Savvy Tips For Getting Started On An IBS Diet

In extreme cases, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can be a crippling condition, preventing individuals from being able to live a normal life both in terms of physical activity and general food intake. Bad flare-ups can especially result in severe pain that, left unchecked, can lead to periods of complete isolation at home.

Unfortunately, even though this condition impacts as many as 10-15% of people in the US, 1 in 10 of those will experience misdiagnosis, making this a leading reason for individuals seeking a medical malpractice lawyer. This alone has created significant stigma around the quest for help, with some patients even stopping their attempts for diagnosis after countless setbacks.

This is a significant problem, and seeking medical help, and ultimate diagnosis, is the only real way to ensure quality of life. Until then, however, it is possible to at least keep flare-ups to a minimum by getting your diet in order using the following expert-recommended techniques.

Identify your trigger foods

Keeping a food diary to track IBS flare-ups can be a huge help towards diagnosis, but it can also help you to start taking positive steps on a personal level. As such, it’s worth recording everything that you eat and drink for a week, and writing whether anything impacts your IBS. This should help you to begin narrowing down foods that trigger an issue, the most common of which may include –

*Processed foods
*Coffee
*Carbonated drinks
*Dairy products
*High-protein foods
*Etc.

Understand your healthy options

Recommendations from a doctor are always best when it comes to an IBS diet, and you may find it beneficial to ask for these even if a doctor has yet to diagnose you. However, studies show that certain healthy food options are generally better than others. Improved IBS management has especially been reported when individuals increased their intake of foods like –

*Whole-grain cereals
*Lean meat
*Fish
*Pasta
*Fruits
*Vegetables
*Etc.

Do note that recommendations vary depending on whether you’re experiencing IBS-C or IBS-D, so continuing to keep your food diary as you introduce these options, and even sharing those findings with your doctor, is still essential.

Have plenty of recipes to hand

Individuals who experience IBS should ideally aim to implement a regular eating routine of at least three meals a day. This obviously requires organization, but it’s going to be a whole lot harder to maintain if you have to search for brand new recipes every mealtime. Avoid that, and ensure you can eat as much as you need, when you need, by stocking up on the myriad of IBS recipes now available either online or in specific recommended recipe books. Remember, however, to keep a food diary whenever you try a new recipe, and make sure you note any negative side effects so you can tailor only a recipe folder that keeps your symptoms at bay.

Changing your diet with IBS in mind can feel like a major overhaul, but it needn’t be as difficult as you think if you simply keep these pointers in mind.