Do I Need to Cut Out Food to Feel Better?
If you’ve been struggling with bloating, gas, stomach pain, or unpredictable bowel movements, you’ve probably been told—by friends, social media, or even a healthcare provider—that the solution is to “just cut out certain foods.”
For many people, that advice feels both hopeful and overwhelming. On one hand, maybe you’ll finally feel better. On the other, it can mean giving up foods you enjoy, feeling anxious every time you eat, and wondering if you’ll ever get back to “normal.”
Here’s the truth: while there are times when cutting out certain foods is necessary, most gut problems are not caused by the food itself. In most cases, food reactions are just a symptom of something deeper going on in your digestive system.
Let’s break it down.
When Food Restrictions Are Necessary
There are situations where removing a food from your diet makes a huge difference—and it’s absolutely the right choice. For example:
Celiac disease – Your immune system reacts to gluten, damaging your small intestine. Even a tiny amount of gluten can cause harm, so permanent gluten avoidance is essential.
Lactose intolerance – Your body doesn’t make enough of the enzyme needed to digest lactose (the sugar in milk), leading to bloating, cramping, and diarrhea when you eat dairy. Reducing or removing dairy usually improves symptoms.
Severe food allergies – These can cause dangerous, even life-threatening reactions. Avoidance is non-negotiable.
In these cases, the food is truly the culprit, so removing it is the fix.
When Food Isn’t Really the Problem
Here’s where things get tricky—most people who come to see me for digestive concerns don’t have a true allergy or celiac disease. Yet they find themselves reacting to all kinds of foods: bread, onions, beans, apples, coffee, even healthy vegetables.
If you’ve noticed that more and more foods seem to bother you over time, it’s probably not because you’re developing new allergies every month. Instead, something is going on in your gut that’s making you more sensitive.
Some common root causes include:
1. SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)
Normally, most of your gut bacteria live in your large intestine. In SIBO, too many bacteria are living in your small intestine—where they don’t belong. When you eat fermentable carbohydrates (like beans, bread, or onions), those bacteria have a feast and produce gas. That leads to bloating, pain, and changes in bowel movements.
Here’s the key: the food didn’t cause the problem—it’s just feeding the bacteria that shouldn’t be there in the first place. Treating the overgrowth often allows people to reintroduce foods they thought they could “never” eat again.
2. SIFO (Small Intestinal Fungal Overgrowth)
Similar to SIBO, but instead of bacteria, it’s an overgrowth of yeast or fungi in the small intestine. Symptoms can include bloating, sugar cravings, and feeling “spacey” after eating carbs. Again, the carbs aren’t the problem—they’re just fueling the overgrowth. Addressing the yeast overgrowth usually improves tolerance to many foods.
3. Leaky Gut (Intestinal Permeability)
Your gut lining is designed to be selectively permeable—it lets nutrients in but keeps larger, potentially irritating particles out. When it becomes too “leaky,” food particles can sneak into your bloodstream, triggering immune reactions and inflammation.
With leaky gut, you might react to multiple different foods—but those reactions often go away once the gut lining is healed. The goal isn’t to stay on a restrictive diet forever—it’s to fix the barrier so you can enjoy a wider variety of foods again.
4. Stress-Induced IBS
Your brain and gut are deeply connected. Chronic stress can change gut motility, alter the balance of bacteria, and increase gut sensitivity. This means foods that never bothered you before can suddenly trigger bloating or discomfort. Managing stress, supporting the nervous system, and restoring healthy gut function can make a big difference—without long-term food restriction.
The Low FODMAP Diet: Helpful, but Temporary
One of the most common restricted diets, usually prescribed for IBS, is the low FODMAP diet. FODMAPs are certain carbohydrates that can be fermented by gut bacteria, producing gas and symptoms like bloating or cramping.
Here’s the thing—this diet was never meant to be a permanent way of eating. Research and the original guidelines recommend using it for only 2–6 weeks before slowly reintroducing foods to see what you tolerate.
Unfortunately, many people are told (or assume) that they should stay low FODMAP forever. This can backfire, leading to nutrient gaps, loss of healthy gut bacteria, and unnecessary stress around eating. The goal is to use low FODMAP as a short-term tool while you address the real reason you’re reacting to foods—like SIBO, SIFO, or another root cause.
The Problem with Over-Restricting Your Diet
Many people start with a short list of “problem foods” and, over time, that list gets longer and longer. Before you know it, you’re eating only a handful of “safe” foods.
This can lead to:
Nutrient deficiencies – Cutting out entire food groups can make it harder to get all the vitamins, minerals, and fiber your body needs.
Weakened gut resilience – The more restricted your diet, the less diverse your gut microbiome becomes—and a healthy microbiome actually helps protect against food sensitivities.
Food anxiety – Worrying about what you can or can’t eat can take the joy out of eating and make social situations stressful.
While short-term elimination diets can be a helpful tool for identifying triggers, staying on a very limited diet for months or years is rarely the solution.
A Better Approach to Gut Healing
Instead of jumping straight into cutting foods, I usually recommend we start with investigating the root cause. That might include:
Comprehensive stool testing to look for infections, inflammation, and imbalances.
Breath testing for SIBO or similar conditions.
Assessing for celiac disease or other immune reactions.
Reviewing stress levels, sleep, and lifestyle factors.
Once we understand why your gut is reacting, we can address the cause—whether that’s clearing an overgrowth, healing the gut lining, rebalancing the microbiome, or calming the nervous system.
Food adjustments may be part of the plan, but the goal is always to widen your diet over time, not shrink it.
The Bottom Line
If you’ve been living with gut problems, you don’t necessarily have to resign yourself to a life of avoiding half the foods you love. Yes, sometimes cutting out certain foods is necessary—but for most people, those food reactions are a clue, not the root cause.
When you treat the underlying issue—whether it’s SIBO, SIFO, leaky gut, or stress-induced IBS—you can often enjoy those “off-limits” foods again without symptoms.
Your gut was designed to be resilient. With the right care, it can be again.
Ready to make a change?
If you’d like to get to the root of your gut problems without endless food restrictions, book an appointment—we’ll figure out what’s really going on and help you get back to eating with confidence.
Be well,
Dr. Mitchell Schroeder, ND