Foods to Avoid With IBS: A Nutritionist’s Guide

If you have IBS, you probably know the routine. Checking every menu before you go out. Planning your day around where the nearest toilet is. Eating something that was fine last week and today leaves you bloated and sore.

IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) is really common. As many as 1 in 10 people live with it, and it affects more women than men. So many women are told it’s “just IBS” or that it’s stress, and sent off with a leaflet. I feel that’s not good enough.

I believe IBS isn’t the answer. It’s a signal. It’s your body telling you something isn’t right, and it’s worth getting to the bottom of it.

What’s actually going on with IBS?

IBS is a name for a pattern of symptoms: bloating, wind, pain, diarrhoea, constipation, or swinging between the two. It doesn’t tell you why.

In my practice, the “why” is different for every woman, but the same threads come up again and again:

• Food sensitivities. One or two foods your gut is reacting to, eaten every day.
• An imbalance in your gut bacteria, sometimes including SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth).
• Digestion that isn’t working as well as it could: low stomach acid, sluggish bile, eating on the go.
• Stress. Your gut and your nervous system are in constant conversation.
• Your hormones.

IBS and your cycle

Many women notice their IBS is worse at certain times of the month, often just before or during their period. That isn’t in your head. The hormones that rise and fall through your cycle affect how quickly your gut moves and how sensitive it is.

Your hormones and your gut are not separate problems, they’re one conversation. If your IBS flares with your cycle, that’s really useful information, and it’s something we look at together.

Common IBS trigger foods

Everyone is different, so this isn’t a list to cut out all at once. These are the foods that most often come up as triggers:

• Coffee and alcohol
• Fried and very fatty meals
• Fizzy drinks
• Dairy, for some people
• Lots of raw vegetables, especially raw cruciferous ones like broccoli and cabbage
• Foods high in fructose, such as large amounts of fruit juice, honey and dried fruit
• Wheat, for some people
• High-FODMAP foods (more on these below)

How you eat matters too. Big meals eaten quickly, at your desk or in the car, can trigger symptoms all on their own.

What about FODMAPs?

FODMAPs are types of carbohydrate that some people find hard to digest. They ferment in the gut, which can cause gas, bloating and pain. Common high-FODMAP foods include onion, garlic, wheat, apples, pears, beans and lentils, and milk.

A low-FODMAP diet can bring real relief, and some people do really well on it. What I see in practice, though, is that it’s very restrictive and hard to keep up alongside family life. It’s also meant to be a short-term process, not forever.

I prefer to find the specific foods that are a problem for you, using a careful elimination approach and, for some women, a food intolerance test as a starting point. Then I work on strengthening your digestion, bit by bit, so you can bring more foods back in. The goal is a wider, more relaxed diet, not a smaller one.

Gentle things that can help

• Slow down at meals. Sit, chew well, and give your body the chance to digest.
• Eat warm food. Soups, stews and cooked vegetables are often easier on a sensitive gut than raw salads.
• Try peppermint or fennel tea after meals. Both have a long tradition of use for digestion.
• Keep a simple diary of food, symptoms and where you are in your cycle. Patterns show up quickly.
• Drink enough water, especially if constipation is part of the picture.

When to see your GP first

Before you change your diet, it’s important to rule out anything else. See your GP if you have:

• Blood in your stool
• Weight loss you can’t explain
• Symptoms that started after 50
• A family history of bowel cancer, coeliac disease or inflammatory bowel disease

And ask about a coeliac test before you cut out gluten, because the test only works while you’re still eating it.

You don’t have to keep guessing

If you’ve been living with IBS for years and you’re tired of trial and error, I’d love to help you get to the bottom of it. We look at your digestion, your stress, your cycle and the foods that are triggering you, and build a plan you can actually follow.

Book a consultation, or book a free 15-minute call if you’d like to chat first.