Fellow IBS sufferers! If elasticated waistbands are your best friend, wheat gives you the fear and hot water bottles have become akin to a vital organ in your everyday life, you have every inch of my sympathy.
For those lucky non-sufferers among us, you’ve probably heard about IBS since it’s so widespread. Irritable bowel syndrome is a functional disorder affecting the gut. The exact cause of the condition is unknown, but it has been strongly linked to stress, sensitive nerves in the gut and family inheritance of the digestive illness.
Like a toxic ex, IBS causes great stress, likes to hang around, and is quite simply a sheer nuisance. I was first diagnosed aged 15 during my GCSEs and ten years later, my stomach and I are still very much at war with one another.
© GettyThe first few years of my rollercoaster relationship with the condition consisted of searing pain after every meal, rapid weight loss, exhaustion, and social anxiety. To this day, I can’t drink alcohol without being ill and steer clear of wheat, soy, and spice. Ironically, the chaos occurring in my gut ensured my diet is obscenely beige.
The embarrassment that comes with stomach issues during your teenage years makes the whole experience more torturous. As you get older, this becomes less mortifying as people tend to become more understanding. Stars including Cher, Kirsten Dunst, Kaia Gerber and Camila Morrone have all revealed their struggles with IBS online, which has helped to debunk the stigma surrounding the condition.
© InstagramJessica Sepel, founder of JSHealth, told HELLO!: “I think people do feel more open and comfortable to talk about their gut issues because of the rise of social media and people talking candidly about their health struggles. At JSHealth, we seek to make these conversations more open.”
© JSHealthLike many other IBS bearers, my teenagehood into my twenties consisted of multiple trips to hospital to speak with gastroenterologists, gut specialists, nutritionists, therapists, dietitians - you name it. I’ve tried everything from homeopathy to uber-restrictive diets, invasive procedures of all kinds, allergy tests, and more. The list goes on.
© InstagramWhile it’s so commonplace, the condition is incredibly intimidating as no definitive cure has been found and science tends to butt heads with nutrition over the matter. In 2018, I lost my grandmother to ovarian cancer. She had been misdiagnosed with IBS twice before receiving her stage 3 diagnosis. That is how little we know about the illness.
As Jessica notes, IBS is an “umbrella for multiple gut issues such as irregular bowel movements, spasms, gas, constipation, digestive discomfort, and overall gut issues.” This means the nitty gritty cause of the illness can be difficult to pinpoint.
© JSHealthThe wellness guru also explains the importance of understanding the gut microbiome, which is “full of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria/bugs.” She continues: “Often an imbalance of these bacteria can cause symptoms of IBS. Genetic background can play a role too.”
What did I do to alleviate my symptoms? After a decade, I think I’m starting to crack the IBS code, slowly but surely.
My gut health noticeably began to improve following an at-home allergy test, which offers a thorough analysis of a blood sample. A plethora of allergies and intolerances lit up like a Christmas tree, which I subsequently cut out of my diet for six weeks. After a period of time, you are able to introduce the intolerance back into your diet, but it’s advised that any highlighted allergies are permanently eliminated. A pricey but worthwhile option.
Following the test (during which I passed out and lay semi-consciously starfished on the kitchen floor), I turned to supplements. JSHealth’s Detox + Debloat (a formula specifically assists bloating and digestive discomfort) and IBS Relief+ (which specifically provides support for those with symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome) helped reduce bloating, in effect aiding confidence when out and about. I do still bloat depending on what food I consume, but it was certainly a helping hand, especially when taken alongside lemon water, apple cider vinegar and other stomach-friendly digestives.
© GettyYet, it’s key to reduce food rather than restrict it. As Jessica illustrates, food restriction can have a negative diet culture association, and also focusing on what you can have instead can formulate a healthier relationship with food.
Oddly, I've also found that being in warmer climates is seemingly triggering for my stomach, so I tend to stay in the shade if I'm abroad or enduring a rare London heatwave. I also try not to eat dinner past 8 pm (and leave 12 hours until I eat breakfast to help digest) and have shelved wine for good.
Jessica also recommends the below to help alleviate IBS symptoms:
- A reduction of gluten for a period of 4 weeks to see how this relieves various symptoms.
- Focusing on fiber-rich foods, such as whole grains, legumes, beans and seeds. Fibre feeds the good bacteria in our guts.
- Reduction of refined sugar (where possible) as this can feed the unhealthy bugs/bacteria in our gut.
- Taking quality probiotics consistently.
- Management of stress - from the research, we know high cortisol levels (our stress hormone) are linked with IBS.
My top 5 products for soothing IBS symptoms:
JSHealth’s Detox + Debloat
© JSHealth60 hard capsules featuring a formula that specifically assists with bloating and digestive discomfort. Take 1 tablet with water twice daily, after food. Vegan and gluten-free.
Long Hot Water Bottle
© ArgosI consider my ‘hottie bottie’ an extra limb. This noodle-esque one from the Argos can be fastened around your tummy so you can potter around the house hands-free.
This Works Sleep Spray
© This WorksI don’t travel anywhere without my lavender sleep spray by This Works. My IBS is always more partial to a flare-up following a poor night’s sleep. This sleep spray is ultra-soothing and an olfactory memo to my brain that it’s time to unwind and switch off.
IBS Tracker
© EtsyUsing an IBS Tracker will help you note which foods are triggering, if hormones affect your stomach, if you are keeping hydrated and whether exercise is soothing for your tum. It may seem like a chore but trust me, it’s worth it.
Stretchy smart trousers
© MangoThis may seem like an odd inclusion, but stiff waistbands and bloat are not a cute mix. I practically live in my old Mango velvet wide-legs which have an elasticated waist (ensuring maximum comfort) that double up as suit trousers for in-office days.
So yes, as Gen Z posits, Hot Girls have IBS. But I’d really rather be Hot Girl without the IBS. “I am not a fan of social media glorifying various health conditions that can be extremely painful for people to manage", Jessica adds while discussing the popular slogan. “These issues can really affect someone’s way of life and should be taken seriously.”
I’ll keep plodding along with my temperamental tum and the supplement system that keeps it in check for now - until the day arises when we have a definitive cure for IBS. And on that miraculous day, I’ll take everyone out for a spicy curry to celebrate.
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