What are the symptoms of an unhealthy gut?

Symptoms of digestive health problems vary. They can include a change in bowel habits, unexplained weight loss, bloody stools, weakness, and abdominal pain. Some unexpected symptoms include a foggy brain, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances. Many of us aren’t aware of how significant gut health is to our overall well-being, including our immune system and hormone health. This is because of something called the gut-brain axis.

The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional communication network linking the gut and the brain. It involves complex interactions between the central nervous system (CNS), the enteric nervous system (ENS), and the gut microbiota. The gut-brain axis is key in regulating various physiological processes, including digestion, mood, cognition, and immune function. Disruptions in this communication system have been linked to a range of conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), anxiety, depression, and other neurological disorders.

Common Digestive Disorders:

1. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): IBS is a functional GI disorder marked by symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and changes in bowel habits (diarrhea, constipation, or both). Its precise cause remains unclear, but factors like stress, certain foods, and hormonal changes can trigger it.

2. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Conditions like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis fall under IBD, involving chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and fatigue. IBD is an autoimmune condition, and its exact cause is unknown.

3. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): GERD is a chronic condition where stomach acid flows back into the esophagus, causing symptoms such as heartburn, regurgitation, and chest pain. Prolonged GERD can harm the esophagus.

4. Celiac Disease: Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten consumption, causing an immune response that damages the small intestine and disrupts nutrient absorption.

5. Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO): SIBO occurs when there's an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine, leading to bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nutrient malabsorption.

6. Dysbiosis: This refers to an imbalance in the gut microbiota, crucial for digestion and overall health. Imbalances can be linked to conditions like IBS and IBD.

7. Constipation: A common issue characterized by infrequent or difficult bowel movements, often caused by factors like inadequate fiber intake or certain medications.

8. Diverticulitis: This involves inflammation or infection of small pouches in the colon wall (diverticula), leading to symptoms such as abdominal pain, fever, and changes in bowel habits.

9. Food Intolerances: Some individuals experience gut problems due to specific food intolerances like lactose intolerance or fructose malabsorption, causing digestive discomfort and bloating.

10. Gastroenteritis: This is the inflammation of the stomach and intestines, usually due to viral or bacterial infections, resulting in symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and fever.

What to eat for gut health:

Digestive health issues are varied and can be quite complex. Supporting gut health through diet, lifestyle, and probiotic interventions may help optimize communication along the gut-brain axis and promote overall well-being. When our patients walk in the door, we use a functional nutritionist approach to identify the WHY behind why our patients are feeling unwell. The health of our digestive tract has a profound impact on our well-being. We develop individualized diet plans, depending on the specific condition affecting our patients.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach, but we assure you that we will provide you with the compassionate care you need to start feeling well again.

• Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Discomfort: Gut health problems like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can cause persistent gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and irregular bowel movements. Dealing with these discomforts may lead someone to alter their eating habits, such as avoiding certain foods or cutting back on overall food intake to lessen distress.

• Fear of Trigger Foods: Some foods may worsen symptoms of gut health issues, prompting fear of these specific foods or food groups. This fear can result in restrictive eating behaviors, with someone steering clear of a wide range of foods to prevent gastrointestinal discomfort.

• Limited Food Choices: Gut health problems may limit food options due to concerns about triggering digestive symptoms. This restriction can lead to an unbalanced diet lacking in variety, impacting overall nutrition and potentially fostering disordered eating habits.

• Negative Associations with Food: Pain or discomfort experienced after eating can create negative associations with food. Those dealing with gut health issues may develop anxiety or aversions towards eating, affecting their appetite and eating routines.

• Mental Health Impact: Persistent gastrointestinal symptoms can take a toll on mental well-being, contributing to stress, anxiety, and depression. Some may turn to disordered eating as a coping mechanism or to regain a sense of control over their bodies.

• Unexpected Changes in Weight: Gut health issues, especially those affecting nutrient absorption, can lead to unintended weight loss or gain. These fluctuations may heighten concerns about body image and fuel disordered eating patterns

• Co-occurrence of Digestive and Eating Disorders: Studies suggest that people with certain digestive disorders, such as IBS, may also have a higher prevalence of co-existing eating disorders. This points to a potential two-way relationship between gut health issues and disordered eating.

The connection between gut health and disordered eating varies from person to person, and not everyone dealing with gut issues will experience disordered eating behaviors. Taking care of both the physical and emotional aspects of gut health is essential, and reaching out to healthcare experts like dietitians and mental health professionals can offer valuable support in managing overall well-being.

What does nutrition therapy include?

TESTIMONIALS

Our team of Expert Dietitian Nutritionists Have Been Featured In:

Our Team of Dietitian Nutritionists, Expert ED and Medical Nutrition Counselors

The Side by Side Nutrition team has a team of 12+ outpatient registered dietitians. We provide online nutrition counseling to patients in Colorado and around the country. We offer one-on-one and family nutrition counseling for patients either online or in person, with offices located in Colorado Springs and Fort Collins. We specialize in eating disorder recovery and body image healing.

RD - Registered Dietitian
RDN - Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
MS - Masters of Science

As specialists in ED nutrition counseling our mission is rooted in compassion. We:  

• Strive to create a safe and nurturing space for individuals on their journey to wellness. 

• Understand the profound impact that eating disorders can have on one's life

• Are committed to fostering a supportive community where every client feels seen, heard, and understood. 

• Work from an intuitive eating, HAES (Health at Every Size) Informed Approach.

• Believe everyone has the right to high-quality care – accessibility and inclusivity are at the core of our values.

• Stand firm in our belief in the possibility of full recovery. 

• Continually invest in our education to stay at the forefront of the field.

• Are committed to ongoing learning.

• Channel all our resources into becoming the best eating disorder nutritionist counselors.

• Are dedicated to guiding our clients toward a life of lasting health and empowerment.

We Accept Insurance:

We are committed to ensuring that our clients have access to healthcare, and we make every effort to facilitate this. We accept insurance plans such as BlueCross Blue Shield (Anthem/Regence), United HealthCare (Optum), Aetna, and Cigna.

Dietitian for ED and Medical Nutrition Therapy FAQ

What insurance plans do you accept?

Side By Side Nutrition is in network with Cigna, Cigna Localplus, Aetna, BlueCross Blue Shield (Anthem/Regence), UMR, and United Healthcare. Prior to your visit, please call your insurance company to check your benefits. We can not guarantee coverage. 

For other insurance companies, we are out-of-network providers. This means we can provide you a superbill to submit to insurance for possible reimbursement. SBS can not submit superbills without a medical diagnosis. Payment is due at time of service for folxs using out of network benefits.

What is the DSM-5?

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition), commonly referred to as the "DSM," serves as a comprehensive guide on mental health and conditions related to the brain. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is tasked with the creation, editing, review, and publication of this manual.

Patients may also hear the term ICD-10. This is the International Classification of Diseases (10th revision), a system used by doctors to classify and code all diagnoses, symptoms and procedures for claims processing.

How does treatment work? What does a typical session look like?

An outpatient team consists of a dietitian, therapist, and primary care physician at minimum. Sessions are highly individualized and change from week to week depending on the needs, goals, behaviors, and journey of each client. Our dietitians are constantly assessing the needs, progress, safety, and next steps with their client’s short and long term goals in mind.

An outpatient team works collaboratively to ensure clients get the best care for their recovery while staying in their day to day life. Clients in eating disorder recovery being treated on the outpatient level will typically visit with their dietitians 1-2x/week, therapist 1-2x/week, PCP monthly, and psychiatrist as needed.

I don’t live in Colorado, can we still work together?

Absolutely! We are passionate about making care accessible for you and offer telehealth services and online nutrition therapy when appropriate. We will meet via a HIPAA-compliant video conference platform and communicate between sessions using email. 

We provide nutrition counseling to clients from around the county. 

How much do sessions cost?

Side By Side Nutrition session rates for private pay clients are:

• $225 for the initial session and $170 for follow up sessions.

Insurance rates may vary from private pay rates depending on the insurance provider and your individual plan. We accept credit cards, debit cards, HSA, and FSA cards. 

We offer sliding scale spots open for those who qualify and are experiencing financial hardship.

Do you work with children and adolescents?

Dietitians at Side By Side Nutrition work with teens and adolescents ages around 9+ and up. With treating adolescents for an eating disorder, we typically use a modified family based treatment approach which involves treating the entire family. You can learn more about Family Based Treatment for eating disorders here.

How do I get started?

You can schedule directly online here!

You can also contact us to help you schedule via our contact form here.

If you have any questions about working with us or scheduling, feel free to contact us via email or phone: contact@sidebysidenutrition.com or call us at 708-717-7394.

What states do you work in?

We have offices in Colorado and WA but we see clients all over the United States! We can see clients virtually in Nevada, Kentucky, Minnesota, New York, Arizona, Wisconsin, Kansas, Missouri, Alabama, Illinois, Connecticut, California, Florida, Washington DC, Maryland, Oregon, Texas, New Hampshire, Utah, Virginia, Wyoming, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

We are moving more virtual because our goal is to make nutrition counseling as accessible, affordable, and stress-free as possible. Appointments with your dietitian are rooted in conversation. We have found that exchanging information during nutrition counseling sessions is far more effective and less stressful when you aren’t rushing to get to our office or worried about getting stuck in traffic. Want to talk to your dietitian in your pjs? Feel free! We use HIPAA-compliant Zoom for all of our appointments so you can easily and comfortably connect from home, work or wherever you are, on any device you choose.

Do you have a cancellation policy?

Because many patients wait several weeks for an appointment and to protect our providers time, we must strictly adhere to a 48 hour cancellation/late change policy. This policy states that you must cancel your appointment at least 48 hours ahead if you need to make any changes to your appointment. Failing to respect this policy will incur the full session fee. We appreciate your understanding as all clients who wish to be seen sooner benefit from this policy. 

Why do you keep a credit card on file?

The main reason we do this is to encourage our clients to communicate promptly with us about changing or canceling an appointment (see “Do you have a cancellation policy?” above).  

What is body dysmorphia?

Body dysmorphic disorder, also known as BDD, is a mental health condition characterized by excessive preoccupation with perceived flaws in one's appearance. This condition can affect individuals of any gender identity, including male, female, transgender, or non-binary. While it often emerges during adolescence, BDD can persist into adulthood and can affect individuals at any stage of life.

What is Health at Every Size?

Health at Every Size™ is a compassionate care framework that recognizes and promotes body diversity and holistic health. We recognize a focus on intentional weight loss causes harm, does not improve health, and further invokes weight stigma and discrimination. We believe any person in any size body can pursue health and create positive behavior change that prioritizes their individual health desires.

What is intuitive eating?

Intuitive Eating is an approach to eating that incorporates building body trust, intuitive responses, emotional awareness, and listening to your body. It encourages self-compassion, curiosity, trust, and a gentle attitude towards food in order to cultivate and maintain a sustainable, healthy, and trusting relationship with food and body image.

What is the difference between a nutritionist and a Registered Dietitian?

In summary, all Registered Dietitians (RD or RDN) are qualified nutritionists, but not all nutritionists hold the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist credential. The term "nutritionist" is not regulated, allowing anyone to use it, which complicates distinguishing individuals with comprehensive nutrition education (e.g., CN or CNS) from those with minimal training such as weekend courses or self-study.

The Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RD or RDN) designation is nationally recognized and provides certain assurances. It indicates that the individual has met specific criteria, including obtaining at least a bachelor's degree in nutrition science, completing a supervised practice program of over 1200 hours, passing a national registration exam, and fulfilling extensive continuing education requirements for license renewal. Our dietitian nutritionists are also licensed in states where licensure is mandatory.

Other practitioners who may identify as nutritionists, such as health coaches, holistic nutritionists, nutrition therapy practitioners, and personal trainers with "nutrition certifications," may lack formal nutrition training. Consequently, their services are ineligible for insurance reimbursement nationwide because they are not recognized as nutrition experts.