Most people already know, broadly, what they should and shouldn't eat, and drastic overhauls rarely hold up long term. But there's a bigger issue underneath that: figuring out what actually works for your body is about more than counting calories in and out. Dr. Corey's approach starts with a simple idea — the foods that are quietly working against you are usually more specific, and more fixable, than "eat less, move more."
It's rarely just one food
Most people who have a sense that a food doesn't agree with them can point to one obvious example, like dairy. But sensitivities are usually broader than that single food — they tend to run along entire categories (dairy in general, not just milk; every nightshade, not just tomatoes; all types of gluten-containing grains, not just wheat bread). Stopping at the one food most people already suspect often misses the rest of the category that's actually driving the problem.
Elimination diets vs. low-FODMAP
Both approaches aim to find your triggers by removing suspect foods and reintroducing them one at a time to see what happens. Dr. Corey generally prefers a full elimination diet over a low-FODMAP approach for most patients — not because it removes less, but because it's more straightforward to actually follow. Low-FODMAP asks you to track fermentable carbohydrate content across dozens of individual foods, which gets complicated fast. A full elimination diet works at the category level instead: remove a food group entirely, then reintroduce it and watch what happens. Fewer decisions to make at every meal tends to mean people actually stick with it long enough to get a real answer.
The goal either way isn't just "feeling less bloated." It's identifying which foods may be contributing to systemic inflammation — inflammation that doesn't stay in your gut, and can show up as joint pain, fatigue, skin issues, or symptoms that seem unrelated to food at all.
Intermittent fasting, beyond weight loss
Dr. Corey is a genuine advocate for intermittent fasting, and not only for patients focused on weight loss. His view is that digestion itself takes real energy — breaking down food, absorbing it, processing it. When your body isn't spending that energy around the clock, more of it is available for repair and recovery. The idea isn't that fasting is a treatment on its own; it's that giving your digestive system real, regular breaks may free up capacity your body can put toward healing instead.
Fasting isn't the right fit for everyone, and it isn't something to start without a plan that fits your health history — that's true for anyone who is pregnant or nursing, has diabetes or a history of disordered eating, or is managing another condition where meal timing matters. Dr. Corey tailors any recommendation to you individually rather than prescribing a one-size-fits-all approach.
What this looks like at Golden Bear
Instead of a food log, patients photograph everything they eat and drink for two weeks. Photos show true portions, timing, and where the calories actually come from, not just what someone remembers eating — so the changes we make are attainable, not a crash diet. From there, Dr. Corey helps you identify which food categories are worth testing through elimination, and whether fasting has a place in your plan.
Nutritional guidance is folded into your regular visits — there's no separate consultation fee.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to overhaul my whole diet?
No. The point isn't a dramatic overnight change — it's identifying the specific categories that are actually causing you trouble, so you're not restricting foods that were never the problem in the first place.
What's the real difference between an elimination diet and low-FODMAP?
Both work by removing and reintroducing foods to isolate triggers. Low-FODMAP requires tracking fermentable carbohydrate levels across many individual foods, which is precise but hard to sustain. A full elimination diet removes whole food categories at once, which is a bigger initial change but a much simpler set of rules to actually follow day to day.
Is intermittent fasting safe for me?
For many people, yes, but not for everyone. Tell Dr. Corey about your health history — including pregnancy, diabetes, or any history of disordered eating — so any recommendation fits your situation specifically.
Do you order food sensitivity or allergy testing?
Nutritional counseling at Golden Bear works through structured elimination and reintroduction, not lab testing. If your history suggests a true allergy, Dr. Corey will refer you to an allergist.