Just Ask Terry

Terry is happy to provide his opinion on diet and nutrition, supplements and lifestyle choices. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice of your physician and is not to be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you have any concerns please contact your physician directly.

Q. Dear Terry, “I am looking for information on gastritis. Any recommendations regarding what foods to eat, not eat, herbs, supplements? How can I start to heal my body?” — Anne P., Marietta, GA

A. Dear Anne, In the case of gastritis, I would suggest taking a look at your current eating habits. While there is no one diet that fits everyone, I recommend you review my diet as described in Terry’s Traditional Diet and follow it to the best of your ability. Keep in mind that regardless of the diet you follow, responses and the specific foods that trigger those responses will vary among individuals, so it’s best to avoid anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. However, a good general rule of thumb is to avoid all fried foods and vegetable oils. Better options include superior fats like butter, olive oil and sesame oil.

In addition to the dietary modifications I have suggested, I would also recommend a few nutritional formulations.

Adding probiotics and deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) to your daily regimen will help soothe your ‘gut’ – that is, the stomach and intestines. Probiotics, also called ‘beneficial bacteria’, typically colonize in the intestines and are not only beneficial for intestinal health, but overall health as well, while DGL helps keep your stomach and intestinal mucosal lining strong and intact. I especially like a certain type of probiotic called Lactobacillus paracasei blended with a clinically studied, encapsulated DGL. Unlike previous DGL products, the encapsulated DGL does not need to be chewed. When choosing a product, look for one that contains a DGL extract standardized to contain 3.5% glabridin, with greater than 10% total flavonoids per dose. I suggest taking 2 capsules of this blend daily.

I would also recommend adding a formula that contains a special blend of boswellia and curcumin. Curcumin and boswellia are two Indian plants that exhibit very effective anti-inflammatory properties, in addition to promoting tissue repair. Take 1 softgel of this combination twice daily. When looking for a formula, keep in mind that standard curcumin is very poorly absorbed, so make sure you choose a curcumin with excellent absorption that has been proven in published human studies. The best form I have ever found uses micronized curcumin blended with turmeric essential oils in a patented process. This curcumin has been shown in published human studies to be up to 10 times better absorbed than standard curcumin. It’s also important to find a formula that features a boswellia extract that has filtered out the majority of beta-boswellic acid to 5% or less. Unlike most boswellic acids, beta-boswellic acid is actually pro-inflammatory. Removing it greatly enhances the potency of the boswellia extract. You also want a boswellia extract that includes at least 10% or more of acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid (AKBA), the most active component of boswellia.

Healthy Regards!

Terry . . . Naturally