What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome? (IBS)
What is IBS?
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) in plain terms is a dysfunction of the large intestine that significantly alters the way the gastrointestinal tract would normally work. This disorder will cause severe changes in bowel movements, with common symptoms ranging from diarrhea, constipation, or cramps and other crippling abdominal pains.
If you have IBS, don’t panic—only a small minority of people living with the disorder will experience such severe signs and symptoms. For the most part, IBS is manageable with specific diets, lifestyle changes, and stress-reduction activities. And even in the more serious cases, medication and counseling are proven to be successful treatment methods.
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How is IBS Treated?
While there is no cure for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, symptoms are easily manageable by making some changes to your lifestyle, diet, and by incorporating some stress-reducing habits into your everyday routine.
3 Easy & Effective IBS Dieting Tips
Managing your IBS can seem like a nightmare, one wrong move and you’ll be rushing to the bathroom all evening. But it doesn’t have to be this way! In fact, stressing over getting your diet right will only trigger more complications for your bowels.
Now is the time to stop worrying. Here are some easy, but effective, ways to combat your IBS symptoms with your diet.
Fiber
Controlling your fiber intake will either make or break the management of your IBS symptoms. While adding fiber to your diet (20-35 grams/day) will build your stool to aid in its movement through your bowels, this method could have the opposite effect on those who are plagued by gas and diarrhea. To try it out, focus on fruits and vegetables rather than grains. Also, consider taking an anti-diarrheal medication 30 minutes before the fiber to reduce the possible side-effects.
Process of Elimination
Finding a diet that is right for your bowels can be exhausting. But when you do identify that perfect combination of fiber, gluten, carbs, and other nutrients, sweet victory will be yours!
To accomplish that, the Elimination Diet is the best possible course of action. This diet plan consists of identifying possible triggers, and for 12 weeks at a time, completely eliminating them from your diet until you’ve reached comfortable bowel movement. During this process, simply avoid one food at a time, and be sure to take clear notes of your bowel movements to best identify how these foods are affecting your body.
Common culprits include:
● Coffee
● Chocolate
● Insoluble Fiber
● Nuts
Low FODMAP
The FODMAP Diet focuses on eliminating certain types of carbs from your intake, as they are known to bring water with them through your bowels, resulting in more gas, bloating, and diarrhea.
By cutting these “Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols” from your diet, 6-8 weeks at a time, you are likely to see and feel a dramatic improvement in your symptoms.
Foods to avoid include:
● Lactose
● Certain Fruits (peaches, watermelon, pears, mangoes, apples)
● Legumes
● High-Fructose Corn Syrup
● Artificial Sweeteners
● Wheat-Based Bread, Cereals, and Pasta
● Cashews & Pistachios
● Certain Vegetables (artichoke, asparagus, broccoli, onions, mushrooms)
