☆ DIETARY MANAGEMENT OF IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS) ☆
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition of the digestive system and can cause bouts of abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea and/or constipation. There are many factors that can impact on your IBS symptoms and your diet is one of them. Along with making some dietary changes to come in line with these initial guidelines, we strongly recommend you make some lifestyle changes, such as improved excercise and relaxation routines as well as better sleep patterns (please find out more from the EatFit website). Spend 3-4 weeks practicing these new habits before starting to keep your EatFit trigger tracker and reporting back to us for the next steps.
HOW YOU EAT
- Eat three regular, evenly sized meals a day.
- Eat at approximately the same time every day.
- Try not to eat late at night.
- Take time to eat your meals.
- Chew your food well.
- Eat at a table and enjoy meals without distraction. e.g. TV, phone.
- Make changes gradually and permanently.
WHAT YOU EAT
- A varied diet, inclusive of all food groups.
- Distribute your food evenly throughout the day.
- Reduce your intake of convenience foods.
- Some starchy carbohydrates (e.g. pasta, rice, potato) that have been cooled after cooking could worsen your symptoms. Rather eat them freshly cooked.
WHAT YOU DRINK
- Aim for 2 litres of water a day.
- Reduce the volume & frequency of fluids known to be triggers e.g caffeine, alcohol, fizzy drinks.
OTHER CHANGES THAT CAN HELP
Eat until you are satisfied and comfortably full.
Eat processed / convenience / fatty and sugary foods less often as in excess these could aggravate your gut symptoms e.g. chips, fast foods, pies, batter, cheese, pizza, creamy sauces, snacks like crisps, chocolate, cake and biscuits, spreads, cooking oils, and fatty meats e.g. burgers and sausages.
Still include good fats in moderation e.g. olive oil, nuts, seeds and avocado.
Include as much fibre as possible by including fibre rich starchy carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables with each of your meals.
Limit alcohol intake to no more than one unit per day for women and two units per day for men. Have at least two alcohol free days a week. One unit = 125m-1 wine, 300ml beer or 1 tot spirit.
© EatFit 2025 | www.eatfitsa.com
☆ CHOOSE A HEALTHY BALANCED DIET EVERY DAY ☆
SAMPLE MENU
Breakfast High fibre cereal with milk and berries, chia seeds / nut sprinkle
Snack Apple grated into low fat yoghurt
Lunch Wholemeal wrap with hummus, roasted vegetable and avocado
Snack Carrots and cucumber and cottage cheese dip
Dinner Baked potato (eat the skin) Baked white fish Stir fried mixed vegetables and sesame seeds
Callouts
- DIVERSITY – choose a diet rich in diverse foods each day = enriched & diverse gut microbiome! [tick]
- Choose WHOLE FOODS
- Eat plenty of PLANT BASED foods – 30+ types per week
HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU EAT?
Aim to make your plate look like this; ¼ carbohydrates, ½ fruit and vegetables, 1 portion of lean protein and 1 portion of low fat dairy
- SMALL A AMOUNT OF HEALTHY FATS
- HALF A PLATE FRUIT AND VEGETABLES PER MEAL
- 6-8 GLASSES OF WATER A DAY
- QUARTER PLATE OF WHOLEGRAIN CARBOHYDRATE PER MEAL
- 1 PORTION LEAN PROTIEN PER MEAL 2 X OILY FISH PER WEEK
- 2 PORTIONS OF LOW FAT DAIRY PER DAY 125ML LOW FAT YOGHURT 200ML LOW FAT MILK MATCHBOX SIZE PIECE OF CHEESE