5 Things To Start Doing If You Have IBS

Dealing with the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (bloating, gas, diarrhea or constipation or both, a tender or painful abdomen, and a sensitive stomach) can be exhausting! If you are an IBS sufferer, you probably have tried several things in an attempt to manage your symptoms. The cause of IBS can be different for different people, so what may work for others may not work for you!

Here are 5 things you can begin doing now if you have IBS, which can start to get you on the right track to manage your symptoms.

1) Start a diet diary

Being aware of what you put in your body and how you react to your food can be an important first step to help you identify if specific foods are a trigger for your symptoms. Most IBS patients have IgG food sensitivities, which can lead to symptoms anytime from eating the food, up to 72hrs after. Write down everything you eat every day for a week, along with the timing of any symptoms you may have. Then, go back and highlight when you ate foods that tend to be triggers: wheat and gluten, cow’s dairy, eggs, soy, corn, yeast, and high FODMAPs foods. Can you see a pattern between what you eat and your symptoms?
 
If things get confusing, bring in your diet diary to your appointment with me, and we can discuss the best avenue to proceed with. Food sensitivity testing may be a good option, or my 7-Day Detox Program.
 
2) Take a good quality probiotic

Did you know that about 3lbs of your weight is due to the crucial bacteria that you carry around in your gut? These bacteria need to be in a fine balance in order to play their role in decreasing your reactions to foods, maintaining a good intestinal barrier, keeping your immune system strong and balanced, and even improving your mood! Each strain of probiotic has its own effects on the immune system, so formulas can get pretty specific. Most of the time, I usually recommend a probiotic blend that includes Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longus, and Bifidobacterium lactis. If you feel worse on a probiotic, stop taking it and talk to a naturopathic doctor. It could be a sign of something that’s going on in your body, such as a dairy allergy, a FODMAPs sensitivity (depending on what is included in the probiotic), or an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine (SIBO).
 
3) Introduce a regular exercise routine

You may not feel like exercising if your IBS symptoms are severe, but if you can, start small but get moving! Exercise has been shown to significantly improve the quality of life of patients with IBS. Exercise helps keep your bowels regular, changes gas transit time in the intestines, improves mood, and overall makes people feel better! A regular exercise routine is good not only for IBS symptoms, but also for overall health. Why not give it a try?
 
4) Cut out lactose from your diet

Since lactose intolerance is common in people with IBS, and can be confused with IBS, try cutting out lactose in your diet for 1-2 weeks. That means trying lactose-free milk, yoghurt, cheese and other dairy products instead of the regular cow’s dairy products. If your symptoms resolve, then you’ve got your culprit, lactose! However, if your symptoms get better but aren’t completely gone, then you may be lactose intolerant but still have other things going on at the same time. Often times, patients with IBS cannot tolerate casein, a protein in milk products which is found in both regular and lactose-free dairy products.
 
5) Eat real food

Remove the processed and sugar-laden foods from your grocery cart, and instead shop mostly the perimeter of the grocery store, where the fresh produce is found (skip the bakery isle if it is found there too). That way, you will be eating nutritious food that is naturally high in fibre, and you’ll be avoiding the sugar which feeds unhealthy bacteria in the gut. If your digestive system is currently very sensitive, you may want to eat more liquid foods in the form of home-made soups, stews, or smoothies. Just keep in mind that you could react to some of the foods listed in Tip #1.
 
Starting to implement some of these tips should help you get some relief from your IBS symptoms. However, it’s always best to work with your naturopathic doctor if you want to feel better faster and avoid much of the guesswork. Some critical tests can really help pinpoint the treatment that you need, and specific naturopathic treatments and supplements can speed up your healing process.

Helping patients with IBS is a passion of mine. If you are ready to get lasting relief from your IBS symptoms, I’ll be delighted to help you!

References

Cuomo R., Andreozzi P., Zito F.P., Passananti V., De Carlo G., Sarnelli G. (2014). Irritable bowel syndrome and food interaction. World J Gastroenterol., 2014 Jul 21;20(27):8837-45. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i27.8837.

Johannesson E., Simrén M., Strid H., Bajor A., and Sadik R. (2011). Physical activity improves symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Gastroenterol., 2011 May;106(5):915-22. doi: 10.1038/ajg.2010.480. Epub 2011 Jan 4.