You may be aware that I myself am diagnosed with IBS. I shared my own journey to IBS diagnosis in my previous post. And I have definitely faced the many ups and downs of navigating the world of nutrition, diet and healthy living to find what helps relieve my symptoms.

IBS management and treatment advice may involve three different approaches:

• Diet and lifestyle advice
• Pharmacological therapy (in other words, medicines)
• Psychological interventions.

For some, only one type of approach is needed, while some people need to have all approaches involved. Today we will focus on the most common diet and lifestyle interventions. These are what are recommended for most people with IBS.

Diet and lifestyle advice for IBS is usually provided in two steps. The first step is often called the “first line” advice. These should be tried before moving on to more complicated strategies.

When it comes to managing our IBS through diet and lifestyle changes, truth be told, science tells us there is no one word answer. Among the many answers available, some will work for one person and others will not. So let me guide you through the various tips and tricks that we often recommend as “first line” strategies. And let me know what has and hasn’t worked for you!

IBS diet and lifestyle tip 1: Make time for YOU… unwind, relax and de-stress

Science tells us that stress and worries can trigger IBS symptoms. Take time to relax. No- actually MAKE time to relax. Meditate, read a book, take a stroll – whatever rows your calming boat. It can save you a bumpy ride of bloating and toilet trips down the line.  By the way, research into using yoga or mindfulness to manage IBS symptoms is showing some promising results!

IBS diet and lifestyle tip 2: Exercise more – and no that does not have to mean joining a gym.

We are recommended to exercise at least 30 minutes a day, for 5 days a week. And this nation-wide advice is not just there to keep us fit – it has shown to help relieve IBS symptoms as well!

My daily 30 minutes of exercise is made up easily enough, even on my “lazy Sundays”. For example, I might hoover the house (10 minutes), take the bike to pick up groceries (15 minutes) and while I cook dinner, I have a dance around the kitchen to a song that I can’t help but dance to (5 minutes). BOOM – 30 minutes of exercise done through every day jobs.

IBS diet and lifestyle tip 3: Eat regularly.

Developing a regular pattern of eating can help our digestive system expect meals when we eat them. This helps us to reduce symptoms of IBS. So aim to keep our meal times at set times of the day.

IBS diet and lifestyle tip 4: Take your time to eat.

Try to not rush your meals. Eat slowly and chew well. My mom used to give out to me for “inhaling” my dinners in order to get back to playing outside. Little did she know I now still see her face when I’m at the dinner table consciously slowing my eating down to save my tummy from mayhem later…

Some helpful tips to help us eat slower might be to make sure our mouth is empty before taking a next bite, or to put our cutlery down between bites. Allowing enough time for meals, and creating a calm mealtime environment can also help. Skip the tv, and put down the phone during your meal for a more IBS friendly mealtime.

IBS diet and lifestyle tip 5:  Avoid missing/skipping meals and leaving long gaps between meal-times.

That rumbling tummy is not doing your IBS any favours. Try to eat regularly and plan meals ahead of time to avoid getting caught out. I love cooking a little extra at each meal, and then freezing an extra portion. This allows me to have a lunch or dinner even when I didn’t get to the grocery shop on time! Again…

IBS diet and lifestyle tip 6: Aim to drink at least 8 cups (or more than 2 litres) of fluids a day.

Definitely focus on drinking more water and non-caffeinated drinks (like herbal teas and squash). I like measuring out my daily fluid needs in my water bottle at the start of the day, and drinking from this as the day goes by. It helps me stay on top of my hydration as well as my digestion. Keep your drinks in the fridge and don’t be afraid to add a dash of squash to your bottle to help you keep up with your goals. 

My recent invention is putting a peppermint tea bag in my bottle before I leave the house. By the time I get to work, I have delicious ice-cold minty water, that helps me to settle my tummy. Although there is little evidence around the use of herbal teas, many people find that ginger and peppermint tea aid their digestion, and that chamomile tea helps them to relax.

IBS diet and lifestyle tip 7: Keep your tea and coffee down to 3 cups per day.

Being a devout coffee drinker, this is my downfall (and we are all allowed to have one). But aiming to keep our caffeine intakes down can have serious benefits for our IBS symptoms, and is definitely worth a try.

IBS diet and lifestyle tip 8: Reduce your intake of alcohol and fizzy drinks.

For some people, these wreak havoc on our digestive system. I know I am one of these people.

IBS diet and lifestyle tip 9: Try limiting your intake of high-fibre foods (such as wholemeal and high-fibre breads and cereals)

It may sound like the opposite of the usual healthy-eating advice we give, but trust me (and the science), this may do the trick. Some people are overly sensitive to high-fibre foods and limiting these foods to smaller doses and less regularly may help reduce IBS symptoms.

“Little did 19 year old budding-dietitian Didi realise back then that her healthy bowl of bran flakes in the morning caused her bloating in the afternoon.”

IBS diet and lifestyle tip 10: Reduce your intake of processed foods and re-cooked foods.

These foods are often high in something called “resistant starch”, which is a big treat for those bacteria in our gut that produce excess gas.

IBS diet and lifestyle tip 11: Limit fresh fruit to 3 portions per day.

Just for reference, a portion of fruit is often around the amount that would fit into your hand.  Again, this is a tip that seems to steer away from your usual “healthy eating” recommendations. But fruit also often contains treats for those gas-producing bacteria. Give it a try. Don’t forget to continue snacking on healthy treats like vegetables instead of that excess fruit.

IBS diet and lifestyle tip 12: If you suffer from diarrhoea, then try to avoid sorbitol, a sweetener often found in sugar-free sweets and chewing gum, and in some diabetic products.

Finding this out was a real “aha” moment for me. Chewing gum did affect me in this rather uncomfortable manner. Some foods that contain sorbitol actually have a warning on their packaging now that warns people of their laxative effects!

IBS diet and lifestyle tip 13: If you suffer from bloating and wind, you may find that eating oats and linseeds helps.

These are full of soluble fibre, which is often more easily tolerated than the fibre found in typical “wholegrain” products. If you wish to introduce linseeds, introduce them slowly – a little more each day – to a maximum of one tablespoon per day. Soluble fibre is also shown to have beneficial effects on our cholesterol levels, so all the more reason to include these in our diets on a regular basis.

IBS diet and lifestyle tip 14: If you choose to try a probiotic, give it a fair chance.

This means, you need to take it for 4 weeks and at the dose recommended by the manufacturer. Monitor your symptoms. If it works, FANTASTIC! If it doesn’t, give it a miss or try another brand.

Probiotics may help to bring more “good” bacteria to your gut, and reduce the “bad” bacteria. However, brands contain different levels of different types of bacteria. It may take a while to find one that suits you.

IBS diet and lifestyle tip 15: If your IBS symptoms persist despite following all the previous tips mentioned, consider food avoidance and exclusion diets (such as a low FODMAP diet).

This diet should first be discussed with your registered dietitian, who can give you all the information you need to safely and correctly follow these diets.

While the above tips have definitely helped me to improve my IBS symptoms, I did need to move to following certain elements of the low FODMAP diet to almost completely resolve my symptoms. Not only did I follow my own dietetic advice on this diet, I sought out further approved education on the low FODMAP diet and can now help my patients to safely follow this diet also!

IBS diet and lifestyle tip 16: Check in with your General Practitioner (GP) for information about your condition and advice on symptom-targeted medication.

Your GP is a wealth of information on all things IBS. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! And there are medications available to help relieve IBS symptoms also, so feel free to discuss these during your appointment.

IBS diet and lifestyle tip 17: Visit your dietitian for personalised IBS advice and important guidance on possible exclusion diets.

Dietitians are the experts in managing your IBS through diet and lifestyle. We can analyse your current diet and work with you to tweak your habits to achieve better IBS symptom relief.

Be aware, while popular exclusion or food-avoidance diets have a role in IBS relief, science has told us these should only be implemented under careful dietitian guidance. This is because they may increase your risk of nutritional deficiencies. Also, they can lead to very restrictive eating patterns. So do not hesitate to schedule an appointment with a registered dietitian today. They will to help you navigate the wondrous world of eating for IBS symptom relief.

I hope that this post has helped you to learn more about diet and lifestyle changes that can help your IBS symptoms. Have you already tried some of these tips? If so, did you notice any improvements? And what would you add to this list yourself? Let me know in the comment section below.

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