Holistic healing

Health: Natural remedies for IBS

IBS causes misery for millions, but with the right knowledge you can beat it, explains holistic therapist Christine Fadley

IBS causes misery for millions, but with the right knowledge you can beat it, explains holistic therapist Christine Fadley
Modern life can be a hectic and stressful affair. Coping with your day-to-day responsibilities takes strength, stamina and mental wellbeing. So it’s devastating when your health starts to fail through the effects of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The number of people suffering from IBS and related problems has sky rocketed over recent years, but to overcome this health issue it helps to understand it better.

SYMPTOMS

IBS usually manifests itself as falling energy levels, leading to TATT (tired all the time) syndrome. You may then experience excessive gas and bloating. Soon other problems arise; diarrhoea, stomach cramps and urgency to go the loo. There may also be bladder sensitivity and the frequent need to pee. Sleep patterns may become disturbed and insomnia causes energy dips and fatigue.

Food intolerances start in a small way, but then snowball. Then the immune system begins reacting to other things in the environment, for example pollen, cigarette smoke, or exhaust fumes.

IBS causes toxicity in the body, giving rise to depression and poor concentration. You can feel fuzzy-headed and disconnected from reality. It also causes arthritis-like pains in the joints and skin problems like cysts, acne, boils or psoriasis. Another effect of toxicity is uncontrollable weight gain.

“Food intolerances start in a small way, but then snowball”

There are other possible symptoms of IBS, including itchy, flaky ears, metallic tastes in the mouth, thinning hair and repeated bouts of thrush and cystitis. The effects, if left untreated, can lead to more devastating conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease and – my own personal theory – type 2 diabetes.

There is also a direct link between IBS and restless leg syndrome (RLS). People experience extreme discomfort or pain in the legs and feet which often strikes at bed time, again ruining their rest. Some suffer RLS all day long, which is particularly challenging, because it’s as if the legs have developed a mind of their own!

It’s not just adults that are affected by IBS; many children, by the time they are at school are already moody, lacking in energy and unable to concentrate.

6 CRUCIAL TIPS for beating IBS

The good news is, IBS is a condition that responds well to simple self-help measures. Here are six tips for managing the condition:

1. Boost the bacteria

BS is triggered by loss of those all-important intestinal gut flora. In order to have a healthy gut we all need to have 1-2kgs of the right sort of bacteria inside us. They help to destroy the invading yeasts, they make vitamin K and they maintain the correct acid/alkali balance in the gut.

There are various ways of boosting beneficial gut bacteria. The simplest way, for people who are okay with dairy products, is to eat plenty of bio-active natural yoghurt. The little drinks on the market are useful too, but not of optimum strength. However, if you are dairy intolerant and need to avoid cow’s milk, you could always opt for a probiotic supplement in tablet or powder form from your health food supplier.

2. Banish the bloating

Food intolerances cause bloating of the abdomen, especially after meals. To avoid bloating it’s important to cut out foods that trigger it. Try eating foods that you don’t normally have as you probably aren’t intolerant to them, and make your diet as varied as possible.

3. Sensible substitutes

If wheat makes you bloat, go gluten-free for bread, cereals, pasta, biscuits and cakes. If cow’s milk is a problem, change to goat’s or ewe’s milk, cheeses and yoghurt. For onion, use leeks as a substitute. Sensible substitution can banish bloating blues.

When choosing substitutes, try to maintain a balanced diet with the right amount of protein, carbs, beneficial fats and essential nutrients.

4. Starve the yeast

Yeast thrives on sugary and fermented foods. This means that every time you have a glass of wine or beer, or a slice of cake, the yeast is having a party inside you! This can make you feel quite ill because yeast produces toxins. The same goes for yeasty foods like grapes, marmite and mouldy cheeses.

But don’t panic. When you want to drink some alcohol, you can still drink shorts diluted with sugar-free mixers. Avoid sweet drinks such as cocktails and alcopops though.

5. Value the vitamins

To protect itself from yeast, the gut secretes mucous, and so it becomes harder to absorb the vitamins and minerals needed to feel energetic and healthy. Taking a good daily vitamin and mineral supplement will boost the nutrients available for energy and repair. It’s wise to eat a salad meal every day and freshly-juiced fruit and veggie juices can also provide a fast vita-boost.

6. Perfect poos

IBS causes very strange bowel habits; diarrhoea, constipation, or a mixture of both. When and how often you need to go can also be a problem. Finding a toilet in a hurry can be a big issue for IBS sufferers. Taking psyllium husks is one way of quickly normalising the stools. Psyllium is a fibre that absorbs water and becomes gelatinous. It helps by binding loose stools and softening the hard ones so that they are more easily passed. Psyllium has the added advantage of soaking up harmful toxins made by yeasts and generally calming things down. Remember though, it’s crucial to drink plenty of water when taking psyllium.

Don’t self diagnose. Please make sure you see your GP, just in case there is an underlying disease that needs urgent treatment. While you’re there, check with your GP before taking any supplements too.

Christine Fadley is author of Curing Irritable Bowel Syndrome Using Natural Holistic Therapies (£2.52, available at healingebooks.com/curing-ibs.html) which includes an action plan to guide IBS sufferers back to full health.

3 GUT SAVIOURS

Silicea Gastro-intestinal gel, £9.49.

This contains natural silica, which has a unique bonding ability with pathogens and their toxins, thus reducing many of the symptoms associated with IBS.

Lepicol, £11.18.

This is a three-in-one combination of soluble plant fibre known as psyllium husks, inulin (prebiotics) and probiotic cultures. These ingredients make up a formulation which is effective but gentle in action and suitable for everyday use in helping to maintain a healthy bowel.

Bimuno Immunaid, £9.99.

The new Bimuno health supplement range is the only one containing second generation prebiotic galactooligosaccharide (GOS) which has been clinically proven to help prevent travellers’ diarrhoea, boost the immune system and help to reduce symptoms of IBS.

3 holistic therapies to beat IBS

1. HYPNOTHERAPY

Stress is very often a stimuli for the spasms, cramps and other reactions that affect the small or large bowel in IBS. Hypnotherapy can aid relaxation and reduce stress, teach powerful visualisations to help relieve symptoms, and help you learn new responses to stress triggers.

2. TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE

IBS is almost always considered a disharmony between the liver and the spleen wtih IBS. Practitioners use a variety of treatments for liver and this, including acupuncture, dietary therapy, Chinese herbs and lifestyle therapy can help to readdress the balance.

3. YOGA

Yoga can calm the digestive system and help relieve symptoms like abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhoea, flatulence and bloating. Gentle stretches can be stress-relieving too, easing one of the condition’s common triggers.

Article by

Christine Fadley

Author

Christine Fadley is the author of Curing Irritable Bowel Syndrome Using Natural Holistic Therapies which includes an action plan to guide IBS sufferers back to full health

Discover more

Article by

Christine Fadley

Author

Christine Fadley is the author of Curing Irritable Bowel Syndrome Using Natural Holistic Therapies which includes an action plan to guide IBS sufferers back to full health

Discover more