Nutritional Coaching: Danièle’s Experience

Nassim Drissi Smaili July 31, 2023 Dietitian, FODMAP, IBS Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Testimonials

Some time after her retirement, Danièle was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. She really did not expect this diagnosis for such violent and frequent abdominal pain which, moreover, had a major impact on her quality of life. Our FODMAP* meal plans and our nutritional coaching service helped her enormously to better understand and identify what was making her so sick. She can now control her symptoms and fully enjoy her retirement.

I worked for 45 years in different sectors of health care services. Despite my multiple commitments, I also took care of my physical form by regularly walking 5 km at least 3 times a week.

At the beginning of 2022, I had severe food poisoning. I was very sick and had a temperature for a few days. The symptoms (cramps, abdominal pain and diarrhea) were not getting better and I lost over 20 pounds in 1 month. I couldn’t tolerate anything anymore, I didn’t know what was wrong with me, I was very worried. I consulted and the search for the diagnosis began. For almost 6 months, several avenues were explored. We thought of all kinds of diagnoses, we carried out the research by eliminating what I didn’t have… finally we arrived at IBS. My doctor gave me a list of food I could eat and food I should avoid.

Towards the end of the summer, the crises followed one another. I felt backed into a wall, I didn’t know where to start: I no longer went out, I could no longer go to restaurants, I could no longer eat with friends. I isolated myself more and more and I was sick all the time. So I told myself that if I didn’t take care of myself, there would be no one else who would do it for me.

So I started researching IBS on the internet. With the tag “FODMAP”, in the first results I came across the book of SOSCuisine – “The FODMAP Solution”.. This way I discovered their site and signed up for the SOSCuisine newsletter. I found new information there and liked their positive approach, with tools and services directly related to specific problems, including IBS.

At first I bought the book, very well done, clear and useful, but I needed more support, so I signed up for their nutritional coaching VIP Dietitian program. This was the best decision I could have made!

The dietitian helped me a lot to understand the food tables. She helped me a lot during the first phase where I had to give up many foods. After just 7-10 days I noticed a significant reduction in symptoms, which was encouraging. But in September I moved on to the second phase, that of reintroducing FODMAPs, and unfortunately the first attempt at reintroduction went badly. This upset me, but luckily my dietitian was there to guide me and put me back on track. Ot took a while, it takes perseverance, but it was worth it.

The very fact of understanding what IBS is and precisely identifying intolerances in order to better manage them is fantastic. The “wizard” has helped me a lot in this sense as it not only identifies the permitted foods but above all identifies the exact quantity that we can consume. And this is an important element; because instead of saying “I can’t eat this food at all” you can say “I can eat it up to a certain amount“.

In conclusion: the best gift I gave myself is the support of the SOSCuisine’s dietitian and all the excellent tools that are part of the service. To this day I continue to receive personalized weekly meal plans and nutritional updates in the newsletter.

What a long journey I have made in one year, but what pride to regain control over my health!

Danièle’s favorite recipes:

Allergen-Free Vegetable Broth

See the recipe >>

Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

See the recipe >>

Berry Tofu Mousse

See the recipe >>

Have you ever thought of having nutritional coaching ? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or in the comments below!

*FODMAPs are fermentable carbohydrates that are partly responsible for causing symptoms in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). For more info, read this article.

Author

Nassim Drissi Smaili

Passionate and creative, Nassim is a graduate of the ENCG (National School of Commerce and Management) of Kenitra in Morocco, option Marketing and Commercial Action. She is responsible for the management of SOSCuisine's Social Networks. Her field of action ranges from the implementation of digital communication strategies to the creation of content and, of course, to the management of communities.