Cereal with fresh berries, a healthy source of nutritional fiber.

The best thing you can do to alleviate some, if not all of your Irritable Bowel Syndrome is to focus on your lifestyle and be committed to making some day-to-day changes in your diet.

There are some diets and eating habits that can contribute to the disruption of the normal function of the intestines. You may just need to alter your diet in an effort to help reduce the time for your food to travel through your body.

Did you know that one of the most effective treatments for Irritable Bowel Syndrome is to add fiber to your diet? A terrific way to avoid or reduce constipation is to eat foods that are high in fiber. Eating a fiber-rich diet can help decrease the likelihood of constipation by softening the stool. A high-fiber diet may also help reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Over the next few weeks, you need to increase your dietary fiber slowly. Your digestive system needs to cope with the change gradually. Here is a quick list of some good sources of fiber rich foods to incorporate into your daily meals:

Do your best to start avoiding or limiting the amount of gas-producing foods that you eat such as beans, onions and cabbage. Do you have an intolerance to milk? You may need to avoid or cut back on dairy products in an effort to reduce your symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Avoid consumption of carbonated drinks and alcoholic beverages. These can introduce gas into your intestines and cause your abdominal pain.

Stop chewing gum; it causes you to swallow air and leads to your abdominal pain and bloating.

When you make your changes to your diet, make sure you do it slowly and in moderation. You don’t want to shock your body, but rather give your body time to adjust to the lifestyle changes you have chosen.

Once you incorporate your daily diet changes, gradually get into an exercise routine. Exercise, coupled with a healthy diet will help you gain your life back!

Irritable bowel syndrome, commonly referrerd to as IBS, is a functional disorder of the large bowel, meaning the bowel doesn’t work, or function, correctly.

IBS is not a disease, but a group of symptoms. For this reason, IBS is considered a functional disorder and is the most common among gastrointestinal disorders.

Your physician will most likely use the Rome III set of criteria to distinguish IBS from other intestinal problems.

Following a meeting in Rome (Italy), an international group of experts on gastrointestinal (GI) disorders reached consensus and published the following definition for typical symptoms of IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome):

At least 3 months duration with continuous or recurrent symptoms of:

1. Abdominal pain or discomfort, i.e:

• Relieved with defecation
• Associated with a change in frequency of stool
• Associated with a change of consistency of stool

2. Two or more of the following, at least on one-fourth of occasions or days:

• Altered stool frequency
• Altered stool form (e.g. watery / loose stools or hard stools)
• Altered stool passage (sensation of incomplete evacuation after bowel movements, straining, or urging)
• Passage of mucus
• Bloating or feeling of abdominal distension

Additional symptoms might be present if you are suffering from IBS. Symptoms to look out for include urinary urgency, nausea, fatigue, feeling full after eating only small amounts of food, or pain during sexual intercourse.

Points to Remember

• IBS means your bowel doesn’t work the correct way.
• IBS can cause cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation.
• In most cases IBS doesn’t damage the bowel or lead to other health problems.
• The doctor will diagnose IBS based on your symptoms. You may need to have medical tests to rule out other health problems.
• Stress doesn’t cause IBS, but it can make your symptoms worse.
• Fatty foods, milk products, chocolate, alcohol, and caffeine and carbonated drinks can trigger symptoms.
• Eating foods with fiber and eating small meals throughout the day may reduce symptoms.
• Abnormal bowel bacteria may play an important role in IBS
• Treatment for IBS may include medicine, stress relief, exercise and changes in eating habits.

One thing that most people with IBS don’t do is… talk about it! It is crucial that if you feel you are suffering from IBS, you need to find someone (a friend, family doctor, or someone who will listen). You’ll find that you’re not alone in what you’re experiencing.

Please, don’t live in silent pain. Without communication you won’t be able to receive a proper diagnosis. Acknowledge your symptoms and take action to feel better, TODAY!

Stress does not cause Irritable Bowel Symptoms but stress can make your symptoms more severe. The relationship between stress and IBS plays out in two ways. Exposure to stress may set off your symptoms.

In addition, dealing with IBS itself can be very overwhelming and stressful due to the annoying and disruptive nature of the symptoms. Most individuals keep Irritable Bowel Syndrome a secret and by keeping hidden from others cause feelings of embarrassment and shame that increasing the symptom outbreaks.

First and foremost, you need to find out what is causing your stress. Is it in the form of financial, emotional or mental stress? Once you find the root you can then work to start calming your digestive system.

Here are some ideas on how you can alleviate stress:

1) Relax - take time for yourself; take a bubble bath, read a book, listening to soothing music. In addition, it is crucial to get proper sleep.

2) Exercise - find stretches that help clear your mind and concentrate on breathing. Yoga and walking are my exercises of choice!

Yoga not only improves your overall health, but it does two key things to help control and minimize your IBS symptoms. For one, it aids in improving digestion by stabilizing it. Stable digestion? Just what you’ve been searching for, right? Not only that, but it decreases gas and bloating and can ease menstrual cramps which not only trigger IBS episodes but also exacerbate symptoms.

The other huge effect yoga has on IBS is the empowerment you’ll have over your condition through reducing anxiety, pain and stress. Yoga will make you stronger both physically and mentally. Remember, body-mind-spirit! This is how you win the war with a chronic condition like IBS.

3) Meditation - take 30 minutes out of your day to clear your mind and work on breathing. Make sure you choose a quiet and/or peaceful area to meditate.

4) Self Awareness - Be good to your body. Watch what you eat and keep yourself well hydrated. Don’t rush through dinner, eat slowly and relax.

5) Avoid Stress - Find ways to get rid of the things that are causing you to stress. Talking to someone (family, friends, and counselor) will help you cope with your troubles.

Modern day living is increasingly crazy and it is next to impossible to eliminate stress altogether. This is why it is in your best interest to find ways to lower your stress. You know your body, finding ways to relax; exercise and taking care of yourself will help decrease your Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Do you think you are suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome ( also known as IBS )? Are you suffering from any or all of these unpleasant and/or uncomfortable symptoms?

• diarrhea
• constipation
• back ache
• abdominal discomfort or pain
• acid reflux
• fibromyalgia
• gas / flatulence
• headache
• bloating
• chronic fatigue syndrome
• passage of mucus

If so… you could be suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome!

So what is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a digestive disorder that involves a malfunction in how your intestinal system works. It occurs due to the lack of normal movement (either too fast or too slow) of food products through your intestinal system.

So if you are experiencing frequent diarrhea, frequent constipation or a combination of both, you could be suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome. In addition, if you experience stomach pain, cramping, bloating and gas; then more than likely, you are suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome. These episodes are triggered by normal events like eating and stress. In addition, certain medications and foods can cause an episode.

Now if you are over 50, have blood in your stool or have unexplained weight loss, fever, or your pain wakes you up at night, you need to contact your doctor TODAY. You may have a more serious problem and I highly suggest you receive medical attention!

We all experience Irritable Bowel Syndrome at some point in our lives. However, some of us get it more severely than others. Women are more frequently diagnosed than men. The most common causes include life style changes, stressful events, poor diet, drinking alcohol or carbonated drinks and smoking.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome can have a substantial impact on your life! The symptoms can disrupt your daily life and cause you to miss work or school, miss out on social activities, skip meals or make unhealthy changes to your diet and nutrition. The overall quality of life has literally gone down the toilet.