Foods to avoid with IBS

IBS trigger foods and IBS foods to avoid are different for everyone.

Food sensitivities can be very personal, as the immune system can tag any healthy food as the enemy if there is a leaky gut.

The easiest way to figure personal, inflammatory food triggers is a food sensitivity test. I use Vibrant Wellness with my clients because it is the most accurate test on the market.

If testing is not an option. Elimination diets are the next best thing.

There are commons foods that can trigger symptoms in many people with IBS. To gauge personal tolerance to these foods, they are the first ones to be removed during an elimination diet. I broke these groups of foods into two tiers based on their likelihood of causing issues.

Tier 1

Gluten, cow dairy, refined sugar, alcohol, coffee, industrial oils (canola, peanut, soybean, vegetable oils) and processed foods with chemicals, food additives, glyphosate.

Tier 2

Soy, corn, peanuts and other nuts. Artificial sweeteners.

Tier 3

Grains because they can irritate the gut lining. Night shade veggies (eggplant, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes) due to their ability to inflame the immune system in some people. Shellfish like shrimp or crab are common allergens. And lastly, beans because they are very hard to digest.

Common mistakes that people make

Gluten is one of the most emotional and controversial food on this list.

You can have an issue with gluten without having a digestive reaction to it. It can cause silent inflammation. Or manifest as a headache, anxiety, insomnia, rash or irritability a few days later. So you can’t always gauge your tolerance to gluten by your reaction to it.

Five percentage of celiacs experience zero symptoms when they eat gluten, but the damage to the small intestine still happens.

If you really want to know your gluten tolerance, there are two testing options. A stool test called the GI Map, and a more specific gluten tolerance test called the Wheat Zoomer. The Zoomer gives a definitive answer about gluten tolerance without having to eating a lot of gluten before the test.

Food is emotional

Most people feel overwhelmed about restricting foods and wonder what there is to eat after taking out gluten, grains and dairy.

When I healed my IBS, I spent a year eating animal protein, veggies and fruits. I avoided grains, dairy, nuts, beans and all sugars.

It was a nutrient dense diet that fed and restored my biome and immune system. After that diet and a year of healing my gut, I rarely got sick with colds or flus anymore. It transformed my immune system.

During that year, I ate well. I taught myself to cook and tried new foods and veggies, including persimmons and okra. Which I now love.

Because food is so emotional, we need to be aware of our physical and psychological addictions to certain foods and find substitutions.

When I wanted a rich and satisfying dessert, I made fudge out of carob, coconut oil, coconut cream and fruit. The recipe is in my cookbook.

Here are some basic rules about eating an anti inflammatory diet with as much variety as possible.

Following these 5 rules will help lower your overwhelm by keeping it simple.

1. No processed food. Ideally cook from scratch, using whole Foods or prepared foods with minimal ingredients. (less than 5 )
   
   
2. Avoid these two foods to lower inflammation and protect the gut lining: gluten and refined sugar. Gluten should especially be avoided by anyone with autoimmune issues. Alcohol is also very important to avoid.
   
   
3. Figure out your individual sensitivities through an elimination diet or food sensitivity testing.
   
   
4. Food is emotional and our emotions control our digestion and affect our adrenals. Working on your relationship with food is important. Fear and perfectionism can decrease digestive function. Overwhelm and confusion will block the ability to listen to your body and eat intuitively.
   
   
5. Eat to support your biome. A healthy biome is a natural anti-inflammatory. Fiber feeds good bacteria. Figure out what plant fibers you can tolerate. Higher FODMAP foods feed beneficial bacteria but are not tolerated by people with bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine. Add in prebiotic fibers you can tolerate. Some choices are acacia fiber, partially hydrolyzed guar gum and flax seeds.

Over focusing on food

It is easy to focus on food because it is something that we can control.

But sometimes it is about more than food.

Symptoms can be driven by a disordered biome, reasons like overgrowth and internal infections.

In this case, a functional gut test like the GI Map can determine if something other than the food is driving inflammation. Typically there is bacterial overgrowth, poor digestive enzymes, low stomach acid and h. pylori that are driving IBS symptoms.

The GI Map will determine if there is a need to maximize digestion by boosting enzymes, stomach acid and bile production, to help break down foods properly.

What about FODMAPs?

Sometimes reactions to foods can come from undigested food particles that enter the small intestine to feed the wrong kind of microbes.

FODMAP are foods that are hard to digest because they are high in certain indigestible fibers or starches. If they are not properly digested in the stomach due to low stomach acid they will not be absorbed in the small intestine and will become food for bacteria or yeast there.

This will cause bloating, pain or gas.

Eating foods that lower in FODMAPs may help some people. Eating foods that are pureed, blended or stewed will help everyone because they are already broken down and easiest to digest. And an especially good choice when you’re feeling stressed or eating on the go.

Lastly, mindset does matter. Fear of a reaction may bring one about. Calming the nervous system before eating can help reduce symptoms and reactions.

If you want to learn more, I dive deeply into these topic in my fearless food course and show some no cost options for doing DIY food sensitivity testing at home.