Team Gut Girls

5: Why Your Gut Feels Off (Even When Tests Are “Normal”)

Team Gut Girls naturopathic doctors Dr. Dominique Vanier, ND Dr. Whitney Baxter, ND and Dr. Christina Carew, ND discuss chronic digestive symptoms that persist despite normal tests, focusing on disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBIs), which affect over 40% of adults and children and include IBS, functional dyspepsia, functional constipation/diarrhea, bloating, reflux hypersensitivity, and more under Rome V criteria. They explain a biopsychosocial model of causes and risk factors (trauma, infection, stress, genetics, early life events, anxiety/depression, sleep, smoking, obesity, surgeries) and myth-bust that bloating isn’t automatically IBS, symptoms aren’t “nothing,” you can have overlapping DGBIs, and the microbiome isn’t the whole answer. Key mechanisms include motility disturbance, visceral hypersensitivity, altered mucosal/immune function, dysbiosis, and altered CNS processing. Practical options discussed include CBT, gut-directed hypnotherapy, diaphragmatic breathing, consistent movement, personalized food strategies, supplements (nervines, demulcents, motility agents), and medications including neuromodulators, plus advocating for collaborative care and referrals.

4: Why Food Sensitivity Tests Confuse Everyone

In this Team Gut Girls episode, Drs. Whitney Baxter, ND, Dr. Christina Carew, ND and Dr. Dominique Vanier, ND discuss bloating and the popularity of IgG food sensitivity tests, contrasting them with IgE allergy testing and explaining that IgG reflects a delayed immune exposure signal rather than an immediate, potentially dangerous allergic reaction. They distinguish food intolerance as malabsorption/fermentation (e.g., lactose, fructose, fructans; low-FODMAP concepts) rather than an immune response. They review a 2026 IBS literature review (13 studies, ~900 patients) where IgG-based elimination diets often improved symptoms, but note major study limitations and risks of broad restriction, fear, and malnutrition. They highlight concerns about test accuracy/reproducibility and cite European, Canadian, and American guidelines recommending against IgG testing for diagnosing food allergy/intolerance, suggesting antibodies may reflect oral tolerance. They advocate systematic evaluation (rule out celiac and true allergies, time-limited, planned eliminations with reintroduction, and avoiding unreliable testing (including hair-based tests).

3: Why FODMAPS Matter (or Doesn't Matter)

On The Team Gut Girls Podcast, Dr. Whitney Baxter, ND, Dr. Christina Carew, ND, and Dr. Dominique Vanier, ND explain how fermentable carbohydrates called FODMAPs (oligosaccharides, disaccharides like lactose, monosaccharides like excess fructose, and polyols) can worsen bloating, pain, distension, diarrhea, and urgency by drawing water into the colon and fueling bacterial fermentation, especially in IBS and visceral hypersensitivity. They review evidence originating at Monash University showing symptom and quality-of-life improvements, note limited bloating-only trials, and compare low FODMAP to the stricter Specific Carbohydrate Diet. They debunk myths that low FODMAP must be permanent, that FODMAPs are bad for everyone, or that it “cures” bloating, emphasizing short-term, guided use with reintroduction and personalization to identify thresholds. They discuss risks (constipation, weight loss, nutrient gaps, disordered eating) and recommend practitioner/dietitian support, tracking, and using reliable resources like the Monash app.

2: Why SIBO Happens

In this episode, we’re diving belly-first into bloating — specifically the kind linked to SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth), when bacteria (or even fungi) set up shop where they shouldn’t and start throwing a gas-producing party in your small intestine. Think: hydrogen, methane, hydrogen sulfide… and a whole lot of discomfort. We break down: - Why you might look 6 months pregnant by 6 p.m. -The sneaky triggers behind SIBO (PPIs, antibiotics, GLP-1s, stress, surgery, hormones, infections, pregnancy, endometriosis, gallbladder removal — the list goes on) - Why symptoms can look like constipation, diarrhea, reflux, early fullness, fatigue, brain fog, skin flare-ups, and even nutrient deficiencies - Common myths — including why gas doesn’t automatically mean SIBO, and why a negative breath test doesn’t always tell the whole story - Practical things you can start now: meal spacing, walking after meals, belly breathing, and avoiding food fear Most importantly, we zoom out and ask the bigger question: Why is your gut vulnerable in the first place? Because SIBO may be the smoke — but it’s not always the fire. Come curious, leave empowered — and maybe a little less bloated. Because better gut health changes everything.

Why Your Gut Feels Bloated

Dr. Christina Carew, ND, Dr. Dominique Vanier, ND and Dr. Whitney Baxter, ND discuss how common bloating is and how it can stem from many conditions, including non-digestive causes. They emphasize clarifying what patients mean by “bloating,” differentiating subjective bloating from visible abdominal distension, and gathering detailed descriptions (location, hardness, pain, gas, and impact on daily life). Key assessment questions include timing (morning vs after meals vs later day), duration and onset, recent triggers (illness, travel, pregnancy, antibiotics, crash diets, medications), eating behaviors (speed, talking, gum, carbonated drinks), bowel habits and incomplete evacuation, and gas odor. They review non-gut contributors such as menstrual cycle issues, endometriosis, PCOS, thyroid dysfunction, pelvic cysts/fibroids, vascular congestion, motility disorders (including GLP-1 medications, diabetes/gastroparesis), gallbladder/liver issues and ascites, and even diaphragm dysfunction. They caution against unguided elimination diets and note red flags warranting evaluation, including bleeding and possible GI, ovarian, or colorectal cancers, previewing future episodes on investigation and what’s normal.   CHAPTERS * 00:00:00 Why Bloating Is Common * 00:22:00 Defining Bloating vs Distension * 00:03:57  Patient Questions Checklist * 00:06:58 Constipation and Gas Clues * 00:07:46 Hormones and Pelvic Causes * 00:09:57 Other Organs and Medications * 00:12:32 Food Triggers and Elimination Diets * 00:16:11 Fiber Nuance and Travel Changes * 00:18:04 Red Flags and When to Investigate * 00:19:32 Series Preview and Wrap Up