The Root Cause of IBS and How to Heal

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a functional bowel disorder that presents with alternating constipation and diarrhea, sometimes leaning towards one or the other. There are many symptoms that can present, including: bloating, gas, abdominal pain, headaches, food intolerances, skin rashes, acne, depression, anxiety, brain fog and more. If you're one of millions of people dealing with IBS, keep reading to learn more about what might be causing it!

What Contributes IBS?

Dysbiosis, or imbalanced gut bacteria
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)
Parasite infections
Candida yeast overgrowth
H. Pylori infection or food poisoning
Inflammatory diets
Not eliminating fully 1-2x/day
Migrating motor complex issues
Antibiotics, antacids and other medications
Hypothyroidism

Tools for Healing

Rebalance Your Gut Microbiota

Rebalancing the gut involves a multi-pronged approach that must be individualized and personalized. Different factors such as stress load, medical history, diet, even your upbringing, such as your family dynamics, if you were breast-fed or birthed via c-section can make a difference in your microbiome! Working with an experienced practitioner is recommended before making any changes to your diet or supplement regime. Proper functional gut testing can be a big help in understanding the root of your specific gut issues also. Learn more about what we offer here.

Deal with SIBO

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth is responsible for about 60% of IBS cases, making it a major contributor to IBS symptoms. This normally healthy bacteria can easily overgrow when the gut is disrupted in some way. A very common way is through food poisoning, usually caused by H. Pylori or another pathogen. The body might clear the initial bacteria, but oftentimes the migrating motor complex that helps sweep bacteria through the intestine becomes impaired, resulting in bacteria overgrowing in the wrong place, such as the small intestine.

Address Your Stress

Stress is talked about so much that it’s easy to glaze over, but don’t! This could be a key missing factor in your healing. Stress disrupts digestive function by depleting stomach acid levels, pancreatic enzymes, slowing down gut motility and allowing for undigested foods to ferment, creating a breeding grown for bad bacteria… oh and LOTS of bloating and gas!

Eat A Gut-Healing Diet

There are a lot of “gut-healing diets” out there, I’m sure you’ve searched for them yourself! I don’t recommend diets that promote calorie restriction, low fat, or any “detox” products with miracle health claims; we’re talking about real, whole foods! What works can vary person to person, but there are general diet changes you can start to make today to help improve your digestion.

Some of these include:

Reducing refined sugars and carbohydrates
Ditching alcohol (a major source of sugar)
Switching your cooking oils for healthier ones
Real bone broth not from a carton
Gut-nourishing fats
Swapping gluten and dairy products for gut-friendly alternatives
Loading up on non-starchy veggies
Avoiding your specific gut triggers

Utilize Gut-Healing Supplements

Good nutrition is always the foundation because you can’t out-supplement a bad diet. BUT, targeted support through supplementation is a crucial part to healing the gut - and no, probiotics alone are not enough! We use a variety of products to help clear infections like candida and excess bacteria like SIBO, soothe the gut and reduce inflammation, replace missing nutrients due to poor gut absorption and to heal and seal the mucosal barrier.

Are you ready to get to the root of your digestive issues? We’d love to help you! Contact us today to start working with a Registered Holistic Nutritionist!

Asher Kleiber

Registered Holistic Nutritionist™

https://www.flourishnaturalwellness.com

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