Digest This

Digest This

Introduction


No one really understands what it’s like to have IBS, unless you have it yourself. I know how it feels. And if you’re reading this, you likely do, too. I suffered with its debilitating symptoms for years. I was bloated. I was gassy. I vomited frequently. I had constipation and diarrhea. I was constantly in the bathroom, and I had to miss work or regularly leave early. Eventually I even had to quit my dream job, because I was almost always in pain.

The irony? I’ve always loved food—and in fact I have been passionate about creating healthy, unique recipes that I’ve been sharing with hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram for almost a decade. But all too often I couldn’t eat the food I loved. Or if I did eat it, I got sick.

When you have IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome, you know what that feels like: the constant fear of what will happen if you eat something that triggers your symptoms. You worry every morning about whether you’ll be okay today—whether you’ll have to dash to the bathroom or cancel plans at the last minute because you’re simply too sick to go.

You’ve been scared, frustrated, depressed, and angry. And if you’re like a lot of (or let’s face it, most) people, the “conventional” wisdom on how to treat IBS doesn’t work for you. Doctors still don’t understand exactly what causes IBS, so they typically suggest three basic strategies: change your diet, take drugs to manage your symptoms, and try not to be so stressed. Seriously. That’s the typical “treatment.”

I know this because, despite having just about every medical test you can imagine and seeing specialists throughout Los Angeles, including those in Beverly Hills and at top hospitals, I always heard the same thing. Avoid these foods. Or take these drugs. Or calm down. Or all three—but none of those strategies worked for me!

By the time I was in my early 20s, I was in so much pain that I could hardly eat . . . and what I did eat, I couldn’t digest or absorb. My weight dropped from a healthy 125 pounds to 80 pounds. I was skeletal. I was bedridden. I couldn’t leave the house.

But you know what? I got better. And so can you.

How did that happen? I bypassed the conventional wisdom. I knew quite a bit about digestive health already, and with the advice of a holistic doctor, I made some radical diet changes. I eliminated all gut irritants (and you may be amazed at how many things can irritate your gut—even “healthy” foods like beans, raw vegetables, and whole grains, not to mention common gums and fillers found in many processed foods), and I started consuming more protein, like grass-fed beef and organic chicken.

I pureed my protein (yes, that’s right) to make it easier for my body to digest and absorb. I started eating plain, whole-milk cultured Greek yogurt to feed the probiotics, or healthy bacteria, in my gut. I created a drink that included specific digestive enzymes from different fruits and I drank it every day. I drank bone broth and took collagen and gelatin to help rebuild my gut. And most important, I stuck to the plan.

In less than a year—actually, in a matter of months—I healed my gut. Even better, I had developed a program that could (and has) worked for thousands of other people with IBS and other digestive issues—it was the basis of what would become this book. As one of the go-to experts on gut health on social media, I have hundreds of thousands of followers who rely on me for research-proven, crowd-tested advice.

Today, I’m free from the pain, bloating, and digestive issues I thought I was stuck with forever. I eat foods today my body couldn’t handle before, because my gut is healthy and functioning the way it’s supposed to. And I eat and enjoy my food without the fear of and worry about what may happen afterward.

My passion is developing recipes that are not only delicious and simple but also provide your gut with the nutrients it needs to heal. I can’t say that I “cured” my IBS (I still have flareups now and then), but I can say that the program I developed did something that nothing else did. It restored my healthy gut function. And it just may do the same for yours.

No matter how miserable you feel, no matter how long you’ve been suffering, no matter how many different drugs or diets or plans you’ve tried for your IBS, I promise this plan will work for you. It may be unlike anything else you’ve heard of or seen before, but I and the thousands of readers who have road-tested these recipes can tell you, it’s what your gut needs.

You may have spent years of your life suffering, but give yourself three weeks to try the Gut Reset, and you’ll find that your life can and will change for the better. You’ll no longer dread every morning and worry about how much pain or digestive problems you will have to deal with that day. You’ll be free from discomfort, from fear, from the frustration you may have grown accustomed to . . . and you’ll be free to look forward to and embrace not only food again but also your whole life.

If you’re not that sick, you may not need to embark on the 21-day Gut Reset. But you’ll still benefit from the recipes I’ve included here, which are simple to make and are loaded with nutrients that help your gut, as well as the rest of your body, function at its best. Whether your gut needs a complete overhaul or simply some fine-tuning, or even if you’re just looking for the worry-free, flavor-bomb recipes, I’m here to help. So let’s get started!