4 Things My IBS Needs

By Jo Coates

2 min read

Over the years I’ve learned to listen to what my body and most importantly my gut, are trying to tell me. Which means I’ve come to know what it is my IBS needs. Other than a toilet and a whole load of loo roll on standby.

It likes the safety of routine

My IBS needs to eat three meals a day, at roughly the same time each day. If I skip one, it doesn’t sit well. It likes to wake up at the same time daily and generally know what lays ahead. At the start of the year I went freelance, working from home, meaning that my routine had a massive shake up. As did my IBS. No more 6am wake ups followed by a long train commute. It took my body a while to get used to this new routine. And I use that in the loosest of terms because each day for me can look different. Some days I may be chained to my desk. Others I may go into the city or meet with a friend for a walk. I’m enjoying the flexibility and my IBS is learning to work with it.

To be treated kindly

This one is super important as I know that my gut and I feel much better when I treat it kindly. That means regular feeding of home-cooked, colorful food. It means trying to chew each mouthful as much possible before swallowing, something I’m still working on. Alongside eating slowly rather than scoffing it down like an animal. It also means listening to what it needs, whether that be a restful day with some time out or a gentle walk.

Gentle exercise

I am no gym bunny but I like to get outside and give my body a good stretch. It could be as simple as walk by the river, gentle yoga flow or my weekly Zumba class. Sometimes, when my IBS is playing up and I feel sluggish and bloated, the last thing I want to do is leave the house to exercise but I know I always feel better when I do. That rush of endorphins, the way it makes my body feel strong and the way it distracts my mind from focussing on the IBS pain. It's all needed.

To be pushed

Hear me out on this one. You see, my IBS likes to trick me into believing it’s happiest in a situation it can control. However, I’ve done some testing and found that I can enjoy a meal out with friends and order a pizza. I can go to London for meetings, some work and a wander and not worry about where the loos are. I can also leave the house when I’m feeling bloated and down and come back feeling a tonne better for doing so. Which is why I’ll continue to push myself and my IBS to take more risks.

What does your IBS need?

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maheshbabu1993 Member
yess
hateibs Member
I totally hear you on this. What my IBS really likes is a boring life. The more boring and predictable, the better. It also likes quiet, not much social activity, regular meals (2 a day) one late morning, the other at 6pm. It likes me to be careful about how many fruits and veggies I eat. It also likes steady undramatic weather. It is rather strange, and if looked at in one way I can almost find it amusing. "Someone" has moved into my life who is to some extent like me, but who isn't like me at all in some ways! It almost feels like I have a sister who has come to live with me, and we are inclined to differ over certain things. But who I respect, and I do my best to work with the partnership. I used to like being spontaneous. I could eat anything except rice pudding, anchovies, and Jerusalem artichokes. I had a cast iron gut, and was renowned for it. In fact, I had a cast iron constitution and was proud of my healthy diet. I didn't mind if an interesting thing happened, and I had to wait hours for dinner. I liked being invited to a dinner party. I didn't mind pulling an all-nighter and getting no sleep for 38 hours. I loved thunderstorms, gale force winds, icy blasts and heatwaves. A day out in the woods, walking for hours was fun. My IBS sister disagrees. She says it makes her tummy bloat after an hour, so we have to go home. I look back at the woods and wish I could stay. I have noticed, when I glance sideways at her, that my "IBS sister" prefers white bread and won't say no to junk food so long as it doesn't have any fibre. She likes a usual bedtime, and wake up time. She wants her meals on time and will often show me the clock and say "don't you think you should put the dinner on now?" She forbids me from staying up all night. I stay in with her to watch some boring thing on Netflix because it's easier that going out to a party. She also has what she calls a "dodgy belly". Toilets figure a lot in her life. (I hardly ever thought about toilets before she came to stay.) So I have to eat white rice and hard boiled eggs. No, she doesn't like curried lentils with fried onion. I humour her. If it weren't for her unpredictable dramas sometimes I wouldn't mind some of the changes that have happened from being forced to live with her. They have made me more sensible.
Swakeland Member
I also think my IBS just needs time and understanding. I know I have had flare ups while shopping with my Mom. She understands, my dad also has IBS. But it is the silent thoughts of how it causes problems for others. Sometimes I just want a good book, something to drink, and a blanket. As an adult I also sometimes think "oh I want my Mommy", but what I have come to realize is it is not just wanting my Mom (again she gets it), but someone who is willing to check if I am alright, do I need anything, my meds, etc. Just a world of more understanding of what we go through.