I recently read this 3 part blog series on non-diet approaches to managing IBS by Rachael Hartley, a registered and licensed dietitian, and it really resonated with me. I have suffered from GI issues most of my life, and have tried numerous modalities to try and “fix” my gut, including cutting out foods I really love. It makes me happy to see there is a professional out there spreading the word about how complex our bodies are and how there isn’t usually one easy fix for GI troubles. Rachel emphasizes intuitive eating, which is a pretty cool concept all about being gentle with yourself and listening to your body. It encourages you to make the food and movement choices that are good for both your mind and body. She talks about a number of smaller changes one can make that can add up to a big difference, and emphasizes that food often isn’t even the most important part of the picture when it comes to IBS, which can be a huge relief. Food is a part of so many celebratory and comforting moments of our life and it really sucks when you feel like you can’t take part in these simple pleasures. Though there are some individuals that do need to eat a more restrictive diet due to more serious medical conditions, many of us with sensitive guts can go a little overboard in this realm and dip our toes into the world of orthorexia, or obsession with eating healthy foods, including myself. Over the years though, I have found that even though I am more sensitive to certain foods, there are so many other factors that are just as important. That brain gut connection is real folks.
Personally I find that how sensitive I am to certain foods depends on so many factors including: how stressed I have been, where I am in my cycle, how inflamed I am (recent virus or allergic reaction), how well I have been sleeping, how regularly I have been eating, how much movement I have had, what foods I pair together / how much variety I have had over the past week, and of course how much acupuncture I have been getting. If I eat some chocolate ice cream after a super stressful day where I skipped a meal and haven’t had acupuncture for weeks, my belly will not be happy. Or, if I eat a kale salad with a vinaigrette and don’t pair it with a good amount of starchy carbs and protein, ouch! Those same foods though could be fine if eaten when I am cool, calm, and collected, and are part of a balanced meal. As Jeff likes to say “with food and diet, context is just as important as content.”
If you are someone who suffers from IBS or a sensitive digestive tract I highly recommend this 3 part blog series. Many of the tips are things that have really helped me over the years have less digestive pain and a more balanced relationship with food. Part One is a general overview of IBS and some of the possible causes, and also a bit about IBS and intuitive eating. Part Two goes into a bunch of the non-diet approaches to help manage your IBS (acupuncture isn’t specifically listed here, but I think it fits right in). Part Three talks about disordered eating and how this can cause IBS and vice versa, and also how to manage IBS if you have a history of disordered eating.