Diet Tips:Alleviating symptoms

By Shirley Webber

We’ve all eaten something that just doesn’t sit well and resulted in symptoms. Most frequently when we are eating out and have had less control over what we are eating. Following a low FODMAP diet can help manage symptoms but what can you do when you’re in the middle of experiencing those symptoms?

Symptoms vary from one person to the next including bloating, abdominal pain, distention, constipation, diarrhea, altered bowl habits, excessive gas and intestinal noises, or any combination of these. Each symptoms has its own management strategy.

We are going to bring you some tips to help alleviate symptoms over the coming weeks, including ideas to help with acute symptoms which occur quickly after you have eaten a trigger food, as well as ideas to help prevent symptoms from occurring in the future.

We will start the first blog of the series with some information for those that suffer constipation as a major symptom.

Constipation can be alleviated by:

• Ensuring that your diet includes foods rich in insoluble and soluble fibres. Insoluble fibre gives bulk to your stool and soluble fibre forms a gel in the gut that helps stools to move through the gastrointestinal tract. Introducing these fibres gradually will help to avoid exacerbating your symptoms.
• If constipation is severe and laxative medication is required, take this as prescribed by your doctor.
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day.
• Exercise regularly to help to get things moving. Try going for a walk, taking the stairs instead of the lift or escalator, join a yoga or Pilates class or go for a jog. It doesn’t have to be intense exercise but any little bit of physical activity will help.
• If you have the urge to open your bowels, GO - even if it means using a public toilet or the toilet at work or school. You may also need to make time to open your bowels by getting up a little earlier in the morning and leaving time for a drink and breakfast.
• Fibre supplements may be recommended by health professionals for those struggling with constipation. Use these as prescribed.

Please see the blog attached for more details:
http://fodmapmonash.blogspot.com.au/2015/12/ibs-constipation.html       

Diet Tips:Alleviating Symptoms Part 2

Diarrhoea management
By Shirley Webber

Carrying on in our series about alleviating IBS symptoms, this week we will discuss diarrhoea management.

Fortunately, many people achieve relief from diarrhoea on a low FODMAP diet, but if you have eaten the wrong thing, or have a bout of diarrhoea due to gastroenteritis or another cause, you may find the following tips helpful.

•  If your diarrhoea is excessive, you should consult your doctor. They may advise you to try some over the counter diarrhoea stop medications (eg. Immodium). They may also recommend rehydration with an electrolyte replacement solution.
• Drink lots of water to replace lost fluids.
• Soluble fibre absorbs water and slows transit time through the digestive tract. Including small quantities of foods rich in soluble fibre (such as oats, green peas, sweet potato, turnip, carrots or psyllium) may improve stool consistency, however avoid large quantities that may exacerbate symptoms.
•  If your diarrhoea has left you feeling cold and drained, rug up and reach for a comforting heat pack.

Diet Tips:Alleviating Symptoms Part 3

Abdominal Pain and Bloating
By Shirley Webber

This week we are highlighting some strategies to manage abdominal pain and bloating that generally occur due to a build up of gas in the intestinal tract. These are the most common IBS symptoms.

·       Often a heat pack placed on the area of pain can help to loosen up the muscles and alleviate some of the pain and discomfort with cramping. A heat pack also allows more blood to flow to the area where the heat is placed and can assist in relieving the cramping.

·       Over the counter medication such as Buscopan or Mintec may help with managing symptoms. Ask your pharmacist what they would recommend.

·       Stretch it out – sometimes a bit of Pilates or yoga stretching can help with relieving some of the gas that is built up in the gastrointestinal tract reducing the pressure on the gut and therefore reducing the pain.

·       Better out than in. If you do have gas then it is okay to let it out. If you’re in a closed environment and feeling uncomfortable to deflate, go for a walk outside or move away from others. Remember gas is a sign of a healthy gut – see a previous blog post on this http://fodmapmonash.blogspot.com.au/2016/02/a-bit-of-bloating-is-beneficial.html

           

Diet Tips:Alleviating Symptoms Part 4

Stress/Anxiety Related Symptoms
By Shirley Webber

A major contributor to IBS symptoms in some individuals is stress. Many of you will have experienced an increase in symptoms prior to a job interview or a public presentation… We wrap up our series on alleviating symptoms with some tips to help manage this potential contributor:

Stress/Anxiety related symptoms

·         Find stress management strategies to help you through the situation.

·         You might find it helpful to talk to someone – someone close to you, a colleague or a professional counsellor.

·         Exercise can be a great stress reliever for many people and can help relieve your symptoms. Again this doesn’t have to be strenuous - just getting moving can help. 

·         If the stress that you are experiencing is high level and is continuing for an extended period of time then we recommend discussing this stress with your regular GP for extra support strategies.

·         You might also benefit from gut directed psychological therapies such as hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy.