My diet was making me ill
VEGAN NURSE SAYS DIET CHANGE HAS HELPED TACKLE ILLNESS
A NURSE who spent a decade feeling unwell because of irritable bowel syndrome says her life has changed since cutting out some staples of her vegan diet – including lentils, chickpeas and soy.
Amy Harding, 36, missed nights out with friends and sessions at the gym because her IBS left her bloated and in pain.
Diagnosed in her mid-20s, Amy suffered abdominal pain, wind and irregular bowel movements.
She stopped seeing her GP when she realised they couldn’t help her any further.
But Amy’s life has been transformed after she took an at-home food intolerance test, created and supplied by UK-based YorkTest Laboratories.
The test, which checks for reactions in up to 208 food and drink ingredients, identified many of the foods which made up Amy’s vegan diet to be triggers. Lentils, chickpeas and soy were all causing problems for Amy and she noticed her health improving just days after cutting them out of her diet.
Dedicated vegan Amy, from Didsbury, says she now feels amazing after altering her diet.
The mental health nurse said: “Knowing the cause of my IBS-type symptoms has changed my life and I feel amazing.
“To prevent my symptoms, I would try and eat very little during the day which left me feeling moody and down.
“Sometimes I couldn’t go the gym or exercise because I felt too uncomfortable or embarrassed.
“I missed going out with friends because my stomach was sore, I could never go for a meal with them in case I bloated or got wind.”
She added: “I have cut out my reaction foods and limit my borderline foods as much as I can.
“I don’t get anywhere near as much wind and bloating. I can eat out and I feel happier in my mood.” Amy had previously worried that her IBS would mean she could never live her life to the full.
She sought advice from her doctor and invested in various IBS-type medications over a number of years.
Before becoming vegan in early 2018, she had been a pescatarian – someone who eats fish but not meat – because of concern for animals and the environment. But neither diet reduced her symptoms, and three months after becoming a vegan, they worsened.
Any said: “I decided to go vegan in January. I thought I would feel great but my stomach felt worse.
“As a vegan, being intolerant to lentils and chickpeas is quite unfortunate but with the advice from YorkTest, I’m managing to still build muscle and keep fit.
“Everyone who I have spoken to has been really helpful.”
“I feel so much better. Knowing the cause of my IBS-type symptoms has changed my life and I feel amazing,” she added.