Irritable Bowel Syndrome, despite the pain and difficulty it causes to patients, can be a condition that your current GP might find it hard to tackle. I aim to bring relief to this difficult condition through assessment of your life as a whole, finding a root cause, and making small but achievable changes. These changes shouldn't just help alleviate your IBS but should actually improve your well-being overall.
The world of FODMAP diets in IBS is confusing and difficult to sustain, and if done incorrectly it can be dangerous. With expert guidance it can be made simpler and be more effective especially with a full lifestyle approach.
Get in touch and we can start getting you back to your best self today.
One of the biggest concerns that patients who have been diagnosed with IBS have is that, despite how common it is, not much is known about it. Remember – the ‘syndrome’ in Irritable Bowel Syndrome indicates that it is a collection of symptoms rather than a single disease.
Patients are often therefore frustrated when busy doctors are unable to take the time to hunt down the root causes of the patient’s IBS.
When a patient like yourself, quite rightly, asks what the reason for them developing the condition are they are simply given a laundry list of both relevant and irrelevant factors.
Patients can be told it is due to stress, diet, too much bacteria, too little bacteria, a leaky gut and much more.
However, in typical appointments, the doctor, has just enough time to diagnose IBS and rule out other diseases, such as ulcers and cancer, rather than to explore further to find methods of relief.
That is where Lifestyle Medicine comes in.
By focusing on the root cause, I aim to bring relief, which is better than the 10-40% success rate of existing treatments – laxatives and anti-cramping medicine, which do nothing to treat the underlying cause, and can often add to acid in the gut and to other digestion problems.
I start by finding out why with you, we become medical detectives together.
We go through both your medical and lifestyle history as well as the current state of your health.
My initial role is to be the first doctor who pays attention to you, not just your condition.
In telling me your story, I can begin to pick out steps to recovery, as well as identifying any other history that might be relevant.
Unsurprisingly, good health starts in the gut.
Our busy modern lives can often play havoc on the microbiome (the good bacteria that regulates much of out bodies function). Too little exercise, processed and on-the-go foods, antibiotics, even if taken years ago can even affect the gut years later.
Luckily, the gut, with help, can fight back quickly. Rebuilding the microbiome, may take a while but the steps you take to do it will make you start to feel better much faster than you expect.
We can assess together what changes might work for you, but taking the correct pro-biotic is always an easy win.
A healthy gut lining is a crucial filter, Its job is to allow and encourage healthy nutrients into the bloodstream.
But an irritated gut lining, is an ineffective gut lining. Toxins and other processed foods cause the body’s immune system attacks these foreign objects constantly, and with the gut as the battleground, irritation in the digestive system is bound to follow.
Diet remains a key goal here. A mixture of 3 food choices needs to be made. Patients find a lot of clarity and purpose when they understand that together we are going to find foods that cause inflammation and try and cut them out. They become further enfranchised and empowered when they introduce foods that quickly replace the good bacteria in the gut, and other that help heal the damage the gut has already suffered.
Again, we want changes to be sustainable and working for you, so we have a frank and friendly chat to empower you to make your health decisions.
A diet low in fermentable carbs known as FODMAPS is clinically recommended for the management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Attempting a true FODMAP diet without expert guidance is not only extremely difficult but can deprive you of essential nutrition that can make you feel worse. Dietary support and nutrition plans can be arranged through our excellent partners.
Of course, treating the IBS requires a complete solution – and the role of stress, exercise and sleep cannot be discounted. More than nutrition, these other steps will allow for complete recovery and a greater sense of wellbeing.
Contact me to discuss further, whether you have IBS, suspected IBS or any other gut related condition.
Dr. Salma Mirza, london lifestyle clinic
Chase Lodge Hospital, Page St, London NW7 2ED
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