Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a diagnosis given by doctors to people who have continuous and/or recurring pain in their colon. Symptoms vary between cases, although all people usually have a marked change in bowel function (diarrhea or constipation), cramping, gassiness, and/or bloating. IBS is the most common disease diagnosed by gastroenterologists (doctors who specialize in medical treatment of disorders of the stomach and intestines), and one of the most common disorders seen here at the Optimal Health Center.

Sometimes Irritable Bowel Syndrome is referred to as spastic colon, mucous colitis, spastic colitis, nervous stomach, or irritable colon. The exact cause of IBS is unknown in mainstream medical literature. I speculate it is related to stress, diet, hormonal imbalances, an overgrowth of normally healthy intestinal flora, and/or an overly sensitive nervous system and liver.

The colon is stimulated by nerves and hormones. People with IBS have a sensitive colon which spasms with only mild stimulation that would not affect a healthy colon. There are a variety of ways the spasms are triggered: the wrong food for your metabolic type, food allergies, caffeine, stress, hormones, environmental allergies, supplements, or an overgrowth of organisms in the gut such as Candida albicans and Blastocyst hominis. While doctors may prescribe medication such as Prednisone or laxatives to stop symptoms, this only suppresses the body's efforts to clear out the causal irritation and does not address the true cause, thus driving the biochemical imbalance deeper into the body.

You Can Heal

In my clinical practice, I work with people daily who heal from IBS. I myself have healed from severe and prolonged IBS, when I had bloody diarrhea, was bedridden for weeks at a time, was in constant pain for years, which was all compounded with terrible mood swings and chemical sensitivities. I was always in tears and found no medical doctor that could offer me any sort of healing.

I have healed, and you too can fully heal from Irritable Bowel Syndrome, no matter how long you have been struggling with it. I find that people have a hard time changing their diets, or even believing that their diet has anything to do with how they feel. When healing from Irritable Bowel Syndrome, changing the foods you eat is key. Many people will say that they have tried dietary changes, without any relief. That is probably because they didn't try the right individual diet. Whether it is through the tools of metabolic typing, regular phone consultations with the Optimal Health Center, or working through my book, Ten Days to Optimal Health, you can heal once you fine tune your dietary changes well enough to fit you personally.

For instance, did you know how important healthy fats are to healing the digestive tract? Cells lining the digestive tract are particularly rich in cholesterol. Among its other various roles in the cell, cholesterol signals activities that, for example, tell the gastrointestinal musculature when to contract. I don't know how many people I have seen relieved of their chronic constipation, as well as any related Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), when they finally included enough cholesterol in their daily diet. In other words, in order to heal from your IBS, you may need more coconut oil, butter or butter oil, and high-quality eggs.

Through this healing process, you will come to understand what causes you to feel great? What environmental stimuli cause you to feel sick, to have diarrhea, to be fatigued, bloated, or in pain? When facing IBS, lifestyle changes need to include reducing major life stressors as well as an appropriate diet in order to reduce the strain on an overloaded nervous system and tired out adrenal glands. Emotional healing, proper eating, and getting enough sleep are a few of the possible methods to relieve stress.

Dietary Support

Supplements can be important to your healing, but remember they do not replace a healthy diet or proper rest. Below is a list of supplements that we use in our clinic with great success.

Primal Defense

Clinically, we find that this is the most essential supplement for IBS. Primal Defense is a natural, whole food probiotic blend of HSOs (Homeostatic Soil Organisms) designed to optimize the health of the human digestive tract and immune system. Primal Defense contains the same nutrients that have been used for thousands of years by some of the healthiest and longest-living people. More information or to purchase

Mucosagen

Mucosagen is a unique formula designed to rebuild the intestinal lining. Mucosagen is intended to reduce inflammation, free radical load and histamine levels. In addition, Mucosagen supports the liver while repairing the intestinal lining which has been damaged by food allergies, Candida albicans, parasitic infections, and inflammation. More information or to purchase

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil raises body temperature, boosts metabolism, safely pulls out toxins from storage sites without irritating the colon, and gives you energy. Additionally, coconut oil is helpful to heal the thyroid, which is almost always a factor in IBS. More information or to purchase

(To learn about your thyroid function, read about hair tissue mineral analysis.)

Butter Oil

Most of us take supplements or think we ought to because we are aware of our increased bodily need for nutrients. However, most of us are not aware of the important fat-soluble nutrients that are needed for rebuilding and cleansing each cell and every organ. These fat-soluble nutrients, such as vitamins A and D and Activator X, bring needed nutrients into our cells. These nutrients, such as butyrate acid, are the very substances that rebuild our colonic mucosa from the ravages of modern foods. For these reasons, butter oil is an excellent addition to your IBS healing protocol. More information or to purchase

Colon Cleansing

Colon Hydrotherapy

As a health practitioner, it is clear to me that colon cleansing can be an excellent tool for reclaiming your health when you have IBS. Some people even find that regular colon cleasing is all it takes to relieve their IBS. However, some people with IBS do not do well with colon cleansing. Go ahead and try one session of a colon cleanse to determine how you do. You will know from this one session if you feel better or worse. If you feel better, keep going. If you feel worse, wait 4 to 8 weeks before you try a second session.

Therapeutic Enema Series

Take an enema series. In the first 2- to 4-quart enema, use filtered water, Celtic sea salt, and chamomile and sage goat milk soap. With the second enema in the series, use 2 to 4 quarts of filtered water and 1 cup of made-for-enema coffee. You do not need to hold this enema. In the third enema, implant 1 teaspoon of Bifidonate, a healthy resident of the colonic flora that will assist a full recovery.

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