Natural Remedies for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: IBS is Treatable Without Taking Drugs

Living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) can be extremely frustrating, not to mention uncomfortable and painful. Americans have higher incidences of IBS than other nationalities, which could be due to the high-stress level lifestyle of the US, plus the vicious cycle of the condition. You get stressed, your Irritable Bowel Syndrome flares up, you get more stressed, your IBS gets worse and on and on. That's why it's important to try to control Irritable Bowel Syndrome with natural remedies, as much as possible as medication masks IBS symptoms but doesn't treat them.

Learn How To Relax - The most important natural remedy any Irritable Bowel Syndrome sufferer should learn is how to relax. Many practitioners believe IBS symptoms can be caused by a high-stress lifestyle, which although it doesn't cause Irritable Bowel Syndrome definitely makes the symptoms worse.

Take a yoga class, learn how to meditate, do deep breathing exercises, go for a long walk, watch a funny movie - pretty much anything that's going to cause your body to relax. You'll find, over time, if you continue these activities every time your IBS symptoms worsen, eventually the symptoms themselves will be less severe every time they reoccur.

Eat More Fiber - While some IBS sufferers think eating more high-fiber foods will make their condition worse, in most cases it does quite the reverse. High-fiber foods help to regulate your digestive system, helping everything you eat to be digested more efficiently and with less strain on your system, thus reducing Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms.

Eat more fruit and vegetable, oatmeal, walnuts, cashews, peanuts, whole wheat bread and pasta. High-fiber foods are not only nutritionally good for you, they're an excellent natural remedy for IBS symptoms.

Add Turmeric To Food or Drink - Turmeric is a spice used in Asian countries for many ailments, including digestive problems. It's an adaptable spice that can be used in savory and sweet foods as well as drinks, so it's easy to add to your diet.

Either add a teaspoon of turmeric to foods like curries, spaghetti sauces, sandwich spreads, potato salads etc (beware, it has a pungent taste, so test it first before liberally adding it to your favorite foods), or make a drink out of turmeric.

Every day, I put two heaping teaspoons of turmeric into some warm soy milk and add some honey to sweeten. Mix until the turmeric has dissolved and sip. It has a nice sweet, spicy taste and is excellent for not only lessening IBS symptoms but also high blood pressure, diabetes and any number of other ailments.

Cut Out Milk and Dairy - Many sufferers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome report symptoms worsening with dairy products. Try to cut out or cut down on most dairy foods like milk, cheese and yoghurt and, if you still find yourself craving dairy foods, substitute soy milk, soy yoghurt or cheese instead. Just as delicious, the taste might be a little odd for the first few days but it's surprising how quickly your body will adapt.

Avoid Processes Foods - Processed foods aren't good for anyone, but they're particularly bad for anyone with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Avoid anything in a packet, box, can or bag, and anything that has more chemicals and preservatives listed than actual ingredients you recognize.

The easiest way to avoid processed foods is to go to the supermarket and do all your shopping around the outside aisles. Here you'll find the fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, chicken, soy milks, etc. Then just pop down a couple of aisles for wholegrain bread and cereals and, voila, an easy healthy shopping trip, perfect for anyone with IBS.

These are just a few of the natural remedies you can try if you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome. For additional reading and more suggestions on home made remedies, check out the links below.

Additional Reading:

High Fiber Foods - Common Sense Health

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) - Dr. Weil

Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Natural Remedies That Work - HealingWell.com