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You might not know this one little thing about me. I say “one little thing” but the truth is it’s a really kind of big thing that can affect day to day living in a very challenging way. Inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome affect that lives of many people and is a condition I have a very personal experience with myself.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of conditions that cause swelling and irritation of the digestive tract, such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and celiac disease. Symptoms of IBD can include blood in the stool from ulcers located on the intestinal wall, persistent diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, belly pain, bloating and malnutrition. Very severe flare ups of the disease might also include fever, joint pain, joint inflammation and skin conditions. Inflammatory bowel disease is structural and can be diagnosed by your doctor with tests that might include stool samples, blood tests, x-rays and CT or MRI scans.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional condition. Diagnoses is evaluated from chronic symptoms that the patient is experiencing and it is difficult to diagnose through specific medical tests. IBS symptoms include belly pain, bloating, chronic diarrhea, urgency to get to a bathroom and weight loss.

Inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are serious conditions and need ongoing medical attention. Irritable bowel syndrome is not typically as serious and as debilitating as IBD but it is still a condition that can impact daily activities and if left untreated can develop into more serious conditions such as intestinal permeability and auto-immune disease especially in women.

In the case of both IBD and IBS diet plays a dramatic factor in the healing process, maintaining a healthy digestive tract and avoiding flare ups. Flare ups can be triggered during times of stress but the primary factor in flare ups is typically from the foods that we eat. Foods that many people are able to enjoy without problem can be very harmful for people with IBS and especially IBD. The biggest offenders are typically wheat and dairy but many of us have trouble with all grains, starchy vegetables, rice, dairy products and even some cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collard greens and kale. These foods wreak havoc for people with digestive system conditions.

I personally have been managing IBS for about eight years. It all started in 2013, while traveling in Mexico. Our entire family contracted a super aggressive parasite called blastocystis hominis. Our last night in Cabo San Lucas we went to a very nice and well known restaurant for dinner and we drank what we thought was purified water. (Note to self: Only drink water in Mexico if it comes from a sealed water bottle!) I know this is usually a given but we were under the impression this water was purified and safe to drink. Within a few hours I realized we had made a big, BIG, no wait… a HUGE mistake! It struck our oldest daughter first, as she bent over the toilet vomiting violently within a couple of hours after having dinner. The next day it hit me and our younger daughter suddenly and without warning while we were in line at the San Jose Del Cabo airport checking our bags to return home. Within the next 24 hours, the rest of our family was hit hard one by one with the gut bug which lasted a couple of days for most of them. But for me, it was just the beginning.

For several months after, the initial illness, I would have relapses and suddenly be high centered in the bathroom either vomiting or with diarrhea and severe cramps. After 3 rounds of antibiotics, the parasite was finally gone but my intestinal problems were not. That nasty little bug created a lot of problems including joint inflammation, arthritis, leaky gut, bloating, chronic diarrhea and even SIBO which stands for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. SIBO is a condition which causes the bad bacteria, that should normally be kept at bay in the colon, to overpopulate and creep into the small intestine causing malnutrition and an even a longer list of symptoms.

Fortunately, with my knowledge as a nutritional therapist and with the help from my naturopath, I’ve been able to reduce symptoms and minimize flare ups through a healthy, real food diet of mostly vegetables, high quality proteins and fats, and some fruit. I can, on occasion, get away with a few forbidden foods such as pizza or pasta but in order to keep symptoms from reoccurring, I find myself circling back to the foods that work for me and my body.

If you or someone you know, suffers from IBS, IBD or even just minor related digestive symptoms get the support you need now from your doctor or a naturopathic doctor that understands how to combine medical treatment with dietary support. You can also schedule an appointment with me for a FREE Consultation and I can help get you started on your path to recovery.