I have IBS but I manage it by not eating nuts, seeds, skins anything that might get stuck! I also have not eaten gluten for years now. My Doctor said IBS mimics diverticulitis hence avoiding nuts etc.

I have IBS and got it after I started trying 5:2 as few years ago.
What has really helped me is the Monash University Low FODMAP app on the mobile. It contains a truckload of helpful information plus, lists, so you can use it as you are shopping.
The FODMAP diet was initially developed at Monash University and this app is $10, which goes to finance further research. It is about the best thing I have ever bought and I wwould not be without it when I shop.

I am at a no pain stage now and it is due entirely to the phone app…doctors were pretty much useless for me aside from the diagnosis, which helped in that I could then go find information (including the magic app.) 🙂

I wish I’d seen that app or this other one called mySymptoms Food & Symptom Tracker back when I started figuring stuff out. I feel pretty fortunate that now I know exactly what things get me and which don’t.

I recommend the book Fast Tract Digestion by Dr. Norm Robillard and his awesome website at digestivehealthinstitute.org. low FODMAP diet is helpful, but it is also very much about PORTIONS of fermentable foods, so the fast tract diet has an awesome and simple point system where you can keep simple track of how many symptom-producing foods you are eating (Hint: gluten, non-gluten grains, nuts, seeds, and most fibers and legumes feed already overgrown bacteria in the gut, producing GI symptoms). Most people with “IBS” really have small intestine bacteria overgrowth. Lots of free info at the Digestive Health Institute. Remember low FODMAP can be effective, but if you want more diversity in your diet and to be able to add back some FODMAPS then check out the Fast Tract approach. he is a proponent of fasting as well, tho he usually recommends fasting 7pm to 11am the next day a few times per week. Consuming too many fermentable carbs will bring symtpoms crashing back, especially until the digestive system has had months to sweep the bad bacteria further down the small intestine into the large intestine, naturally reducing bacterial overgrowth.

I looked into IBS when my brother got it. I wouldn’t trust most low-fat nonsense nutritionists to feed a goldfish, but I asked Caryn Zinn’s opinion in New Zealand. She has an excellent Facebook page. Zoe Harcombe in the UK is another who knows her stuff and is fiercely critical of the NHS position that feeds glucose to diabetics, resulting in 7,000 amputations a year.

Anyway, back to IBS. The advice is that a low-carb, higher natural fat diet helps, as it seems to do with so many conditions. So much of our sugar and carb-laden junk diet is inflamatory. Wheat should be particularly avoided. My brother said he quickly saw a benefit, but he slips back into eating bread and the problems return. Two slices of bread raises your blood sugar (and insulin) quicker than a Snicker bar. Shocking but true.

Hi Stephen T

Yes Id agree with the low carb higher natural fat. Ive found that too many carbs even so called gluten free good ones are problematic for me. In fact the gluten free baked goods are often full of refined flour, of various kinds, contain less fibre and more sugar too. I suspect they encourage the growth of bad bacteria which then produce a craving for more to keep them fed. By fasting, you break that cycle.

Hi Miesque

I too have suffered from IBS, but happily can say now it is mostly in the past. Giving up wheat was a real help for me and also following the low FODMAP diet worked wonders. I do think mine was mostly diet related though.

I then did the 5:2 to help lose a little weight and I think Ive been able to extend the range of foods I am able to eat now which is a real plus. I still have to make sure I don’t over do the problem food though.