Gut Health is Whole Being Health

It is estimated that 11% of the global population suffers from IBS, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome. And a disproportionally large number of these people are female. The majority of my patients end up coming to me only after seeing at least 1 doctor for their symptoms, and usually 3 or 4. Finding relief from IBS symptoms is literally life changing - no more pain, no more avoiding foods that may or may not make a difference, no more rushing to the bathroom or being so bloated your clothes don't fit. The magic to healing from IBS is in looking at the person as a whole - not just an intestinal tract.

One of the most frustrating things for patients is the IBS is really a diagnosis of exclusion. You have these symptoms that affect quality of life, but there's no evidence of ulcers, autoimmune disease, polyps or pathology of the intestinal lining. So then you get treated per symptom - given medication for diarrhea or nausea, etc. Occasionally you are told to change your diet, but a remarkably high number of doctors tell their patients this doesn't make a difference. I like to explain it like this: maybe a specific food didn't cause your IBS, but, just like if you were to get a cut or scrape on your knee and then go rub sand in it - it is going to make it worse. The sand didn't cause your injury, but it is certainly a factor in how bad you feel.

Diet definitely makes a difference in IBS symptoms. We can alter the diet, remove the foods that cause the most irritation, but we still aren't facilitating healing. Many people follow an elimination diet such as the low FODMAP diet which is great for symptom management, but find that when they try to go off the diet they start feeling poorly again. That is because they haven't healed their gut.

So, how do we heal the gut? In my functional approach I use herbal teas and supplements that are scientifically proven to lower inflammation and heal the intestinal lining. But that is also not enough.

IBS symptoms are very tightly tied to stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms. Even if you're not diagnosed with these things, everyone deals with them to some degree. Especially stress. Stress - to the gut, to the body, and to the mind - needs to be addressed for true healing. We can learn to deal with stress in a healthy way by weaving mindfulness practices into every day life, moving our bodies regularly, and getting enough outside time.

There can also be underlying infections, nutrient imbalances, and food sensitivities that we address using functional tests.

As you can see, healing from IBS goes beyond treating individual symptoms and diet changes - your whole being needs to be addressed.