Your diet and gut health: a few useful tips

The theme for this year’s World Digestive Health day is ‘Your Diet and Gut Health’. Food intolerances are common in those with digestive health problems. In aid of World Digestive Health Day, Love Your Gut has put together some tips on managing irritable bowel syndrome, a condition where symptoms are often improved with dietary and lifestyle modifications.

 

  1. Keep a food diary:

 

Keeping a food diary can be useful in helping you to identify which particular foods are triggering your symptoms. Keep record of everything you have to eat and drink during the day as well as any symptoms you experience.

 

  1. Check your fibre intake:

 

People with IBS can respond negatively to the intake of fibre. If you have diarrhoea you may find it useful to reduce your insoluble fibre intake. Insoluble fibre can be found in foods such as wheat bran and cereals, nuts and seeds. If you have constipation increasing the amount of soluble fibre in your diet by consuming foods like oats, rye, root vegetables and linseeds may help with symptoms.

 

  1. Have regular meals throughout the day and take your time over eating meals.

 

  1. Stay hydrated:

 

You should aim to drink at least at least 8 cups of fluid each day. Limit your intake of caffeinated beverages as these can often make symptoms worse.

 

  1. The Low FODMAP diet- ask your GP:

 

A low FODMAP diet is low in Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides and Polyols- the types of carbohydrates that ferment rapidly in the gut and as a result produce IBS symptoms. The low FODMAP diet has been researched for several years and has been found to be effective in 70% of IBS sufferers. Following the diet is complex and it is important that it’s done under the supervision of a Registered Dietitian. You can ask your GP to refer you to a Dietitian who has been trained on a low FODMAP course.

 

For further information about gut health see Dr Nick Read’s advice on our website:  https://loveyourgut.com/getting-gut-healthy/eating-well/