Can’t figure out what your IBS food triggers are? Watch this video for a list
of IBS enemies that might surprise you, so you can stop accidentally
setting off your gut flareups! for the most helpful information you'll find
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If you're frustrated trying to
figure out which foods trigger your IBS attacks, by the end of this video you'll
know which foods to stay away from and why.
I’m Wendy Leung, Holistic Health & Happiness Coach,
Licensed Acupuncturist, and Powerhouse IBS Conqueror.
and I teach my clients TCM nutritional principles that work with their gut
instead of against it. And now I'm going to share them with you!
So you think you've figured out what foods trigger your IBS but then
sometimes when you eat them nothing happens
Or you think you've cut them all out but then you get a flare anyway.
Maybe then, you throw your hands up because if you can't figure out what your triggers are anyway
you might as well eat what makes you happy, right?
Food triggers can be really confusing because everyone's are a little bit different
but I'm gonna share with you some common IBS no-nos that everyone should stay away from
What's your biggest IBS food trigger that you know of right now? Let me know
in the comments below.
In a previous episode I mentioned that in Traditional
Chinese Medicine (or TCM for short) we see the digestive system like a campfire.
With IBS, that fire is burning low and it’s extra important for us to feed it
the right fuel to keep it running because if we feed it the wrong fuel,
it'll weaken the fire or put it out completely. And then: IBS disaster!
So what are these IBS food enemies? In TCM, all foods have specific properties
(hot, neutral, cold, damp, dry) and depending on each person’s constitution, some foods
will be worse for you than others. For anyone with a weak digestive fire
(ie those of us with IBS), cold and damp foods are the worst.
So here are some common foods that all IBS bellies should stay away from:
IBS Enemy #1: Dairy
Sorry, cheese-lovers. But if you want your gut to heal, you’ve got to cut out all dairy.
This includes milk, cheese, yogurt from any animal source, including
including cow, goat, lamb whichever. You might not have an immediate reaction
like having to bolt to the bathroom as soon as you eat it,
but it doesn’t mean that it isn’t harming your gut. TCM sees dairy as cold
damp-producing, which means that it causes a sluggish digestive fire and
lso causes some other fun symptoms like heavy limbs, heavy headache, and mucus and phlegm…
IBS Enemy #2: Processed sweets and greasy junk foods
These are similar to dairy in that they also cause a sluggish digestive fire.
Not to mention they’ve got no nutritional value,
so why make your weak gut do extra work to digest them
when they’re not even useful to the rest of your body anyway?
IBS Enemy #3: Raw and cold foods
Here's the surprise! I'm betting you've all
grown up hearing about how salads and smoothies are the ultimate health food.
Detoxifying, chock full of nutrients, etc. Well, remember when I mentioned that the
digestive fire needs the right fuel? Raw foods are considered cold in TCM and
they’re also harder to digest than cooked foods, so by eating salads and
crunchy carrot sticks, you're forcing your already weak digestive system to
work even harder to extract all those nutrients.With smoothies, even though
the foods are already blended for easy digestion, the frozen fruit and ice is
going to put out your digestive fire. Now, unrelated to TCM cold and damp property
foods, here are some other common IBS food triggers that are really important to mention:
IBS Enemy #4: Cruciferous vegetables
Veggies are awesome when they're properly prepared and some of them can be really great
guts supporters. But others of them also cause extra gas which is really no good
for IBS. So pay attention when you're eating foods like broccoli, cauliflower,
asparagus or cabbage to see if they affect you. And if they do, don't feel bad
about cutting them out. I craved broccoli for such a long time after I realized
that it was an IBS food trigger, but maybe that's just me. I'm just weird -
I really love veggies!
IBS Enemy #5: Carbonated drinks and chewing gum
Anything that causes an excessive amount of gas to build up in
your intestines is a no-no for a weak gut. Unfortunately that also includes
beer, ciders, the bubbly...
So by no means have I covered all of the possible IBS food triggers
in this episode. That's pretty much impossible because just like
everyone's personalities are different, everyone's constitutions are a little
bit different too. Which means that there's no one answer that can solve
everyone's IBS problems. That's why seeking holistic nutritional
coaching is much more effective than trying to read everything you find
online and then trying to figure it out on your own. Because what works for
somebody else might not work for you. That said, these common IBS food triggers
are most certainly enemies of a weak digestive fire so they should be cut out
no matter what. We're gonna be talking next episode about safe foods that you
can eat during your IBS attacks, but for now let's recap, those IBS food triggers
that you should definitely avoid.
#1: Dairy
#2: Sweets and processed foods
#3: Raw and cold foods
#4: Cruciferous veggies
And #5: Carbonated drinks and chewing gum.
So now that you have an idea of what foods definitely aren’t good for your IBS, where do you go from here?
I've got a free online class where I give you real solutions for IBS even beyond food and diet
and the link to sign up is right there on the top right of the banner or in the description box below
Also, if you want to join a tribe of women just like you, join my Facebook community of
Powerful Women Conquering IBS, where I share tips on how to get you going on
your journey from to IBS to health.
If you liked this video, please let me know by liking it below,
drop a comment with the word “helpful” and what your biggest takeaway was,
and also share it with anybody else, your fellow IBS conquerors
who you feel can really benefit from this information, so that we can spread
the word that IBS is not forever thing and I can help everyone beat this together!
I have a lot more to share with you including next week's episode on
safe foods to eat for IBS so make sure that you subscribe to my channel and hit
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