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Diet And Lifestyle management of IBS

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There are no specific diet plans for patients with IBS. You may have to try different things to check what suits you and what does not. Try some changes in your diet for several weeks and observe the improvement in your symptoms.

Individuals with IBS should take care of their diet and make some nutritious and lifestyle changes to maintain gut health, manage GIT symptoms, and improve their quality of life.

Food has always been a powerful tool in the management of GIT disorders. Diet is the way people manage their IBS. There are certain food items that can flare up your symptoms, and you need to eliminate them from your diet as soon as possible.

What to eat when you have irritable bowel syndrome?

Add Fiber

Adding fiber to the diet will relieve constipation, making the stool soft and easy to pass without any difficulty.

There are two types of fibers:

Soluble: found in avocados, sweet potatoes, oats, carrots, beans
Insoluble: found in wholegrain foods like wheat bars, brown rice, vegetables like cauliflower, fruits with edible seeds, nuts, and seeds.

Low FODMAP diet

FODMAPs contain a group of carbohydrates found in some food items that contribute to flaring up the symptoms of IBS. These are:

Fermentable
Oligosaccharides
Disaccharides
Monosaccharides
Polyols

The foods that contain five types of FODMAPs include:

Polyols (Fruits such as apples, pears, plums, apricots, and peaches)
Fructose (Honey)
Fructans (Wheat, onion, garlic)
Lactose found in milk and other dairy products (cheese, yogurt, custard)
Galactooligosaccharides(Vegetables like broccoli, legumes, beans)

Gluten-free diet

If a low FODMAPs diet is unable to relieve the symptoms, try a gluten-free diet. Although scientists say there is no relation between IBS and Gluten sensitivity as both have different gastrointestinal issues.

A gluten-free diet includes having less than 20 ppm of gluten per day. If you observe some improvement after having gluten-free diet, gradually increase the quantity to check the level of tolerance.

Is there any specific dietary advice for IBS patients as per the symptoms?

To ease cramps, bloating, gastric accumulation

Add oats to your daily diet
Avoid food items that are difficult to digest
Limit sweeteners that contain “ol” in their name e.g., Sorbitol
Avoid processed food
Limit carbonated drinks as they cause gastric accumulation
Limit spicy food and deep-fried food

To manage constipation

Drink plenty of water as it plays a great role in softening the stool
Increase the number of fibers in your diet
You can also take laxatives to ease defecation
Have fruits and salads
Avoid junk food, fast food

To manage diarrhea

Reduce fibers in the diet like wholegrain foods (brown bread, brown rice)
Avoid sweeteners like sorbitol
Have frequent meals
Take care of your water intake as diarrhea can lead to dehydration
Avoid foods or drinks that contain laxatives

What is the lifestyle advice for ibs management?

Keep a food diary

You need to keep a record of everything you eat so that you can track which food suits you and what does not.

Start yoga

Yoga is a good option if you’re dealing with IBS as it stabilizes your stress level by lowering the stress markers and lowering cortisol (stress hormone). Here are some yoga poses:

Downward facing dog

Cobra pose

Bow pose

Wind relieving pose

Half knee-to-chest poses

Wide-legged forward pose

Cat and cow pose

Seated spinal twist pose

Manage stress and anxiety

There is a strong relationship between the gastrointestinal tract and the brain. It is well-researched that the symptoms of IBS are worsened at times of increased stress and anxiety. There are many ways to overcome your stress like

Meditation
Walking in nature
Listening to calm and soothing music
Taking a nap in between a long mental exertion

And following your hobbies like:

Cooking
Reading
Writing
Or something else that you find helpful.

Limit alcohol and tobacco

They do not cause IBS, but they may trigger the symptoms of this condition. You should quit smoking and alcohol intake in such cases. This will improve your symptoms. There are different kinds of medication available to help get rid of such things.

Limit caffeine and strong caffeinated teas

It also plays a great role in triggering IBS symptoms. Limiting caffeine is a difficult habit to break. You can start by reducing the quantity of daily caffeine intake. It should not be more than 2-3 cups per day.

For more information, you can visit Healthline and Mayoclinic.