IBS is unpredictable and many of my clients including myself have suffered from IBS for years.
IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) is a topic that doesn’t come up when talking to your boyfriend, that’s for sure! But the cases of IBS are increasing and I am seeing more clients and personal friends suffering from painful bloating along with changes in diarrhea and constipation. Think of it this way: Food moves through our digestive tracts by the relaxation and contraction of muscles in our intestines. Issues start to occur when food either moves too slow or too fast, causing symptoms such as cramps, gas, bloating, constipation and/or diarrhea. Not fun at all.
Foods to Avoid When You Have IBS
Here are a few foods that my clients have found aggravate their IBS symptoms:
- Chocolate
- Alcohol
- Dairy
- Gluten
- Soy
- Fruits
- Carbonated drinks
- Sugar-free foods, candies and gum
- Fried foods
- Fatty foods
- Insoluble fiber in whole wheat and brown rice as well as broccoli, cauliflower and raw cabbage
Tips for Helping Alleviate IBS Symptoms
What Helps:
- Avoiding these above foods can certainly help symptoms.
- Using fresh organic ginger in your meals and hot tea.
- Drinking aloe vera juice.
- I try to eat at the same times each day so that my intestines get used to a schedule and can regularize your eating pattern; this may help you, as well.
- I also drink a lot of fresh water every day to cleanse my body and keep things moving.
- Don’t use a straw for drinking – you will swallow too much air and this will lead to gas.
- Try drinking warm herbal teas.
- Make sure your probiotic contains at least 1 billion cells per serving.
- Try acupuncture to balance the energy in your body.
- Decrease stress with walks, meditation or yoga.
- If you have chronic diarrhea and feel weak due to lack of electrolytes, you can make your own homemade ‘sports’ drink without added sugars, artificial ingredients or other carcinogens to replenish the electrolytes in your body naturally. Try the following:
- Make a Smoothie with 1 cup fresh kale, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk and 1 frozen banana.
- You can also make a Coconut Water Smoothie by combining 10 oz. coconut water with 1 1/2 Tbsp. chia seeds.
- Many of my clients like to make a fresh Juice: 10 stalks of celery, 1 apple and 1 lemon in a juicer.
- If you don’t have a juicer or a blender, you can simply combine 1 tsp. real maple syrup, juice of 1 lemon, 1/2 tsp. baking soda and 1/4 tsp. sea salt for a drink.
- If you also have acid reflux with your IBS, try taking a teaspoon of gluten-free organic baking soda such as the Bob’s Red Mill brand. My clients who have acid reflux also benefit from fresh organic carrot juice.
Also, check out my IBS Program and Low FodMap Diet information, which have helped many of my clients and readers as well as myself with digestive trouble and IBS.
It is essential to work with a nutritionist and an Integrative M.D. because I am sharing general information that is not intended to be medical advice. This information is only given for informational purposes.