Resolve IBS and IBD Naturally

This podcast is for you if you are struggling with symptoms of IBS and IBD and want to get to the root cause of your symptoms so you can take back your health through a holistic, whole-person approach.

Resolve IBS and IBD Naturally is a health podcast hosted by Courtney Cowie NTP, FDN-P, with 83 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Courtney Cowie NTP, FDN-P hosts Resolve IBS and IBD Naturally, a health show with 83 episodes published.

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  Episode #84

  Herxheimer Die-Off Reaction: Why Gut Healing Makes IBS Worse First | Ep 84

  Sep 25, 202631 minS1

  Send us Fan Mail In this episode, you'll learn: How to tell the difference between a normal "die-off" reaction and a sign that something in your protocol is actually wrong Why feeling worse before feeling better is common — but shouldn't last longer than 14 days How to build a support toolkit so you don't quit right before you'd start seeing results If you've started an elimination diet, a new supplement, or a gut healing protocol and suddenly feel worse instead of better, you're not imagining it — and you're not necessarily doing something wrong. In this episode, Courtney breaks down the Herxheimer response (commonly called "die-off"): what's actually happening in your microbiome when you change your diet or introduce antimicrobial herbs, and why it can look like a full-blown flare, brain fog, fatigue, or even flu-like symptoms. Courtney shares her own experience going through an extended die-off period during one of her personal elimination diets, and explains the general 3-to-14-day timeline most people can expect to move through before symptoms start improving. She also walks through the questions she asks clients when symptoms aren't improving past that window — including a real client case where persistent IBS symptoms turned out to be caused by a prescription medication, not diet or infection at all. This episode also covers when die-off symptoms might be pointing to something deeper, like toxic mold exposure, tick-borne illness, or heavy metal burden, and why nervous system dysregulation and unmanaged stress can stall out even a well-designed gut protocol. Courtney closes with practical guidance for building your own "die-off toolkit" — including how to time a gut protocol around your life and how to build an emotional support plan before symptoms hit, so you're prepared instead of blindsided. Topics covered: Herxheimer reaction, die-off symptoms, IBS flare, IBD symptoms, elimination diet side effects, gut protocol, antimicrobial herbs, GI Map testing, toxic mold exposure, heavy metal toxicity, nervous system regulation, gut healing timeline Timestamped Chapters 00:00 — What is die-off / the Herxheimer response? 04:30 — Why changing your diet shifts your microbiome so fast 07:15 — What die-off symptoms actually look like (GI and non-GI) 10:45 — The typical 3-14 day die-off timeline 13:30 — Courtney's personal 4-week die-off experience 17:00 — When to suspect it's not die-off — it's something else 19:45 — Case study: the client whose "IBS" was actually medication-induced 23:30 — Questions Courtney asks clients when symptoms aren't improving 27:15 — When die-off points to deeper issues: mold, Lyme, heavy metals 31:00 — The role of nervous system dysregulation in stalled healing 34:00 — How to time your gut protocol around your life 36:30 — Building your die-off emotional support toolkit Link to my free training “The Root Cause Approach to Gut Healing” —my step-by-step framework to stop guessing and start healing Link to a free 30 minute Gut Check Call Link to my website Disclaimer: None of the content discussed is meant to be taken as medical advice. All information presented is for educational purposes only and listeners and viewers assume all responsibility around implementing any changes to their health and medical regimen.

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #83

  Why Ultra-Restricted Diets Make IBS & IBD Worse (Carnivore, Low FODMAP Mistakes) | Ep 83

  Sep 11, 202641 minS1

  Send us Fan Mail In this episode, you'll learn: Why ultra-restricted diets like carnivore can backfire long-term for IBS and IBD by shrinking your microbiome diversity Why low FODMAP alone rarely resolves chronic gut symptoms — and what it's missing How to know if your "healthy" restrictive diet is actually creating new food sensitivities If you've been diagnosed with IBS, IBD, or chronic gut symptoms and you've tried cutting out food after food hoping for relief, this episode is for you. Courtney breaks down the double-edged sword of food restriction — why it can bring fast symptom relief in the short term, and why staying there long-term often makes food sensitivities worse, not better. Courtney walks through her own process for evaluating a new client's diet, including how she uses food journaling to identify individual food triggers rather than applying a one-size-fits-all protocol. She explains why common IBS/IBD trigger foods like wheat, dairy, and certain grains show up across so many cases, but why bio-individuality still determines how much variety any one person can eventually tolerate. A major focus of this episode is the carnivore diet and other extreme elimination approaches. Courtney shares her personal experience healing her own gut symptoms on a highly restricted, roughly 10-food diet — and why she ultimately moved away from that approach. She unpacks the physical risks of long-term ultra-restriction, including carbohydrate depletion's effect on the brain and thyroid, reduced microbiome diversity, and an increased risk of developing new food sensitivities from eating the same repetitive foods over and over. Courtney also addresses why low FODMAP, one of the most commonly recommended diets for IBS, is often not enough on its own to fully resolve symptoms. She explains that low FODMAP only addresses one category of fermentable carbohydrates, while true symptom relief usually requires a more individualized elimination approach combined with root cause testing — such as a functional stool test — to identify the specific stressors, imbalances, and food sensitivities driving each person's symptoms. Finally, Courtney discusses the often-overlooked role of the nervous system and subconscious brain in food tolerance and hypersensitization, and why working on that layer — alongside diet — tends to produce faster, more lasting results than nutrition changes alone. Topics covered: IBS-D, IBD, carnivore diet, low FODMAP mistakes, food sensitivities, leaky gut, microbiome diversity, elimination diets, gut-brain connection, root cause testing, functional stool testing, food triggers, autoimmune gut health Timestamped Chapters 00:00 — Intro: the double-edged sword of food restriction 02:15 — How Courtney builds a food journal protocol with new clients 05:40 — Common food triggers vs. individual bio-individuality 08:30 — Why carnivore and all-plant-based diets both carry risk for IBS/IBD 12:00 — Courtney's personal experience healing on a 10-food diet 16:45 — The psychological cost of ultra-restriction 20:10 — Why low FODMAP alone usually isn't enough 24:00 — What ultra-restriction does to your microbiome diversity 28:30 — How repetitive eating can create new food sensitivities 32:15 — The standard American diet's hidden restriction problem 35:50 — The nervous system's role in food tolerance and hypersensitization 39:20 — Why root cause testing comes before (or alongside) elimination Link to my free training “The Root Cause Approach to Gut Healing” —my step-by-step framework to stop guessing and start healing Link to a free 30 minute Gut Check Call Link to my website Disclaimer: None of the content discussed is meant to be taken as medical advice. All information presented is for educational purposes only and listeners and viewers assume all responsibility around implementing any changes to their health and medical regimen.

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #82

  Why Raw Foods and Salads Might Be Making Your IBS Worse | Ep 82

  Aug 28, 202645 minS1

  Send us Fan Mail If you've been told that salads, smoothies, and raw vegetables are the "healthy" choice, but your IBS or IBD symptoms seem to get worse after eating them, this episode explains why. I'm breaking down the concept of "cold damage" from classical Chinese medicine and how it connects directly to weakened digestive function, slow motility, and chronic GI symptoms like bloating, diarrhea, and constipation. This isn't about ditching vegetables forever — it's about understanding why raw and cold foods can overwhelm an already-weakened digestive system, and what to do instead if you're someone who's tried "eating healthy" and still isn't getting relief. In this episode, you'll learn: What "cold damage" means in Chinese medicine and why it matters for IBS and IBD Why raw vegetables, salads, fruit, and ice water can worsen symptoms in someone with weak digestion What "weakened digestive fire" means and how to recognize it in your own body Why cooked, warm foods can be easier to digest and absorb than raw ones How stress and blood flow patterns contribute to poor digestive function A simple one-to-two week experiment to test if cold and raw foods are aggravating your symptoms Why chronic bloating, diarrhea, and constipation are signs of "loss of function," not just bad luck Link to my free training “The Root Cause Approach to Gut Healing” —my step-by-step framework to stop guessing and start healing Link to a free 30 minute Gut Check Call Link to my website Disclaimer: None of the content discussed is meant to be taken as medical advice. All information presented is for educational purposes only and listeners and viewers assume all responsibility around implementing any changes to their health and medical regimen.

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #81

  Episode 81: How to Manage Mindset When Life Feels Out of Control Because of Your Autoimmune Disease, with Dr. Amy Behimer

  Aug 14, 202652 minS1

  Send us Fan Mail If you're living with an autoimmune condition — whether that's IBD, Hashimoto's, Graves', MS, or another diagnosis — and you feel like your body and your life are spiraling out of control, this episode is for you. Dr. Amy Behimer, PharmD and board-certified health coach living with four autoimmune diagnoses herself, joins me to break down the mindset side of autoimmune healing that most practitioners never talk about. We cover why your thoughts about your diagnosis directly shape your symptoms, how to shift from "managing disease" to "creating health," and why tiny, believable changes outperform massive overhauls every time. If you've tried every diet, every supplement, and every doctor and still feel stuck, this conversation will help you understand the missing piece. In this episode, you'll learn: Why feeling hopeless after trying everything isn't a sign you're "unfixable" — it's a sign your inner habits haven't caught up to your outer ones The difference between managing autoimmune disease and creating autoimmune health How your thoughts about your diagnosis directly influence inflammation and symptom flares Why "trust in the tiny" works better than drastic diet or lifestyle overhauls How to know if fear (not evidence) is driving your health decisions The real reason so many people quit a new protocol before it has a chance to work What it actually looks like to rebuild identity after a chronic diagnosis Keywords/topics for search optimization: autoimmune disease mindset, autoimmune healing, IBD flare ups, managing autoimmune symptoms naturally, autoimmune and anxiety, gut brain connection autoimmune, chronic illness mindset shift, habit change for chronic illness, feeling hopeless with autoimmune disease, autoimmune identity change, Dr. Amy Behimer Guest: Dr. Amy Behimer, PharmD, board-certified health coach, host of Autoimmune Health Secrets podcast www.amybehimercoaching.com https://www.instagram.com/amybehimercoaching/ https://podfollow.com/autoimmune-health-secrets www.amybehimercoaching.com/quiz Link to my free training “The Root Cause Approach to Gut Healing” —my step-by-step framework to stop guessing and start healing Link to a free 30 minute Gut Check Call Link to my website Disclaimer: None of the content discussed is meant to be taken as medical advice. All information presented is for educational purposes only and listeners and viewers assume all responsibility around implementing any changes to their health and medical regimen.

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #80

  Episode 80: Why IBS and IBD Make You So Tired: 6 Root Causes of Chronic Fatigue

  Jul 31, 202637 minS1

  Send us Fan Mail If you have IBS-D, IBD, or chronic gut issues and you're exhausted all the time — needing naps to get through the day, relying on caffeine to function, waking up tired no matter how much you sleep — your fatigue isn't a separate problem. It's coming from your gut. In this episode, I break down the six root causes of chronic fatigue in IBS and IBD, why eating a healthy diet isn't enough when your digestive system is compromised, and where to look for answers when "everything looks normal" on your labs. During my own IBS-D struggle, the fatigue was so profound I sometimes had to lie down midday just to function. Here's what I've learned — personally and in my functional nutrition practice — about why this happens and how to get your energy back. What you'll learn in this episode: Why a healthy diet can't fix your energy when digestion is broken: the "high-quality gas in a broken engine" problem Root cause #1 — Impaired digestion: how low stomach acid, weak enzyme production, and poor bile quality drain your energy (and how a GI Map stool test reveals it) Root cause #2 — Malabsorption and leaky gut: why nutrients are "going right through you" and how small intestine damage activates the immune system Root cause #3 — Chronic inflammation: the hidden energy thief connecting your gut to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, blood sugar issues, and autoimmune conditions Root cause #4 — Blood sugar instability: why energy crashes after meals trace back to gut dysfunction Root cause #5 — The chronic stress response and stored trauma: how living with unpredictable gut symptoms keeps your nervous system locked in survival mode — and why that consumes enormous energy Root cause #6 — Toxic burden and poor detox capacity: mycotoxins, chemical toxins, microplastics, and the Total Tox Burden test Why hidden gut infections silently drain energy in the background — and how specialized testing uncovers what conventional GI workups miss If you're exhausted, brain-fogged, and feel like food is "going right through you" — and your doctor says everything looks fine — there's a root cause your labs haven't found yet. Link to my free training “The Root Cause Approach to Gut Healing” —my step-by-step framework to stop guessing and start healing Link to a free 30 minute Gut Check Call Link to my website Disclaimer: None of the content discussed is meant to be taken as medical advice. All information presented is for educational purposes only and listeners and viewers assume all responsibility around implementing any changes to their health and medical regimen.

  ListenShow Notes

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