Irritable Bowel Syndrome
IBS is a medical term used to describe a collection of gut symptoms not explained by any other disease. A lot of women with IBS struggle with how unpredictable their symptoms can be. IBS symptoms can vary from person to person and also in the same person at different times, especially in relation to stress, travel and menstrual cycle. People usually suffer with diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, abdominal pain, cramping and wind.
There are different types of IBS which are classified according to the main symptom. These include:
- IBS-D (where diarrhoea is the main symptom)
- IBS-C (where constipation is the main symptom)
- IBS-M (where symptoms are mixed) and
- IBS-U (unspecified)
There is no test to diagnose IBS and it is diagnosed when other conditions are ruled out. Symptoms can be very similar to other gastrointestinal (gut) conditions and so before a diagnosis of IBS is confirmed, it is important that other gastrointestinal conditions such as coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, as well as other bowel and gynaecological conditions, are first ruled out. This is because if you have one of these conditions, you will need treatment for them to prevent your health deteriorating. Mistakenly thinking that it is IBS can lead to such conditions progressing.
The exact cause of IBS is unknown, but it is thought to be related to a combination of factors, including trauma in childhood, stress, diet, and imbalance in gut microbiota. While there is no cure for IBS, there are several dietary and lifestyle strategies that can help to manage the symptoms. Research shows that certain dietary strategies can help up to 70% of people with IBS, and many people find that a combination of dietary and lifestyle changes is the most effective approach. Some helpful dietary strategies for managing IBS include avoiding trigger foods, eating regular meals, and manipulating fibre intake. In addition, stress management techniques such as relaxation therapy can also be beneficial.
What we can achieve working together:
- Achieve relief from your digestive symptoms
- Understand how to help your IBS by addressing the root cause
- Increase the variety of food you tolerate
- Have more confidence in understanding your body and trusting it
IBS doesn't have a single cause, and there's no one-size-fits-all solution for managing it. Our current understanding suggests it's a disorder rooted in gut-brain communication. Therefore, effective management involves addressing both nervous system regulation and dietary factors. Initially, our focus will be on identifying and eliminating triggers to provide relief from symptoms while you work on practices to regulate your nervous system and enhance gut health, making it more resilient and less reactive to certain foods. Once you've established strong nervous system regulation and improved gut health, we can gradually reintroduce foods you may have previously found intolerable. Here’s a glimpse into some of the common themes we often explore:
- An assessment of your symptom profile and the likely triggers
- The role of your menstrual cycle in your symptoms
- Recommendation of a dietary management plan to control your symptoms
- Strategies and goal setting for nervous system regulation
- Prevention of nutritional deficiencies
- Supplement recommendations
- Recommendations for optimising your gut health long-term
- Recommendations for reintroducing previous trigger foods that are generally beneficial for overall health
Monika is sharp, attentive, and uniquely supportive. I worked with her for six solid months and have seen real breakthroughs in my body image perception and relationship with food. I feel capable of trusting myself and less driven by shame or anxiety. There IS freedom and joy when it comes to eating and nourishing our bodies, and Monika is an excellent guide to getting there. I truly could not recommend her more.
Working with Monika has been the best decision I made this year! I have PCOS and an underactive thyroid and had been struggling to lose weight for nearly a decade. I had two early miscarriages in late 2021 and early 2022 and had not been able to fall pregnant since. Since working with Monika, I now have a deeper understanding of how to support my body, my cycles are getting more regular and I'm losing weight more consistently. I am so much confident in my body too and I know what to focus on going forwards! The support and accountability Monika provides is incredible and I highly recommend her services.
Working with Monika is one of the best investments I could made in myself. I contacted her because I was experiencing stomach pains and was feeling low and desperate. After years of yo-yo dieting and binge eating Monika has helped me to understand how to nourish my body and eat healthily. I feel so much happier and in control now and have the knowledge I need to maintain a healthy way of eating. Thank you so much Monika!
I decided to go ahead with Monikas PCOS programme after lots of consideration and I'm glad I did! Monika has been great to work with and has approached everything with the sensitivity I haven't been able to get from GPs, whose only solution for me was to "lose weight". With the onslaught of info found online, it's hard to stay motivated to do anything, especially when it all seems like it's unachievable unless I flip my whole life around, but right from the beginning, Monika set achievable goals and took things step by step, so I didn't feel overwhelmed. Towards the end of the programme, I noticed that my period had come 10 days early than usual which it hasn't done for many years, and I even managed to lose 2 kgs and stay there! Monika really helped me take a closer look at my eating habits and how my stress was also affecting things, but I know that even though I may momentarily have a couple bad weeks, I know exactly what I need to do to get back on track and since I've already done it once, I know I can do it again!
