Ottawa Digestive Issues

Did you know that digestive issues impact not only your physical health but also your mental health? Yup! When our digestion is off, we can experience physical symptoms (discomfort, bloating, abnormal poops, etc.) but we may also experience increased anxiety, low mood, and fogginess.

Our digestive system is responsible for breaking down food into nutrients, which the body uses for energy, growth, and cellular repair. As humans, we absolutely need food to live. And without our digestive system, we cannot transform food into the energy we require.

When our digestion is off, it is no wonder that we may start feeling off too. This is why addressing our digestive health is so important for our overall health.

At The Balanced Practice, we believe in empowering you in your care by providing personalized support to optimize your digestion.

• Dieting will help (TRUTH: Nope, this is a trap (run!). Restriction impairs our digestive system significantly. Restriction negatively impacts our gut microbiome and stomach lining.)
• Intolerance testing is helpful ( TRUTH: Unfortunately, most food intolerance tests are not evidence based. In fact, when you leave a test with a list of 50+ foods you are intolerant to, this often leads to further disordered eating patterns.)
• Gluten and dairy are the issue (Truth: maybe, but probably not. Diet culture has made us believe that gluten and dairy are the main problem when it comes to digestive health. The truth is that most humans are able to digest and absorb these foods quite efficiently. Cutting out certain foods (or entire food groups) ultimately leads to more restriction, which is usually unnecessary and may lead to increased symptoms)

At The Balanced Practice, we take an evidence based, non-restrictive and person-centered approach to care. We believe in empowering you in your care so you can better understand your own body and needs.

• IBS
• Food intolerances
• Ulcerative Colitis
• Crohn’s Disease
• Post-surgery nutrition (e.g., ostomies)
• GERD
• Abnormal bowel movements (constipation/diarrhea)
• Bloating/cramping
• Early onset satiety

Digestive health is overall health.

There is a big overlap between digestive health and disordered eating. This is no surprise as experiencing digestive issues can lead to dieting and restrictions, which are huge risk factors for developing an eating disorder. AND having an eating disorder (or engaging in restrictive patterns or binge eating) can also lead to digestive issues. Because of this significant overlap, the registered dietitians at The Balanced Practice have extensive experience supporting clients with digestive and gut health.

At The Balanced Practice, we believe in supporting you with navigating your digestive issues from an anti-diet, evidence based and person-centered approach. Our approach is completely personalized to you and your needs, as no two clients are the same.

The first step is to book a nutrition assessment. In this 75-minute session, your registered dietitian will be conducting a thorough nutrition evaluation in order to assess your needs and create a nutrition plan to support you in reaching your goals. Our dietitians will support you with developing a healthy relationship with food and increase trust in your body while working towards digestive health.