Good advice from The Food Doctor

 Succinct assistance

The IBS-Health.com website has been written with severe and long term sufferers in mind.  Whilst we aim to help anyone who comes across the site, we came across this advice and thought it would be a useful starting point for those who have recently developed IBS.

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Throughout our website we do like to remind sufferers that they are unique as are their symptoms so do not be put off if specific suggestions do not work for you, what they do represent is a good place to start.  We hope this helps.

Article from The Food Doctor:

http://www.thefooddoctor.com/?cid=7YMKLF0NWOLLQ0YEHYAJ8WFUWY3CVF3R

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel, or spastic colon is a common disorder whereby the regular waves of muscular movement along the intestines become uncoordinated.

This disruption involves the small intestine and the colon, resulting in a variety of symptoms in all areas of the digestive tract, including intermittent diarrhoea and constipation.

  

Symptoms you may experience include:

Colicky or continuous pains in the gut

Chronic diarrhoea and constipation

Trapped wind

Abdominal flatulence and bloating

A combination of the following: chronic fatigue, depression, headache, anxiety, poor concentration

Factors that may be influencing your condition include:

Food intolerance

Overgrowth of Candida albicans

Insufficient beneficial bacteria in the gut

Parasitic infection

Long term use of the contraceptive pill

A history of taking certain medications including antibiotics, steroids and NSAIDS

A diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugar

A diet low in fruit, vegetables and fiber

A stressful life

Poor muscle tone

Family history of IBS    

Dietary Recommendations:

Foods to Avoid

Carbohydrates

Avoid foods high in fast releasing sugars such as unrefined grains, confectionary, cakes and biscuits. Avoid raw vegetables, salads and raw fruit.

Fats

Avoid saturated fats from red meat and dairy food, as these tend to exacerbate the symptoms of IBS.

Proteins

Avoid protein from red meat and unfermented dairy foods as these tend to be inflammatory due to the saturated fat content.

Fluids

Avoid stimulants such as coffee, tea and sugary carbonated drinks.

Foods to Increase

Carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, which include rice, oats, rye, quinoa, barley, millet and buckwheat. Plenty of fresh well cooked vegetables introduced into the diet very slowly with soups and stews. Stewed fruits in small amounts.

Fats

Include fresh nuts and seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower seeds), cold pressed oils and oily fish (tuna, mackerel, herrings, pilchards, salmon) to supply essential fatty acids that are anti-inflammatory.

PROTEIN

Lean, organic chicken or turkey and fish can supply good animal protein. Include live yoghurt with no added sugar to encourage and healthy gut flora.

Fibre

Increase dietary fibre slowly to encourage gut motility and peristalsis particularly if constipation is a major symptom. Oat bran, prune juice, cooked vegetables lentils and pulses. In some cases high fibre foods make symptoms worse.

Fluids

Drink two litres of water daily — taken away from meals and sipped slowly to avoid stress on the kidneys. For variety drink diluted fruit juices, organic vegetables juices and herbal teas.

Lifestyle Recommendations:

Stress Identify any areas or stress in your life. Adopt more effective time management and allow time for relaxation. Start relaxation/yoga classes, breathing techniques etc. and even counselling or employing a life-manager.

Exercise Recommend a gentle exercise programme to be followed at least three days a week to aid motility of the GI tract.

Toxicity If smoking is an issue, then try to reduce and eventually break this habit as it can have a negative effect on digestive function.

Other Eat small regular meals and chew thoroughly to relieve any strain on the digestive system.

Nutrient Rich Foods for IBS:

VITAMIN B COMPLEX Richest food source: brewer’s yeast, eggs, chicken and whole grains.

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS Richest food source: fresh nuts and seeds and oily and cold-water fish.

ACIDOPHILUS Richest food source: Natural bio-yoghurt.

For more information about this or other conditions or to book a consultation, enquire at our Harley Street Clinic or call FREEPHONE 0800 093 5877

www.thefooddoctor.com © The Food Doctor 2011

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Restricted Eating vs Restricted Lifestyle

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Life Vs Diet

The current situation with IBS is fairly straightforward.  There is no magic pill, there is no absolute cure for IBS at present, and there is no simple single action which will alleviate the symptoms.

Those suffering with IBS face choices.  Do you wish to enjoy certain foods and beverages which bring discomfort? Or do you wish to have an often dull and restricted diet?  Sadly the products which bring most discomfort are the wonderful ones.  Alcohol and caffeine bring many pleasures, however they are a disaster waiting to happen to your stomach.

The time we are most likely to turn to alcohol and caffeine, are the times we are most generally stressed.  Stress features heavily later, however it is worth noting that during a psychological condition which is known to trigger IBS, we are highly likely to add further damage, by seeking products which physically damage the stomach.

If you, like I adore food, IBS diets based purely on restrictive practices can be soul destroying.  They undoubtedly work, however they lead to your condition ruling your life.  The best way to look at this would be in the same way as most of us view weight loss diets.  Be sensible most the time, but do ensure that you let your self go once in a while.

If you consistently practice a sensible routine, then when you do have a meal, or enjoy an evening where you forget all the rules, you will find overtime that the reaction is less severe.  If you allow your stomach time to heal in between such times, the benefits will soon become clear.

You've got to love that friendly Bacteria

You've got to love friendly bacteria

One of the first steps for anyone with digestive issues is to look for a good quality source of Friendly Bacteria.  They may be called Probiotics, Acidophillus, or simply friendly bacteria however they are likely to contain various strains of bacteria whose role is vital in a healthy digestive system.  Hopefully you are lucky enough to not need a top up, however below we discuss why you may need extra, and which ones to use, should you need to.

Why would you need them in the first place ?

As with many IBS related issues, we may not know why some of us need an extra dose of these bacteria, however there are many ways we can damage their numbers.  The most aggressive way of destroying the numbers of internal bacteria, is through the use of antibiotics.

Friendly bacteria is often recommended after courses of antibiotics and with good reason.  Many people develop IBS after course of antibiotics and with good reason.  Antibiotics do not discriminate which bacteria they destroy, thus it is always useful to replenish the bodies store of these vital bacteria. 

Thereafter common sense is applied.  Heat, and certain chemicals such as alcohol have a negative effect on the numbers of bacteria in the body.  Dehydration can also significantly effect the health of friendly bacteria.  If you think of things which would damage a delicate organism then you can not go far wrong in ensuring the health of your friendly bacteria.  One which is not always considered is tap water which has been highly chlorinated.  If you do have severe IBS and are taking a strong dosage of friendly bacteria it is worth drinking mineral water when taking your source of bacteria.

What to look for when buying friendly bacteria

The key thing for an IBS sufferer to look for is the number of viable cells.  The research on probiotics is sketchy and there are many conflicting reports on their health benefits.   However we do state that using the right Acidophillus/Probiotic will yield an improvement.  The key is to be patient and find the one that works for you.

The amount of viable cells generally goes from the millions through to the many billions.  There are probiotic replenishments which offer 75+billion cells.  It would be rare to need these, however it is really important to state that you have to find your own way on this. Some will not have enough cells to make a difference, research has clearly proven that low dose probiotics fail to survive the journey through the digestive tract.

The temptation will be to go for a very high dose, however they can leave you bloated and uncomfortable.  Finding the right balance is the key.  Speaking personally, I take a dose of 20 Billion cells daily.  I change the types of bacteria every few months, however it is the quantity of cells which matter not the brand.

This will vary for each and every single person, and it is imperative to re-state that too much is often as bad as too little.  Whatever your needs it may take a while to find the perfect balance, however when you the benefits are clear to see.

Wikipedia definition of friendly bacteria:

According to one definition offered by an expert committee convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization, probiotics are live microorganisms that may confer a health benefit on the host.^[1] Alternative expert review indicates there is insufficient scientific evidence for supplemental probiotics having a benefit.^[2]

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and bifidobacteria are the most common types of microbes used as probiotics, but certain yeasts and bacilli may also be used. Probiotics are commonly consumed as part of fermented foods with specially added active live cultures, such as in yogurt, soy yogurt, or as dietary supplements. Probiotics are also delivered in fecal transplants, in which stool from a healthy donor is delivered like a suppository to an infected patient.^[3]

Etymologically, the term appears to be a composite of the Latin preposition pro ("for") and the Greek adjective βιωτικός (biotic), the latter deriving from the noun βίος (bios, "life").^[4]

Probiotics may beneficially affect the host by augmenting its intestinal microbial population beyond the amount already existing, thus possibly inhibiting pathogens.^{[citation needed][5]} Studies are examining whether probiotics affect mechanisms of intestinal inflammation,^[6] diarrhea,^[7] urogenital infections^[8] or allergies.^[9] Through 2012, however, in all cases proposed as health claims to the European Food Safety Authority, the scientific evidence remains insufficient to prove a cause and effect relationship between consumption of probiotic products and any health benefit.^[2]

When a person takes antibiotics, both the harmful bacteria and the beneficial bacteria are killed. A reduction of beneficial bacteria can lead to digestive problems, such as diarrhea, yeast infections and urinary tract infections. The possibility that supplemental probiotics affect such digestive issues is unknown, and remains under study.^[10]

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Hopes for 2013

Hopes for 2013

We hope that you all had a fine festive period, and are looking forward to the New Year.  Around the world that has been a lack of good news, it seems that there is a rising tide of pessimism.  We at IBS-Health.com do not see it that way.  We see this as the year that you can start to make the changes which will improve the quality of your life forever.

Forgetting all the external factors for a moment, it is very easy to lose sight of the importance of taking care of ourselves.  Many of us have families to provide for and other people to think of of, which results in our own needs being put on the back burner.  For ourselves and the benefit of those around us it is vital that we do take the time this year to address our IBS.

Depending on the nature of your IBS the ease or difficulty of this will vary a great deal.  For those who have a lifelong condition patience and resolve will be required.  There is no cure yet for people with lifelong issues, however for those who may have had IBS bought on by external factors such as courses of medication and stress, we can most certainly help.

Our Raison d'etre

2012 was one of the greatest years of my life, as I was able to make decisions without being influenced by IBS.  Where I went, what I did, when I did it,  were decisions that had previously been dictated by my condition, however in 2012 after a lifetime of struggle with IBS, I finally felt I'd won, I was back in charge, with the result being I had an incredible year. 

I have not cured IBS, I have not discovered a miracle treatment, I have discovered a way of managing IBS to the point where my life is my ow again.  This site is a reaction to the happiness that freedom has bought me.  I want others who have had there lives controlled by IBS to be able to taste the freedom that comes from winning the battle with IBS.

Our hope for 2013 is that we can help as many sufferers of IBS as possible to enjoy their lives to the fullest, we hope that we can help them to the point that IBS is no longer the dominant factor in their day.  We hope we can help you.

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To Hope - a poem by John Keats

To Hope

John Keats

When by my solitary hearth I sit,

And hateful thoughts enwrap my soul in gloom;

When no fair dreams before my "mind's eye" flit,

And the bare heath of life presents no bloom;

Sweet Hope, ethereal balm upon me shed,

And wave thy silver pinions o'er my head!

Whene'er I wander, at the fall of night,

Where woven boughs shut out the moon's bright ray,

Should sad Despondency my musings fright,

And frown, to drive fair Cheerfulness away,

Peep with the moonbeams through the leafy roof,

And keep that fiend Despondence far aloof!

Should Disappointment, parent of Despair,

Strive for her son to seize my careless heart;

When, like a cloud, he sits upon the air,

Preparing on his spell-bound prey to dart:

Chase him away, sweet Hope, with visage bright,

And fright him as the morning frightens night!

Whene'er the fate of those I hold most dear

Tells to my fearful breast a tale of sorrow,

O bright-eyed Hope, my morbidfancy cheer;

Let me awhile thy sweetest comforts borrow:

Thy heaven-born radiance around me shed,

And wave thy silver pinions o'er my head!

Should e'er unhappy love my bosom pain,

From cruel parents, or relentless fair;

O let me think it is not quite in vain

To sigh out sonnets to the midnight air!

Sweet Hope, ethereal balm upon me shed,

And wave thy silver pinions o'er my head!

In the long vista of the years to roll,

Let me not see our country's honour fade:

O let me see our land retain her soul,

Her pride, her freedom; and not freedom's shade.

From thy bright eyes unusual brightness shed

Beneath thy pinions canopy my head!

Let me not see the patriot's high bequest,

Great Liberty! how great in plain attire!

With the base purple of a court oppress'd,

Bowing her head, and ready to expire:

But let me see thee stoop from heaven on wings

That fill the skies with silver glitterings!

And as, in sparkling majesty, a star

Gilds the bright summit of some gloomy cloud;

Brightening the half veil'd face of heaven afar:

So, when dark thoughts my boding spirit shroud,

Sweet Hope, celestial influence round me shed,

Waving thy silver pinions o'er my head!

To Hope

John Keats