Reducing IBS symptoms isn’t a “one size fits all” approach!
IBS symptoms can range from minor to life disrupting. That’s the way it was for Leslie when she first contacted me for help. She was dealing with one of the “crankiest guts” I’ve come across in my many years of helping people address IBS symptoms and gut health issues.
IBS symptoms were disrupting Leslie’s life.
“What can I eat without my body reacting?”
This was one of the first things Leslie asked me. I heard the question, but I also heard the emotions behind the words. Frustration. Embarrassment. Confusion. Sadness.
“I have struggled with my stomach and gastrointestinal issues all of my life. Now it seems that no matter what I eat, I run to the bathroom. I miss being able to eat the food I make for my family. I find myself being really scared to eat because of how my body reacts. It’s affecting my life in ways that go beyond eating.”
A personalized plan to reduce IBS symptoms
Since IBS has many factors that can contribute to how a person’s body reacts that often go beyond just what a person eats, during our first appointment Leslie and I had a wide ranging discussion. I asked Leslie many questions about her medical history, when she ate, what she ate, her daily schedule, and many other aspects of her life. We discussed what she had tried before and what happened with those approaches.
These questions and her answers enabled me to build a plan for how to address what was happening with Leslie and reduce her IBS symptoms. The typical FODMAP approach wasn’t going to work for her situation. Although Leslie gave her permission for me to share her story with you, for privacy reasons I will just give you a brief outline of the four step approach we decided to use.
1) Focusing on the foods she could tolerate
The first part of our plan involved reducing Leslie’s IBS symptoms by focusing on foods she could tolerate. Building her confidence that she could control her IBS symptoms and that eating didn’t have to mean life disrupting trips to the bathroom was important.
2) Adding more foods that wouldn’t trigger her IBS symptoms
Because she was eating so few foods when she first saw me, Leslie was at risk for nutrient deficiencies due to her condition and food choices. I was able to recommend foods that could help fill those gaps and were unlikely to trigger her IBS symptoms.
Some of this included helping her learn how to prepare foods she had never had before and how to introduce them to her family. We did this for two reasons. The first was to reduce the amount of time and stress preparing meals was causing her. The second was social. She so missed sharing at least part of a meal with her family.
We also worked on other aspects of her eating habits contributing to her IBS symptoms and stomach issues.
3) Finding her IBS triggers
Although we had calmed Leslie’s gut and reduced her symptoms, staying on the limited range of foods she could now tolerate wasn’t a good idea or a healthy one. It reduced her enjoyment of life and increased the risk of developing nutrient deficiencies and other gut health issues.
Once she was confident that she could control her IBS symptoms, Leslie felt ready to explore what foods were triggering her symptoms. Each person’s enthusiasm and tolerance for this differs. As I do with everyone I help with IBS and other gut health issues, it was a customized approach that fit Leslie’s conditions, lifestyle, and dealt with her fears of her gut reacting again.
4) Getting back to variety and fun
Finally, after we determined the foods that triggered her IBS symptoms, we then worked out a plan to help keep her gut healthy and get her back to eating many of the foods she enjoyed and that her family liked. We developed a plan that would enable her to confidently increase the variety of foods she ate.
So what happened? I’ll share Leslie’s words about her experience and working with me:
“Working with Lisa, I was able to find that eating didn’t have to cause my body to react. For the first time in more years than I care to think about, I found that my GI system didn’t have to disrupt my life.
But it went beyond that. I’ve gotten back to where I am not afraid to eat anymore. I can even enjoy food again.
Working with Lisa was the best investment in my health that I have ever made!”
Many people have had similar experiences working with me. I’ve helped them figure out what’s bothering their gut and triggering their IBS symptoms, how to expand the variety of foods they can eat, and how to enjoy eating again.
Having personally struggled with weight and gut health issues, I understand how easy it is to think that food is the enemy especially with the changes our bodies undergo as we age. It doesn’t have to be that way!
I love using my extensive education and coach approach to help people realize it is possible to feel better and be healthier while still enjoying their life and food.
