3 Steps To Build Your IBS Management Plan
IBS can’t be cured.
Yet.
I know that’s likely not what you wanted to hear when you opened this email but in the world of gut health fads paired with major marketing dollars that aren’t always truthful… it’s important to highlight this fact that IBS has no known cure.
Yes, there are incredible treatment strategies out there and there may be cure-like approaches for conditions that aren’t IBS but show up as IBS until they’re more understood… IBS itself isn’t cured. That’s why a lot of quick fixes tend to fail.
The good news:
IBS can be managed with a strategic + personal plan. You CAN improve the function of your gut. You CAN minimize symptoms. You CAN reduce flares significantly. And this doesn’t always mean you need a medication or a long list of supplements.
Building IBS management plans is one of my absolute favorite things to do - because so many with IBS are left without answers and without guidance that actually gives them their lives back. I know because I lived it too… for over 15 years before I finally got my plan fully in place.
So if you’re here and you’re tired of the quick fixes that are shown to you through countless ads… and you’re ready to learn how to build a plan that truly works FOR you… keep reading because I’m going to break down the 3 steps you can take to build your IBS management plan.
Step 1: build the habits your body needs for digestive system function
Let’s break this down - your daily habits and routines directly impact the different systems of your body through your circadian rhythms, nervous systems, and gut-brain communication. Your digestion is linked to all of these things and can be impacted by the actions you take throughout the day.
With IBS, the function of the gut is altered and the gut-brain communication pathway is altered, meaning you are already in a place where gut function is a challenge.
When you build in habits that actually support your digestive system, this means you help your gut work like a well-oiled machine, so there are fewer barriers you have to work against each day. This helps your gut be less vulnerable to potential triggers, which can result in better tolerance to foods and more symptom control.
What’s interesting is that these daily habits that support your gut are often completely ignored when an IBS diagnosis is given. Think about it… when you were meeting with your doctor, did they ask about your morning and evening routines? Did they ask about sleep? What about where you spend your meals? The hours you work? The stressors in your life?
When I finally learned about what impacts the gut and IBS during my training to become a dietitian, I was so angry that no doctor I had met with ever explained these things to me. I walked around for years with guilt and shame for the symptoms I felt, and had no idea that changes to my routines could make such a big impact.
Step 2: modify potential triggers and find your personal tolerance
Once you know that your routines and habits are supporting digestive system function and if you’re still having symptoms, you can start modifying potential triggers that are in place. You may start by keeping a journal to look for different triggers that correlate with your symptoms, including both diet and non-diet strategies.
Modifying triggers may look like using the 3 phase low FODMAP diet, another diet intervention, or changes in other habits that may be causing symptoms, such as exercise intensity and clothing choices. This is also where gut-brain therapies may be effective, such as gut-directed hypnotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy.
The key here is to modify and find personal tolerance. When things are simply eliminated, it’s hard to know how that food or habit can fit into your life long term. Instead, elimination should be intentional and followed by a challenge or reintroduction in order to find personal tolerance.
With IBS, there are very few black and white triggers, meaning there are no allergies or triggers that will also lead to a significant flare every single time they are present, in any portion. When you take time to establish your personal tolerance levels, then it’s much easier to move to step 3 with full confidence. This also helps you avoid over restriction that isn’t needed.
Want to learn more about IBS? Sign up for a free IBS mini course here!
Step 3: create flexibility and expand
Creating flexibility and expanding means you test your limits and create plans to support your body in different situations, so that you can have more freedom in your life.
This also means you continue adding diversity in your diet and the different habits you are working on, so you can build up your health in every way!
This is where you will focus on how to adjust your plan during different situations so that you can maintain control + enjoy life, even if your gut is more vulnerable. This may include travel plans, strategies for when stress is higher, changes you make during your cycle, or supports to have in place with triggers you may want to engage with, like certain foods you enjoy.
Throughout this entire process, it’s also important to assess and monitor what’s happening in your body so that you can shift your plan at any time. No two bodies with IBS are the exact same, which is why there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to manage IBS. Staying in turn with your body helps you create a plan that actually works for you long term. No more need for the fads, the constant shifts in your plans, or quick fix remedies that leave you more frustrated.
If you’re reading this and wish you had a manual to follow to go through these steps and build your IBS management plan, the MASTER Method group program for IBS may be for you!
Do you want clear guidance to manage your IBS so you can feel confident in your body again?
