KEEPING ON TOP OF SYMPTOMS
Write a diary
Before you start cutting out certain foods, it’s important to keep a diary for up to four weeks. Write down what you’ve eaten and how it made you feel. Although there are common culprits, everyone is affected by certain foods in a different way, and you need to understand your own triggers. Try a FODMAP diet
A LOW-FODMAP diet can be one of the most successful ways of treating severe IBS. However, it’s advisable to follow the diet alongside the guidance of your GP or a dietician.
FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols, which are short-chain carbohydrates.
‘Short-chain carbohydrates are poorly absorbed in the small intestine, which leads to alterations in the bacterial fermentation, or breakdown, in the large intestine, triggering benign, often debilitating, gut symptoms,’ explains Yvonne Mckenzie, clinical dietician and specialist in gastrointestinal nutrition and IBS. ‘Removing FODMAPS from the diet often substantially improves these symptoms.’
However, the list of foods high in FODMAPS is huge, and it can be extremely difficult to try this diet without guidance. They include:
Many vegetables, including onion, garlic, pulses and brassicas such as broccoli and cauliflower Wheat Fruits Milk Some sugars For more information on FODMAPS, visit theibsnetwork.org.