Are you feeling bloated, gassy, heavy and uncomfortable? One minute you cannot go to the toilet, then next minute you cannot get off it?
The likely cause is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It is incredibly common; it affects up to a third of people at some stage or another and it is one of the main reasons why people visit their GP.
Unfortunately, according to the NHS, there is not a lot you can do. The official view is that it is a lifelong problem that no one really understands and that there is no cure for, although some medicine can treat symptoms. So sorry, move along and deal with it…
However, a Functional Medicine practitioner will tell you there IS hope. A consultation with a nutrition professional specialising in digestive health will be able to, in the first instance, provide some natural solutions to manage your IBS symptoms that are likely better than taking over-the-counter medications AND your nutritionist will be able to work with you to find the root cause. This will enable you to get to the bottom of what is causing the symptoms of IBS, and they you can take steps to fix it.
3 ROOT CAUSES OF SUFFERING WITH IBS
1. SMALL INTESTINAL BACTERIAL OVERGROWTH (SIBO)
One of the most common causes of IBS is SIBO, which accounts for 60+ of IBS cases. This describes a condition where bacteria manage to grow and thrive in the small intestine. It’s not a question of whether it’s our normal bacteria or pathogenic bacteria, as there shouldn’t really be much of them in the small intestine in the first place.
If you would like to order your SIBO test email: hello@wholeharmony.co.uk.
2. FOOD INTOLERANCE
It might be that you have a lactose intolerance. This is when your body is not able to tolerate lactose, a type of sugar found naturally in milk and other dairy products, leading to a host of “IBS symptoms”. It might similarly be fructose malabsorption. Again, some people are not able to absorb fructose and symptoms are very similar to lactose intolerance.
If you would like to order your food intolerance test email: hello@wholeharmony.co.uk.
3. DYSBIOSIS
Dysbiosis is an imbalance in the levels of beneficial (good) and pathogenic (bad) bacteria in the large intestine or colon, potentially caused by the overuse of antibiotics or alcohol, an increase in high sugar diets, and stress.
Or you might have a yeast overgrowth. Simply, the gut environment gets out of balance (due to dysbiosis) such that unwelcome yeast can thrive.
None of these are pressing issues for regular doctors because there is often not the NHS testing or the framework for treatment of these problems. In some cases, digestive problems can be tricky to solve, and it almost always involves a lot of detective work. But if your symptoms are hampering your life in a significant way, I want you to know that there ARE things you can do. Although IBS might be very common, it is not normal to experience the symptoms you do.
10 WAYS TO IMPROVE IBS SYMPTOMS
1. Try to have a cup of ginger tea before meals to stimulate digestion
2. Take 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar (with the “mother) before a meal (NOTE: be careful as if you happen to have Helicobacter pylori bacteria this is not something appropriate for you – it’s better to get it tested to exclude bacterial infestation before introducing apple cider vinegar).
3. Think about your food before eating – the smell and thought of food will kickstart the digestive process
4. Chew properly – digestion starts in the mouth.
5. Eat some pineapple or papaya before meal – these contain enzymes that can boost your digestion. Or you might consider taking a digestive enzyme supplement.
6. Take a 15-minute walk after eating if you can. This lowers blood sugar levels and improves digestion.
7. Don’t eat at your desk – eat at a table. It is important not to multitask during a meal, but concentrate on chewing properly and taking enough time to eat.
8. Don’t eat on the go or when you are stressed out. Your digestive juices might not be produced and you won’t be able to absorb your nutrients and also might cause heartburn.
9. Don’t eat fruit after a meal as it goes quickly through the digestive track and get stuck behind other foods that are digested more slowly and end up being fermented and not digested, causing gas.
10. Don’t’ drink water or other fluids with your meal as this dilutes the stomach acid that it’s needed to break your food down properly.
There are further tips and some example recipes to manage your IBS symptoms that you can get by downloading our free “How to get a happy tummy” eBook below.
If you find the tips included in the eBook don’t help enough, you might need a individualised plan. Thus, best is to book a personalised assessment to identify your specific root cause of your symptoms. You can book a Root Cause analysis here. You will need to fill out some forms ahead of your appointment and we will be discussing your potential root causes and priority of treatment in a 90 min appointment. As a result, we might be suggesting to run some Functional Medicine tests like food intolerance or stool analysis or SIBO test, depending what we find might be going on with your gut health and we put a personalised programme together.
