Gut Health?

Much has been written about gut health and leaking gut. I have read and watched many articles on gut health and still I seem to have only scratched the surface.
I need to be clear that I have no nutritional qualifications and this is my story gained purely from experience.
I was aware of problems with my health when I became dizzy and several blood tests showed no blood sugar problems, thyroid problems, cholesterol problems or any other conventional diagnosis.
I decided after a problem loosing 6kgs I had gained over the period of a year, to try Patrick Holford's low glycaemic load diet and fat burning 8 minute exercises. 12 weeks later I felt much better, had shed the 6kgs and no longer experienced dizzy spells. But I still experienced intense sugar cravings and felt constantly deprived of sugar.
It was then that I watched a show on television covering the basics of gut health and identified with many of the sub topics discussed. I decided to investigate further and after I suffered from severe rossacae earlier this year, I decided to include superfoods in my diet and reduce refined sugar and carbohydrates in my diet. I went from baking every week, to not baking at all. I have two children and felt that they needed to have some treats when they come home from boarding school every weekend. I started to google carbohydrate and sugar free recipes and now I am writing a cookbook with my own favourite recipes that I have developed. My health is my improved and I feel better than I have in years. I think that the IBS I suffered from for years was affected by gluten and now avoid gluten in my diet.
Would you like to share my journey? I will write a piece at a time describing my new eating habits and what I include in my way of life. I am not struggling with weight issues at present. Here are the basics.
I try to include items from all the food groups in my diet
I eat only slow releasing carbs such as oats and butternut squash
I eat three small meals a day and two snacks mid morning and afternoon
I focus on eating more vegetables than fruit
I am slowly introducing fermented foods into my diet
I include cinnamon, ginger and turmeric in my diet every day
I supplement vitamin C and zinc in tablet form every day
I cook all my meals from scratch and limit the use of store bought jam, mayonnaise, tomato sauce etc.
I limit my intake of salt and pepper, and season my food with herbs and spices
I avoid processed foods at all costs and anything with added MSG, transfats, preservatives and colouring

Sounds like food prison?!! Not really as I vary my diet and ensure that everything is freshly made and full of flavour. I do have treats over the weekend made from gluten free and refined sugar free ingredients and I eat 80% cocoa chocolate every day, just two squares!
My favourite superfoods are berries, avocado, pumpkin seeds, fresh salmon and tuna as a treat, moringa powder said to increase your metabolism!, hot or cold almond milk cacao latte with cinnamon and honey, green goddess soup made with broccoli and zucchini and flavoured with toasted cumin and coriander, chia seed jam on oatcakes..............There is so much inspiration out there to eat well and nurture your body every day..........you just have to look for it.