People who suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) often experience painful and distracting symptoms that can be tough to deal with. IBS is typically a lifelong affliction and can have a significant impact on your digestive system. Unfortunately, there is no cure for IBS, but there are certain ways that you can manage the condition and reduce the severity of your symptoms. To help you out, we’ve put together a list of the five best ways of managing your IBS symptoms below.
Cook homemade meals
For people with IBS, a diet that consists largely of processed foods is likely to make your symptoms worse. Instead, opting for whole foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as well as other plant-based ingredients, all contribute to keeping your gut healthy and happy. You don’t need to be a talented chef to incorporate whole foods into your diet, and you can easily start with some simple recipes. If you can resist falling into the trap of eating junk and processed foods, your gut will become more used to healthier, wholesome foods. And as everyone is aware, following a balanced diet is so important to all aspects of your physical health.
Keep a symptom diary
Everyone is different, so your gut is likely to react slightly differently to the next person’s. So, to reduce the effect that your IBS symptoms can have, maintaining a gut diary will help you detect patterns and help you make subtle changes in your lifestyle. Be sure to include everything you eat and all the symptoms that you experience in your diary. When you notice a pattern, you can make the necessary adjustments.
Unnecessarily unsettling your gut will cause more pain and discomfort in the long term, so identifying and eliminating disruptive and unsuitable foods will help reduce your IBS symptoms. Many people with IBS find that diet changes are helpful, and following the low FODMAP diet could be particularly beneficial. It’s widely thought that this diet is beneficial for those who suffer from IBS, as it encourages you to avoid foods such as milk and wheat, which your gut typically finds difficult to break down.
Maintain an exercise routine
Although it’s difficult to motivate yourself to exercise after a long day at the office, lounging on the sofa every night won’t help your gut. Two of the most common IBS symptoms – bloating and gastrointestinal discomfort – can be alleviated by regular exercise. What’s more, studies indicate that regular daily exercise can inhibit your IBS symptoms long term. Exercise isn’t about running a marathon or playing a team sport either. Taking a walk in your local park or performing yoga in the evening can be just as effective at reducing your IBS symptoms.
Lower stress levels
It’s common to be afflicted by pains and cramps in your gut at times when you feel stressed. This is because of the gut-brain axis, which intrinsically links what’s going on in your head with occurrences in the gut. The axis serves as the main communication system connecting your central nervous system and the brain, enabling your gut to send signals up to your head (and vice versa). Practicing general mindfulness and taking some time to perform meditation and yoga are excellent ways of reducing your stress levels and easing your IBS symptoms.
The bottom line is that cultivating a healthy gut is imperative if you want to reduce the painful symptoms you experience as a result of IBS. Our Gut Health supplement is an excellent way of achieving this, so make sure to check out our treatment page today.
