Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS is a disorder characterized by erratic changes in your bowel movement. Some people experience diarrhea whereas some others face constipation problems. Abdominal pain and cramps are common symptoms that make everyday life seem like a challenge. You must visit a doctor for proper treatment of IBS. You should also know that certain lifestyle changes and diets can help to improve the condition.
Below are the some of the top five IBS diet plans that you should try for healthy bowel movements.
Low-FODMAP Diet
When we talk about a Low-FODMAP IBS diet plan, we are trying to eliminate the FODMAP from our diet temporarily. What is FODMAP? FODMAP stands for fermented, oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. The saccharides and polyols are short-chain carbohydrates. If your body is unable to digest these properly, they ferment in your large intestine. The fermentation takes place in water and produces carbon dioxide, hydrogen, or methane inside your body. This is the reason for your abdominal pain, bloating, and so on.
Low-FODMAP IBS diet plan restricts the common food groups to a large extent. However, this diet is not a permanent solution. The main idea is to isolate all the FODMAP from your diet. This will help the bacteria in your gut to relax and correct the imbalances. This diet takes 3 to 8 weeks to have successful results. This diet helps understand and identify the specific FODMAP groups that cause problems to your body.
The Fast Diet
The fast diet is a good way of shedding some weight and giving rest to your gut. This kind of IBS diet plan does not require you to stop eating entirely. It is an irregular kind of fasting where you just reduce the quantity of your food but only for a short period. The 5:2 regimes for intermittent fasting are the best form of diet. You normally eat for five days and fast for two days. That is, you cut down on your calories for the two days to ¼ of the normal intake. 600 calories are allowed for men, and 500 calories are allowed for women.
If a person sticks to the diet religiously, then he/she will be able to shed 1 pound in a week. The success of your diet also depends on not overeating the rest of the days. Fast diet not only helps in weight loss but also improves blood pressure, cholesterol, and IBS. Fasting is a powerful way to lose weight and improves your health, but it must be executed in the right manner.
Since a person is only fasting for two days in a week and eating normally for the rest of the days, they will find the food tasty, fresh, and exciting. This is an easy diet as it requires you to restrict your calorie intake for only two days in a week. On a normal day, you are allowed 2000 calories for a woman and 2400 calories for a man.
High-Fiber Diet
Eating lots of fiber-rich food as a part of IBS diet plan helps provide bulk to your stool and aids in movement. On an average, you must consume 20 to 35 grams of fiber each day. It might seem simple, but the reality is that many people only consume 5 to 14 grams of fiber every day. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains are best, and they help in preventing constipation. But if you feel bloated then try to eat soluble fibers that are found in fruits and vegetables.
Low-Fiber Diet
Fiber can help some patients suffering from IBS, but it can be worse for others. If you suffer from gas and diarrhea, the low-fiber IBS diet plan is just for you. This does not mean that you should completely eliminate fiber food from your diet. You should try eating soluble fiber foods like oats, carrots, apples, etc., in less quantity. Soluble fiber dissolves in water easily. However, insoluble fiber forms the base of the stool and must be eaten in low quantity. Broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, raisins, tomatoes, nuts, etc., must be included in your diet in low quantities. You can take anti-diarrheal medicine before eating your food but do not make this a habit.
Gluten-Free Diet
Gluten is a protein that is usually found in wheat, rye, and barley. If you are gluten intolerant, then it can severely damage your intestines. Gluten intolerance can also lead to IBS in some patients. Therefore, an allergy test is always recommended before you go on this IBS diet plan. When you start following the gluten-free IBS diet plan, then you will have to eliminate wheat, barley, and rye from your daily food intake. You will have to avoid pasta and bread. However, these days gluten-free pasta and food items are easily available in food stores.
