The 5R's: REMOVE: The 'Ah That Feels Better' Phase

Most people hear “Remove” and think:

“Ah good… another list of foods I’m not allowed to eat...thanks Ben"

Totally fair.

But, let me try to reframe it:

'Remove' isn’t about restriction...It’s about pressure reduction.

It’s the phase where you give your gut a break.

A vital hiatus from triggers when it’s inflamed, bloated and feeling pretty 'meh'.

Because if you’re dealing with symptoms like:

• Bloating that builds as the day goes on

• Reflux that “mysteriously” returns

• Constipation or loose stools (sometimes both, depending on the day)

• Gas that could power a small village

• Food fear and endless experimentation

…then the last thing you need to do is “add more things”.

You need to 'Remove' the biggest sources of irritation, fermentation and load, so your system can finally calm down.

REMOVE is not “forever”

This is important.

Remove is a phase, not an identity.

The goal isn’t to cut everything out and become the person who “can’t eat anything”.

The goal is to create a stable baseline, reduce symptoms, and then build back intelligently.

Think of it like this:

Key concept: If your gut is a smoke alarm going off all day...The 'Remove' phase is turning down the smoke…so we can actually find the fire.

The Low FODMAP Diet

Used properly

Low FODMAP can be incredibly useful… when it’s used as a tool.

In my experience, most people use it like this:

1. Go low FODMAP

2. Feel better

3. Stay there for ages

4. Get more restricted, more anxious, more fragile

5. Symptoms return

'Why, Ben'?

Because low FODMAP is brilliant at reducing excess fermentation, which is driving many gut symptoms…but it doesn’t fix the reason fermentation is happening in the wrong place.

Enter SIBO / motility issues / bile flow / stress.

So here’s how to think about it:

✅ Low FODMAP = symptom relief + clarity
❌ Low FODMAP = not the full solution

If you’re doing this phase, you’re basically saying:

“Let’s reduce fermentable fuel temporarily… while we work on why my gut can’t handle it right now.”

Remove isn’t just FODMAPs

“Remove” isn’t just about food.

It’s about triggers.

Because for some people the biggest “gut irritants” are more than just garlic and onions…

Alcohol:

Yes, even the “just weekends” kind

Alcohol can:

• Irritate the gut lining

• Alter motility and not in a good way

• Increase reflux, especially wine / fizz

• Disrupt sleep, which raises stress hormones and worsens digestion

• Feed dysbiosis in certain cases

You may not even feel it until 24–48 hours after the fact, when your gut throws a tantrum.

Sometimes the cleanest and simplest 'Remove' win is simply:

2 - 4 weeks alcohol-free, just as an experiment.

Not forever...Just long enough to see what changes.

Gluten:

With context

This is where people get tribal.

So I’ll keep it simple:

If you’re coeliac, gluten is non-negotiable, obviously.

If you’re not coeliac, gluten may still be an issue due to:

• Wheat fructans, a FODMAP

• Highly processed flour

• Additives/emulsifiers in modern breads

• Overall gut permeability / immune activation in sensitive people, Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity - NCGS

It’s not that “gluten is evil”!

It’s:

Wheat-heavy + processed + high FODMAP + low resilience = symptoms.

For the 'Remove' phase, I often trial:

gluten out temporarily…and then we test reintroductions properly later.

Ultra-processed “healthy” foods:

This one always catches out high-performers.

You clean things up…and digestion worsens.

"Why, Ben, why?"

Because many “healthy” alternatives, think protein bars, on the go protein shakes etc, include things like:

• Sugar alcohols, polyols = rocket fuel for bloating

• Chicory root / inulin / “added fibre” bars = FODMAP bomb

• Protein bars / shakes with gums and emulsifiers

• “High protein” snacks that are basically science experiments

So 'Remove' sometimes means:

less ‘functional food’… more actual food.

What's the 'REMOVE' phase trying to achieve?

In simple terms:

• Reduce fermentation, less gas, bloating, pressure

• Reduce irritation, less reflux, burning, gut reactivity

• Reduce immune load, less inflammation / sensitivity

• Create a stable baseline, so we know what’s actually happening

That baseline is what allows the next step to work:

The 'Replace' phase — support what’s missing: HCL acid, enzymes, bile, motility.

Because once the gut is calmer… the support works so much better.

A simple REMOVE plan

That doesn’t ruin your life

If you want to trial this sensibly, here’s a clean approach:

For 14 days:

Choose a low FODMAP structure, not perfection.

Remove obvious triggers:

• Alcohol

• Wheat-heavy foods

• Ultra-processed snacks / bars / “'High-protein' foods”

Keep meals simple and repeatable - I cant emphasis this enough

Meal structure:

• Protein base: Beef, lamb, fish, chicken, eggs, yoghurt, if tolerated

• Cooked veg that’s generally easier: courgette, carrots, spinach, peppers

• A carb you tolerate: rice, potatoes, oats for some

• Healthy fats: olive oil, butter/ghee if tolerated, nuts in sensible amounts

Check out the Monash 3-step low FODMAP guide further guidance

Then...we don’t stay here forever.

We use the calmer baseline to decide what’s next:

• Is this likely SIBO/motility driven?

• Is it more reflux/upper GI support?

• Is stress and sympathetic dominance dominating digestion?

• Is constipation the bottleneck?

You get the idea...that’s how we stop guessing.

The Key Message

If you take nothing else from this:

Remove is not the solution..

It’s the stabiliser...and it’s only the first step in rebuilding your gut.

It’s the phase that stops the constant flare/relapse cycle…

so we can actually fix what’s underneath.

My next blog will break down REPLACE and why most people think they have “food intolerances”… when actually they have a digestive capacity problem.