Ten Things You Need to Know If You're Diagnosed with IBS: A Guide to Finding Hope and Healing
If you've recently been diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), you may be feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what lies ahead.
As a nutritional therapist with a special interest in gut health and personal experience of IBS, I want to reassure you that there is hope. Better understanding your gut health and adopting a holistic approach can significantly improve your wellbeing and help provide relief from IBS symptoms.
In this blog, I share ten things your doctor might not have told you about gut health and offer insights into managing IBS more effectively.
Your Gut Health is UniquE
No two individuals' gut health is the same. An IBS diagnosis is often frustrating for those who receive it because it’s not a disease itself but rather a term used to describe a collection of symptoms that affect the digestive system. These symptoms can vary widely from person to person, making it challenging to navigate. Bloating, abdominal pain, irregular bowel movements and gas are some common symptoms, but individuals may also experience fatigue, anxiety, and food intolerances.
While it can be frustrating not to have a clear-cut diagnosis, viewing IBS as a spectrum of symptoms allows us to delve deeper and uncover the underlying factors contributing to your specific condition.
2. The Gut-Brain Connection
IBS is not only about your gut; it is closely tied to your brain. Stress and anxiety can trigger IBS symptoms so managing mental health can be crucial for many IBS sufferers. When your body is locked in fight-or-flight mode, digestion takes a back seat, leading to symptoms like cramping and irregular bowel movements.
Addressing stress through mindfulness practices, Yoga, meditation or relaxation techniques can have a profound impact on managing IBS. Other therapeutic techniques and tools that can help support the gut-brain connection include breathing techniques, hypnotherapy, visualisation, and even biofeedback devices specifically designed to help calm the vagus nerve and promote relaxation. Whilst my primary domain is nutrition and eating behaviour, supporting gut health can be multi-faceted so I am often helping my clients explore multiple paths to healing.
3. Gut Health Diets Aren't One-Size-Fits-AlL
Food sensitivities are common culprits behind IBS symptoms, and if you feel like you’re reacting to food then looking to your daily diet would seem like a logical place to start. However, popular gut health diets like elimination plans, low FODMAP or gluten-free might help, but they are not universal solutions. If you decide to experiment independently with different approaches, always ensure you're actually getting adequate nutrition.
Consulting with a nutritional therapist can help you better understand the reasons why you might be reacting to the foods that you are; distill a therapeutic plan accordingly that includes natural supplements and lifestyle as well as dietary changes; and ensure you find the right balance nutritionally for your body with the minimum dietary restriction possible.
4. Focus on Gut-Friendly Foods
Instead of just eliminating potential trigger foods, ideally you want to incorporating gut-friendly foods into your diet that will really help your microbiome to thrive in the long-term.
Fermented foods like kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi can improve gut flora, aiding digestion and reducing inflammation. Prebiotics are non-digestible fibers that nourish beneficial gut bacteria. Foods like garlic, onions, asparagus, and bananas are excellent sources of prebiotics and can promote a healthy gut microbiome.
However, individual tolerance to these types of food may vary, so take things very steady if you try introducing new foods.
5. Chronic Inflammation and Gut Health
Chronic inflammation may be an underlying factor in IBS. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish and flaxseeds possess anti-inflammatory properties that can benefit gut health.
Incorporate these into your diet regularly and consider high quality supplementation.
6. Don't Neglect Hydration
Proper hydration is often overlooked but is vital for gut health. Water helps maintain regular bowel movements, supports overall digestive function, and is now thought to be linked to increased diversity of bacteria in the gut too.
Individual needs will vary, but two litres (or eight glasses) of water daily is a well established benchmark that’s a helpful for target for most people to aim for.
7. Slow Eating, Better Digestion
Eating too quickly or when rushed doesn’t given the body’s digestive function the best chance to kick in, and it can also lead to swallowing excess air, causing bloating and discomfort.
Practice mindful eating, chew your food thoroughly, and take your time during meals to aid digestion. It’s amazing the difference this can make to some people’s symptoms - the incredible power of slowing down.
8. The Gut's Sleep-Wake Cycle
Your gut has its own circadian rhythm, influenced by your sleep patterns. Regular sleep schedules and adequate rest can contribute to improved gut health and reduce IBS symptoms.
I contributed to an article in Stylist magazine on this topic - please read more here if this is of interest to you.
9. Unravel the Root Causes of Your IBS with Professional Support
The real key to addressing IBS lies in identifying the root cause of your symptoms and related contributing factors, bearing in mind that every individual's gut health is influenced by a complex interplay of things including diet, medical history, lifestyle, genetics, stress levels, and the gut microbiome.
Consulting with a qualified nutritional therapist who works with gut health is helpful as they will guide and support you on your journey and explore these factors - helping you gain valuable insights into what triggers your IBS and providing personalise advice how to address it more effectively. They also work with leading edge tests such as Comprehensive Stool Analysis which can be a game changer when it comes to understanding individual gut function and building a personal plan.
10. HEALING CAN TAKE Time & COMPASSION
Gut health improvements may not happen overnight, and it might take some time to notice significant changes, so patience, consistency, commitment and self-compassion are essential.
Often the most effective approach involves combining different strategies and this can take time. For instance, a holistic approach might involve dietary changes, a therapeutic supplement plan and mindfulness practices. The synergistic effect of multiple techniques can yield better results. Be patient and give each approach enough time to see its effects.
MY CONCLUSIONS
Being diagnosed with IBS may feel daunting, but you can take control of your gut health and find hope in healing.
Whilst the diagnosis itself might not provide all the answers you seek, if your doctor has told you that you have IBS, they will have ruled out the possibility of more serious conditions in the process of reaching that diagnosis, and now you have a starting point to explore your gut health more deeply.
By identifying and addressing trigger factors like food sensitivities, gut microbiome imbalances, stress, and underlying health conditions, you really can take significant steps towards finding relief and improved gut health.
Next Steps
Are you feeling out of control around food? Do you have challenges with your energy, gut health or digestion? Are you looking for a fresh approach to nutrition that values your physical and emotional wellbeing?
My personalised support brings together Nutritional Therapy with Intuitive Eating, empowering you to live a healthier life in harmony with food and your body.
If you would you benefit from this type of support, then please check out my private programmes here, or contact me for an exploratory chat to find out more.
