IBS
What Is It?
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic disorder, featuring recurrent abdominal pain and intermittent diarrhoea, often alternating with constipation. There is often no obvious cause.
IBS is very common and is present in around 60 per cent of patients who see a specialist in gastroenterology. The incidence (frequency) of the condition in the general population is estimated to lie somewhere between 10-20 per cent. The true incidence may be higher than this, because it is thought that many people with IBS symptoms do not seek medical advice.
The disorder most commonly affects people between the ages of 20-30 and is twice as common in women as in men. The syndrome can be divided into four types depending on the main symptom - abdominal pain, diarrhoea, constipation, or diarrhoea alternating with constipation.
Cause and Effect
IBS is also known by a variety of terms:
- Spastic colon
- Mucous colitis
- Nervous colon
- Spastic colitis
- Nervous diarrhoea
- Nervous or functional bowel
Some of these names misrepresent the condition.
The syndrome is not the same as ulcerative colitis. Colitis is an inflammation of the colon, while in IBS the colon is not inflamed.
Generally, the cause remains unknown but several doctors have confirmed that diet plays a major role in conditions of the digestive system. Phillip Day, who heads up the publishing and research organisation Credence, writes in A B C of Disease: ‘It is yet another physical manifestation of humans trying to put diesel into a gasoline-driven automobile.’
During embryonic development, the same group of cells develop into the bowel and the nervous system almost simultaneously; this gives the two areas of the body a symbiotic and close relationship; tension within one system can be expressed as a symptom in the other - this sympathetic relationship can work both ways with toxins in the bowel causing depression and irritability in the nervous system, or nervousness and depression causing irritable bowel symptoms.
Juice Pharmacy Recommendations
What to Avoid
Highly processed, overcooked food, refined white sugar, red meat, dairy products, alcohol, caffeine, high sugar carbonated drinks should all be avoided.
What to Include
A high proportion of sufferers have found relaxation techniques and counselling to be of great success with this condition as there is a strong element of emotional input into the tension and irritation that the bowel suffers. Colonic hydrotherapy may also help with this condition.
Juicing fruits and vegetables on a regular basis, alongside a well-balanced, whole foods diet can help to relieve the symptoms of IBS.
Fibre - A diet high in natural fibre is certainly beneficial, the easiest way to achieve this is to juice alkalising raw fruits and vegetables. According to clinical studies carried out for IBS it was found that increasing dietary fibre, and avoiding refined carbohydrates were beneficial, as was introducing probiotics such as Lactobacillus Acidophilus.
Peas - Pea juice, heated and served warm, has been found to be of considerable benefit for the bowel spasms and painful episodes that characterise IBS. The same juices recommended for Crohn’s disease and colitis can also help the condition.
Water - Aim to drink at least two litres of water each day.
The Juice Recipes
Shot: The Cabbage Shot
1 Apple
¼ Small Red Cabbage
Juice and down in one.
Juice: Digestive Aid - taken from the Funky Fresh Juice Book
3cm Pineapple Slice (peeled)
2cm Chunk of Fresh Ginger Root
2cm Chunk of Fennel
⅓ Medium Lemon
½ Medium Pear
1 Small Handful of Fresh Mint
Juice everything except the mint. You can either pour the juice into a blender, add the mint and blend. Or to save having to wash the blender, you can simply chop the mint very finely, add to the juice and stir.
Blend: Anti-Inflammatory Green Blend - taken from Jason Vale's Super Juice Me! 28-Day Plan
¼ Medium Pineapple (peeled)
1 Pear (any hard variety)
1 Lime (peeled)
3cm Ginger
¼ Medium Cucumber
½ Celery Stick
1 Cauliflower Floret (roughly the size of a lime)
½ Avocado (ripe)
3 Ice Cubes
Juice the pineapple, pear, lime, ginger, cucumber, celery and cauliflower. Add the avocado flesh and ice to a blender/booster, pour in the extracted juice and blend until smooth.
Disclaimer
Please note, it is impossible to give a definitive list as what supports one person can be a trigger food or allergen for another. You must stay your own juice detective at all times and listen to how your own body responds to certain foods and always consult with your healthcare provider when making changes to your diet which may affect your medication. Please be aware that we are not doctors, so it is important to consult with your GP or medical practitioner BEFORE making any changes to your diet. The suggestions above are not meant as an alternative to any current medical treatment so please DO NOT stop taking any medications you are on. They are also not an endorsement of their effectiveness, or a recommendation that they should be followed but instead, are provided for informational purposes. None of the information on the Natural Juice Therapy site is intended or implied to treat, cure or prevent any condition or disease.