bad case! Thanks for all your work!
Hi Akavery,
Other rices have much lower glycemic indexes indicative of more resistant starch. But if you consume too much sticky or jasmine rice, or eat too fast without chewing well enough or have a more advanced case of SIBO, even these rices can provoke symptoms. As far as blood sugar levels, you should moderate your overall carb intake including rice and glucose particularly if you have poor blood sugar control, are not active or have metabolic syndrome or diabetes risk factors.
I had pancreatitis 2 years ago and no doctor could explain where it came from. A decision was made to remove the gallbladder because the doctors couldn’t figure out why I continued to be in pain. Several months later, it was discovered I had Celiac. I also have Hashimoto’s . Now with no gallbladder, I barely can digest anything; including gluten free products. Will you book/diet suggestions work for me? Thanks for responding.
Hi Jude. Sorry to hear you had your gallbladder removed when it wasn’t the problem. The book will help you find foods that are easy to digest. But as some complex carbs are limited, more calories will come from easy-to-digest carbs and fats. Many people without gallbladders can still digest fats pretty well, but others can have some issues. In these cases reducing fats a bit can help as well as increasing medium chain triglycerides that don’t require bile for digestion / absorption. Feel free to reach out to us if needed via our consultation program.
Hi. The past 6 weeks, dinners have generated huge digestive/intestinal issues for me. Trial and error identified some problem foods, but I was still doing very poorly after meals. From your book I learned about additional foods such as sweet potato which I now realize may have been keeping me from getting better. Last week I eliminated those, included more salads, walk more after meals, and also bought hi potency digestive enzymes (I don’t know brands, but these are Dr Murray brand) which seem to be making a huge immediate difference, coincidental or not. In the last week I am already much improved. Fyi, I have not been tested for sibo, but stomach motility was uncertain earlier, and the close match between your food list and my symptoms is persuasive that I may well have developed bacterial overgrowth. Two questions. I wonder if you think the hi potency digestive enzymes play a similar role as the strategy behind the Elemental diet? Also, is sibo productively testable at any time, or only when significant bloating is still ongoing? Thank you.
Great to hear that the diet appears to be helping. Digestive enzymes can often help. If they are helping, a deficiency may have been present. The elemental diet (as the Fast Tract Diet) limits the foods that can drive overgrowth while the enzymes help ensure complex carbs are broken down more efficiently for better absorption. As for testing, I would imagine someone experiencing bloating would have a higher chance of being positive, but it’s certainly possible to be positive even if bloating is subdued.
Hi Dr Robillard,
I am a 39 yo woman with cystic fibrosis. I live with so many symptoms and just assumed that was the way it had to be. When I saw my doctor and complained about the chest discomfort ( which I worried was my lungs) it turned out to be heartburn. They gave me a prescription ( just what I need, another prescription) for an H2 antagonist. I am excited to read your book and to find out what to avoid to control this problem with out medication.
Thanks!
Sarah
Awesome Sarah. In case you haven’t seen it, here is an article on CF, GERD and SIBO. https://digestivehealthinstitute.org/2012/10/24/cystic-fibrosis-and-heartburn-explained/
Hi Dr Robillard.
I live in Canada and am awaiting the arrival of your book, Fast track to digestion. I have been doing a low carb diet now for about a week and it does seem to be helping. My question is how does the SIBO occur and is there any way to decrease the amount of bacteria overgrowth in the small intestine, without antibiotics. I am waiting for results from a h pylori test, and if it is positive where do I go from here. I understand they may prescribe antibiotics, not sure I that is the way I should go. Please I need your input. Thanks.
Dr Robillard,
I am finding your book extremely helpful, as I wrote above.
Two things. I know you write that other than avoiding trans-fats, you don’t limit fats, but are fats HELPFUL in the two week diet in (?) flushing out bile duct bacteria? Or doesn’t it matter either way?
Second, I seem to be very lactose intolerant, so if I can make a request for a second edition, could you include an alternate two-week SIBO menu for those of us who are? I realize there are many food allergies out there and you can’t address them all in a set of menus, but lactose intolerance seems to be a quite frequent problem with many people with sibo. Even before sibo, I remember getting some amount of gas with both hard cheeses and yogurts, even taking lactase – maybe it doesn’t all mix completely. Seems like good foods to avoid in a two week period of trying to seriously reduce my sibo, since short term calcium supplements can prevent calcium deficiencies then.
Thank you!
Hi Sue,
The main reason we advocate more fats (other than the fact that they are healthy!) is that they are less fermentable, thus less likely to drive SIBO/dysbiosis. Fats are great for replacing some of the calories from complex, hard to digest carbs.
I recommend looking at the book once again as it extensively addresses lactose intolerance. The diet does include some low lactose dairy, but if you are severely lactose intolerant and lactase supplementation does not completely mitigate this intolerance, you may have to eliminate even low lactose diary such as aged cheeses, cream and plain yogurt.
I tested positive for SIBO through breath testing. I have also ben struggling with several autoimmine conditions including hashimotos and psoriatic arthritis. I have done 3 courses of rifaximin. While on the med my severe spinal joint pain completely disappears and my GI symptoms improve but upon stopping my symptoms return despite followingstrict scd. I would be so grateful for your thoughts!
Hi Laurie,
You may want to give the Fast Tract diet a try. Here is an article comparing some different diets for SIBO in case you have not seen it. https://digestivehealthinstitute.org/2012/08/17/sibo-diet-and-digestive-health/
Laurie, when you follow “strict SCD” what do you eat each day? And if you eat rice, what type? And if you eat honey or fruit please specifiy. Also after you read Fast Track Digestion: IBS, you may find that there are a few foods in SCD that are very problematic.
I came upon your site through The Paleo Mom and an article she had posted on SIBO. I have spent the last few hours reading articles and comments from your readers and I thank you for all your work in this area. My ND suggested I had SIBO some time ago, although I was not tested for it and at the time (and still) getting rid of my H-Pylori was first priority and the possible SIBO was put on a back burner. Fast forward to over a year later, I am still trying to rid my body of H-Pylori through diet and Biocidin. I’ve been grain free, GAPS… my question to you is: How can you say, for instance cabbage is a high FP food and Dr. Seibecker has it as a low fodmap food on her chart for those with SIBO? You are both ahead of others in getting out vital information in this area, yet I don’t understand how something as simple as cabbage is different in the two of you. I would appreciate some clarity as I am confused and am trying to hard to learn all I can because I believe I should be eating this way to help kill my H-Pylori as well as the possible SIBO!
On a side note, I just finished three egg yolks, lightly cooked, sauteed spinach, steamed carrots w/butter and two pieces of organic bacon. I think that is SIBO legal/friendly? :)
Thank you!
Hi Debbie and thanks for the visit. While the FODMAP approach and Fast Tract Diet are quite different in how they assign risk to foods (here is an article on the diets (https://digestivehealthinstitute.org/2012/08/17/sibo-diet-and-digestive-health/), there may not be a big discrepancy in this case. The Fermentation Potential (FP) value for a cup of cabbage (70 gram serving) is only 3 grams. That’s relatively low making cabbage a SIBO-friendly food. Your dish sounds great. Just don’t overdo it on the carrots.
Thank you for your reply! I just ordered your book and can’t wait to dig in!!
Nice!
Hi Dr Robillard
Thank you for all your time and research! I have a question–I’m 43 and recently diagnosed with SIBO, overgrowth of E Coli, H Pylori and I have the parasite Cryptosporidium parvum. The only actual complaint I had was life-long scalp psoriasis and elevated thyroid numbers my primary dr wanted to ‘keep an eye on’. In an attempt to be pro-active, I paid for stool, SIBO testing out of pocket and was shocked with results! I have no major GI/Digestive complaints but have decided to follow Dr Seibecker’s diet and am on day 5 of Rifaximin and Neomycin (I’m major methane producer). No relief of psoriasis yet but it’s early. Do you think treating SIBO could effect the H pylori, parasite and E Coli or do I need to treat them separately from the SIBO. There is a lot of conflicting info out there so any advice would be appreciated! Also, which of your books would you recommend to best treat my symptoms? A HUGE thanks!!! Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth,
I feel for you having to deal with this challenge. Fast Tract Digestion IBS would be the best book to read in your case as I can’t provide individual advice here. Antibiotic combinations different from those you’re taking are used for H. pylori. Most antibiotics won’t kill parasites. Lastly, most E.coli strains would be susceptible to the rifaxamin / neomycin combination.
Thanks! I just ordered your book and am looking forward to what it has to say. So far I’m cutting out FODMAPS and Nightshades..any thoughts of whether these drastic cuts are worth it? Meals are slim pickings right now and I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Hi Elizabeth!
I highly recommend you read the book to help you determine how to select foods going forward. Is there a particular reason why you are avoiding nightshades? I think a lot of people unecessarily remove potential problem foods, (even gluten in some cases) only to discover that the biggest driver of their symptoms were fermentable carbohydrates. Once those are removed and the SIBO is better managed, other food sensitivities may resolve. I had a dramatic reduction in symptoms within 4 days of implementing the introductory diet outlined in Fast Track Digestion:IBS. After several months on the diet I am continuing to make improvments. If you read the Forum you will see similar slow and steady progress in other people.
Here is a quote from this recent article about SIBO from the website TodaysDietitian.com where the author writes, “Many patients come to see me believing that they may have food allergies or sensitivities but actually have SIBO. Because bacteria ‘feed’ off of carbohydrates, resulting in a production of gas, a reduction in carbohydrates can aid patients in reducing symptoms.”
This has absolutely been my experience.
https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/040511p46.shtml
Hi Doctor,
Thank you for this wonderful website. I’ve just bought your book and cannot wait to dive in!
My only concern is the following: I believe I got SIBO by going low-carb in the first place. I ate healthy carbs all my life and was veru healthy and slim. I decided to try the paleo diet and keto diet and, after just a few months, slow downed my thyroid, got insane bloating after anything and gained weight..
5 years later things are the same or even worse but I was just diagnosied with SIBO.
I’ve been on the antibiotics for 3 months (!!!! under the cure of Prof Borody) and at the beginning it helped tremendously with the constipation (but now starting to not working anymore :() but never did anything re the bloating…
It makes total sense to eat low-carb to avoid fermentation but I’m a bit scared to do so because that’s the reason why I ended up with SIBO in the first place!
Also I suffer with constipation so much that even laxatives don’t work anymore! Fat, water, magnesium.. Nothing helps. Before the antibiotics I had to do 3 enemas a week! What am I going to do on a low-carb diet? :'(
Thank you for yout help!
Hi Lucie,
Thanks for your interest in the book. I am convinced that too many, not too few fermentable carbs in the diet are problematic for people with SIBO-related issues. But as you will see in the book, several other potential factors can contribute to SIBO. If, after reading the book you still have questions, please check our our consultation program.
I am new to this forum and would like to find a link to learn how to use the forum.
I would like to know about quinoa and also black rice, if they are okay to eat for LPR.
Thanks very much for any links.
Though I can’t trace the glycemic index of quinoa to it’s original source, the quinoa.net site lists quinoa as having a GI of 35. If that is the case, a quarter cup of quinoa (dry) would have 28 grams net carbs and 3 grams of fiber. That would give an FP of about 18 grams.
I don’t recommend quinoa or black rice. Jasmine or sticky rice are better choices.
Update Feb 6, 2015:
I notice that quinoa has been added to the U. Sidney glycemic index database. One quarter cup of dry quinoa (43 grams) had a GI of 53 and contained 27 grams total carbs and 3 grams of fiber. The FP is therefore 14 grams.
Note that the glycemic index was determined on cooked, cooled and microwave reheated quinoa. Fresh cooked quinoa likely would have a higher GI and hence, lower FP.
I was wondering what your opinion is of acacia fiber? I recently purchased some from Heather’s IBS site and it seems to be helping with constipation. Can it be bad to use if I have SIBO?
Hi Lauri. I’m not a fan of added fiber above what you get from green, leafy stalked veggies. Here’s a three part article on fiber you might be interested in. If you’re on the Fast Tract Diet, and want to try this product, I recommend adding the fiber grams to your daily FP amount.
Thank you very much for your response about black rice. I found great Jasmine Rice at Lotus Foods, organic and nonGMO. They have both brown jasmine and white jasmine. would both be good?
I have been doing your diet for a few days now. Had my first good nights sleep last night. Had brown rice pasta for dinner last night. Eggs for breakfast. Feeling so much better.
Just curious about frozen yogurt. Can’t find in book.
Also how does one find the sugar alcohol content and also the glycemic index of foods.
Thank you so very much for your wonderful book and this awesome forum. I was short of breath for seven weeks and severe coughing and clearing my throat for a long time. I finally found out I have LPR and started researching.
Thanks for your response to the above.
Hi FAsttracklady!
Frozen yogurt is very high in sugar, and low in healthy probiotics, and has stabilizers in it. Not good for SIBO, LPR, etc.. in my opinion. Table sugar should be really limited going forward. When your symptoms are very low, the Fast Track Digestion books have listed lactose free icecream as a possibility. You could also make your own frozen yogurt by blending full fat greek or other plain yogurt with a few berries and dextrose, a bit of maple syrup or brown rice syrup or splenda (which ever safe sweetener appeals to you). I bought dextrose (powdered glucose) and use it for my family. They really like it. It is more absorbable in the small intestine than table sugar. I personally would steer clear of commercial frozen yogurt. I am also thinking of making home made ice cream with whipping cream, eggs, water, and sweetener since I avoid lactose free products (I dont react well to the added lactase enzyme personally). Lactose free milk and icecream may be fine for many.
Hi and thanks,
I am about ready to order my jasmine rice. Is the brown jasmine rice equally as good as the white jasmine rice? It is made by Lotus.
Fasttracklady, white is safer, in my opinion. According to Dr. Robillard, white is the type for which glycemic idex information has been made avaialable. Later when your symptoms are gone you could test a small amount of brown.
Hi Bearsmom,
Thank you for your response.
I am feeling so much better today and only doing diet a few days!
By the way, how does one find the sugar alcohol grams and glycemic index of foods that you want to calculate the FP value for?
Thanks very much!
Lotus also has a sticky rice called Jade Pearl Rice. It is short grain and glutinous. So think I will order some of that, too.
Hi,
In addition to my question above about calculating sugar alcohol and GI, I just had another question:
How come brown rice pasta is great to eat and not brown rice? Brown rice pasta only has brown rice in it. Just curious to know. I did eat the brown rice pasta last night and was fine from it.
Thanks again!
Haven’t heard from anyone re the reason for brown rice not being okay and brown rice pasta being okay. I am also now wondering about black beans not being okay and perhaps black bean pasta (made just from black beans) would be okay.
Thank you very much for any response.
Hi FTLady,
There are many varieties of brown rice which each have unique glycemic indexes, that range from 48 (Uncle Ben’s brown rice) to 87 (Calrose brown rice). As you know, GI affects FP.
The type of rice used for a particular brown rice pasta matters as well as how the rice is processed while making the pasta products. The best approach is to do your best to stick to specific varieties or rice that have been tested for GI and hence can be assigned an accurate FP value.
Thanks! I am using Trader Joe’s organic brown rice pasta. Carbs 43, fiber 2 gms. How would one know the glycemic index of this?
I had several times and seems to be fine as no symptoms after eating. And it’s very good too. Only $1.99 a bag at Trader Joes.
Fast Track Lady
If you can’t find a GI value on line you have to assume a GI of 50. As Norm says, different products will have different GIs. I was reading on line about this, and thicker varieties tend to be lower GI, where as thinner ones may not be. Also, the length of cooking time effects the GI (the longer you cook, the higher the GI). I think portions are key, and only testing foods when your symptoms are very low, and keeping a food journal, because the effect can be cuumulative. I personally would not at my point in healing, eat brown rice pasta every day. Maybe alternate it with white jasmine rice on some days, skip a carb on some days, etc….Also in another SIBO forum, some people have had good luck with white rice pasta products (not all, but some).
The only way to know the GI for sure is to find the published results if it was tested, or to have it tested.
The alternatives is to stick with foods that have been tested or to experiment using your own symptoms or lack of symptoms as a guide. Sounds like it’s working for you at any rate.
Trying to figure out what are good breakfasts.
I have a green drink, Vitaminerals Green. Seems that it would be good. Has only 4.07 grams of carbs in a serving, fiber 2.50 grams, sugars 3.63, and protein 3.63. I don’t have the GI value, but I would imagine something with such low carbs would be okay. I have with a very small amount of blueberries and apple juice, but most water. Then an English muffin with butter. Does that sounds like a good breakfast?
A little confused with the calculating.
Oops made a mistake, the green drink is carbs 4.07, fiber 2.50, sugars .62, protein 3.63.
Seems to be okay, but am getting the shortness of breath again a little bit. Also got the shortness of breath with pineapple, although that is listed as okay to have some.
The symptom are much better since starting diet, but I am still experimenting with foods to see what works the best. Will start to keep a food and symptom diary.
Hi fast track lady
I try to have more protein with breakfast. I also could not tolerate white flour products when I started. My breakfast is free of that stuff. I eat yogurt and a hardboiled egg, or bacon and sauteed greens with butter, or a cheese/veggie omlette, etc…you are wise to keep a food journal. Several 1/2 english muffins might be ok a few times a week, but, they might add up. I have also read that it is not uncommon to not tolerate fruit when you first are trying to clear SIBO. You might take out the fruit, lower the portion, (I only eat 2 oz of pinapple in my yogurt, and not every day) or sprinkle some dextrose (powdered glucose) on the pinapple to help your body absorb the fructose. I try to wait until my symptoms are very low for several days to add in a new food otherwise I get very confused. Someone in the forum suggested keeping things the same for 1 or 2 or even more weeks at a time. It is less confusing. Also, come on over to the forum in the diet section and you can post diet questions there. You will get some great feedback and you can post your progess!
Thanks Bearsmom,
This is very helpful to me. And will try your suggestion.
I have kind of had to ‘grok’ that this is also not necessarily a low-carb diet, but a low FP diet, also integrating the information in the book, learning about digestion in general.
Last night I tried the sticky Asian rice and loved it.
I was happy to read of pure dextrose as a “safe” way to supplement carbs, since I am very underweight. But after experimenting for several days – adding in only very moderate amounts of dextrose along with foods I know don’t cause problems – I have observed some increase in bloating several hours after eating the dextrose. How can this be, if dextrose is supposed to be fully and immediately absorbed? Is there a way to avoid this problem?
Hi Decibelle,
This issue is discussed in the trouble-shooting section of the Fast Tract Digestion books. Advanced SIBO may provide an opportunity for even simple carbs to be consumed by bacteria in the early part of the small intestine. There are several ways to address this including cutting back overall carbs (even simple / easy to digest carbs) for a period of time.
Hi,
I often read that with SIBO you should space your meals 4-5 hours so the migrating motor complex can do its job. What is your opinion on that because the meal plan in the book contains snacks between meals so I figure you don’t think it is a important thing to do?
Hi Chris, Thanks for a great question. Giving your digestive tract opportunities to clear recent meals is something do endorse in the Fast Tract Diet. There are several ways to do this and having a snack during the day shouldn’t be something you can’t work around. I personally eat very little in the morning, often just a few nuts prior to lunch. That’s about 16 hours.
Others find they function better with a bigger breakfast. But finding opportunities to rest your digestive tract, and yes, let the MMC do it’s thing is important. The recipes in FTD are simply examples for meals and snacks, but no one should be eating all the time.
Thanks a lot. So is a single big rest for the day okay? For example I do practice intermittent fasting where I eat no food for about 14-16 hours. In the remaining 8-10 hours though I eat 3-4 equally big meals.
So do you think this is fine or should I rather go for a 12 hour eating period where each meal is divided by 4 hours?
Thanks again and all the best!
I, too, am wondering about this, Chris, . Perhaps Norm will revisit it and offer his thoughts. I struggle with low blood sugar and doing 4 hours between meals is difficult. It feels like I can manage it between breakfast and lunch, but I often need a snack between lunch and dinner and I wonder how problematic it would be. The rock-and-a-hard-place is actually causing me quite a bit of stress because I just finished Xifaxan and don’t want to give myself SIBO again.
Hi Lucy, A snack between meals, shouldn’t be a huge problem for most people as long as you control the FP points. Intermittent fasting is just another tool to use for persistent symptoms.
Chris
My first reaction to this is that the morning fast is good, but you also dont have to do it every day to get results in terms of allowing the cleansing waves to clear out the bacteria. In the book Fast TrackDigestion: IBS, Dr. Robillard suggests 2 times per week would have some benefit. I also suspect that holding the first meal until 10am certainly provides some benefit for me personally, if not as much as holding until noon. Because if you are getting in 3 or 4 meals between 12 noon and 8pm, that does not seem adequate time to rest your gut. Many people that do morning fasts, only have 2 meals the rest of the day (just larger portions in the right ratios). This would give you a chance to eat well, and then rest your gut. I certainly would not eat more than 3 meals during the feeding time. That is just me personally. So I get up at 5:30am, tend to eat at 10am (smallish breakfast), 1pm, and 6pm. I think 4 meals after noon would be hard on your digestion.
Thanks. Though I do need to eat small meals currently because my gut gets too irritated with big meals. I don’t know if mmc is even working at all in my case as my stomach seems never to be emptied by 100%. Even after a 16 hours fast it feels like having some sour bolus in the stomach or upper digestion system and I wonder if SIBO can cause gastroparesis (I don’t have an official diagnosis yet but I suspect I have). I had some success with betaine HCL lately but only a little bit. Enzymes worked only for a short period. Procinetics do nothing.
So…as I am better with 3-4 smaller meals I still wanna do intermittant fasting but also don’t wanna hinder mmc doing its job during the day (if it works anyway). I hope Norm will clear that up for me as English isn’t my first language and from hist last answer I am not really sure if he meant that you can have several meal apart less than 4 hours if you had a intermittant fast anyway before.
Hi Chris,
Intermittent fasting is something to try while monitoring your symptoms, but if fasting creates other symptoms eating something (low FP) might be a good idea. 4 hours between small meals should be adequate for most people.
Hello! I was diagnosed last year with SIBO and was thrilled to find your book to help address this infuriating condition! I have been reading a variety of resources which reference various dietary protocols including the SCD diet, FODMAP, Paloeo/Primal, etc. and must admit to feeling overwhelmed at times with all of the conflicting reports on what to eat/not to eat if one has SIBO. I have 2 quick questions for you…I’ve been hearing about histamine intolerance – can you comment on how prevalent you find that to be with patients you’ve treated with SIBO? I was also considering buying organic bean sprouts but couldn’t find the FP for them in the book – can you advise whether they are low or not? Thanks so much for all that you do!
Dear Doctor,
Good afternoon.This is kumar,male,aged about 55 years and residing in chennai,India.I am suffering with giardiasis infection for the past 25 years and also associated problems such as indigestion,chronic malabsorption of food,lack of appetite,falling of mucus from stools,IBS,GERD.Do u have a permanent cure fotr these problems?If so,kindly let me know.
Thanking u.Eagely waiting for your reply
kumar
I was recently diagnosed with SIBO and tried the scd diet and low fodmap.. Now I’m on to fast track and it seems to be helping the most! I had a question on you’re thoughts about wild oregano oil and UNDAS. …
HI Dr. Robillard,
I ran across your book on the internet when I was doing research of my symptoms. Although I have not been tested for SIBO I have already started your diet and have eliminated some of the problematic foods such as certain rice and beans. I have also reduced the amount of fruit and eliminated the problematic ones. I have already started to see a difference. My question is if following the diet and taking a probiotic can the SIBO be eventually completely cured or will it take other means? What about using Colloidal Silver? Thank you for your research which seems to be life changing for many.
Great question Cheryl. This has been addressed on our Q&A page (https://digestivehealthinstitute.org/fast-tract-diet-qa/). Go to the page and search for “Does the Fast Tract Diet cure SIBO?”
I would not recommend colloidal sliver. Before taking this supplement, I recommend reading up on it first. For instance check out this link – https://mayocl.in/1JBzZi8
I would not recommend
Hi norm,
Your book has really opened my eyes – I couldn’t figure out why rice was triggering my symptoms, it was basamati! Apparently it was on offer and my wife decided to get it instead of the jasmine rice we normally get and this really triggered my symptoms, took my a long time to figure out I mean white rice is white rice after all right? Wrong! I do have one question however, I have been tested positive for leaky gut and have a host of food intolerances I.e maize, wheat, peanuts. My question is that if I have leaky gut would you suggest I do a round of Rifaximin to get this under control or will this heal by itself so long as I stick to a low fp diet? – interestingly my intolerance to wheat is so sevre that when I ingest wheat in any form my blood sugar remains completely unchanged! I pretty much 100% malabsorb it and then it triggers my symptoms by feeding the bacteria.
Thanks
Hi Lewis, My general recommendation is diet before drugs and antibiotics, but there are a number of factors that can impact that decision. To help you decide, I would need more information which we gather through our consultation program. Feel free to contact us via the consultation tab or call today at (844) 495-1151 (US).
Hi Norm,
I really want to try this diet. I have been suffering with heartburn for as long as I can remember and have been on PPI’s for 13 years, in the past 2 years I’ve been up at an 80mg dose and have been constantly trying to get off them as the rest of my life is so healthy. I have previously followed a relatively low carb strict Paleo diet and weirdly, that was when the PPI’s began to stop working for me. So I’m not sure if this will work for me. My doctor said it was too high in oils…. I tried to download your book but apparently you don’t like Irish people ;) and it’s not available here. I did however find a second had copy which is being shipped from the US. I also purchased the Fast Tract App. Is it possible to use the app without the book in the interim or should I wait? I have an appointment with a surgeon to discuss a Nissen Fundoplication procedure on May 31st and I really want to have exhausted every avenue before I submit to this, I’ve resisted it for years as I am very active at CrossFit but the way my heartburn is now (on 80mg of Omeprazole a day) I am really struggling at the gym anyway so a few weeks off which was previously my worst nightmare is starting to feel like it won’t make too much difference. I’ve got no quality of life right now….. and I really believe there HAS to be a natural solution so I’m praying this is it! Louise
Hi Louise, I see you found a print book, great. In the interim, there is no need to wait. The app has everything you need. Under the “read more” icon, you can navigate (at each menu, keep scrolling down and hitting read more) to concise chapters telling you all about the diet and how to do it and what limits to set as well as troubleshooting sections, eating out, etc.
Hi Norm
I came off isotretonin for my acne back in October last year – I’ve been on various antibiotics since the age of 16 so this was a last resort. In January it all came back and I had a lot of bloating so I made an appt with a nutritionist. I did a stool test and I have a lot of blastocystis bacteria, normal bad bacteria and no good bacteria ? I’m taking a herbal tincture to help get rid of the blastocystis and I’ve been told I’ll need to take this for 4-6 months. My nutritionist believes my long term use of antibiotics is what’s caused my imbalances and what’s led me to be more susceptible to the blastocystis/the extent I have it. I’ve been eliminating processed foods, sugar but I still eat raspberries/blueberries and strawberries, gone low carb, gluten and dairy free. I’ve also tried going low fodmaps which seems to have helped and because my acne gets worse on probiotics we believe I probably have SIBO (I get a funny taste in my mouth generally when I wake up). Despite the above tweaks my acne hasn’t really improved and I therefore wondered if you think it would be worth trying the fast tract diet? At the moment I’m eating sweet potato, butternut squash but I’m wondering if these are making things worse although considered healthier than grains.
Thanks for your help,
Jen