It is incredibly important to look at the WAY you eat, as well as WHAT you eat, as this may also be where a lot of digestive issues stem from. Carbohydrate digestion begins in the mouth, as food is mixed with saliva. We do not digest carbohydrate again until it has left the stomach, and moves into the small intestine. If you hoover your food into you, you may be bypassing an integral part of the digestive pathway, and causing problems further along the journey. Take your time eating, and always, always, chew your food. It is one of the most fundamental parts to mechanical digestion.
The digestive capacity of our stomach is also linked to struggles further along the pathway, so naturally improving your digestive enzymes is a great way to improve your overall symptoms. A tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in water, or lemon juice in water is one of the easiest ways to do this. Have a small glass of either, about 20 minutes before you eat, to stimulate your body’s digestive capacity.
Finally, bacterial fermentation can be the biggest issue for people, so altering the microbiome can make a huge difference. Repopulating the gut with beneficial bacteria through taking a probiotic has proven effective in trials of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) patients. The efficacy of probiotics are dose- and strain- dependent, so choose one that has bacteria in the billions and that is multi-strain.
A huge amount of information is available for free online, and many people successfully experiment with these kinds of dietary manipulation without assistance. However, for best results, you should consult a nutritionist or dietician who is knowledgable on functional gut disorders such as IBS and the implementation of protocols that will alleviate symptoms.
There are some great online resources also, here’s one of my favourites.