Let’s face it, IBS isn’t the easiest topic to bring up. I hear time and time again the number of people who are too embarrassed to talk about it, so spend years on GOOGLE back and forth and the docs (I’ll tell you below why this was the worst thing I ever did), looking for miracle fixes, eating the same food they always have and end up in absolute agony! #thiswasalsome

So firstly, the doctor thing – I know you’re probably thinking, but Beckie isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?

Ok… yes and no. The doctors know what they’re talking about, but they’re NOT MIRACLE WORKERS and ALL OF US ARE DIFFERENT, this is one thing the docs something don’t quite seem to get (in my experience).

For years and years and years and years I went back and forth to the doctors like why am I spending 5 hours on the toilet and nothing happens. Why is my stomach pushing my ribs up to my neck so the point I can’t breathe? Why isn’t my stomach working normally?

I’d get ‘YOU’RE NOT HAVING ENOUGH FIBRE, YOU NEED MORE WATER, YOU NEED TO TAKE THESE FIBRE SACHETS’ right right RIGHT right right. Let me just stop right there. I have been in the health and fitness industry a long time, tried MANY diets, cured hundreds of women (and men) in similar situations with personal training just by food swap advice and I have to say… I’m sure we’ve cracked a billion dollar answer here.

My billion dollar answer = LIMIT FIBRE.

All this time I was following exact direction from doctor after doctor and not one had experienced the type of IBS where fibre just ISN’T THE ONE! Sorry for the caps, my passion is coming out real strong right now lol…

The minute I changed all of my ‘healthy’ veggies, to limited salads, and changed all of my ‘healthy whole grains’ to WHITE CARBS, my stomach was running like clock work. My body wasn’t stressed anymore trying to break down fibre.

Fibre is a weird one because your body can’t actually digest it 😮 and that’s great news for people with normal bowels but if you’re anything like me, it just makes me extremely bloated to the point I couldn’t leave bed, I’d be in so much pain, mega constipated, gas for days, I felt like my ribs were about to explode and that’s just the start of it! When I started ditching all things fibre, I couldn’t believe it.

It’s mad because when I tell people this they think I’ve gone crazy, UNTIL THEY TRY IT! And again, this only goes for the IBS-C types who suffer similar to how I did, not everyone by any means.

I also know that people feel scared about changing their diet because they’re worried that if they go away from the ‘miracle plan’ they’ve been given, that they’re going to put on a tonne of weight, so they suffer in silence and put up with the pain. Let me tell you now, you don’t have to deal with the pain, and there are things you can do to prevent it!

So, here are a couple of things that I do to help my IBS and hopefully this helps you too:

  • Keep a food diary, that way you know what flares up your IBS and you can avoid it (this took me forever but it was so worth it)
  • Take out dairy. Not only fibre but I used to LIVE off milk and as a child would be in hospital because of how bad and constant my stomach pain was – it was just milk guys, we’re all good!! But say goodbye to the cheese, replace milk with almond milk and your skin might start glowing differently too 😉
  • Switch from fibrous to non fibrous foods. E.G brown rice to white rice, sweet potato to white potato, eat salad leaves instead of broccoli
  • Try to reduce any stresses going on in your life (stress can flare up your IBS more than anything. I think of it like black ink in the body)
  • Ditch the chewing gum! Swallowing air and sweeteners is just asking for more pain!
  • Exercise regularly (gets rid of the stress, the gas, gets your bowels moving, increases endorphins and happy hormones)
    Avoid gassy foods (beans, cabbage, sprouts)

I know IBS can really limit daily living – but only if you let it! It’s sh*t really but you can’t let it control you! I’ve been down that route, but this is honestly the advice I would have paid someone an arm and leg to tell me when I was in school. It changed my entire life.

Stay in control, make the changes that work for you and give them a good 2+ weeks to see real change. You’ll know pretty quickly if this a yes or a no from you.

And as always let me know how you get on! I’d love to hear from you!

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