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What Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome? What Are the Symptoms?

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms

Dietary Tips for Healing from IBS


What Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), a functional bowel disorder that can cause pain and other symptoms, is the most common gastrointestinal disorder in the US. It is often confused with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), which is a more severe autoimmune disease. Consult with your doctor to determine whether you may have IBS.

It is estimated that approximately 10% of Americans are living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The pathogenesis (origin) of this disorder may involve biological, psychiatric, and social factors, thus studies show that there are many different types of treatments which may work for different people.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms

Common physical symptoms of IBS include frequent:

  • abdominal discomfort or pain
  • spastic colon
  • gas
  • bloating
  • diarrhea
  • constipation

Additionally, studies have shown a relationship between IBS and depression, anxiety, and other emotional challenges.


How Home Enemas Can Help Heal IBS

Kristina Amelong, CCT, CNC discusses irritable bowel syndrome, its potential origins, common symptoms, and natural home remedies. Recommended treatments include dietary changes, taking probiotic supplements, maintaining high vitamin D levels, improving your emotional well-being, and regularly doing the 3-step therapeutic enema series colon cleansing protocol.


The Best IBS Diet

Diet is one of the most important ways to treat IBS. Cutting gluten, pasteurized dairy, and sugar from your diet may be enough to alleviate your IBS symptoms.

Additional Dietary Tips for Healing from IBS

Eat Organically

Pesticides such as glycophosphate are known to alter the balance between pathogens and beneficial biota in the gut. Such imbalances can be a main cause of IBS in many individuals. Learn More

Small Meals

Eat a small meal every 2 to 4 hours. This means that you will be eating 5 to 8 meals per day.

non-starchy vegetables

Non-Starchy Vegetables

Eat non-starchy vegetables 1 to 4 times daily. Organic (pesticide-free) vegetables are best. Non-starchy vegetables include raw sauerkraut, broccoli, celery, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, onions, spinach, salad greens, kale, spaghetti squash, cauliflower, bok choy, collard greens, and more.

Protein

Eat 5 to 25 grams of protein every 2 to 4 hours. Proteins may include non-commercial, grass-fed meat such as beef, buffalo, ostrich, elk, raw dairy products, safe fish, organic chicken, organic turkey, or pasture-raised eggs. It is essential that you eat some animal protein each time you eat.

Healthy Fats

Eat healthy fats throughout the day. Healthy fats include, but are not limited to, grass-fed butter, grass-fed butter oil, grass-fed meat, ocean-caught fish, fish oils, coconut oil, grass-fed ghee, avocados, pasture-raised eggs, olive oil, nuts, and seeds. Eat nuts and seeds in small amounts only.

Foods with High Enzyme Content

Eat foods that have high enzyme content. These include raw dairy, raw or lightly cooked non-commercial meats, and lacto-fermented food and drinks such as yogurt, kefir, raw cultured vegetables, and kvass.

bone broth soup

Probiotic-rich Foods

Boost healthy bacteria in your gut by avoiding highly processed foods and eating more probiotic-rich foods such as yogurt or fermented foods like kimchi.

Soups Made with Bone Broth

Eat soup that has been prepared using soup bones.

Healing Timeline

As a general rule, once you start healing your gut, you should start feeling improvements in a couple of weeks to a few months. That said, some will respond within days, and be fully healed in weeks. The key is to know that healing is possible, but how long it takes depends on the exact nature of the IBS and how severe the dysfunction.

Other Home Treatments for IBS

Doctors may prescribe drugs, such as antispasmodics or antidepressants, to treat IBS, but natural home treatments can be an effective alternative with fewer side effects.

  1. If your diet is lacking in probiotic-rich foods such as yogurt or fermented foods like kimchi, consider taking a probiotic supplement such as Ortho Biotic.
  2. Ortho Biotic
  3. Increasing your vitamin D intake may help, as studies have shown that low vitamin D levels are common among people who have IBS, and research has suggested that vitamin D supplements could ease IBS symptoms.
  4. Regularly cleaning your colon to ensure ongoing healthy bowel movements can help to alleviate IBS symptoms. A good place to start would be our recommended 3-step enema series.
  5. Address emotional challenges. The correlation between depression or other emotional stressors and IBS is one reason that antidepressants are frequently prescribed for those with IBS. IBS can lead to depression and anxiety, but depression and anxiety can also in turn make IBS worse. Seeking out psychiatric counseling or therapy may help you heal from IBS.

Pain Management

The power of the human brain is incredible, and still not fully known. Wide-ranging studies in the past 40+ years have focused on the benefits of mindfulness meditation not only for mental health but also for managing chronic or persistent physical pain.

▶︎ Mindfulness and Persistent Pain: Learn More

Summary

IBS symptoms can have a serious impact on your quality of life, but there are potentially many different paths you can take to heal from IBS. Making dietary changes, seeking out emotional support, and improving your gut health are some of the most important steps to take to treat this common disorder.

▶︎ Read about My Own Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Experience


DISCLAIMER: The material on this page presented for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or prescribing from a licensed healthcare professional. Consult with your doctor before altering or discontinuing any current medications, treatment, or care, or starting any diet, exercise, cleansing, or supplementation program, or if you have or suspect you might have a health condition that requires medical attention.

By Kristina Amelong, CCT, CNC
I-ACT-Certified Colon Hydrotherapist
Certified Nutritional Consultant


Kristina Amelong

▶︎ Need support with irritable bowel syndrome challenges?

Personal Health Consultations with
Kristina Amelong, CCT, CNC

For initial questions or help with product selection for your irritable bowel syndrome program, please call the Optimal Health Network at (608) 242-0200.

For personalized support with treating irritable bowel syndrome, I would be happy to assist via a scheduled phone consultation. I charge an affordable $2.25 per minute, for as many or as few minutes as you need!

First complete any relevant sections of my secure online intake form. Upon submitting the form, you will be prompted to schedule a consultation time with me via my online booking system.

If you are an international client who would like to use WhatsApp for your scheduled consultation, you can find me on the app at +1 608-242-0200.

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Optimal Health Network Enema Coffee Optimal Health Network Organic Enema Coffee - Ground - 1 lb

This is our own organic, air-roasted, low-acid coffee blend, high in caffeine and palmitates, made especially for coffee enemas.

▶︎ Note on International Shipping

  $15.49
Goat Milk Enema Soap Chamomile and Sage OHN Goat Milk Enema Soap - Chamomile and Sage

This is a highly therapeutic soap to use during your enema series or in your bath or shower.

  $7.99
Goat Milk Enema Soap Frankincense and Myrrh OHN Goat Milk Enema Soap - Frankincense and Myrrh

This is a highly therapeutic soap to use during your enema series or in your bath or shower.

  $8.99
Enema Series Supply Kit for Colon Cleansing at Home Enema Series Supply Kit

The enema series is the most optimal way to cleanse the colon and promote healing. It consists of three therapeutic enemas, taken one after the other, each with a different solution.

  $56.99
OHN Coffee Enema Essential Oil Blend - 10 ml OHN Coffee Enema Essential Oil Blend - 10 ml

This essential oil blend is used in the coffee enema to balance the strong purgative effects of the coffee with its regenerative healing properties.

  $57.50
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OHN Colon Cleanse Essential Oil Blend OHN Colon Cleanse Essential Oil Blend - 10 ml

This essential oil blend is beneficial to your colon health, supporting healthy gut bacteria and strengthening overall immunity.

  $30.00
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OHN Lifelong Wellness Blend - 10 ml OHN Lifelong Wellness Essential Oil Blend - 10 ml

This blend of frankincense and myrrh essential oils provides great overall support for your body's long-term physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

  $36.00
Sale Price: $31.99
Ortho Liquid Vitamin D3 with K2 Ortho Liquid Vitamin D3 with K2 - 1 oz

New research is focused on the synergistic relationship between vitamin K (specifically K2) and vitamin D3, especially in terms of bone strength and cardiovascular health.

  $36.60

This product is available via phone order only. Please call (608) 242-0200 to order.

Ortho Biotic 30 Capsules Ortho Biotic - 30 capsules

Ortho Biotic is recommended for those with digestive difficulties or those on a colon cleanse. It helps to restore the natural gut flora in both the colon and small intestine.

  $37.20

This product is available via phone order only. Please call (608) 242-0200 to order.

Ortho Biotic 60 Capsules Ortho Biotic - 60 capsules

Ortho Biotic is recommended for those with digestive difficulties or those on a colon cleanse. It helps to restore the natural gut flora in both the colon and small intestine.

  $66.60

This product is available via phone order only. Please call (608) 242-0200 to order.

Ortho Biotic Powder - 51 Grams Ortho Biotic Powder - 51 grams

Ortho Biotic includes a carefully assembled cast of probiotic organisms to support microflora balance and maintain a healthy environment for vitamin uptake and optimal immune function.

  $36.50

This product is available via phone order only. Please call (608) 242-0200 to order.

Tangerine Essential Oil Tangerine Essential Oil - 15 ml

Tangerine essential oil supports the lymphatic, digestive, and nervous systems, enhancing the therapeutic benefits of the coffee enema.

  $12.95
Celtic Sea Salt Celtic Sea Salt - 1 lb

The mineral content of this fine-ground salt makes it an important part of both a healthful diet and home colon cleansing program.

  $16.00