Oh IBS how I know thee so well.

 

After being diagnosed with it age 16 and then again age 24 (after various tubes, test, biopsies and other unpleasant things due to my horrid symptoms) I am well versed on the impact of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The pain, the cramps, embarrassing gas from both ends, diarrhea, constipation and being so bloated that people ask you regularly if you’re pregnant…

 

But your body loves to heal. It is what it is made to do. 

 

So today we will look at how to treat IBS naturally and how I, over the years have become IBS free (pretty much) and how you can do the same. These are principles that I have not only used on myself but with my many one to one clients struggling with the same. It is worth noting though that we are all so individual, our gut microbiome will all look different, our genetics are different, our metabolism, endocrine and immune system function is all so different (although granted we all have same building block). Not only that, our stress levels are different, our life circumstances, budgets, careers are all so different and play an important role in our health and healing. 

 

So if you really want to wave au revoir to your IBS then I would recommend booking onto one of my one to one coaching packages as that will tailor a healing protocol for your body, life and outcomes >>> click here to find out how you can work with me one2one!

 

 

But first if you haven’t read my previous post make sure you read my what is really causing your IBS here or click here to watch how to naturally treat IBS video post as this lays the foundation of how to treat IBS but this post will go into more detail.

 

What is it?

IBS, in my own words (remember I am not a doctor/scientist/dolphin trainer/physicist/surgeon/astronaut etc) is when your gut is unhappy, when you struggle to digest food and you are irritated on the inside. It’s often the term given by doctors when they have no scooby about what’s really wrong with you and if you ask most doctors they would also say they don’t know the cause (also known as a diagnosis of exclusion).

(Please note IBS like symptoms can be disguising other health issues so ALWAYS check with your doctor don’t just assume you have IBS – get a diagnosis.)

As discussed in this post it can be caused by many things but today we are going to look at how to treat it naturally as in my experience drugs don’t do anything and for me it was so severe the option of just living with it was no option at all.

 

How to Treat IBS Naturally

 

Fermented Foods

Adding in some kefir to your diet or sauerkraut or other fermented food like kombocha can do wonders for your IBS. People sometimes find that adding fermented food daily is enough to help ease symptoms. The reason you want fermented food is that they are full of good bacteria and vitamin and minerals and whilst a probiotic supplement might be good the BEST way to supplement your diet in through the food you eat.

I have had clients who have noticed a massive difference just by adding kefir to their diet daily – so much so I call it a healing elixir!!

>>>>>>>>> Find out more about probiotics here and why you need them to thrive.

 

Ditching the Sugar

I am not a big refined sugar fan for various reasons as sugar can help to feed the pathogenic bacteria that could be at the root cause of your IBS. It’s just such a big no-no for so many aspects of health.  Plus to help you out all my recipes are refined sugar-free 😉

I know it can seem daunting but once your a few days in food will have never tasted so good! Plus there are loads of tasty alternatives you can enjoy and of course, all my recipes are refined sugar-free 😉

>>>>>>> Click here to find out more 

 

 

Stress

For as I said above that I am pretty much IBS free because I am human and I get stressed. Stress is often the BIGGEST reason people suffer with IBS. You see our bodies are not disconnected from our emotions. In fact, we have more nerve ending in our guts than in our brains and our gut is where we produce 90% of the happy hormone serotonin. So stress IMMEDIATELY impacts your body, digestion and hormone response.

>>>>>>>>> Do whatever it takes to reduce stress. Get counseling, go pilates or yoga, walk more, say no to stuff you hate doing, get a new job, get new friends, buy a dog – anything!! More on this is a post coming soon.

 

CHEW

Again super simple but super effective. Digestion begins when food enters your mouth NOT when it hits your stomach. Your mouths job is to chew food up into a nice liquid in order to not put an added strain on the stomach.

It so easier to chew 3 times and then swallow but this can be problematic.

>>>>>>>>> Next time you eat count how many times you chew your food then aim to double it!

 

Love your herbs!

Think like peppermint, ginger, fennel, turmeric root, caraway seeds, nettle and other can be so good for soothing your body. I often start the day with shots of ginger made in my juicer and sip on organic peppermint or ginger tea all day.

My favourite healing tea and herb combo is making a pot of grated ginger and turmeric root tea and slurping on it all day – honestly, you feel so good doing that! Plus its simple, it’s hydrating and it no expensive.

You can also rub and massage peppermint essential oil onto your tummy with olive or coconut oil to help soothe an irritated tummy.

>>>>>>>> Sip on nettle, peppermint and ginger tea all day long!

 

Find out your Trigger Food
(Try 2 weeks without gluten and/or dairy)

Honestly time and time again with my one2one client they often feel immediately better by removing gluten or dairy or both from their diet. These are the most common inflammatory foods that can constantly be causing irritation. Plus it’s easier than you think as there is so much tasty food out there plus just click below to get your free GF meal plan to help you out.

This is often a hurdle for people but honestly, it’s only as difficult as you believe it to be. 

>>>>>>>>Ditch gluten and/or dairy for 2 weeks (or at least 4 days!) and get the meal plan below to help with this!

 

 

 

For the love of gelatin…

Gelatin is AMAZING for your body, gut, skin, hair and general health. I am talking quality gelatin or collagen that you can make marshmallow out of or just put in hot chocolate, smoothie or even curries! It tastes of nothing and is super good for your body, it even gets called natures botox so – hey you have got nothing to lose!

 >>>>>>>>> Click here to get my marshmallow recipe and find out more about the benefits of gelatin.

 

Avoid phytates

Happy digestion is KEY for sorting out IBS. It’s one of the foundations of health and healing and often the first thing I look at with one to one clients (along with detoxification pathways, bowel movements and more!)

Phytic acid is an enzyme inhibitor that protects plant-based foods and enables it to produce life but can be problematic to a sensitive inflamed gut. They occur in all grains like wheat, rice, quinoa, spelt, things like nuts, seeds, all pulses and lentils and hinder our digestion of all the goodness within these foods and add to the irritation.

To reduce the phytates in our food we can soak our nuts and grain before using them which massively helps. I always soak and dehydrate nuts and find I can tolerate them so much better this way as it traditionally how we would have prepared them. Often grains and nut would have been left in the sun for a long time and sprouted which means the phytate acid is greatly reduced and digestion improved!

>>>>>>>>> Click here to find out more about soaking and sprouting your grains, nuts, pulses and lentils.

 

Sip on bone broth

If you haven’t heard of bone broth then where have you been?? Bone broth has taken the health world by storm because of its wonderful benefits. It’s full of healing fats and amino acids that gently soothe the gut and help reduce inflammation as well as helping your body rebuild and heal.

Plus it’s super cheap to make and super simple and often my clients are amazed at how tasty it is and how much their body craves it. One client told me that they loved it so much they ate it cold straight from the fridge (not recommended!!) But this often because our bodies crave the things that will heal us – clever aren’t they?

And if you are a veggie but eat fish, then fish stock is wonderful too but there is no veggie-friendly alternative. If you’re not a vegetarian for moral/ethical reasons and just don’t like the taste then definitely make sure you include gelatin into your diet as it has similar properties.

>>>>>>>>> Click here to find out how to make bone broth

 

BOOM your guide to waving au revoir to irritable bowel syndrome!

 

And if you want a clear meal plan that incorporates all of the above – then click below to grab your free Meal Plan – with Recipes included.

Boom – you will soon be on your way to one happier and flatter belly – yay!!!