4. Consider Cutting Carbs
Eating fiber is great for bulking up your stool but it’s not all roses. In fact, too much fiber can worsen cramping and gas (12).
This is especially true if you are sensitive to gluten. Try cutting carbs and other high-fiber foods from your diet completely for 3-4 weeks and write down how you feel in a food journal.
High fiber foods include:
- Wheat and wheat-based products
- Quinoa
- Oats
- Chia Seeds
- Flax seeds
- Lentils
- Split peas
- Lima beans
- Chickpeas
- Black beans
- Peas
- Artichokes
- Okra
- Figs
5. Watch What You Eat
Everybody has their personal triggers, so you’ll have to discover yours. The easiest way to do this is by keeping a food journal. Write down everything you eat throughout the day and keep track of how these foods make you feel.
Common trigger foods include:
- Alcohol
- Chocolate
- Sugar-free sweeteners
- Cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, etc.)
- Fatty foods
6. Peppermint Oil
A study published in the Journal of Gastroenterology examined 110 outpatients with symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. The prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study gave patients enteric-coated peppermint oil formulation three to four times daily, 15-30 min before meals, for 1 month (13).
In the peppermint group:
- 79% of patients experienced a reduction in the severity of abdominal pain (29 were pain-free)
- 83% had less abdominal distension (bloating)
- 83% had reduced stool frequency
- 73% had fewer borborygmi (rumbling noise in the intestines)
- 79% had less flatulence
Patients in this group also had very few side effects: one developed heartburn while the other experienced a mild rash.
Peppermint also improves digestion by promoting bile flow and preventing colonic spasm (14).