Foods For IBS
IBS symptoms are similar to when you eat a bad meal and thus, you have
- Excess bloating and gas
- Abdominal and stomach pain
- Cramping
- Excessive belching
- Constipation and/or diarrhea
For example, if I have a glass of milk, I’m 99% going to get all of these symptoms – gas, stomach pain, cramping, and diarrhea.
Now, this doesn’t mean I have IBS.
It just means I shouldn’t be having dairy, especially milk. Or, it could be because I’m lactose intolerant, as are most adults. It can also be because of the type of casein the milk has.
For example, cow milk is different than goat milk. In fact, cow milk has different casein in the US than it is in Europe.
This is why some people can have dairy when going on a European vacation – such as ice cream, but not at home in the US.
Now, if you have these symptoms often, weekly, and especially daily – then yes, you have IBS.
Food is always a potential cause of IBS. In a minute or so I’ll tell you what you should avoid specifically and safe alternatives.
Allergens also cause IBS, as do microbes, imbalances in the bugs and bacteria in your stomach/gut, toxins in your food, and so forth can all be causes.
Sometimes it’s just ONE – like for me, it’s the lactase in the dairy example I gave earlier.
For some people, it can be two or three or four different issues happening at the same time.
Thus, it can be hard to get a specific cause for each of us and usually, it’s a combination.
And this is why I’ll give you multiple changes to make to help fix your IBS.
Plus, the older we get, the more problems our guts have from years of poor eating and drinking, as well as medications.
Add in life stresses, and PH fluctuations in your stomach acids, and as you can see, it can sometimes become challenging.
However, recent research suggests that “small intestinal bacterial overgrowth”, also known as SIBO, may be responsible for up to 80% of IBS situations.
The majority of your gut bacteria is in the colon, or that’s where it SHOULD be.
The problem with SIBO is that the bacteria basically goes backward, into the small intestine.
You don’t want this for a variety of reasons. One of the main ones is that you want the small intestine to be sterile and not backed up with this bad bacteria.
Then, when you have carbohydrates and thus, sugar – the bacteria ferment the sugars in the food, and that causes bloating, gas, and so forth.
This overgrowth of bacteria can then lead to digestive problems, poor absorption of nutrients and foods, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and could even cause a leaky gut.
foods for ibs
Avoid Dairy: I’ve said it before, milk is for babies and cow milk is for baby cows. Dairy is problematic for almost everyone.
Alternative: Instead, have rice or almond milk.
Remove Sugar: try to eliminate all sugars in your diet, this also means “syrups”. Read labels. This also includes alcohol, juices, and even fruit.
Alternative: If you want to sweeten your food, have Stevia. As far as fruit, limit it to citrus (lemons, limes) and berries.
Avoid Vegetables: Yes, many vegetables don’t do well with people. Especially cruciferous ones such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and even sauerkraut, which have lots of healthy probiotics.
Alternative: Celery, spinach, yams, and sweet potatoes are good. IF you do eat vegetables, better to steam them.
Avoid Legumes: Most people do NOT do well with legumes, especially when it’s not made properly because they contain indigestible saccharides. It’s a shame because they have lots of benefits – fiber, no sugar, protein, etc.
Alternative: IF you do want to have small amounts of legumes, stick to lentils. And make sure they are soaked for one day or made in a pressure cooker.
Avoid Gluten & Lectins: Gluten is a major issue for those who have IBS. And Lectins, which are found in many vegetables, also have the same problem. So, it’s best to avoid them.
Alternative: Make sure the carbs you eat, are gluten-free. For example, if buying oats, select the gluten-free ones.
Avoid Omega 6 Fats: These inflammatory fats, which are typically vegetable and seed oils, such as soybean, corn, sunflower, and safflower being the most popular ones. Again, read the labels.
Alternative: You need to have anti-inflammatory fats, such as omega 3’s and fish oil. Better to have almonds, flaxseeds, olives, avocados, and so forth.
Probiotics for IBS
Overall, if you have IBS and you’re considering taking a probiotic supplement, i recommend keeping it simple and sticking with a probiotic with no more than five strains of organisms listed on the label.
Give a probiotic about six weeks or so to see if it works. “If you’re feeling great, feel free to keep going or take a break.
In theory, the good bacteria should keep replicating in your microbiome and working for you,” Ganjhu says. If probiotics or a probiotic food makes you feel worse, stop consuming them.
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