MY ADVICE FOR HEALING: Part I - the diet

After I was diagnosed with gastritis, the first thing I did was take to the internet. Minutes later, I was deep in subreddits full of people complaining about their symptoms, some very similar to mine, some very different. There was an overarching consensus of hopelessness and despair. What I thought was a short-term stomach bug could actually be a years-long journey of trial and error until I started feeling normal again. Some days, I felt like I would never go back to my pre-gastritis self.

the grieving phase

For the first month after my diagnosis, I was in this phase of despair. It was also the time when my symptoms were at their worst, so I felt anxious every day, unable to sleep because I was so nauseous, and not sure which foods were right or wrong for me. All of this happened over the holiday season and my birthday, adding insult to injury. Looking back though, this was the hardest part of the entire healing process. Luckily, everything started to get easier from there.

figuring out the diet

I spent the first few weeks suffering because I didn’t know which foods were good for my stomach and which made my symptoms worse. I even remember eating a big bowl of tomato soup and grilled cheese and wondering why I had a flare-up afterward. Ahh so naive.

The first thing I cut out was alcohol because I believed that to be the primary culprit behind my condition. I was someone who drank a glass of wine almost every single day. Living in Italy, it’s just part of the culture and not necessarily bad. But there were some nights where I would have more than 1 glass and mix it with other things as the night went on. Giving up drinking was something that scared me. I liked my nightly glass, I felt it relaxed me, it was a large part of my social life, and I wasn’t ready to give that up. But as my symptoms got worse, my desire to drink disappeared.

Here’s the primary list of foods you should avoid if you’re trying to heal your gastritis:

• Tomatoes

• Garlic

• Chocolate (another difficult one for me. I recommend trying Carob as a substitute)

• Alcohol

• Caffeine (a hard one for so many people. I replaced my daily cup with chicory root coffee or orzo coffee.)

• Spicy foods

• Citrus

• Greasy, fried, or fatty foods

This list is not comprehensive. There could be a number of other foods that just you are sensitive to. Note those and stay away from them entirely during the first 90 days of your healing journey.

90-Day Elimination Diet

This phase of my healing truly helped me understand my body. I was able to get my symptoms down to zero with diet and supplements alone. I did not take any medication during these 90 days.

The Rules of the Diet

I’m someone who is typically anti-diet. I believe you can reach your health goals without being extremely restrictive. However, in the case of gastritis, this restriction is necessary to heal. The stomach is extremely sensitive to any slip-ups, so “cheating” on your diet truly means you go back to square one. Here are the guidelines I followed for 90 days:

• Eliminate all the gastritis-trigger foods listed above

• No dairy or gluten

• No eating 4 hours before bedtime

• Eat small meals 2-3 hours apart

• Don’t drink and eat at the same time (at least a 30-minute window between eating and drinking)

• Walk after each meal to aid in digestion

• No processed sugar

• No processed foods

• Focus on whole foods that not only do not cause flare-ups, but heal the stomach lining

A Typical Day of Eating and Supplements

• Pre-breakfast: 5mg of L-Glutamine Powder dissolved in water

• Breakfast: Oats with berries and nut butter (Nut butter was a great way to get in extra calories)

• Post-breakfast: DGL

• 1-hour post-breakfast: Orzo coffee with almond milk

• Lunch: White rice with tofu and vegetables

• Post-lunch: DGL

• Tea: licorice, ginger, chamomile, or rooibos

• Snack: boiled eggs, rice cakes, avocado

• Dinner: Pumpkin soup

• Post-dinner: DGL and tea and slippery elm powder

If you’re reading this thinking “that’s not enough food,” you’re right. I tried to increase my calories with healthy fats like avocado and almond butter, but it was difficult. I lost some weight - many people do in this phase. I did not exercise at all, except for daily walks so I wouldn’t lose too much weight.

Post 90-Day Diet

So you finished the 90 days successfully, and your symptoms are minimal if not non-existent, now what?

You might be tempted to be adventurous with new foods. Maybe your gastritis is completely healed! I advise you to proceed with caution. You may only feel good now because you have not exposed yourself to foods that trigger a flare-up. Be patient.

I slowly started adding foods to my diet to see how I would react. I started with gluten, incorporating fresh (not processed) sourdough bread into my diet. After a week, I noticed no symptoms, so I continued to eat it. The following week, I tried dairy. Depending on the type of dairy, I had different results. Non-fat greek yogurt was fine, parmesan cheese was fine, full-fat ice cream was not (at least not yet). Remember, it takes time for your body to get used to the foods that you eliminated.

Today

Now, 1 year later, I can eat full-fat ice cream with little to no problems. I can eat chocolate in small doses, and I’ve had a couple glasses of wine with very few issues. I still avoid things like tomatoes and garlic, but that’s mostly because I’m not craving those things. I don’t try a potentially triggering food unless I really miss it.

I still don’t feel like I’m 100% back to normal, but I’m able to live a more normal life. I’ve started to gain some weight back, I can exercise again, and I don’t feel this impending doom and anxiety if a friend asks to grab dinner together.

If you’re at the beginning, or if you’re months into your gastritis and still suffering, try out these diet tips and let me know if they work for you. And feel free to reach out if you want personalized advice.

Come back for Part II of My Advice for Healing to learn about the lifestyle changes that helped me heal.