Jody Garlick, RDN, LDN

Common Digestive Health Issues in Older Adults

Jody Garlick, RDN, LDN — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 15:05:51 +0000

As the population worldwide continues to live longer, approximately 14.5% of those living in the United States are categorized as older adults or over 65.1 There seems to be a lot of information available for adults living with digestive conditions, but we do not hear as much about the older adult population. In my private practice, this population of older adults is looking for dietary help for improving digestion seems to be growing. Reviewing the current research, it is still unclear whether digestive problems in older adults are due to the normal aging process or a disease process.1 Underlying Causes of Digestive Problems in Seniors This article aims to identify and discuss some potential underlying causes of digestive problems in older adults. Furthermore, this article discusses some of the most common digestive issues in older adults, including constipation, chronic diarrhea, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), diverticular disease, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), as well […]

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How To Manage GERD, Acid Reflux or Heartburn Symptoms When You Have IBS

Jody Garlick, RDN, LDN — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 14:01:54 +0000

What Are GERD (aka Acid Reflux or Heartburn) and IBS? Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) aka acid reflux or heartburn and functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are common health conditions. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a type of FGID that often overlaps with GERD or functional heartburn (FH). Perhaps you have experienced a burning sensation in your esophagus or above your stomach after you have eaten? Do you know what caused this painful symptom? Do you know what you can do to help avoid this in the future? GERD and FH can be tricky to manage, and it can be confusing to figure out the best approach for reducing the symptoms. This article focuses on the acidity of foods and how to tailor a diet to accommodate this issue if you also have IBS. Managing GERD, Acid Reflux or Heartburn Treatment for GERD typically includes medications for symptom management, lifestyle modifications, and/or dietary strategies. […]

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CBD Oil for Treating IBS: Does It Work?

Jody Garlick, RDN, LDN — Thu, 06 Apr 2023 17:42:05 +0000

Why We Tried CBD Oil Even though the endocannabinoid system was discovered over 20 years ago, we are just starting to learn more about it and how it relates to gut health. Before we get into the science, let me share an incredible story and why I decided to start using CBD hemp oil with IBS clients in my private practice. My teenage son was injured playing hockey and suffered from a terrible concussion. About 6 months following the injury, his digestive symptoms developed including poor appetite, weight loss, vomiting almost every morning, and alternating diarrhea and constipation. After having an endoscopy and colonoscopy done, he had so much inflammation and damage in his esophagus and stomach the doctor insisted we use medication to heal the gut. He made very little progress, but the medication helped him tolerate the symptoms better and took the “edge” off. About 6 months ago, […]

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The Microbiome Explained

Jody Garlick, RDN, LDN — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 17:55:45 +0000

The Fascinating Microbiome As a dietitian, I can’t help but be totally fascinated by the microbiome. It’s cool, but also a confusing topic with lots of “geeky” terms that you might not understand. This article will explain what the human gut microbiome is, why it’s important, how we can change it, and how it impacts our overall health. It’s amazing to think that every surface of our body is literally covered in microbes, which are tiny life forms such as bacteria. Even though these microbes can be found everywhere in our body, the largest number are living in our digestive system, and do affect our gut health. Even though these microbes can be found everywhere in our body, the largest number are living in our digestive system, and do affect our gut health. The Mighty Digestive System The digestive system starts at the mouth and ends with the large intestine […]

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Top 5 High Fiber Low FODMAP Foods

Jody Garlick, RDN, LDN — Sat, 18 Apr 2020 16:45:23 +0000

Are You Getting Enough Fiber? For years, dietitians have been promoting the importance of getting enough fiber in the diet. However, one of the challenges with the low FODMAP diet is the lack of choices for high fiber foods. This is a common concern as people begin this type of therapeutic diet. Since so many fruits and vegetables are restricted because of the high FODMAP content, how can you get enough fiber each day? How Much Fiber? Exactly how much fiber should we be getting in our diet each day? Take a look at this chart to see where you fall. This might seem like a big number, but you will learn here how easy it is to get enough, even if you are on a low FODMAP diet. How To Add Fiber To Your Diet Once you figure out how much fiber you should be getting each day, it’s […]

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Drinking Alcohol On The Low FODMAP Diet

Jody Garlick, RDN, LDN — Tue, 25 Dec 2018 19:56:25 +0000

Can You or Can’t You? Feeling confused about drinking alcohol on the low FODMAP diet? Whether you like to enjoy an occasional drink or have an upcoming social event, it can be tricky knowing what fits into a low FODMAP diet. For people without digestive issues, having a drink with friends or at the end of a long day is easy. In fact, so easy we take it for granted until faced with digestive conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Learn how to safely add alcohol to your low FODMAP diet and ideas for what to order the next time you want to have a drink. The Good News & The Bad News I have some good news and bad news about alcohol and the low FODMAP diet. So, the good news is there are actually many low FODMAP options if you are looking to have a drink or […]

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IBS and IBD – What’s the Difference?

Jody Garlick, RDN, LDN — Sun, 24 Dec 2017 18:02:09 +0000

Have you ever wondered about these two conditions? Although IBS and IBD may sound similar, they actually couldn’t be more different. If you or someone you care about are suffering from IBS or IBD, learn more about each of these conditions, the diagnosis process, and approaches to managing them. Description Of IBS and IBD Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is considered a functional digestive disorder. This means that physically, the digestive tract looks normal, but there’s a problem in the way it works. IBS is characterized by altered bowel movements and abdominal pain. Other common symptoms include gas and bloating. Surprisingly, IBS affects about 10 to 15% of the world population and is more prevalent in women than men. For more info on IBS you can read that here. On the other hand, inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, is an autoimmune condition characterized by chronic intestinal inflammation. There are physical […]

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Our Favorite Prebiotic Low FODMAP Foods

Jody Garlick, RDN, LDN — Fri, 30 Jun 2017 00:51:37 +0000

Prebiotic vs. Probiotic: What Is The Difference? I have noticed that information about probiotics is all over the media. But what about prebiotics? It might not be clear what the difference is between probiotics and prebiotics. To add to the confusion, if you are following a low FODMAP diet, it might be challenging to know which foods naturally contain prebiotics. To get a better understanding, let’s start with the microbiome. This is the collection of bacteria that lives in our body, with the majority of it residing in the large intestine. We weren’t born this way, though. The first three years of life, we are slowly building a microbiome to help keep us healthy. Ideally, we should have a nice balance and variety of the good type of bacteria in our gut to keep the bad ones from causing problems. What Are Prebiotics? Think of probiotics as the “good” bacteria […]

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Intro to Leaky Gut

Jody Garlick, RDN, LDN — Tue, 20 Jun 2017 16:46:48 +0000

What is Leaky Gut? “Leaky gut”, or increased intestinal permeability, is a common problem for anyone suffering from digestive and autoimmune conditions. Not all doctors agree yet on whether this problem really exists or its relationship to other conditions. Fortunately for us, the evidence continues to accumulate as researchers look for more answers. To better understand what “leaky gut” is, try to visualize your digestive tract as a long tube that connects your mouth to your anus. This tube has a very thin lining, in fact, it’s only about 3 mm thick or about the width of two pennies. This lining is essential for keeping food particles inside the intestine and also for making it possible to absorb nutrients from the food we eat. Standard American Diets Don’t Help There are very small spaces between the cells in the lining, called tight junctions, that can sometimes become compromised. Eating a […]

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