Diet and Lifestyle Advice for IBS
DIET AND LIFESTYLE ADVICE FOR IBS SUFFERERS
An Interview with an Experienced Acupuncturist and Herbalist -Excerpt
Dr. Maoshing Ni, PhD, DOM, L.Ac., Co-Founder and Medical Director at the Tao of Wellness clinic in Santa Monica, California, Co-Founder and Chancellor at Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Los Angeles, was interviewed by the Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients . In an excerpt of the interview he stated”
“He says acupuncture is a very effective tool for relieving the symptoms of IBS for patients. As part of the treatment, he couples it with stress management and dietary changes, since emotional factors, diet, drugs, or hormones may precipitate or aggravate IBS.
I have seen many IBS patients over the past year as an intern at the teaching clinic affiliated with the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto, Canada. In order to gain further insight into this disorder, I decided to interview Dr. Ni, based on his wealth of knowledge and experience in using acupuncture to treat these patients. The first question I asked was what advice he would give to patients who may be considering acupuncture for their IBS condition.
“While acupuncture is effective in giving relief to patients with IBS, effective management requires a holistic approach,” he replied. “That means that patients need to be proactive and make the necessary adjustments to their diet and stress level. It is realistic to expect that IBS patients can live, for the most part, symptom-free using this combination.”
I then asked Dr. Ni what he would say to doctors who are considering using acupuncture in treating patients with IBS.
“It’s safe, effective and can be a wonderful way to help patients connect their body with their mind,” he answered. “After all, smooth muscle spasms of the intestinal tract coupled with inflammation, is best treated through the autonomic nervous system that has the direct control of these processes.”
With nearly two decades of experience, Dr. Ni also knows common errors that doctors make when designing acupuncture protocols for IBS patients.
“A common mistake is to presume that a course of say, ten treatments at a weekly interval would relieve the problem, and that if the relief isn’t achieved within that period of time, then the doctor presumes that it’s ineffective,” says Dr. Ni. “It can take time to effect the normalizing of the autonomic nervous system which is likely to be programmed by years of unconscious mind-body nervous habits. Through acupuncture and stress-releasing techniques like meditation and Qi gong, the mind-body awareness is first established, and then conscious efforts to cause a functional change can be achieved over time. One must give time to be successful in treatment of IBS.”
I concluded the interview by asking for any other advice he would give to doctors in treating IBS patients.
“Simply using drugs isn’t getting at the root of the problem. Similarly, diet is important. Doctors need to emphasize healthy and proper eating habits,” notes Dr. Ni. “Consistent and set meal times, eating in a relaxed manner, taking time to chew one’s food, avoiding refined and processed foods, making sure to get plenty of cooked whole grain and cooked vegetable fiber, minimizing animal product consumption, especially dairy, avoiding alcohol, caffeine and sugar, deep fried and fatty goods, and acidic foods such as tomatoes and vinegar, will all reduce the irritation of the intestines and assist in the recovery process.”
Some lifestyle changes that may help alleviate symptoms include:
Lynn Jaffee is a licensed acupuncturist in St. Louis Park, Minnesota recommends the following lifestyle and food recommendations:
• Getting adequate exercise, which helps relieve stress, moves energy, regulates the bowels, and helps alleviate constipation.
• Practicing stress relief measures, such as meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, or quiet time, is key to keeping IBS symptoms under control.
• Dietary changes should be individualized, and should focus on eliminating foods that trigger symptoms and adding adequate fiber to the diet. Soluble fiber is gentler on the GI tract, and includes foods such as oatmeal, berries, and legumes like lentils and garbanzo beans. Crude fiber, such as bran and raw vegetables and their skins may be too irritating, and should be monitored as a trigger for symptoms. Other foods that are common triggers include greasy or fatty foods, diary products, alcohol, caffeine, chocolate and drinks that are carbonated.
• Probiotics may be helpful for some sufferers of IBS. Probiotics are supplements that replace the good bacteria in the gut necessary for digestion. A common form is Lactobacillis acidophilus, which can be found in most natural foods stores.
• Adequate sleep is important for sufferers of IBS, because stress, which is the most common trigger for IBS, is aggravated by lack of sleep. In addition, adequate sleep helps the body heal and rejuvenate.
General Eating Principles Include:
• Be careful with food combinations: especially avoid starch, sugar, protein combination (for example, cheesecake). Avoid eating too many types of foods at one time. Stick to one type of starch per meal. Eat steamed vegetables rather than raw ones
• Emphasize a high complex carbohydrate, high fiber diet
• All foods must be eaten slowly, chewed and salivated well; eat in a calm atmosphere, do not read or watch television while eating
Recommended Foods:
• Potato broth, cooked carrots, okra, steamed and mashed parsnips, squash, pumpkin, figs and flax seed tea, steamed zucchini and squash, papaya, grated raw apple, applesauce, ripe peaches without skin, banana, rice porridge
• Miso soup, slippery elm gruel, psyllium seed powder, flax seed powder
• Foods high in the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids: vegetable, nut, seed oils, cold water fish, evening primrose oil, black currant oil, flaxseed oil
• Foods high in water-soluble fiber: Fiber may help some individuals with irritable bowel symptoms; psyllium seed husks, barley, rye, flax seed, pectin, guar gum, oat bran, legumes, brown rice, and vegetables are fiber sources that are most likely to provide benefit and less likely to provide sensitivity reactions. Wheat bran is usually not effective in reducing irritation and inflammation and in many cases may exacerbate the situation.
Foods To Avoid:
• Food intolerance: while true food allergies may be less common than sometimes claimed, the presence of food sensitivities or intolerance among individuals with irritable bowel symptoms appears to be significant when demonstrated by symptom reduction upon removal of the food in question from the diet; some researchers believe that aggravations due to food reactions are more likely to occur when at least 3.5 ounces of the offending food is eaten on a daily basis.
• Wheat, corn and dairy, carrageenan- containing foods are among the most common symptom-provoking foods peanuts, meat, sugar and sweet food, refined and processed foods, corn, soybeans, most legumes, coffee, caffeine, oranges, alcohol, hot sauces, spicy foods, fried foods, fatty foods, rich foods, salty foods
Diet is an obvious component of our comprehensive treatment program for IBS. Other modalities such as acupuncture, herbal medicine and stress release techniques, all contribute to promoting the healthy functioning of the digestive tract. Without a good digestive system, you will be robbed of the energy and quality in your life.
