In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleWhat Is IBS?Ate More FiberReduced Intense ExerciseManaged AnxietyRuled Out Food TriggersDug Into Symptoms
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
What Is IBS?
Ate More Fiber
Reduced Intense Exercise
Managed Anxiety
Ruled Out Food Triggers
Dug Into Symptoms
Close
Photo:Eating Well/Getty Images
Eating Well/Getty Images
For years, my life revolved around my gut. Plans were constantly interrupted and meals were carefully scrutinized. And every outing came with an undercurrent of anxiety: Would my IBS flare up again? As a dietitian, the irony wasn’t lost on me. I’d spent years helping others with their digestive issues. Yet here I was, struggling to understand my own.
After many months of trial and error, not to mention a lot of tears, my digestive symptoms finally turned a corner. Through diet changes, lifestyle adjustments and a deeper understanding of my body, I found relief.
If you’ve been battling IBS, I am here to share my story, not as prescriptive advice, but as proof that there’s hope that you can do this, too.
You Just Found Out You Have IBS—These Are the 5 Things Experts Recommend Doing First
The tricky thing about IBS is how personal it is. There’s often not one specific cause, and your health history matters when trying to understand your symptoms and triggers. For me, it took years to understand what was going on and how to regain a sense of control of my digestive health and my life.
Here’s what I did to improve my IBS.
1. I Ate More Fiber
For a long time, I ate low-fiber foods because they were easy to digest and didn’t upset my stomach. But I knew thatfiberwas a huge contributor to gut health, and it was time to figure out how to introduce more plant foods.
Research shows that eating 30 plant foods per week is associated withbetter gut healthand a more robust microbiome.Think fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, beans and legumes. I started working toward the goal of 30 different plant foods each week.
An easy tip that helped me was simply making my meals as colorful as possible. One of my go-to meals became a vibrant grain bowl with farro or brown rice, roasted veggies, avocado, chicken or salmon and tahini dressing. Not only was it delicious, it also helped me hit my fiber goals in a way that felt manageable. Plus, the cooked versions of these foods were easier on my stomach than raw options.
The #1 Habit to Break If You Have IBS, According to Experts
2. I Reduced Intense Exercise
I used to rely on high-intensity workouts to relieve some stress. But I eventually realized they were doing the opposite. Intense exercise was adding to my physical stress levels, overflowing my cup, and often exacerbating my IBS symptoms.
Instead, I shifted to gentler forms of movement likewalking,yogaandstrength training. These types of movement have been shown to reduce IBS symptoms and seemed to have a calming effect for me.Weight lifting became a surprising favorite. It helped me feel strong without pushing my body into overdrive. Walking, especially after meals, was another game-changer for my digestion.
3. I Managed My Anxiety
6 Ways Stress Can Mess with Your Digestion
4. I Ruled Out Food Triggers
At one point early on in my IBS journey, I felt like I was avoiding everything. Gluten, dairy, sugar, FODMAPs—you name it. But with the help of a dietitian and my gastroenterologist, I underwent testing for conditions like celiac disease and GERD to rule out more serious concerns. My testing came back normal, and it gave me confidence and peace of mind to reintroduce foods and broaden my diet.
Instead of overly restrictive eating, I focused on identifying specific triggers as I reintroduced foods into my diet. For me, meal timing and balance were most important. Eating every three to four hours and prioritizing protein and fiber helped me feel more nutritionally balanced while I worked through my lingering symptoms. Your experience might be different, but I found I was able to enjoy most foods in moderation.
5. I Dug Deeper into My Symptoms
It took months and months of searching for answers before I discovered that a major cause of my symptoms was copper toxicity.
IBS Diet Plan: What to Include and What to Limit, According to a Dietitian
This was a turning point in my IBS journey. After months of searching for answers and seemingly trying everything, I learned I had been exposed to toxic levels of copper, something I’d never considered. Copper is an essential mineral found in certain foods, supplements and even some water sources, and excess levels were contributing to my IBS symptoms.
Working with a knowledgeable health care provider, I made adjustments to reduce my exposure to copper and begin supporting my body’s detox process. This wasn’t an overnight fix. However, identifying and addressing this root cause gave me the clarity I needed to move forward. It took months to feel better, but at least I knew there was an end in sight to my symptoms!
The Bottom Line
Living with IBS can feel overwhelming, but it’s important to know that progress is possible. Remember, IBS is highly personal, and what worked for me might not be the same for you. If you find yourself in a similar situation, start small with science-backed strategies for better gut health. Focus on fiber, reduce your stressors, learn to manage your anxiety and consult with a doctor to rule out underlying issues. And don’t be afraid to keep plugging away to get a correct diagnosis. It may take time and patience, but it’s so worth it.
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Patel N, Shackelford KB.Irritable Bowel Syndrome. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.Hillestad EMR, van der Meeren A, Nagaraja BH, et al.Gut bless you: The microbiota-gut-brain axis in irritable bowel syndrome.World J Gastroenterol. 2022;28(4):412-431. doi:10.3748/wjg.v28.i4.412McDonald D, Hyde E, Debelius JW, et al. American Gut: an Open Platform for Citizen Science Microbiome Research.mSystems. 2018;3(3):e00031-18. doi:10.1128/mSystems.00031-18D’Silva A, Marshall DA, Vallance JK, et al.Meditation and Yoga for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial.Am J Gastroenterol. 2023;118(2):329-337. doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000002052Madison A, Kiecolt-Glaser JK.Stress, depression, diet, and the gut microbiota: human-bacteria interactions at the core of psychoneuroimmunology and nutrition. Curr Opin Behav Sci. 2019;28:105-110.Royer A, Sharman T.Copper Toxicity. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Patel N, Shackelford KB.Irritable Bowel Syndrome. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.Hillestad EMR, van der Meeren A, Nagaraja BH, et al.Gut bless you: The microbiota-gut-brain axis in irritable bowel syndrome.World J Gastroenterol. 2022;28(4):412-431. doi:10.3748/wjg.v28.i4.412McDonald D, Hyde E, Debelius JW, et al. American Gut: an Open Platform for Citizen Science Microbiome Research.mSystems. 2018;3(3):e00031-18. doi:10.1128/mSystems.00031-18D’Silva A, Marshall DA, Vallance JK, et al.Meditation and Yoga for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial.Am J Gastroenterol. 2023;118(2):329-337. doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000002052Madison A, Kiecolt-Glaser JK.Stress, depression, diet, and the gut microbiota: human-bacteria interactions at the core of psychoneuroimmunology and nutrition. Curr Opin Behav Sci. 2019;28:105-110.Royer A, Sharman T.Copper Toxicity. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
Patel N, Shackelford KB.Irritable Bowel Syndrome. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.Hillestad EMR, van der Meeren A, Nagaraja BH, et al.Gut bless you: The microbiota-gut-brain axis in irritable bowel syndrome.World J Gastroenterol. 2022;28(4):412-431. doi:10.3748/wjg.v28.i4.412McDonald D, Hyde E, Debelius JW, et al. American Gut: an Open Platform for Citizen Science Microbiome Research.mSystems. 2018;3(3):e00031-18. doi:10.1128/mSystems.00031-18D’Silva A, Marshall DA, Vallance JK, et al.Meditation and Yoga for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial.Am J Gastroenterol. 2023;118(2):329-337. doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000002052Madison A, Kiecolt-Glaser JK.Stress, depression, diet, and the gut microbiota: human-bacteria interactions at the core of psychoneuroimmunology and nutrition. Curr Opin Behav Sci. 2019;28:105-110.Royer A, Sharman T.Copper Toxicity. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.
Patel N, Shackelford KB.Irritable Bowel Syndrome. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.
Hillestad EMR, van der Meeren A, Nagaraja BH, et al.Gut bless you: The microbiota-gut-brain axis in irritable bowel syndrome.World J Gastroenterol. 2022;28(4):412-431. doi:10.3748/wjg.v28.i4.412
McDonald D, Hyde E, Debelius JW, et al. American Gut: an Open Platform for Citizen Science Microbiome Research.mSystems. 2018;3(3):e00031-18. doi:10.1128/mSystems.00031-18
D’Silva A, Marshall DA, Vallance JK, et al.Meditation and Yoga for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial.Am J Gastroenterol. 2023;118(2):329-337. doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000002052
Madison A, Kiecolt-Glaser JK.Stress, depression, diet, and the gut microbiota: human-bacteria interactions at the core of psychoneuroimmunology and nutrition. Curr Opin Behav Sci. 2019;28:105-110.
Royer A, Sharman T.Copper Toxicity. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.
