IBS ( Irritable Bowel Syndrome) or Spastic Colon, is a disorder of the intestines that causes discomfort including stomach pain, abdominal gas, trouble with bowel movement,diarrhea, and even constipation. It isn't a life-threatening disease but having said that, it can be severe enough in some patients to interfere with daily functioning and routines.

Although difficult to cure completely, IBS can be managed with some alterations in a person's lifestyle, especially one's diet, which plays a crucial role in easing symptoms and improving the quality of life. Hence, following a dietary regime suited to the IBS system is paramount.

There is no one-size-fits-all, single best diet for IBS sufferers, but one must develop one's own diet plan by carefully observing and monitoring their food intake, whilst taking into account foods that generally provoke symptoms and those foods that are well tolerated.

Firstly, food allergies and intolerances such as lactose intolerance must be considered. Try dairy alternatives like soya milk, oat milk or even yogurt rich in calcium and vitamins.
Other culprits are fatty foods which worsen bowel symptoms as they are difficult to digest. Embark on a low-fat diet which is good for your heart and doesn't irritate the digestive tract's delicate lining. Steer clear of fried foods and instead choose low fat foods with minimal processing.
Should you go for a high fiber diet or a low fiber one? To decide, it's essential to consider which is more suited to your body. For some, a high fiber diet may be beneficial adding bulk to stools enabling a smooth trouble free bowel movement. Fibrous foods include fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains. However, if fiber ends up giving you a sense of bloating, include soluble fiber in your diet and limit grains.
Avoid hot, spicy foods, coffee, carbonated drinks, alcohol, and sugars: These are known triggers for IBS sufferers, and may stimulate colonic spasms. Eating healthy and getting the right mix of nutrients is essential as one needs to be careful about what his or her stomach can digest. And this makes avoiding unhealthy junk food a must.

Maintaining a food diary to observe and track the impact of different foods can be a good start towards planning a healthy diet.

Best Diet for IBS Patients

Irritable bowel syndrome which is referred to as IBS, in short, is a set of health symptoms that occur at the same time. These symptoms include abdominal pain, changes in bowel movements such as diarrhoea and constipation. You may experience these symptoms in the digestive tract without noticing any visible signs. An irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder that occurs as a result of interactions with the brain and the gut; this is related to functional gastrointestinal disorders. Therefore, irritable bowel syndrome is a type of functional gastrointestinal disorder. The problems can result in the gut-turning extremely sensitive. This alters how the muscles contract in the bowel movements. There are certain home remedies that you can adopt in order to gain some relief from irritable bowel syndrome which is as follows:

A Fiber-Rich Diet: Fiber-rich food items can provide relief from a case of constipation. But at the same time it can cause gas, and in case you are a person already suffering from gas, it will increase it. It can lead to cramping as well. Once you start having fiber-rich food items such as beans, vegetables and fruits, try to gradually increase the amount in your daily diet. If you want to avoid the discomforting feeling of bloating and gas you can take fiber supplements instead. Also, make sure that stay miles away from food items that show even the slightest chance of triggering your symptoms.
Time Matters: Skipping meals is never a good idea when it comes to your health. Also, make sure that you eat your meals at a fixed time every day. This practice will keep your bowel in proper functioning order. For patients suffering from frequent episodes of diarrhoea, eating small portions of food every few hours is a good option and for people suffering from constipation eating bigger portions of high-fiber foods will be extremely beneficial to facilitate smooth movement of the food through the intestines.
Exercise Every Day: Exercising every day is a very healthy practice that ensures a healthy mind and body. Exercising not only stimulates body functions such as contractions of the intestines but also de-stresses you and relieves you from depressive thoughts.
Include Probiotics: According to recent studies, it has been found that Probiotics can aid in providing relief from symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Probiotics are termed as  good bacteria  that normally reside in the intestines and can also be found in yoghurt. There are also dietary supplements available that contain a considerable amount of Probiotics.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) - What To Expect

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a blend of stomach discomfort or pain and issues with bowel routines: either constipation or diarrhea; or having a different kind of stool (slender, hard, or delicate and fluid). A healthy routine diet by and large comprises of eating a wide number of nutritious, low-fat nourishments with some restraint. Be that as it may, you may see an increase in your symptoms after you eat certain kinds of food when you have an irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Since side effects can fluctuate between patients, there is not just one list of off-limit foods, but with that said, there are a plenty of foods that are good for your health and do not irritate your bowel habits. By staying away from the most basic irritants of IBS, you may see more consistency and also less cramps and bloating. Some of the foods that you can consume during IBS are as follows:

Fiber adds bulk to your digestive system. It is broadly accessible in grains, vegetables and natural products. Eating a lot of insoluble fiber as grains can increase your trips to the bathroom. Concentrate on soluble fiber. This includes vegetables and natural products.
While the insoluble fiber content in whole grains might be an irritant in IBS indications, certain grains cause different issues. Items containing rye, wheat, and grain contain gluten. This is a sort of protein that can harm your digestion tracts and increase symptoms of IBS. While a hypersensitivity to gluten is known as celiac infection, in any case half the patients in IBS are gluten-intolerant. Fortunately, more gluten-free items are available in the market these days. In case you cannot manage without pizza, pasta, cakes, you can simply substitute them with gluten-free products of the same kind.
Consume plenty fruits and vegetables.
Take carbohydrates in required quantity like bread, rice, oats, pasta, potatoes, chapattis and plantain.
 If you happen to be lactose intolerant, include substitutes like soya, rice or oat, milk and yogurts that are rich in calcium.
Some meat, fish, eggs and alternatives like beans.
Take a limited amount of foods high in fats and sugars. Decrease intake of saturated fat that is found in butter, ghee, cheddar, meat, cakes and baked goods. Substitute these with unsaturated fats found in vegetable oils, for example, sunflower, rapeseed and olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds.
Drink a lot of liquid, no less than two liters every day, for example, water or natural teas.
Whenever you go out to eat, make sure you ask for gluten-free food. Sometimes, certain kinds of food might appeal to you but try not to get tempted too often by the menu and harm your health because of it. Stick to a healthy diet.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome - What Should You Eat?

Curd is a staple in every household in India; whether it is served with piping hot parathas or by itself after a meal. The simple food item is packed with a number of nutrients and helps in increasing the health benefits in your body.

Here are a few reasons why you should be eating curd, almost every day:

Probiotics help in digestion: Curd, being rich in probiotics (good bacteria), improves digestion as it kills all the harmful bacteria in the digestive tract and aids the proliferation of good bacteria. Probiotics also help in the prevention of various digestive issues such as cramps, bloating and abdominal pain caused due to Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Promotes weight loss around the belly: A hormone called cortisol, also called the  stress hormone  persuades the fat cells to produce more fat around your belly area. Consuming a cup of curd daily increases the amount of calcium in your body which limits the release of cortisol, thus, helping you lose weight. Curd also retains one-third of lean muscle mass which helps you maintain your physique post those dropped kilos for a longer time.
Curd strengthens your immunity system: A cup of curd is loaded with good bacteria which is essential for fighting off germs, thereby making your immune system stronger and more persistent. Making curd a part of your daily diet is a great idea as it is effective in preventing yeast infections around the vaginal area.
Toughens up your skeletal system: Like all dairy products, curd is rich in calcium which is necessary for strong bones and teeth. Apart from calcium, curd is rich in phosphorous and together, they quicken the bone growth process and helps in preventing arthritis and osteoporosis.
Helps in improving cardiovascular health: Eating curd helps in improving cardiovascular health as it discourages the spread of cholesterol around the arterial area, thus, reducing the risks of a coronary disease. Curd reduces hypertension which is a pre-cursor to most heart ailments.

5 Reasons You Should be Eating Curd Daily 

A chronic condition, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a disorder of the large intestine that exhibits symptoms such as bloating, abdominal cramps, gas and diarrhea. The symptoms of IBS can be controlled by making lifestyle changes such as incorporating certain modifications to your diet and reducing or managing stress levels. For severe symptoms, you may require medications.

Symptoms
The symptoms of IBS can vary; some of them are:

Bloated stomach
Abdominal cramps
Flatulence
Constipation or diarrhea
Presence of mucus in the stool
Some other severe symptoms of IBS include sudden loss of weight and rectal bleeding.
Causes
The exact cause of IBS is not known, but there are certain factors that may act as triggers. There are muscles lining the walls of the intestine that relax and contract in a proper rhythm, thus allowing the passage of food through the intestine. In case of IBS, these contractions tend to be irregular, resulting in gas, bloating and diarrhea.

Some of the factors that can trigger this condition are:

Hormones: Hormonal changes can play a role in triggering IBS. For a woman, the symptoms can worsen during her menstrual cycles.
Stress: Studies show that symptoms of IBS considerably increase if you are subject to increased stress levels over a prolonged period of time.
Foods: Certain foods such as spices, chocolate, milk and broccoli can act as triggers.
Other Disorders: In some cases, other underlying conditions such as bacterial overgrowth or infectious diarrhea can cause IBS.
Treatment
The initial step to manage the symptoms of this condition is to make prompt changes in your diet, such as eliminating spicy foods and dairy products, at least till the symptoms subside. It is advised to resort to medications only if the dietary changes fail to yield results.

The various treatments are:

Anti-diarrheal Medications: Anti-diarrheal medication such as  loperamide  is used to control and manage diarrhea.
Fiber Supplements: Certain fiber supplements such as  methylcellulose  and  psyllium  can help in managing constipation.
Antibiotics: Antibiotics are prescribed only if the symptoms result from bacterial overgrowth in the intestine.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome - 6 Signs You Are Suffering from It!

IBS or irritable bowel syndrome, also called irritable bowel, is a disorder that is striking many more people today than ever. It is basically a gastrointestinal motility disorder with no known cause. Not sure, if it has struck you too? Here are the common symptoms of this scourge. You have abdominal pain followed by severe bloating with abdominal cramps after eating. You also feel that your bowels are always full and you suffer from chronic diarrhea, constipation or a combination of both.

What is the treatment for IBS? 

None or close to none, in allopathy. Doctors will give you medicines to manage symptoms and once the medicines are stopped, IBS strikes again. IBS is called  Grahani  in Ayurveda which is the name given to the small intestine because of its property to store and metabolize food. In the small intestine, which sees a lot of agni or enzymatic activity, food is held for a long time till it is digested. But when agni is weak due to malfunctioning digestive enzymes, the small intestine releases food in an undigested form.

There are 4 different types of Grahani based on the type of dosha which is disturbed.

Ayurveda uses the principle of involvement of doshas to understand symptoms in different types of IBS and also provide a system of treatment specific to that particular dosha imbalance. Ayurvedic treatments encompass herbs, food and lifestyle changes.

The concept of weak digestion or  Mand-agni  is also the key, as it leads to the accumulation of Ama , which causes IBS.
When levels of ama are high, the doctor will treat it with fasting and by giving you digestives and carminatives. He will ask you to drink warm water.
In constipation predominant IBS, the doctor will use digestives like chitrakadi vati and shankha vati to get rid of ama. He will also prescribe medicinal ghee preparations such as dashmuladi ghrita and thryushanadi ghrita.
Emesis (vamana) is used to treat diarrhea-predominant IBS.
The Ayurvedic treatment for dysentery predominant IBS is use of laxatives or virechana and use of herbs with spicy and sour tastes.
Complex IBS is treated with the panchakarma, supported by digestives.
Ayurveda relies a lot on buttermilk to treat IBS as it is digestive, astringent, and light to digest. It is usually given with herbs like asafetida, cumin, and rock-salt powder to control bowel movements. Buttermilk also contains a good amount of lactobacillus bacteria, which help to restore the normal flora of the GI tract.
Doctors will ask you to abstain from vata increasing foods like cabbage and beans, if you suffer from flatulence. Restriction of dairy and fruits like bananas may also be required. You will be asked to take a light diet and do away with cheese, non-veg and hard, cold foods. You will also be eating a lot of ginger, fennel and cumin that stimulate secretion of digestive enzymes for treating IBS.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Ways Ayurveda Can Help!

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