Diet for Irritable Bowel and Stomach Bloating: What to Eat - What Not to Eat

By Elizabeth Hartley

It should come as no surprise that food we eat often has a direct link with the causes of irritable bowel syndrome and stomach bloating. Food is processed in the intestinal tract therefore what we eat is bound to have some affect on the way our intestines function.

Changes to the diet can greatly assist the efficiency by which we digest foods which is essential in maintaining the chemical balance required in the processing of these crucial nutrients.

IBS is not exclusively a result of a chemical imbalance. It is more often described as a functional disorder and the entire nature of the disease is still not fully understood which is precisely why it is so difficult to treat.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a complex complaint and the wide range of symptoms makes a one for all treatment virtually impossible.

A far better solution would be to attempt to miminise symptom triggers if and where at all possible.

One of the simplest ways of doing this is through following of a diet plan that would remove problematic foods while supplementing them with alternatives that could be helpful in improving the symptoms.

While the foods themselves may not actually be the root causes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, sometimes their effects are still substantial enough. Stomach bloating is a prime example of this. If a bloated stomach is one of the major symptoms in an individual case of IBS it is worth looking in close detail at the diet to see where it can be amended. The results will depend on finding and eliminating problematic foods, ingredients and combinations of foods to promote lesser symptoms and healthier intestinal tract.

Trigger foods can create extreme bloating in the stomach which causes it to function in an abnormal manner. Foods well known to cause bloating and excess gas include:

• Green vegetables
• Bread
• Dairy products

Fats can slow down digestion in the stomach and the more time it takes the intestinal bacteria to digest foods, the higher the risk of creating gas and stomach bloating.

For other symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome including diarrhea, constipation and stomach cramps, some of the trigger foods are those which have high fat content while very low in fiber content. Oils, poultry skin, fried foods and coconut milk are among the most common foods that cause problems.

Foods that have high caffeine content like coffee, chocolate, and some carbonated drinks are thought to be possible triggers of Irritable Bowel syndrome symptoms including stomach bloating. It is always worth reducing the intake of all suspect foods and beverages when formulating a personal diet plan.

Elizabeth Hartley is the author and creator of The Flat Stomach Diet. This diet plan is the result of many years of research after consultation with doctors and professional nutritionists in an effort to discover the causes of painful abdominal cramps and bloating. The findings are based on personal experience after undergoing numerous medical tests and procedures and failing to find any other alternative long term solution. Details of The Flat Stomach Diet can be found at http://www.flatstomachplan.com.

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