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My experience with IBS is just like many others. I was uncomfortable, bloated, gassy, constipated and more on a daily basis. I tried all the tricks both natural and over-the-counter to ease the symptoms, and I read stacks of books on nutrition. You can read my full story, or grab the digestive enzymes and probiotic kit that completely helped my IBS symptoms!
I basically got myself a master’s degree in nutrition with the amount of research and full-scale experiments with various diets. I tried paleo for a while, I eliminated sugar, I ate clean, I eliminated all wheat and gluten for a while…nothing seemed to really solve the problem. If you are at a place where you are feeling overwhelmed, and you think you have IBS, I highly recommend this bundle with a wealth of information on healing your gut. There’s books, recipes and more that will really get you in the right direction. I talk more about the bundle in my post on why your gut may be affecting your weightloss. Make sure to read that also.
What was really frustrating is the healthier I ate, the worse it seemed to get. Sometimes I thought I just had to live off of crackers. The symptoms for me were a lot of gas and bloating, which is not only extremely uncomfortable but also embarrassing.
I finally went to the Gastroentologist for some tests and a colonoscopy. My colon was fine, but they did find that I had an overgrowth of bacteria in my gut, which was causing the extra gas and flatulence no matter what I ate. I was put on an antibiotic that specifically targets that bacteria. I was also told I had a fiber intolerance, so any fiber was making it worse. I was on a lot of antibiotics as a child for sinus infections, so this is one of the reasons I have less good bacteria and more bad bacteria in my gut, and a tendency to over produce the bad bacteria. Knowing what I know about health and wellness, fiber is extremely important. I wasn’t happy to hear I had an intolerance for fiber.
Still, my symptoms would return and I would have to go on the antibiotic. I decided it was time to see a Naturopath, and it was the best decision I ever made.
I went in to see her, and she performed the standard tests, and told me to get some vitamins, try Rhodiola for adrenal fatigue, Probiotics and to take these digestive enzymes. The probiotics put the good bacteria into my gut, the vitamins and Rhodiola helped stabilize stress and the enzymes are miracle digestive aids!
All of this helped, but I have stuck to the Similase Digestive Enzymes for Beans and Vegetables. Those alone, have been what’s really helped me. I’ve tried a few different brands in an effort to save money, and they don’t measure up to these ones. Your issue might not be so much with fiber, so you can ask your doctor or Naturopath if there is an enzyme that would help you. I know this brand has many different enzyme blends for various needs.
Related:
The Cleanest Protein Powder For You and Your Baby
The Real Reasons You’re Craving Sugar While Breastfeeding and What To Do About It
The 5 Best Foods To Lose The Baby Weight and Pump Up Your Milk Supply
These enzymes, to this day, have been a miracle for me. They specifically help digest protein and fiber, but now I can really eat anything I want! I love to fruit and vegetables, so now I can eat as much as I want, without worrying about the side effects.
I first started with taking 2-3 pills before I ate anything. All my symptoms magically disappeared! Do you know how freeing it was not to feel gas and bloat in my belly?!
It gave me more energy. I was happier and I felt better than ever. I also lost some weight slowly because I was able to continue eating healthy!
Now, you may be wondering if you are going to have to live off of these. As the years have gone by since this time, which now it’s been about 6 years, I’ve realized that my IBS would flare up according to my hormones. Usually during the PMS stage, I would have the worst symptoms, so that’s when I would grab a bottle, or take the enzymes until things leveled out. Taking probiotics twice a year or so really help as well.
Because I have been either pregnant or nursing for the last almost 5 years, I haven’t had symptoms nearly as much. That is because my hormones have been more level. Apparently, this is very common for women, but goes unnoticed or talked about because we immediately think that the food itself is the cause, when really its just the changing of hormones causing our digestive systems to get off-balance for a bit.
I highly recommend getting into a naturopath near you, or if you can’t afford to see one, checking out the gut healing bundle. I am not a doctor, so I can’t tell you what to take, but I can tell you exactly what’s worked great for me!
When you do start taking them, start with every meal to get yourself feeling better. Then, scale back to see how you feel. The enzymes will get back into your gut and really help you digest your food!
Feel free to let me know if you’ve found anything else that works well for you!
