What to Avoid with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

If you’re someone who suffers from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) you know how frustrating and painful it can be to manage this condition. However, with some lifestyle changes it’s possible to reduce or even eliminate IBS symptoms. One of the most crucial aspects of managing IBS is knowing what to avoid. This blog post will cover the foods and behaviors that you should avoid to manage IBS symptoms effectively.

High-FODMAP foods – FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. These are types of carbohydrates that are difficult for your body to digest and can cause IBS symptoms. Some high-FODMAP foods that you need to avoid include onions, garlic, wheat, beans, and lentils. You can substitute these foods with low-FODMAP options like carrots, cucumber, rice, and bananas.

Dairy products – Dairy products can be hard to digest for people with IBS because they contain lactose, which is a type of sugar that can cause bloating, gas, and diarrhea. If you cannot tolerate dairy, you can try lactose-free products, soy milk, or almond milk.

Caffeine beverages – Caffeine is known to increase the production of stomach acid, which can make IBS symptoms worse. Caffeine can be found in coffee, tea, energy drinks, and soda. Substitute these beverages with decaffeinated drinks, herbal tea, or water.

Alcohol – Alcoholic beverages can irritate and inflame the lining of the stomach and intestines. Alcohol can also disrupt the balance of gut bacteria, which can worsen IBS symptoms. If you do not want to eliminate alcohol, try limiting your consumption and choosing low alcohol content options like beer or wine.

Stress – Stress can trigger IBS symptoms by making your digestive system more sensitive and increasing inflammation. You can manage stress through meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, journaling, or psychotherapy.

In conclusion, knowing what to avoid with IBS is essential for managing symptoms effectively. Avoiding high-FODMAP foods, dairy products, caffeine and alcoholic beverages, and managing stress can help reduce the severity and frequency of IBS symptoms. If you’re struggling to manage your symptoms, you can always consult with a naturopathic doctor or dietitian, who can provide you with individualized advice and support for managing IBS. With the right treatment you can live a long life with irritable bowel syndrome. Remember, every person’s IBS symptoms are different, so it can take some trial and error to find what works best for you.

About the Author

Dr Carole Chueng is a naturopathic doctor who obtained her naturopathic degree from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. She has additional training in hormone health from the College of Pharmacy at the University of Florida. Although she has held a general family practice, she is passionate about consulting with patients on hormone health and using acupuncture to address physical injuries, as well as stress-related fatigue. She has done extensive training in acupuncture for physical injuries with Dr Whitfield Reaves and in facial acupuncture with various teachers.

As a naturopathic doctor, Dr Carole’s goal is to find the underlying root causes of dis-ease via thorough case taking, standardized and functional testing, and physical examinations. She applies an integrative/functional medicine approach whereby her recommendations are based on laboratory findings, current research and years of clinical experience. You can expect a discussion of your health goals, and a comprehensive treatment plan, which may include other practitioners to provide full support.

She loves to educate patients about diet and lifestyle, and enjoys creating culturally sensitive dietary plans with patients. She also cares about updating her knowledge-base through research and her clinical skills obtained in additional courses for best practice. She holds a prescribing and intravenous license in Ontario.