We're Kat and Alec, the recipe developers, food photographers, and authors behind Happy Gut Lucky. HGL is your source for no-fuss, gut-friendly recipes for those living with IBD, gluten or dairy intolerance, sensitive stomachs, or any other gut challenges. Our mission is to provide delicious gut-healthy recipes and share our tips for living with IBD and food intolerance.
Our Story
In 2018, Alec began experiencing abdominal discomfort and blood in his stool. After a colonoscopy, he was diagnosed with mild ulcerative colitis, a disease that causes colon inflammation. He was prescribed a drug called mesalamine and within 2 months his symptoms subsided. During that time, he cut out alcohol, but continued to eat mostly whatever he wanted.
Fast forward to 2022, his symptoms returned with a vengeance. He began experiencing more stomach pain and blood than before and suffered from fatigue. In addition to mesalamine, he tried steroids to calm the inflammation, but it wasn't enough. While we searched for the right treatment, we felt compelled to heal his gut in any way we could think of, including diet. We began working with a nutritionist who specifically specializes in patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's.
To say we learned a lot is an understatement. Within a few sessions, our nutritionist taught us which trigger foods to avoid and which enriching foods promote a healthy gut. We learned about the different stages of IBD remission, IBD-friendly food substitutes, supplements, and ingredients that can help reduce inflammation and maintain weight. Importantly, we also learned about the relationship between the mind and gut, and the power of meditation.
The journey to remission has been hard with many ups and downs. In spite of this, we felt inspired to incorporate the knowledge we gained from our nutritionist and our own experiences and research to make IBD-friendly food that not only nourishes the gut, but also tastes delicious, as food should! Thus, Happy Gut Lucky was born.
Our Mission
Happy Gut Lucky is not only a recipe site, but also a community where we can share our gut experiences, officially diagnosed or otherwise. HGL is a resource for you if:
- You want anything-but-boring gut-friendly recipes for IBD, IBS, gluten or dairy intolerance, sensitive stomachs, and the like.
- You want to learn about eating, traveling, and living with IBD, IBS, or food intolerance.
- You want to learn more about gut health and stress reduction.
- Have a loved one living with IBD, IBS, or food intolerance whom you want to support.
Kitchen Tips and Essentials
We love to share our kitchen knowledge and product expertise with our community! Since we started creating IBD-friendly recipes, we found we use the same kitchen products meal after meal. Shop our curated kitchen essentials shop and try our favorite essentials.
We look forward to sharing our recipes and tips with you!