Irritable Bowel Syndrome/IBS
November 20, 2017
Is your tummy grumbling and telling you something’s not right? Are you experiencing bloating, constipation, or diarrhea many times in one day? Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, is the most common digestive disorder seen by doctors today. Learn why IBS is occurring and hear about some real food solutions to correct digestive imbalances.
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Transcript
MARCIE: Welcome to Dishing Up Nutrition brought to you by Nutritional Weight & Wellness, a company providing you with a personalized nutritional approach to your individual health concerns. if you want to have more energy, a better memory, fewer aches and pains, maybe some restful sleep, weight loss, or to be free of your nagging digestive problems, whatever your reason, we at Nutritional Weight & Wellness want to offer you the support, knowledge, and encouragement to change your nutrition to change your health and to reach your wellness goals. I am Marcie Vaske. I am a licensed nutritionist and co-host of today's Dishing Up Nutrition. Today's show is about irritable bowel syndrome or what many know as IBS. And irritable bowel syndrome is a topic I have a very personal understanding of and want to share my knowledge and experiences with you today.
CASSIE: And it's certainly not just you, Marcie. Irritable bowel syndrome is the most common digestive disorder seen by doctors today. In fact, one in five Americans have symptoms of IBS. But it's kind of a hidden condition because a lot of people don't want to share their symptoms of IBS. It can be a little embarrassing. Actually, a lot of people don't even share their symptoms of IBS with their doctor. I'm Cassie Weness, registered and licensed dietitian. And I'm the co-host along with Marcie today of Dishing Up Nutrition.
MARCIE:It's nice to be on with you again, Cassie. Twice as many women have IBS than men, and some of you may be wondering what exactly is irritable bowel syndrome. I could read the symptoms from a book or I could just get personal and really share my past digestive issues with you guys.
CASSIE: And I really think, Marcie, that our listeners would like to have you share your personal story. So, should we start there?
MARCIE: Yeah, good idea. So, I oftentimes will share my story with my clients as well, because I think it helps people understand that we are understanding and it makes you real. It helps them know that I've had the same experiences and can really relate with their pain. And one of the big things is bloating. A lot of people with irritable bowel are going to have bloating. And there were times where my stomach felt like it did when I was pregnant, carrying my twins, Rowan and Ava. I could have nausea or stomach pain, cramping, vomiting at times, and I often had a hard time eating. And on a daily basis, this isn't just like once in a while. This really was something that I struggled with every day. And it pains me even now just because I want to help people that feel like this every day.
CASSIE: So that they can focus more on their life. And symptoms can really vary. I think some of the things that you mentioned, Marcie, are pretty classic symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. But I want the listeners to know that for some people, their irritable bowel might be going back and forth between constipation and then diarrhea. But then other people just have that chronic constipation. Or for some of you listeners it might be that you just have that chronic diarrhea. Back when I was seeing clients, I specifically remember this client who initially came in to me for a nutritional consultation because she was having up to 15 episodes of diarrhea every day. I mean, what else can you get done in the day? That's debilitating. We changed up her diet and in just a few weeks after changing her diet she was down to only having one or two episodes of diarrhea daily. It wasn't perfect but we were well on our way. And then after all, it was maybe six weeks to two months of a changed diet, she was even better than that. And now, today, she's able to get on with her life. She can shop for groceries, go for walks, she loves to attend her grandchildren's soccer games and their choir concerts. And she no longer needs to search for every bathroom around. I mean, she can leave her house without fear.
MARCIE: Right. It changed her life. And even when an individual with IBS eats normally, you can have some malnutrition. That can be a result of it. What happens is that nutrients are often not absorbed well. And this actually happened to me. To overcome some of that malnutrition, I usually recommend eating extra protein and taking extra minerals. Things like magnesium, extra zinc, calcium, and other of our trace minerals to really help counteract that malabsorption.
CASSIE: Those are great tips. And I want listeners with IBS to know that, as we mentioned, we really do sympathize with your condition. We know, and Marcie knows, from a personal point of view that irritable bowel syndrome can be painful, but the upside is most people with IBS can lead active and productive lives once they change their diets.
MARCIE: Right. And that was a really big change when I took out some things that we're going to talk about today. There's a lot of misconceptions about what the correct diet is to reduce the symptoms of IBS. But I know for my own self that I have had to really avoid all dairy products. Absolutely everything. And what does that mean? That means no yogurt, no milk, no cheese, no cottage cheese, no ice cream, which was a very sad day. But if you have IBS, you may have what we call a lactose sensitivity, which means you're sensitive to the milk sugar in those dairy products. And milk often leads to that bloating, the gas, the diarrhea that we've been talking about. And that can even happen in people who don't have IBS.
CASSIE: Because a lot of the population does have that lactose sensitivity, even without the IBS like you're saying. Like you mentioned Marcie, it might be that you're not able to digest that milk sugar called lactose. But first, another segment of the population doesn’t tolerate dairy because they're sensitive to the protein, mainly the casein that's found in dairy products. And that's the case for my son. He is sensitive to the casein that's found in cow's milk, in the cheese, in the yogurt, the ice cream, the cottage cheese. And for him, his body sign is just awful acid reflux or heartburn if he eats any of these foods made from cow's milk that I just mentioned. So, I really want the listeners to think right now, what are you eating on a daily basis? If you're eating a lot of these dairy products, that could be the source of your IBS.
MARCIE: Right. And one easy was is to pay attention. if you eat that yogurt, how does your belly feel in about 30 minutes? Maybe even an hour or three days later. Just watch your pattern. And some of the other foods that have given me trouble are things like gluten. Actually, all grains give me some trouble on some level. Maybe even rice, at a time of my life I couldn't have. Cassie, you have mentioned previously on Dishing Up Nutrition that your house is both gluten and dairy free in order to avoid a lot of these digestive problems we're talking about. That must have been tricky to change over for you guys.
CASSIE: Oh, I cried. I still remember when I found out we had to go gluten and dairy free. And I cried. But, to control Riley's digestive problems, especially, we had to eliminate all gluten. Riley and his sister both have celiac disease, so for people that aren't familiar with that, it's that full-blown genetic autoimmune gluten allergy. So, I always say we are 110 percent gluten free and our house is completely gluten free, and most all dairy products. We can do a little bit of butter, a little bit of sour cream because that's mostly just the full fat. But, like I mentioned, Riley is sensitive to the protein in dairy and I am too and so's his sister, so for the most part we’re dairy free as well. And as I mentioned, it was hard in the beginning, but now it's just become our norm and we don't even think about it at all. It's so worth it and I know my kids would agree that it is so worth it because they're so healthy, full of energy, feel good. If you wake up and you feel good, you can go without some of those things.
MARCIE: That's right. And another type of food that gives me problems is any foods containing that soy or soybean oil. So, basically any food that contains refined oils like corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, cotton seed oil, can all give me trouble.
CASSIE: And I think we should talk a little more in depth about that because I find that people, especially when I'm out teaching nutrition classes, are confused about what fats and oils to use. So, when we come back from break let's jump into that.
MARCIE: Yeah, that's a great idea. You're listening to Dishing Up Nutrition, brought to you by Nutritional Weight & Wellness. Occasionally over the holidays, those unhealthy habits we grew up with are difficult to avoid. Do you have the cookie exchange habit or the popcorn ball habit or the eggnog latte habit? Or is it the “I can eat and drink anything during the holidays” habit? If so, we have put together a special one-night class especially for you to help you break free of your unhealthy habits. So, join us in Maple Grove on Monday, December 5th or in North Oaks on Thursday, December 7th and attend our “Habits, Habits, Habits” class. Be proactive this holiday season and take charge of your habits. Call the office at 659-699-3438 to sign up. Space is limited so do it today. We’ll be right back.
BREAK
CASSIE: Welcome back to Dishing Up Nutrition. If you're just tuning in, Marcie and I are discussing some causes and some solutions for irritable bowel syndrome. I want to talk next about sugar alcohols. Sugar alcohols are used as a sugar substitute in some packaged foods. Now, as a registered dietitian, I have found that some people just cannot digest sugar alcohols. They sort of sit in the gastrointestinal tract a lot longer than sugar, which can lead to bloating, gas, stomach pain, and sometimes diarrhea. So, if you have some packaged products that are claiming to be low in sugar, you might want to read the ingredient list. If you have them handy, some of the sugar alcohols that are commonly used and commonly cause digestive problems are maltitol and xylitol. And if you're looking for xylitol in a food product, it starts with an “x”. These are often found, both the maltitol and xylitol, in things like protein bars, they're found in gum a lot of times, in breath mints and in candies that are labeled “low sugar” or “no sugar”. So, think about that if you're having a lot of stomach pain, maybe some diarrhea, maybe it's a sugar alcohol that is the cause.
And when we were going to break we were just starting to talk about fats and oils. And I was mentioning that when I'm out teaching nutrition classes, I often find that people are confused about what fats and oils are healthy and which ones aren't. What can they cook with on a high heat? What needs a low heat? So, I'd like to talk about fats and oils here a little bit more in depth and first when thinking of irritable bowel syndrome, I want all of you right now to stop for a second and visualize that your small and large intestinal tract are about 30 feet long. So, think of that, 30 feet of tubing is wound up inside of your belly. That's a lot of tubing. And the inside of that tubing is covered with millions of cells. So, millions of cells line the entire digestive system, and truly to have a healthy digestive system, we want those cells to be strong, free from breaks, free from tears or holes. And in order to be strong, we need to be eating healthy fats because that's what that outer protective membrane of those cells is made from. It's made from the fats that we are choosing to put in our mouth day in and day out.
MARCIE: That's right. And so those healthy fats that we're always talking about are really important. When we're discussing fats and oils, we always consult the wisdom found in the book Know Your Fats and Oils by Dr. Mary Enig. She has said that every fat in oil is a combination of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. And she further went on to say that animal fats like butter, lard, or tallow contain 40 to 60 percent saturated fat, and they're typically solid at room temperature. And then you'll have vegetable oils, things like corn oil, soybean oil, canola, sunflower, or safflower oil that are liquid at room temperature. However, these vegetable oils, such as coconut oil from the tropics are saturated.
CASSIE: Isn't that interesting? And you can tell because coconut oil, I have it in my turntable right now, it's solid at room temperature because it’s saturated. It just makes me realize that mother nature really is wise. Those plant oils from the tropics are more saturated because the increased levels of saturation help them to maintain stiffness in the plant leaves on those hot, humid days. Very interesting.
MARCIE: And what about the olive oil? We know that olive oil is from a temperate climate, so it's liquid in warm weather and hardens when refrigerated. Olive oil contains about 75 percent of monounsaturated oleic acid, with small amounts of that saturated and then unsaturated fatty acids. Olive oil is a relatively stable oil. It's perfect for salad dressings or it can also be used for sautéing. But more for that low and medium temperature.
CASSIE: And in the book, Know Your Fats and Oils, Dr. Mary Enig also went on to say that in every cell of our body, the outer protective membrane of that cell is made up of about 25 percent polyunsaturated fatty acids. So, think of your nuts and seeds. Another 25 percent of that cell membrane is made up of monounsaturated fatty acids. That would be found in things like the olive oil you mentioned, also avocados would be another great source. And then 50 percent of our cell membrane, if it's healthy, is made up of saturated fatty acids.
MARCIE: And I always tell people that. So, they’re like, “Really, I can eat saturated fat?”
CASSIE: Absolutely. You need to for healthy cells, so the butter, the lard, the coconut oil. To have that strong and protective cell membrane you want it to be 50 percent saturated fatty acid. In order for it to be that, you have to be eating that. So, think about yesterday or the day before and what you ate in terms of fats and oils. If mostly you're eating corn oil, soybean oil, maybe some canola oil, these are all polyunsaturated fats. That's too much polyunsaturated. You need more saturated fat. If mostly you're eating the soybean oil, canola oil, corn oil, you're probably going to have weak and more fragile cell membranes, and this can allow toxins to get inside the cell, and that can then lead to more irritable bowel syndrome issues. I bet a lot of listeners never thought that the fats and oils they’re eating could be affecting their digestive tract. But it's the truth.
MARCIE: Yeah, I don't think people put that connection together. And at Nutritional Weight & Wellness, we recommend that you cook with butter and coconut oil because those are those healthy saturated fats. And use olive oil for salad dressings or the low heat, sauté-type cooking. But what we always talk about as well is to avoid the soybean oil, the corn oil, the cotton seed oil, the canola oils, those bad oils that are going to break down those cell membranes. For a healthy digestive system, you need to use good, beneficial fats so you can have healthy cells that will resist those toxins.
CASSIE: And you were even talking just to me during break, Marcie, about how you can really notice if you get one of those bad oils it sort of makes your IBS flare.
MARCIE: For sure. I always say if I get into something, watch out.
CASSIE: Your body tells you. Well, as everybody listening knows, we have Thanksgiving coming up next week. So, I want you to think about how are you going to put this important information that we're sharing with you today into practice. I know for me and my house, I'm going to be making a gluten-free, dairy-free pumpkin pie. It is good. I do this every year. I use organic butter for the fat in the crust. I use the full-fat canned coconut milk in place of cream in the actual pumpkin portion. And then I plan this year to whip up some full fat coconut milk. I usually add a little stevia, a little vanilla, to give it a little flavor and I whip that up for the topping. It is so good. And then all of my gluten- and dairy-free family members are always ecstatic because they love the flavor and because they know it won't cause IBS symptoms later.
MARCIE: Sounds good. It’s time for break. You're listening to Dishing Up Nutrition and we are discussing the causes of irritable bowel syndrome and some simple solutions as we go on to help stop that diarrhea or constipation naturally. So, one simple solution to eliminate constipation is to limit your consumption of nuts. Have you ever thought about that? Especially those almonds. If you are nibbling on nuts all day, your intestinal tract might be saying, “Enough already, I can't take it!” And I can usually eat maybe a few almonds every day, but really, I do my best to limit to no more than a quarter cup, or there's times I've taken it completely out of my diet. And, unfortunately, bananas or apples can also cause some constipation for people. If you eat either of these fruits regularly and experience frequent constipation, we recommend limiting those apples and bananas to only one per day.
BREAK
CASSIE: Welcome back to Dishing Up Nutrition. If you've been listening since the top of the hour and we still haven't hit upon what is causing your diarrhea or your constipation, have you ever stopped to think that it might be the corn that you're eating? Did you realize that corn or corn derivatives are found in nearly every packaged food? There's corn oil, corn syrup, corn starch, corn ethanol, and even corn gluten. And actually corn has been found to damage the intestinal tract. It's really high in those unhealthy omega 6 oils and it's low in the healthy omega 3 oils, and that makes corn a very inflammatory food. Now, another reason corn is harmful is because about 85 percent of all corn in this country is genetically modified. I bet a lot of listeners are aware that European countries do not allow genetically modified corn and wheat in their food supply because they know how bad it is for us. And actually, I have heard more than one client and somebody that works one of our front desks, as well, report that when they travel to Europe, they not only eat more and lose weight, but they have less inflammation and fewer aches and pains. Maybe it's because the corn, the wheat, the grains over there are not genetically modified. It's something to think about. Now, corn allergies and corn sensitivities can produce any number of symptoms, but some of the more common ones are skin rashes, vomiting, diarrhea, and for both my son and my daughter, their bodies’ sign of their corn sensitivity is asthma-like symptoms. They really start to have labored breathing. So, if you're having any of these body signs and symptoms of a corn sensitivity, maybe taking that bag of corn chips to the next holiday party is not a good idea.
MARCIE: Yes, take something different like carrots and celery and some guacamole. Let's look into irritable bowel syndrome a little bit more in detail. As we mentioned earlier, a symptom of IBS may be constipation for you. And I remember actually a few years ago one of the nutritionists shared that sometimes she only had a bowel movement only one time in two weeks, and what was even more shocking is she thought it was normal.
CASSIE: She must have been new to Nutritional Weight & Wellness, because you’ve just got to have a conversation with Dar and Dar will tell you, you should be going every day at least once a day.
MARCIE: It is not normal to skip days. It's definitely not normal to go once in two weeks.
CASSIE: I think it's interesting to realize that constipation was almost unheard of among primitive people on natural diets. But, today in the United States it's one of the most frequent health complaints.
MARCIE: For sure. I have people coming in all the time.
CASSIE: I just heard on the radio yesterday, they said something like 90 percent of Americans don't eat enough vegetables. That's probably part of the reason. But truly, there are so many reasons why you might be experiencing constipation. I think we should take a few minutes here and go through some of the more common reasons. And then also give some possible solutions. I will start out. So, reason number one, besides not eating enough vegetables, are you drinking pop and coffee all day long and not enough water? I think a lot of people do this and pop and coffee are what we call diuretics, so they're dehydrating. So, think about that, if you're dehydrating your body, that stool gets dry and that makes it difficult to pass. So, I think everybody probably has guessed the obvious solution, but I'm going to say it anyway. Our first solution for this problem would be to drink at least two quarts of water a day. So, that's eight cups, and you can come up with a simple easy way to monitor that. For me, on the days when I'm at home, I have a fancy little water carafe that holds four cups. And so, I know that if I’ve drank through two of those, I've gotten my eight cups. I know there are some free apps on smartphones, too, where you can easily track your water intake. It's really important, not only to relieve your constipation, but water is a great way to detoxify your body and your brain.
MARCIE: And, reason number two for constipation, you may be one of those people who became constipated after they were on a round or two of antibiotics, or even those anti-inflammatory medications. So, anti-inflammatory would be like NSAIDs or ibuprofen or even Advil. One thing I recently learned at the Great Lakes conference is that if you have a toxic colon, you will undoubtedly have a toxic brain. So it's so, so, so important to have a bowel moment every day so those toxins get out and not start leaching back into your body. And so, what is the solution for that? If you've been constipated from taking antibiotics, we do suggest taking two Bifido Balance capsules, so a probiotic, and what you want to do is take that before each meal. And then also add a broad-spectrum probiotic called UltraFlora from Metagenics at bedtime. We encourage clients to take 4-6 capsules of mixed magnesium also at bedtime.
CASSIE: I bet a lot of our regular listeners have heard us talk before about how magnesium can help with a good night's sleep. But I don't know if we've talked as much about how magnesium can help get the bowels moving again, too. It's really what I call a magic mineral. It does so many things for us, so I love that you mentioned the Mixed Magnesium. Here's another reason for constipation: eating gluten and dairy products. And we mentioned this a little bit earlier in the show. So, if it's the gluten and the dairy that's bugging you, no more cheese and crackers, no more chips with sour cream and onion dip. Skip the bread and the pasta. Certainly no pizza loaded with cheese. That's a double whammy. That's the gluten in the crust and then all the dairy layered on top. But, we certainly want you to enjoy your food. So here are some substitutions. How about raw vegetables with guacamole as a dip, like you mentioned earlier. Or how about some vegetables sautéed in coconut oil on the stovetop. I love to do that. And for a lot of clients, we have seen that cooked spinach is an excellent way for them to relieve their constipation. So, maybe just stir fry that spinach up in your scrambled eggs in the morning, and doing that on a daily basis can really help to keep things moving along.
MARCIE: That’s right. And reason number four for constipation: eating too many nuts. Now, I kind of talked about this going into break just a little bit ago, but nuts can cause constipation, and so we recommend not eating more than a quarter cup of nuts a day. So, what is the solution for that? Because we want you to eat good fats, and nuts are good fat, but if they bother you, maybe choose something like avocados or olives for your healthy fats.
CASSIE: Right. Like you mentioned, nuts are a healthy fat, but it reminds me of every once in a while, my kids will say, “Well what are the good foods, Mom, and what are the bad foods?” And my answer is always, “What's good for one person might not be a good food for another person.” And this is a great example. And I cannot do a lot of nuts. I was telling you before the show, I used to eat nuts a lot throughout the day as a snack. And one day it was like it just turned on a dime. And I was in denial for a long time because I thought that these are a healthy fat. But once you give it up and your gut feels so much better, you don't miss it. So not worth it. Now, we realize that some people listening might need additional suggestions. Our hour is not long enough to cover everything, so if you think you need additional help, I recommend that you make an appointment with one of our Nutritional Weight & Wellness nutritionists or dieticians. Chronic constipation could possibly increase your risk of developing colon cancer. So finding a solution is a must.
MARCIE: And if you have a problem with chronic constipation, we hope these suggestions will give you some relief. I have some more information to share about constipation that will surely come as a surprise to many of you, because at our most recent Menopause Survival Seminar, a question was asked about using a fiber product, and many people who have constipation have tried different fiber products over the years, hoping and praying it would work. But one such product is called Metamucil. So, listeners, has anyone ever recommended to you to use a fiber product? Well, I’ve even had it recommended to me and I know that that stuff does not work. Its makes it worse. So, with constipation, quite often the intestinal tract, like Cassie was talking about earlier, is dehydrated and dried out, making the lining is sort of crusty and hard. So, if you add that fiber product, what happens is the intestinal tract actually gets more dried out, making it worse. What happens is you become even more constipated, more uncomfortable, more frustrated, and so at the end of the day, what are we saying? Do not use a fiber product when you're constipated, but rather, like we've been talking about, add a good fat.
CASSIE: I bet that's new information for people. Add more fat instead of a fiber product.
MARCIE: But think about that, fat is slippery and if you want it to slip out, eat some coconut oil. I tell people about a tablespoon of coconut oil and some hot water is a nice, natural solution for constipation. And, actually a woman at our menopause survival seminar shared her aunt's remedy for constipation, and she said put two tablespoons of olive oil in warm water, drink up, and within an hour or two the constipation will be gone. So, just trying to find some easy, natural ways to get rid of that constipation.
Well, it's time for break once again. And you are listening to Dishing Up Nutrition. On a previous Dishing Up Nutrition show, we talked about the fact that gluten, found in wheat, barley, rye, khamut, bulgar, and spelt is difficult to digest, and they're really giving some people diarrhea and others, constipation. Gluten is found in most commercially-made breads, cakes, cookies, pastas, and crackers. And gluten-related health problems are on the rise and associated with celiac disease and type 1 diabetes, Hashimoto's, thyroid disease, skin rashes, acne, arthritis, food addiction, and IBS. So, we have a wonderful class, it’s called Going Gluten Free the Healthy Way, and it's actually taught by good old registered dietitian, Cassie Weness.
CASSIE: I think it was one of our first online classes.
MARCIE: Yeah, I think it was. Because, as she stated before, she has two kids with celiac disease, so she really knows what she's talking about when it comes to that.
BREAK
CASSIE: Welcome back to Dishing Up Nutrition. You probably heard me mention earlier that cow’s milk and other dairy products could cause gas, bloating, maybe even diarrhea for some people. Now I bet every one of you listening, at least those of you here in the United States, have seen the ads that say, “Milk does a body good.” But is that really true? Here's the truth. Most of us have trouble digesting dairy products. In fact, only about 30 to 35 percent of the world's population after the age of two is able to produce the enzyme lactose that's needed to break down milk sugar and digest milk. That's remarkable. Only 30 to 35 percent, so the majority of us, 70 percent of us, aren't able to digest milk, and that can then lead to the bloating, the gas, the diarrhea. Now, I'm sure there are people listening right now thinking, “OK, well if I can't have dairy, how do I get my calcium? And don't I need milk for strong bones?” Well that's some good advertising that somebody did that you need three glasses of milk for strong bones. You really don't, actually. You get more calcium from the vegetables you eat, if you're eating your vegetables, because the body does not easily utilize the calcium in milk. And think about this, osteoporosis occurs much less frequently in non-milk drinking Asian cultures than here in America, where milk consumption is encouraged. Very interesting. So, if you are struggling with IBS, I encourage you to at least try giving up dairy products. Most likely your intestinal tract will settle down and you will find relief.
CASSIE: Now, before we jump back into more causes and solutions for IBS, on a side note, before I forget, I want to let you know that you are likely going to want to make a date with your radio next Saturday when I interview Nell Calls on Dishing Up Nutrition about how she lost 90 pounds eating real food and how she maintained that weight loss eating real food. I'll give you a little insider view. There was no starvation diet, so it should be a really great show.
MARCIE: That will be a good show, for sure. Well let's switch our discussion a little bit about IBS to the other form, diarrhea, the other end of the spectrum. For many people, having countless episodes of diarrhea daily is a symptom of their IBS, irritable bowel syndrome. And it can be very difficult to manage life when this is happening. I mean, just like your client, I mean 15 times a day, what are you doing? In fact, I saw a client six weeks ago who was experiencing diarrhea several times a day. And she was tired, she was losing weight, too much weight, and could no longer do her daily exercises. And her condition made her absolutely miserable, so I suggested let's try a grain free, dairy free, soy free eating plan and see if that can help bring down some of that diarrhea.
CASSIE: And I bet at the same time, you recommended that she eat meat and fish several times a day, you probably told her cooked vegetables are best. And did you have her limit her fruit intake?
MARCIE: Right. For sure we did that, and definitely cooked vegetables and root-type vegetables. So when we say that, what we mean is eating potatoes because they're great, number one. They're easy to digest and they're high in potassium, and often when you have diarrhea, you're losing a lot of potassium. And I also suggested that she cook her meats. “Eat soft meats,” I always tell clients, as well as her. And how are you going to do that? Well, put them in the crockpot, maybe make a roast. You want it to be soft, and the softer it is, the easier it is to digest.
CASSIE: Right. And that's why we do stress, as we mentioned, cooked vegetables. I think sometimes people are trying to go that healthy route, and then try to get more vegetables in. But if you have IBS, raw vegetables are not your friend. So, I'm curious if you've had any follow-up with this client? Do you know where she's at now?
MARCIE: Yes, so in three weeks, no more diarrhea. So, that’s huge. And in about six or so weeks she did regain her strength and she's back to her daily exercise. She has vacation trips planned, she's babysitting her grandkids a few times a week, and she's actually put on a few of the pounds that she had lost. And it's actually more muscle weight. So, she's very happy. She had no idea how sensitive she was to dairy products, to grains, and soy. And really, she had no problem giving up cheese and crackers because now she feels amazing.
CASSIE: Isn't that the truth when you give up those foods that are irritating you? It's always scary at first. It is, and sometimes you have to cry and be sad, like I did. But once you get over it, it’s just so worth it. So, if you are experiencing IBS, we can help you make your irritable bowel symptoms a thing of the past. This is not some lifelong sentence that you have to live with. At Nutritional Weight & Wellness, we can help you understand that you might need some fiber, but you don't want too much fiber. You might need a probiotic, Marcie mentioned that earlier, but you need the right one for your individual digestive system. You might need some additional minerals in the appropriate amounts, but it needs to be specific to your biochemistry. There's not just one protocol that fits everyone. So, if you choose to come in for a nutritional consultation, we sit down and we actually listen to you, and we help you, step by step, to correct your digestive imbalances, specific to your needs. It's more than a science, it's an art.
MARCIE: Its really is. And, oftentimes, we really just take a long time to sit with you, listen, try to come up with a really specific meal plan for each of our clients, because that's what you need when you have irritable bowel syndrome. You can't just say, “Hey, I'll just take out some dairy,” because there's so many other factors in that.
CASSIE: And it really helps to work with someone, because as you mentioned early on in the show, sometimes you might have immediate symptoms that you're not digesting dairy or you're not handling the nuts well, but it could be up to three days later. So, really sitting down with one of us, and we sort of work as that detective to work through, what have you been eating? And then what are your signs and symptoms? And then we can help you connect the dots and figure it all out.
MARCIE: So, so important. And the other piece I think to kind of bring up, as well, is we always want you to eat balanced-- that protein, carb, fat. But we did talk a little bit about probiotics and when your intestinal tract is not happy, you need to balance that flora back out. So that's why we need the good bugs.
CASSIE: And something we didn't talk about, we often will recommend some glutamine to help heal the lining. But we’d talk about that if you came in for a consult.
MARCIE: So, we hope to see you soon. Our goal at Nutritional Weight & Wellness is to help each and every person experience better health through eating real food. It's a simple, yet powerful message. Eating real food is life changing. Thanks everybody and have a great day.
