Food Intolerance and Sensitivity | Diet vs Disease

5 Things That Make Diverticulitis Flares More Likely

Joe Leech, Dietitian (MSc Nutrition & Dietetics) — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 08:25:49 +0000

Most people with diverticulitis ask the same question after a flare: “What did I eat?” Was it the nuts? Was it the popcorn? Was it that salad? Was it the steak from three nights ago? You see the same questions everywhere people talk about diverticulitis: coffee before breakfast, red meat, seeds, constipation, stress, fiber, alcohol, and genetics. People are trying to find the one thing they did wrong. But flares usually aren’t caused by one magic food. In fact, one large study published in JAMA followed more than 47,000 men and found that nuts, corn, and popcorn did not increase diverticulitis risk — and popcorn was actually linked with a lower risk in that study (1). So if you’ve been blaming one meal, or one tiny seed, you may be looking in the wrong place. And if you’re thinking, “But[Discover More...]

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Going Gluten-Free Didn’t Fix Your Gut? Here’s Why

Joe Leech, Dietitian (MSc Nutrition & Dietetics) — Wed, 13 May 2026 10:27:54 +0000

Have you gone gluten-free because your gut was a mess — the bloating, the pain, the cramping — and found that it helped at first, but then the symptoms came back? Or maybe you switched to gluten-free products and somehow started feeling worse? If that sounds familiar, you’re not doing it wrong. And you’re not imagining it. The gluten-free food market is worth almost eight billion dollars and growing, with tens of millions of people worldwide currently avoiding gluten. But here’s what most of them have never been told: for the vast majority of people eating gluten-free for gut symptoms, the relief they experienced had almost nothing to do with gluten. In this article, I’m going to explain exactly why that happens, what’s actually going on inside your gut, and what to do instead so you can eat with far[Discover More...]

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Why Diverticulitis Keeps Coming Back (What Doctors Miss)

Joe Leech, Dietitian (MSc Nutrition & Dietetics) — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:15:01 +0000

One in three people who have a diverticulitis flare will have another one. Not because they did anything wrong after the first one. Not because they ignored their doctor’s advice. Most of them did everything they were told. The problem is that what they were told was incomplete. And in some cases, the standard approach may actually be making the cycle worse. In this article, I’m going to walk through four things that the conventional medical system consistently gets wrong about diverticulitis. Here is a video we made; there is also a written version underneath. The Antibiotic Loop Nobody Talks About This is something that’s been quietly accumulating in the research for years, and most patients — and honestly a lot of GPs — haven’t heard it yet. Antibiotics are not necessary for most cases of uncomplicated diverticulitis. A 2022[Discover More...]

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Half of People Over 60 Have Diverticulosis. Most Don’t Know.

Joe Leech, Dietitian (MSc Nutrition & Dietetics) — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 09:12:21 +0000

More than half of all people over the age of 60 have diverticulosis. Most of them have absolutely no idea. Not because they haven’t been paying attention. Not because they’ve been eating badly. But because nobody told them. And in many cases — including cases we see regularly in our clinic — their own doctor doesn’t explain what’s happening inside their gut, why, or what it means for their future. In this article, I’m going to explain the five things that most people are never told about how diverticulosis actually develops. And one of them (I’ll save it for last) is something that even the medical research is only just starting to figure out. It might be the most important one of all. Please keep in mind that this is educational information only and not direct medical advice for your[Discover More...]

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7 Warning Signs of SIBO Most Doctors Miss

Joe Leech, Dietitian (MSc Nutrition & Dietetics) — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 10:18:24 +0000

If you’ve had the colonoscopy, the endoscopy, and multiple rounds of treatment, and you’re still bloated, exhausted, and being told it’s “just IBS,” then there’s a question worth asking: What if the real problem was never tested for? SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) is one of the most commonly missed gut conditions. The warning signs are real. They’re just not on most doctors’ radar. In this article, I’ll be walking you through the 7 most commonly missed warning signs of SIBO — including some that have nothing to do with your gut at all. Please also keep in mind that this is educational information only and not direct medical advice for your specific situation. Here is a video we made; there is also a written version underneath. What is SIBO? SIBO stands for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. It occurs when[Discover More...]

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Diverticulitis Treatment Options Explained (By A Dietitian)

Joe Leech, Dietitian (MSc Nutrition & Dietetics) — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 13:40:23 +0000

If you’ve been diagnosed with diverticulitis, you’re probably wondering what comes next. Do you need antibiotics? Will you need surgery? Can this be managed at home, or will you end up in the ER? The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The treatment you need depends entirely on how severe your diverticulitis is, whether you have complications, and your overall health status. In this article, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about diverticulitis treatment — from mild cases that can be managed at home, to severe cases requiring emergency surgery. We’ll cover when antibiotics are actually necessary, what complications to watch for, and what the latest research says about the best approach. Of course, this is educational information only, not direct medical advice for you specifically. Here is a video we made; there is also a written version[Discover More...]

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