The Gut Health Dialogues

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If you’ve been dealing with bloating, diarrhea, constipation, food reactions, or other ongoing digestive symptoms, you may have wondered whether functional gut testing can tell you something standard testing missed.

In this episode, Alyssa breaks down the difference between conventional and functional gut testing, what each approach is designed to look for, and why two tests that appear to measure the same marker may not answer the same question.

You’ll learn:

• Why conventional and functional gut testing ask different questions
• What conventional stool testing can reveal about infections, inflammation, digestion, and disease
• What functional stool testing can reveal about the microbiome, digestion, immune activity, and gut barrier
• Why the same marker can appear on different types of tests but have different clinical context
• How functional testing may provide additional information when conventional testing doesn’t explain ongoing symptoms
• Why a normal test result doesn’t automatically explain away symptoms like bloating, diarrhea, constipation, or food intolerance
• How to approach microbiome testing without treating every abnormal result
• Why emerging gut health markers require careful interpretation
• When conventional testing may be appropriate and when functional testing may add another layer
• Why your symptoms, history, test results, and treatment plan need to be considered together

Resources mentioned:

1. This free masterclass walks you through the five-step framework we use to help clients move beyond symptom management, rebuild food tolerance, and create a healthier, more resilient gut. 
2. Learn more about Nutrition Resolution’s Signature Healthy Gut Restoration Program — a personalized, root-cause approach to addressing bloating, constipation, and underlying digestive imbalances. In this program, testing is selected based on the person's history, symptoms, previous testing, and unanswered clinical questions rather than automatically ordering a broad panel. 
3. If you are still struggling with digestive symptoms despite previous testing & protocols, Book a 1:1 Strategy Call and we’ll look at your symptom history, what you’ve already tried, and whether working together makes sense, along with what that would look like. 
4. Follow Alyssa on: Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest  

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Looking for a supportive Gut Health community? Alyssa is building a community committed to helping people overcome their digestive symptoms by addressing the root cause using food and nutrition. Join Alyssa’s FREE Facebook Community here.

Tune in and subscribe to "The Gut Health Dialogues" for inspiring client transformation stories and expert insights into gut health. Leave a review. Your support will help Alyssa empower more people with the knowledge and tools to take control of their gut health and reclaim their lives.

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What if the diet that's helping you control your methane SIBO symptoms isn't actually addressing the reason you still need such a restrictive diet? In this episode, we break down what we know about the methane SIBO diet, IMO, low FODMAP diets, constipation, intestinal motility, fermentation, fiber, resistant starch, and food reintroduction, including newer research from 2025 and 2026.

You’ll learn:

• Why methane SIBO/IMO can make eating feel so confusing 
• Why low FODMAP can help symptoms without necessarily eliminating methane-producing organisms 
• The connection between methane, constipation, and slow intestinal transit
• Why fiber, resistant starch, raw vegetables, and high-fat meals can sometimes be difficult to tolerate when you're significantly bloated and constipated 
• How an increasingly restrictive diet can affect nutrition, food variety, and quality of life 
• Why food tolerance can depend on portion size, preparation, and combinations, not simply whether a food is “good” or “bad” 
• How to know when your diet may be ready to expand 
• What makes an elemental diet fundamentally different from simply eliminating more foods 
• What newer research tells us about elemental diets and methane 
• Why your methane levels, bowel function, symptoms, and food tolerance all matter when deciding what happens next 

Resources mentioned:

1. Download Methane SIBO Diet Plan - a practical guide with a complete food list, meal ideas, a 7-day meal plan, and a 7-day grocery list to help put the dietary strategies discussed in the episode into practice. 
2. Listen to How to Comprehensively Address Methane SIBO - for a deeper look at the process of addressing methane SIBO beyond dietary symptom management. 
3. If you've been stuck on a restrictive diet and aren't sure what comes next, this free masterclass walks you through the five-step framework we use to help clients move beyond symptom management, rebuild food tolerance, and create a healthier, more resilient gut. 
4. Still relying on a highly restricted diet to keep symptoms under control? Book a 1:1 Strategy Call and we’ll look at your symptom history, what you’ve already tried, and whether working together makes sense, along with what that would look like. 
5. Learn more about Nutrition Resolution’s Signature Healthy Gut Restoration Program — a personalized, root-cause approach to addressing bloating, constipation, and underlying digestive imbalances.
6. Follow Alyssa on: Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest  

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Looking for a supportive Gut Health community? Alyssa is building a community committed to helping people overcome their digestive symptoms by addressing the root cause using food and nutrition. Join Alyssa’s FREE Facebook Community here.

Tune in and subscribe to "The Gut Health Dialogues" for inspiring client transformation stories and expert insights into gut health. Leave a review. Your support will help Alyssa empower more people with the knowledge and tools to take control of their gut health and reclaim their lives. 

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If you've spent thousands of dollars on SIBO testing, antibiotics, herbal antimicrobials, supplements, restrictive diets, and practitioner visits but still aren't getting lasting relief, the problem may not be that you haven't tried hard enough. 

After more than a decade working with difficult SIBO cases, I've seen how easily digestive care can become fragmented: one test, one protocol, one diet, one supplement, without a larger strategy connecting them. 

In this episode, we're looking at what can be missing when SIBO treatment provides only temporary improvement, why treatment sequencing matters, and why a positive SIBO test doesn't tell you everything you need to know about the next step.

We'll explore:

• Why repeatedly adding treatments isn't necessarily the answer. 
• How your SIBO type can influence the treatment approach. 
• Why the timing and sequencing of treatment matter. 
• What your previous treatment history can reveal about what may have been missed. 
• Why addressing root contributors matters when you're trying to reduce recurrence.
• What needs to happen beyond simply clearing an overgrowth. 
• Why rebuilding the gut and expanding your diet can be an important part of the bigger picture. 
• What to ask before spending money on another SIBO test, supplement, or protocol. 

Resources mentioned:

1. Listen to: Root Causes of SIBO: Why It’s Usually a Gut Environment Problem, Not Just a Bacteria Problem
2. Listen to: Why SIBO Comes Back After Rifaximin  (3 Reasons Symptoms Return After Antibiotics)

3. Listen to: SIBO Die-Off: Why You Feel Worse Before You Feel Better (And What To Do About It)

4. If you've been stuck on a Low FODMAP diet and aren't sure what comes next, this free masterclass walks you through the five-step framework we use to help clients move beyond symptom management, rebuild food tolerance, and create a healthier, more resilient gut. 

5. Still relying on a highly restricted diet to keep symptoms under control? Book a 1:1 Strategy Call and we’ll look at your symptom history, what you’ve already tried, and whether working together makes sense, along with what that would look like. 

6. Learn more about Nutrition Resolution’s Signature Healthy Gut Restoration Program — a personalized, root-cause approach to addressing bloating, constipation, and underlying digestive imbalances.

7. Follow Alyssa on: Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest  

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Looking for a supportive Gut Health community? Alyssa is building a community committed to helping people overcome their digestive symptoms by addressing the root cause using food and nutrition. Join Alyssa’s FREE Facebook Community here.

Tune in and subscribe to "The Gut Health Dialogues" for inspiring client transformation stories and expert insights into gut health. Leave a review. Your support will help Alyssa empower more people with the knowledge and tools to take control of their gut health and reclaim their lives. 

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If you're dealing with urgent, watery diarrhea after meals, you may have already started looking for the food responsible.  But when eliminating dairy, gluten, FODMAPs, or other suspected triggers doesn't make much difference, it may be time to look beyond individual foods. 

In this episode, Alyssa explores a commonly overlooked reason for persistent diarrhea and explains why the timing of symptoms, meal composition, fat intake, medical history, and digestive patterns can tell a very different story than another food elimination. 

She also breaks down why some people continue struggling despite following a strict low-FODMAP diet, how fat can influence symptoms, where soluble fiber fits in, and why managing this condition doesn't have to mean living on an increasingly restrictive diet. 

If you've been removing more and more foods but your diarrhea still feels unpredictable, this episode may give you a different way to look at what's happening. 

Resources mentioned:

1. Download Bile Acid Diarrhea Diet Guide - a practical guide with a complete food list, meal ideas, a 7-day meal plan, and a 7-day grocery list to help put the dietary strategies discussed in the episode into practice. 
2. If you've been stuck on a Low FODMAP diet and aren't sure what comes next, this free masterclass walks you through the five-step framework we use to help clients move beyond symptom management, rebuild food tolerance, and create a healthier, more resilient gut. 
3. Still relying on a highly restricted diet to keep symptoms under control? Book a 1:1 Strategy Call and we’ll look at your symptom history, what you’ve already tried, and whether working together makes sense, along with what that would look like. 
4. Learn more about Nutrition Resolution’s Signature Healthy Gut Restoration Program — a personalized, root-cause approach to addressing bloating, constipation, and underlying digestive imbalances.
5. Follow Alyssa on: Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest  

-

Looking for a supportive Gut Health community? Alyssa is building a community committed to helping people overcome their digestive symptoms by addressing the root cause using food and nutrition. Join Alyssa’s FREE Facebook Community here.

Tune in and subscribe to "The Gut Health Dialogues" for inspiring client transformation stories and expert insights into gut health. Leave a review. Your support will help Alyssa empower more people with the knowledge and tools to take control of their gut health and reclaim their lives. 

Send us Fan Mail

If a SIBO diet makes your symptoms disappear, does that mean the SIBO is gone?

In this episode, Alyssa breaks down the role of low FODMAP and low fermentation diets in SIBO care, and why symptom relief, bacterial eradication, and relapse prevention aren't necessarily the same thing.

She also explores how motility, constipation, post-infectious changes, and other underlying contributors can influence recurrence, and why the goal isn't to stay as restricted as possible forever. 

Resources Mentioned:

1. Click to listen to learn why staying on a restrictive SIBO diet long-term may not always support gut resilience. 
2. Download the FREE Methane SIBO Diet Plan: A practical plan combining low FODMAP principles with modifications for methane-related symptoms and food tolerances. 
3. Click to listen to SIBO Root Contributors & Relapse Prevention episode: A deeper look at what can drive recurring SIBO and why addressing the overgrowth is only part of long-term care. 
4. Download the FREE Veggie Mash Guide: A practical way to add small portions of multiple vegetables to increase plant variety without an overwhelming fermentable load. 
5. If you've been stuck on a Low FODMAP diet and aren't sure what comes next, this free masterclass walks you through the five-step framework we use to help clients move beyond symptom management, rebuild food tolerance, and create a healthier, more resilient gut. 
6. Still relying on a highly restricted diet to keep symptoms under control? Book a 1:1 Strategy Call and we’ll look at your symptom history, what you’ve already tried, and whether working together makes sense, along with what that would look like. 
7. Learn more about Nutrition Resolution’s Signature Healthy Gut Restoration Program — a personalized, root-cause approach to addressing bloating, constipation, and underlying digestive imbalances.
8. Follow Alyssa on: Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest  

-

Looking for a supportive Gut Health community? Alyssa is building a community committed to helping people overcome their digestive symptoms by addressing the root cause using food and nutrition. Join Alyssa’s FREE Facebook Community here.

Tune in and subscribe to "The Gut Health Dialogues" for inspiring client transformation stories and expert insights into gut health. Leave a review—Your support will help Alyssa empower more people with the knowledge and tools to take control of their gut health and reclaim their lives. 

Send us Fan Mail

Can digestive enzymes actually reduce bloating and food reactions, or does it depend on what's causing your symptoms in the first place? 

In this episode, Alyssa sits down with GI dietitian Erin Judge, who works with the clinical team at FODZYME, to answer one of the biggest questions people with IBS, SIBO, and food intolerances ask: when do digestive enzymes actually help?  This conversation explores the bigger picture of why food intolerances develop, how different digestive enzymes work, and where they fit in alongside treating the underlying cause. 

Whether you've been following a Low FODMAP diet for years or you're afraid to reintroduce foods after SIBO treatment, you'll come away with a clearer understanding of when digestive enzymes may help, and when another approach is needed. 

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why food intolerance is different from a food allergy
• The different types of food intolerances, and why they aren't all treated the same
• Why most over-the-counter digestive enzymes don't work the same way
• How digestive enzymes fit into IBS, SIBO, and Low FODMAP management
• When digestive enzymes may help you eat more foods with fewer symptoms
• Why digestive enzymes aren't a replacement for treating the root cause
• How to use digestive enzymes during food reintroduction
• Practical ways to reduce food fear while expanding your diet

About Erin Judge:

Erin Judge, RDN, LDN is a GI dietitian who has specialized in IBS and other functional disorders of gut-brain interaction for the last 8 years. She currently runs healthcare provider marketing for FODZYME to support clinical partners as they integrate digestive enzymes into patient care. 

Resources Mentioned:

1. Want to try FODZYME before purchasing? 

• Healthcare practitioners can request FREE FODZYME® samples for patients to try before purchasing, along with educational resources and clinical support at http://providers.fodzyme.com/hcp-sample-request  
• Customers can save 20% off your first FODZYME subscription order at fodzyme.com/foodfreedom

2. If you've been stuck on a highly restrictive diet and aren't sure what to reintroduce next, explore our collection of evidence-based meal plans, food lists, recipes, and practical guides designed to help you expand your diet with confidence.

3. Still relying on food elimination to control your digestive symptoms? Book a free 15-minute 1:1 strategy call, and we'll talk through your history, what you've already tried, where you may be getting stuck, and whether working together is the right approach for you.

4. Learn more about Nutrition Resolution's Signature Healthy Gut Restoration Program—our personalized, root-cause approach to helping people move beyond food fear and build a more resilient digestive system.

5. Follow Alyssa on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest   

6. DM “GUT CHECK” on Alyssa’s Instagram for a personalized quiz and free meal plans & resources to kickstart your gut healing journey.

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In this episode, Alyssa explains why fat malabsorption is an often-overlooked cause of chronic digestive symptoms like diarrhea, greasy stools, bloating, weight loss, and nutrient deficiencies. Learn how your liver, pancreas, and small intestine work together to digest fat, what happens when that process breaks down, and why continuing to eliminate foods may not solve the real problem. 

You'll learn:

• What fat malabsorption is and how it affects digestion
• The difference between fat malabsorption and food sensitivities
• Why greasy stools (steatorrhea) happen
• Symptoms that may point to poor fat absorption
• Common causes of fat malabsorption, including: Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI), Reduced bile production, SIBO, Celiac disease, Crohn's disease, and Short bowel syndrome
• Why fat malabsorption is different from bile acid malabsorption (BAD)
• How fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies develop
• Why healthy fats can still trigger symptoms
• Practical dietary strategies that can reduce symptoms while you investigate the underlying cause
• Why restricting more foods isn't always the answer

Resources mentioned:

1. Not sure what to eat if you're dealing with fat malabsorption, chronic diarrhea, greasy stools, bloating, or difficulty digesting fatty foods? Download the 7-day Fat Malabsorption Diet Guide designed to help you reduce symptoms while supporting long-term gut health. 
2. Want to learn more about one of the most common causes of fat malabsorption? Read our Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) Guide to understand the symptoms, testing, diagnosis, and treatment of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, and download our FREE Pancreatic Insufficiency Diet Guide for practical nutrition strategies, meal planning tips, and food recommendations. 
3. If you've been stuck on a Low FODMAP diet and aren't sure what comes next, this free masterclass walks you through the five-step framework we use to help clients move beyond symptom management, rebuild food tolerance, and create a healthier, more resilient gut. 
4. Still relying on a highly restricted diet to keep symptoms under control? Book a 1:1 Strategy Call and we’ll look at your symptom history, what you’ve already tried, and whether working together makes sense, along with what that would look like. 
5. Learn more about Nutrition Resolution’s Signature Healthy Gut Restoration Program — a personalized, root-cause approach to addressing bloating, constipation, and underlying digestive imbalances.
6. Follow Alyssa on: Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest  

-

Looking for a supportive Gut Health community? Alyssa is building a community committed to helping people overcome their digestive symptoms by addressing the root cause using food and nutrition. Join Alyssa’s FREE Facebook Community here.

Tune in and subscribe to "The Gut Health Dialogues" for inspiring client transformation stories and expert insights into gut health. Leave a review—Your support will help Alyssa empower more people with the knowledge and tools to take control of their gut health and reclaim their lives.

Send us Fan Mail

If you've been treating chronic constipation, bloating, and motility issues from the gut side alone, microbiome work, methane SIBO protocols, bile flow, motility agents, and progress keeps stalling, there may be a structural piece nobody has assessed. 

In this episode, pelvic floor physical therapist Rebecca Patton explains how the muscles of the abdomen and pelvis form a single pressure system, why pain drives that system into protective tension, and how that tension makes motility worse in a self-reinforcing loop.

The conversation covers outlet obstruction constipation, why not every pelvic floor therapist actually evaluates the pelvic floor, and the widely under-recognized role of past abdominal surgeries, C-sections, hysterectomies, gallbladder removals, appendectomies, in gut dysfunction that shows up years later.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Why your gut and pelvic floor are one connected pressure system, not separate problems
• How pain creates protective muscle tension that slows motility even further
• What outlet obstruction constipation is, and why laxatives don't touch it
• Why Kegels can make things worse for some people
• How C-sections, hysterectomies, gallbladder removals, and appendectomies affect gut function years later
• Why recurrent SIBO may have a structural root cause nobody's checked
• What an actual pelvic floor evaluation involves, and the three questions to ask before booking
• Why gut protocols and pelvic floor rehab stall without each other

About Rebecca: 

Dr. Rebecca Patton is a pelvic floor physical therapist and the founder of Patton Pelvic Health in Arizona. She provides personalized, trauma-informed, and inclusive care for people experiencing bowel and bladder dysfunction, constipation, chronic pelvic pain, and sexual health concerns. She is also an adjunct professor at Midwestern University, where she teaches gender-inclusive pelvic physical therapy, and mentors clinicians and graduate students pursuing pelvic health training. 

Find Rebecca here:

Connect with Rebecca Patton: Patton Pelvic Health

Find a pelvic floor physical therapist:

• https://pelvicrehab.com
• https://www.aptapelvichealth.org
• https://pelvicguru.com

Resources mentioned:

1. Learn the five-step framework we use to help clients move beyond symptom management and address the root causes of SIBO/IBS/and any other gut issues.
2. If you’re enduring uncomfortable, painful, and embarrassing GI symptoms and feel like you’ve tried everything, Alyssa uses a specialized approach to help people who’ve gone from doctor to doctor finally find relief. Book a free 15-minute 1:1 strategy call, and we'll talk through your history, what you've already tried, where you may be getting stuck, and whether working together is the right approach for you.

Find Alyssa here: 

• Follow Alyssa on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest   
• DM “GUT CHECK” on Alyssa’s Instagram for a personalized quiz and free meal plans & resources to kickstart your gut healing journey.
• Learn more about Nutrition Resolution’s Signature Healthy Gut Restoration Program — a personalized, root-cause approach to addressing bloating, constipation, and underlying digestive imbalances.

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In this episode, Alyssa explains one of the biggest misconceptions in SIBO recovery: the belief that a therapeutic diet is the treatment. While Low FODMAP and SIBO diets can be incredibly effective for reducing symptoms, they were never designed to be the finish line. They're a tool to create stability, not a permanent way of eating.

Alyssa walks through why long-term restriction can hold your gut back, the difference between symptom management and true healing, and what should happen between eliminating foods and successfully reintroducing them.

You'll learn:

• Why food doesn't cause SIBO
• How therapeutic diets actually work
• Why your food list may keep shrinking
• The hidden downside of long-term restriction
• Why microbiome diversity matters
• Stable gut vs resilient gut
• How to measure healing beyond symptom reduction
• Why food fear develops
• How Nutrition Resolution approaches food reintroductions
• What real food freedom looks like

Free resources:

1. Not sure what to eat with SIBO, IBS, reflux, histamine intolerance, constipation, or other digestive conditions? Explore our free collection of evidence-based meal plans, food lists, recipes, and practical guides designed to help you reduce symptoms while supporting long-term gut healing. 
2. If you've been stuck on a Low FODMAP or SIBO diet and aren't sure what comes next, this free masterclass walks you through the five-step framework we use to help clients move beyond symptom management, rebuild food tolerance, and create a healthier, more resilient gut. 
3. Still relying on a highly restricted diet to keep symptoms under control? Book a 1:1 Strategy Call to identify what's keeping you stuck and get a personalized roadmap to help you expand your food choices with greater confidence and less fear. 
4. Learn more about Nutrition Resolution’s Signature Healthy Gut Restoration Program — a personalized, root-cause approach to addressing bloating, constipation, and underlying digestive imbalances.
5. Follow Alyssa on: Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest  

-

Looking for a supportive Gut Health community? Alyssa is building a community committed to helping people overcome their digestive symptoms by addressing the root cause using food and nutrition. Join Alyssa’s FREE Facebook Community here.

Tune in and subscribe to "The Gut Health Dialogues" for inspiring client transformation stories and expert insights into gut health. Leave a review—Your support will help Alyssa empower more people with the knowledge and tools to take control of their gut health and reclaim their lives.

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, Alyssa breaks down one of the most overlooked aspects of pancreatic insufficiency management: nutrition. While pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) is essential, diet plays a major role in determining how well those enzymes work and how you feel day to day. We explore what a practical pancreatic insufficiency diet looks like, common mistakes that keep symptoms lingering, and why many people with EPI may also be dealing with overlapping conditions like SIBO, IBS, or gut microbiome imbalances.

You'll learn:

• What is pancreatic insufficiency, and common EPI symptoms
• Why EPI is often mistaken for IBS and SIBO, and how fat malabsorption affects digestion
• The connection between EPI and bacterial overgrowth
• What to eat & limit with pancreatic insufficiency
• Meal timing and meal structure strategies
• Nutrients commonly depleted in EPI
• Why symptoms sometimes persist despite enzyme therapy

Free resources:

1. Listen to Daniella’s healing journey here. 
2. Download Alyssa’s Pancreatic Insufficiency Diet PDF for a practical starting point with foods that are generally easier to digest, lower in fat, and designed to help support nutrition while managing EPI symptoms.
3. Book your free 15-minute strategy call, and we’ll look at your symptom history, what you’ve already tried, and whether working together makes sense, along with what that would look like. 
4. Watch Alyssa’s FREE Masterclass: “Why Your Gut Still Isn’t Better — The Real Reason You Feel Stuck” 
5. Learn more about Nutrition Resolution’s Signature Healthy Gut Restoration Program — a personalized, root-cause approach to addressing bloating, constipation, and underlying digestive imbalances.
6. DM “GUT CHECK” on Alyssa’s Instagram for a personalized quiz and free meal plans & resources tailored to your symptoms.
7. Follow Alyssa on: Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest  

-

Looking for a supportive Gut Health community? Alyssa is building a community committed to helping people overcome their digestive symptoms by addressing the root cause using food and nutrition. Join Alyssa’s FREE Facebook Community here.

Tune in and subscribe to "The Gut Health Dialogues" for inspiring client transformation stories and expert insights into gut health. Leave a review—Your support will help Alyssa empower more people with the knowledge and tools to take control of their gut health and reclaim their lives.