Treating IBS with a healthy diet
Treating IBS with a healthy diet may not be as difficult as you think! Imagine eating (most of) what you want without bloating, cramping, diarrhea, or gas.
6 Steps to help you
Read on to learn how to treat your IBS symptoms in just 6 steps designed to help you. In this, the introduction, we will briefly touch on these 6 steps to familiar yourself in what lies ahead. Hopefully, it’ll be the beginning of treating your IBS with a healthy diet in 6 easy steps.
Step 1: Avoid Chocolate, Coffee, and Carbonated Sodas
To keep IBS at bay, you should avoid carbonated sodas, chocolate, and coffee consumption, especially at night. Caffeine should be avoided, but especially in high dosages, because it’s a gastrointestinal stimulant. The carbonation found in mineral water and carbonated sodas is known to cause cramps and bloating. Regular coffee, as well as decaffeinated coffee, contains a powerful enzyme that irritates the gastrointestinal tract.
Step 2: Stay Away From Junk Foods
Junk foods can be the result of mood swings, feeling blah, or emotional eating. Ask yourself why you’re eating a certain junk food. Ask, “What do I hope to gain from eating this?”
You may not call it junk food; you may call it comfort food, fast food, or convenience food. Our modern day diet and lifestyles include fast foods. It’s inevitable. It’s estimated that one out of every four Americans eats at one fast food restaurant everyday. That’s part of the reason there are more than 60% of overweight or obese Americans.
Step 3: Drink 8 Glasses of Water a Day
Your body can live without food, but your body needs water. To help the digestion of your food go faster and smoother, drinking water during your meal is recommended. Some authorities suggest drinking water an hour both before and after a meal.
Step 4: Get Your Good Sources of Fiber
Fiber is important for your diet because it reduces colonic spasms. Fiber allows soft bowel movements to pass without straining. You can find fiber in whole grain breads, whole grain cereals, fruits, and vegetables.
It’s recommended to consume 20-35 grams of fiber on a daily basis, but it’s estimated most Americans only consume about 5-20 grams daily.
Step 5: No More Fatty Foods
It sounds simple, but Americans find it difficult. Don’t eat fatty foods. Fat actually stimulates colonic contractions, which in turn, aggravates the bowel. If you suffer from IBS, you should eliminate fatty foods from your routine diet.
Step 6: Exercise Daily
Everyone needs to exercise. Exercise is vital for optimal health. Regular exercise is the key here. You don’t have to become a professional weightlifter. You just have to do some kind of physical exercise daily. A fit colon will be the happy result of a fit body.
Find additional ways to alleviate your symptoms of IBS here.
