Living With IBS

IBS can be caused by stress, too many antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin or Advil, steroids, intestinal infections, a low-fibre, high-sugar diet, alcohol and many other dietary factors. An activate immune response to these foods, medications or stresses can cause allergies and can create havoc that leads to an irritable bowel.

A good place to start managing your IBS is by healing your gut. The goal is to rectify the gut flora imbalance and inflammation that can be a cause of IBS. IBS doesn’t have a one cure fits all but healing the gut is something everyone should be doing anyway. It won’t do any harm and even if it doesn’t seem like your symptoms have lessened, it will most definitely improve your health.

Grains, legumes and seed oils can cause IBS symptoms to flare so should be the first food item to go. However do not be alarmed, we will be replacing these foods with options that provide more nutrients while also having the benefits of not being harmful to the gut. Diary can also be problematic so should be avoided at this early stage. Keep in mind that some medications can also cause problems, speak to your doctor about this possibility. It’s well known that Antibiotics will kill bad bacteria in your gut however it must be remembered that the same antibiotics will also kill the good bacteria. This will greatly reduce the health of your gut.

Other foods to consider avoiding at this stage are nuts, seeds, eggs and nightshades. The high levels of Omega-6 in nuts and seeds can cause inflammation. The white in eggs contain anti-microbial compounds which can lead to irritation of the gut. Nightshades contain anti-nutrients which are natural compounds which resist digestion and cause intestinal perforation.  

Nightshades

Here is a list of nightshades. Some of these are uncommon however make sure to read to the end as many are eaten on a daily basis.

• Ashwagandha
• Bell peppers (a.k.a. sweet peppers)
• Bush tomato
• Cape gooseberry (also known as ground cherries—not to be confused with regular cherries)
• Cocona
• Aubergene
• Garden huckleberry (not to be confused with regular huckleberries)
• Goji berries (a.k.a. wolfberry)
• Hot peppers (such as chili peppers, jalapenos, habaneros, chili-based spices, red pepper, cayenne)
• Kutjera
• Naranjillas
• Paprika
• Pepinos
• Pimentos
• Potatoes (but not sweet potatoes)
• Tamarillos
• Tomatillos

• Tomatoes

FODMAPS

Many people start their journey to improving gut health by removing FODMAPs from their diet. FODMAPs are short chain carbohydrates (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols). These carbohydrates are commonly found in the modern western diet. The restriction of these FODMAPs from the diet has been found to have a beneficial effect for sufferers of IBS.

Unfortunately many fruit and vegetables are high in FODMAPs. For a complete list of FODMAPs I recommend downloading an app for your smartphone. You will need to refer to the list of foods many times in this early stage of your journey. The reason FODMAPs may be an issue is because they linger in the small intestine and can cause discomfort such as gas, bloating, constipation and/or diarrhoea along with abdominal pain.  

Stress and anxiety

Stress and Anxiety must also be avoided as much as possible. IBS effects the immune system, which is affected by stress. Lack of sleep is a major cause of stress so make sure you get a least eight hours of sleep every night. Regular exercise will help to reduce stress.

Bone Broth

At this stage we have listed foods to avoid however it is also important to include many foods which help to relieve the discomfort; while providing all the nutrients required for a healthy diet. Making bone broth is a very important step in this process. You will need to cook bones along with the connective tissue for at least 5 hours and preferably longer (up to and beyond 24hrs). Many nutrients are extracted from the bones during the slow cooking process. These nutrients will help to sooth and restore your digestive health. Make sure to add in plenty of vegetables. The slow cooking process will also cause the vegetables to become softer and therefore easier to digest. This is also a very time efficient way to cook food. Yes, the actual cooking process takes longer than most meals however preparation time is less than 5 minutes and if you use a very large pot or slow cooker you will have plenty of meaty bone broth to refrigerate and/or freeze for the coming days.

Probiotics

Probiotics such as Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Kombucha Tea and live-cultured yogurt can all be home made and are beneficial forms of gut bacteria. They will help to stimulate the natural digestive juices and enzymes that keep our digestive organs functioning properly. Probiotic supplements can also be purchased.  

Some people may have a problem with probiotics if they suffer from Candida as the probiotics will also feed this unwanted bacteria.

Digestive enzymes

Digestive enzymes can also help to relieve IBS symptoms. Taking these with meals will help break down food while your gut heals.  Fish oil will also help to heal the lining of the gut.

Food Intolerance Tests

Blood samples can be analysed for food IgG antibody reactions. These foods should then be avoided which may help alleviate any symptoms that you have.

For more information on Food Intolerance testing please contact me as I am an approved Lorisian Food Intolerance Test Practitioner.

Eating a non-processed, low sugar healthy diet will help you to avoid dietary toxins while providing an abundance of nutritious and healing macronutrients.