Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms

About Course

It is well known that the first step to managing bowel symptoms is to identify if there are any food triggers and begin to connect these to the foods to the symptoms whilst modifying their inclusion in the diet for management of bowel symptoms.

For decades, individuals diagnosed with irritable syndrome-like symptoms have struggled to understand what could be triggering their symptoms however due to ongoing research in IBS, a lot of progress has been made into understanding the best way to manage IBS likes symptoms and identification of trigger foods is a key factor.

And then we will look at some practical tools that have been specifically developed for the Peaceful Body course.

I do hope you stay until the end of this course.

Ways to identify what foods could be triggering for an individual with the aim to improve symptoms
How the gut works
The definition of trigger foods
How the gut gets triggered leading to common symptoms
Why trigger foods may differ from person to person
The effect of trigger foods on symptoms
Practical tools that can help with the identification of these food triggers along with delving into common and hidden types of trigger foods

Course Content

Why Identifying Trigger Foods Matters
For individuals that are experiencing irritable bowel syndrome like symptoms, identifying trigger foods is at the heart of IBS management and is one of the most important tasks individuals with IBS usually implement that can lead to improved quality of life and promote a more enhanced lifestyle. Simple things such as eating in social settings amongst friends, having a takeaway, being away from home can be limited and hampered by the inability to understand what foods can be triggering for an individual, which makes this first step of identifying trigger foods an important one towards improving bowel symptoms and quality of life.

Definition of Trigger Foods
Trigger foods are identified to be specific foods that can exacerbate symptoms in individuals with irritable bowel syndrome and research has shown that some carbohydrates may contribute to IBS symptoms, and these are called the fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols or FODMAPs.

Why trigger foods can differ and Impact on Individuals
Another reason for the triggering and individuals with IBS is due to the uniqueness of our gut health and gut microbiota. Any individual with a sensitive gut, due to the difference and variation in the gut bacteria mix, the gut response can vary even though the same foods have been eaten, resulting in different symptoms.

2nd Module

The impact of trigger foods on wellbeing and daily life
Many individuals report that gut symptoms impact on their social and work life, interrupting routine, causing pain, urgency and bloating symptoms resulting in the inability to live a normal life.

How To Identify Trigger Foods
The low FODMAP diet has been shown to be the best way to identify what your trigger foods are and bring symptom relief. However, there are other ways one can identify trigger foods, such as using the elimination diet, keeping a food diary and avoiding known all known food triggers.

The Low FODMAP diet
Getting ready to go through the low FODMAP - fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols diet is a key step in the success of this process. Because a lot of dietary changes would have to be made and it’s best to get your cupboard and kitchen freezer ready for the meals that you will now start to eat. Importantly, it’s best not to be on holiday whilst on this diet or aiming to eat out, because it’ll be difficult to ensure that the food is rid of the high FODMAPs that are required in this diet. Another important part to the success of this diet is to ensure strict compliance.

3rd Module

Food and Symptom Diary
The food and symptom diary is a very simple elimination process that can be identified by noting which foods are causing your gut symptoms. Aim to document your symptoms once they occur, so you don’t forget what your meal or drink intake was at that time, using a notepad or phone or whatever is convenient for you.

Elimination Diet
An elimination diet is a short-term method that helps identify foods your body can’t tolerate well and can also be a way to identify your food triggers, food intolerances, sensitivities, and allergies in your diet.

4th Module

Mindful Eating
The gut brain axis is involved in emotional processing and stress regulation, improving mood and reducing anxiety which in turn helps in reducing gut symptoms. Mindful eating can help break the stress - eating cycle, because when one is stressed the body releases cortisol which can increase cravings and appetite for fatty sugary foods.

Managing Real Life Food Triggers
One of the main issues with IBS symptoms is coping with symptoms when you are out of your comfort zone, in a different place where you’re not used to the food, you’re unsure of where to shop and the environment is just different. It can lead to increased stress and anxiety levels which now exacerbate already occurring IBS symptoms such as urgency, bowel cramps and varied stool symptoms.

Conclusion
It’s been a very informative and exciting topic learning how to manage IBS like symptoms. Join me on the next course in which I’ll be discussing the role of probiotics and prebiotics in the management of bowel symptoms. I will see you in the new course!

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