Although Irritable Bowel Syndrome affects 13-20% of people in Canada, it often goes undiagnosed. Or worse, because it shares similar symptoms to other digestive disorders and diseases, there is the potential for receiving the wrong diagnosis entirely. Let’s prevent that from happening! I know this seems like a job for your health care team, but it is up to you to make sure you advocate for your health and I want to give you the tools to help you do that! What are “red flag” symptoms Red flags are symptoms that suggest what you are experiencing is NOT Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). They are alarms that signal you and your…

There are some foods that can cause digestive symptoms, completely unrelated to FODMAPs. Maybe you have even noticed patterns between these foods and having a symptom flare-up before. Caffeine, found in coffee, some teas, pop and chocolate, is a gut stimulant which speeds up gut motility, causing loose stools or diarrhea. It may also cause you to be dehydrated. For some people with IBS-C, this might actually be a good thing to help reduce constipation and promote more regular bowel movements. However, if you are already prone to diarrhea, caffeine can worsen your symptoms. You may want to switch to a decaffeinated coffee or try half caffeinated (or half-caf) by…

It’s worth taking time to talk about the who, where, when, what, why and how of eating without actually talking about the food itself. Let’s start with who. We talked a little bit about your state of being during the Food, Mood, and Symptom Journal post (check it out if you missed it). It is important to actively relieve stress and anxiety, and even make a plan to prevent it when you can. We know that in IBS, stress and anxiety can trigger a symptom response as well because of gut-brain miscommunication. Before you sit down to eat, try taking 10 deep breaths counting to about 4 on the inhale,…

Flare-ups suck, but I don’t have to tell you that. You are a warrior, and you probably already have your own strategies for managing a flare-up that have taken time, trial, and error. I fully believe you are the expert of your own body, because everybody and every body is unique and experience gut issues differently. Unfortunately, even when we try our hardest to manage our gut condition, we will inevitably end up with a flare. When I work together with my clients to create a symptom-free plan, we prevent a lot of flare-ups. But, it is normal to have a few slip in. This may be because of a…