Tips to Treat and Prevent Irritable
Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is also known as spastic colon. This syndrome is a chronic intestinal disorder characterized by abdominal pain and cramps, constipation, and diarrhea. Flare-ups can usually be traced to something you have eaten. Among the most common triggers are milk and dairy products, spicy foods, fatty foods, and gas-producing foods such as beans, broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower. The frequency and intensity of flare-ups can vary greatly from one person to the next. Some folks barely notice their symptoms, while others must cope with crushing pain as well as urgent trips to the bathroom.

Here are some tips that you can consider to adopt to get relief fast.

1. Mind Your Dining

Take your meals without distraction, worries, and interruptions. The idea is to focus on your eating. If your attention is drawn to something besides your food, you can develop indigestion, gas, bloating, and cramping.

2. Learn To Relax

Since stress can make the irritable bowel syndrome even worse, learning to take it easy may ease your discomfort. In particular, if you are a Type A personality, aim for an A-minus instead. Relaxation tapes can help, as can books on coping and stress-management techniques.

3. Think Small

Feasting on a five-course spread can tax your intestines and lead to cramping and diarrhea. So eat smaller but more frequent meals, say, six mini-meals spread throughout the day rather than the standard three squares or switch to smaller portions.

4. Take Notes

Keeping a food diary can help you detect the dietary sources of your irritable bowel syndrome flare-ups. If you begin to notice a pattern pointing to a potential culprit, eliminate the particular food from your diet and see if your symptoms disappear as well.

5. Don't Forgo Fiber

Perhaps the last thing you would think of feeding an angry bowel is fiber. Yet a high-fiber diet can actually help relieve the intestinal spasms of irritable bowel syndrome. By retaining water in the stool, fiber slightly distends the colon. In that way it may also relieve constipation, another irritable bowel syndrome. To increase your fiber intake, it is recommended to add more whole-grain breads and cereals and more fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet. You can also take a fiber supplement. Be aware that eating more fiber can temporarily aggravate irritable bowel syndrome by producing more gas. This usually subsides in just a few weeks.

6. Capitalize On Carbs

Fill your diet with complex carbohydrates such as pasta, rice, fruits, and vegetables, while trimming the fat as much as possible. Fatty foods, especially meats, can send your intestinal into spasms.

7. Be Aware Of Dairy

Many people develop twitchy bowels because they cannot digest lactose, the sugar in milk. You might try to give up milk and milk products for a while to see if your symptoms clear up. If you just cannot bear the thought of sitting down to a bowl of dry cereal in the morning, consider taking a lactose supplement instead. You can purchase this product in grocery and drugstores.

About The Author:
Raymond Lee Geok Seng is one of the foremost experts in the health and fitness industry and is a writer specializing in body health, muscle development and dieting. Visit http://www.bodyfixes.com for more information.