Unknown Gut Disruptors
IBS Symptoms & How They Affect Your Life
Do you feel like you can’t eat anything without bloating or having to run to the toilet? Like no matter what you do, food causes pain and total discomfort? And the constant low energy and embarrassment of it all makes you want to hide at home, avoiding friends and social situations?
I know I felt this way. For a really long time.
Fixing IBS
When I first began my journey to fix my gut and overcome IBS for good, I was solely focused on food. I would wrack my brain trying to figure out which foods were causing me to blow up like a balloon, double over in pain, or be unable to move my bowels for days at a time.
And once I figured that part out, I thought I would finally be better. I removed all gluten and dairy from my diet. I noticed that too much sugar would cause a flare up, so I tried to avoid that, too. And for the most part, my symptoms did improve.
But, I wasn’t totally better. Sometimes I would still get that awful, painful swelling in my stomach that made me feel unattractive and self-conscious. And that’s when I began to learn about a holistic approach to healing IBS.
I learned that although food and nutrition were super important, there were other puzzle pieces that I hadn’t yet addressed, which were causing my symptoms to mysteriously reappear, even when I was eating really well.
Read on for the top 3 unknown gut disruptors, and what you can do about them.
Little Known Causes of IBS
Medications.
Antibiotics kill both the bad and the good gut bacteria, causing imbalance in the microbiome. These imbalances can last for up to 6 months after you finish taking the meds!! If you have to take antibiotics, consider using a probiotic to repopulate the healthy gut bacteria.
Over the counter pain medication (Advil, Motrin, ibuprofen). These seemingly harmless drugs actually disrupt the gut lining and can cause leaky gut and IBS symptoms. Take these drugs sparingly- only when you really need them!
Pesticides.
Conventional crops in the world are sprayed with pesticides to increase yield. However, plenty of research has shown that these pesticides, such as glyphosate, wreak havoc on the human body. They cause imbalances in the microbiome, leaky gut, and chronic inflammation. As much as you can, try to buy organic produce. Always be sure to wash your produce thoroughly before eating.
Unresolved trauma.
Research shows that women who have suffered from some type of trauma are more likely to develop IBS than those who have not. We can only stuff down our experiences and emotions so much. Unresolved trauma will come out in really unexpected and inconvenient ways- like bloating, diarrhea, constipation, or stomach pains. Consider talking to a trusted friend, partner, or therapist about your past experiences.
As you can see, IBS symptoms come from so much more than just food. Yes, a proper gut-healing food plan is important, but there are so many other things to consider as well.
Have you considered how these gut disruptors may be affecting your health and IBS symptoms?
