Despite eating what most people consider to be “healthy foods” and seeking medical advice from both mainstream and alternative health practitioners, it’s possible to develop Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and/or Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The good news is that it’s possible to heal from IBD and IBS symptoms by making adjustments to one’s diet and lifestyle. Here is a list of nine things that are helpful in healing from IBS and IBD.
1. Clean up medications
Over the counter and prescription medications are full of extra ingredients, several of which are detrimental to the digestive system. They contain ingredients such as talc, polyethylene glycol, synthetic colourants, and other chemicals (including but not limited to parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, and preservatives). I highly recommend taking a look at the detailed product monograph for all of the over the counter and prescription medications that you take (available on the Government of Canada’s Drug Product Database) to learn about what’s in your medication and to research whether there’s a less toxic version available.
For over the counter pain medications (including ibuprofen and acetaminophen), I found the best way to take these medications is to have them made by a compounding pharmacist. This requires a prescription from a medical doctor. Getting medications made for you by a compounding pharmacist allows you to choose the type of buffer (e.g., cellulose) and capsule (e.g., veggie capsule) used to create your medications. It also enables you to opt out of extra chemicals in your medications which can cause harm to your digestive system. Products like naproxen are especially hard on my digestive system, and compounded ibuprofen + acetaminophen was a great replacement.
Prescription drugs can often be compounded, though it can be worthwhile comparing the ingredients list across various brands that offer the same medication.
2. Embrace a diet free from inflammatory foods & beverages
Food has a huge impact on the digestive system, and there are many diets that one can experiment with while seeking relief from IBS and/or IBD. While what works well for one person may not work for another, diets low in inflammatory foods can often be helpful for individuals struggling with IBS and/or IBD. This means eating a diet that is low in histamines, glutamate, lectins, and sulfites. Here are the foods that may help to keep your digestive system happy and running smoothly:
- Lean organic, pastured meats like chicken, beef, pork, and bison. Note: avoid skin, fat, connective tissues and broth and/or bone broth (which are high in histamines and may cause issues for those who struggle with histamines)
- Organic green vegetables like bok choy, asian greens, napa cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, arugula, etc.
- Organic starchy vegetables, peeled and cooked, like carrots, sweet potato, turnip, and celeriac
- Organic cold pressed extra virgin olive oil – this stuff is liquid gold (aka highly anti-inflammatory), pour it on everything you eat!
- Sea salt and organic fresh herbs like sage, oregano, basil, rosemary, etc.
- Filtered water – aim to drink at least 3 litres per day, and avoid drinking water 30 minutes before or after meals
- Organic loose leaf herbal teas – some of my favorites are tulsi (holy basil), sage, and peppermint; avoid drinking tea 30 minutes before or after meals
I suggest trying this diet for at least 30 days to allow your body time to adjust and heal.
Things to avoid avoid: sugar, caffeine, gluten, dairy products, nuts, seeds, legumes, grains, foods high in oxalates which may impact some people (e.g., spinach, potatoes, swiss chard, turmeric, etc.), foods high in histamines (e.g., tomatoes, peppers, hot peppers, butternut squash, pickled and fermented foods, alcohol, etc.), preservatives (e.g., MSG), food colouring, canned foods, packaged and highly processed foods, soy products, dried and cured foods (e.g., sun dried tomatoes, salami, dried fruits, dehydrator meals), unhealthy oils (e.g., canola oil, sunflower seed oil, vegetable oil, etc.), corn products and corn syrup, restaurant food, and products that contain questionable ingredients (e.g., “spices”, “natural ingredients”, or words you can’t easily pronounce).
3. Cook using toxin free cookware
Eating foods that are high quality, nutritious, anti-inflammatory, and free from anti-nutrients and toxins is key to a healthy diet. However, bowel disrupting toxins can also sneak into our foods through your cooking utensils! To help keep toxins out of your food, make sure that you use toxin free pots and pans (e.g., stainless steel and cast iron) and utensils (e.g., wooden spoons and cutting boards, metal turners and tongs). Be sure to avoid products marketed as “non-stick” (e.g., Teflon) as they typically contain PFAS which is highly toxic and carcinogenic. To avoid leaching chemicals from plastics into food during storage, store food in metal or glass containers. Additionally, avoid using a microwave to heat or cook food to ensure that nutrients are not depleted.
4. Chew your food well
Our digestive system works incredibly hard to process the nutrients we give it, and we can help it by slowing down at meal times and carefully chewing our food. If eating slowly is something you struggle with, try using chopsticks as this may help force you to eat more slowly. Eating slowly and chewing food thoroughly reduces the stress on our digestive system and helps to ensure that nutrients can be absorbed by the body. This also allows our food to mix with saliva, which is an essential part of the digestive process that can also lower your blood sugar levels. All of this leads to an increased likelihood that we’ll have healthy, well formed bowel movements!
5. Calm the nervous system and avoid stress
The autonomic nervous system is made up of two nervous systems: the parasympathetic nervous system and the sympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system controls rest, digest and healing functions in the body. In contrast, the sympathetic nervous system controls the body’s fight or flight responses.
The parasympathetic nervous system is made up of vagal nerves which run from your brain all the way down to your large intestine. It plays an important role in involuntary body functions such as breathing, heart rate and blood pressure, digestion, urination, mood, mucus and saliva production, among other key body functions.
Reducing stress on the body and activating the parasympathetic nervous system will help in ensuring that your digestive system is ready for peak performance. The following actions are helpful in maintaining a healthy parasympathetic tone, especially in regard to digestion:
- limiting contact with people that are stressed out
- avoiding over-scheduling, unnecessary commitments, and stressful activities to ensure enough time for self care activities (e.g., time outdoors, sleep, creative time, daily routines, food preparation, and fun!)
- limiting screen time (especially late at night and while eating)
- eating in a quiet, peaceful environment
- eating smaller, nutritious meals (larger meals are harder on the system!)
- allowing for 5 minutes to rest after eating, and then going for a walk (10+ minutes)
- calming activities such as nose breathing, mediation, mindful walking, stretching, and yoga
- avoid eating at least 3 hours before bed
- limiting contact with wireless technologies (e.g., WIFI, cell phones), and not carrying a cell phone on or near the body (as they cause inflammatory)
For more information on how to calm the body for free please see “Eight inexpensive ways to calm and detoxify the body“.
6. Start intermittent fasting
Our digestive system works hard to keep up with the food we give it and another way you can help it work better is by giving it a big interrupted break each day to rest and heal. You can do this by intermittent fasting, also called time restricted eating, which involves compressing your caloric intake into a smaller window. I’ve found that restricting eating/caloric intake to 10 hours a day (e.g., 8:30am to 6:30pm) works well for me and gives my body 14 hours a day (e.g., 6:30pm to 8:30am) to rest, reset, and heal.
7. Prioritize sleep
Healing from IBS and/or IBD is tough, and the body needs rest to heal. Ensuring that you get a good night’s rest is crucial in helping your body recover. Aim to get at least 8 hours of sleep per night, and ensure that you have at least an hour to wind down before going to sleep.
8. Try a bathroom toilet stool
Toilets elevate us from the ground and put us in an unnatural position while we try to have a bowel movement. To properly align your digestive system into a more natural squatting position, consider trying a bathroom toilet stool (e.g., “Squatty Potty” or short stool). Don’t knock it until you try it, as bathroom stools are the best! We love ours and always miss it when we are away from home!
9. Consider a bidet attachment
If you’ve had IBS or IBD, there’s a good chance you’ve also had anal fissures (so fun, I know!). These are the worst and make bowel movements painful. To help ensure that fissures stay clean so that they can heal, I highly recommend trying a bidet to clean and soft flannel cotton cloths to dry instead of using toilet paper. Avoiding toilet paper is also ideal as toilet paper contains formaldehyde, bleach, and PFAS, and is not healthy for your most delicate body parts. The most convenient and affordable way to access a bidet is by installing a bidet attachment on your existing toilet. We have the LUXE Bidet Neo 185 and love it.
I hope these suggestions help you feel a whole lot better and allow you to get back to living your life to the fullest!
Warmly,
Sarah
