Do you know someone who suffers from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)? It’s a condition that’s more common than you might think, and there is a new cookbook designed for people who suffer from this illness. Join us to take a deep and delicious dive into the diet and the cookbook that can make life more bearable for IBS sufferers.

Kate Scarlata is a registered dietitian and cookbook author who lives in Boston. She is a NY Times bestselling author and has over 25 years’ experience working in digestive health. She is a world-renowned low-FODMAP diet and gut health expert, and her passion is to advocate for her patients and others who have gut disorders. Part of her advocacy work includes a grassroots campaign she started called, I Believe in Your Story, which has helped raise research funding for IBS and awareness. She has authored The 21-Day Tummy Diet, The 21-Day Tummy Cookbook, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Well with IBS, and The Low-FODMAP Diet Step by Step. On today’s show, Kate walks us through the symptoms and triggers for IBS, along with dietary solutions. We’re talking IBS and recipes!

 

What you’ll hear in this episode:

 

Kate’s background in the nutrition business for 30 years and a mom of three kids How she grew up the youngest of nine kids and what family dinner was like in a large family IBS affects 1 in 5 Americans and is a motility disorder, in which food doesn’t move through the intestines like it should IBS is some sort of disregulation between the gut and the brain, with gut microbes being big players in the symptoms, which include bellyache, constipation, gas, bloating, and diarrhea The causes are not clear, but there seems to be a genetic component to IBS and some connection to food-borne illness Treatment course usually includes medical tests, psyllium husks (like Metamucil), the low-FODMAP diet, and some probiotics and even antibiotics FODMAP-- a group of commonly malabsorbed carbohydrates that are “fast food” for your gut bacteria Common foods to avoid because they are high in FODMAPs are watermelon, apples, pears, mango, asparagus, artichokes, wheat, onion, and cabbage Following the low-FODMAP diet is a temporary situation and is a plan to substitute low-FODMAP foods for the higher ones Pre-biotic foods are allowed on the diet, like oats and many fruits and vegetables The plan is to stay on the diet for 2-4 weeks and then add some foods back in systematically to identify the biggest triggers Kate felt helpless working with her IBS patients and then had a severe intestinal problem while pregnant with her second child. She had 6 ft. of her small intestine removed, became intolerable of certain foods, and found the low-FODMAP diet to be helpful For her personally, her FODMAP sensitivity is quantity-related, so she avoids large amounts of certain trigger foods, like onions Kate shares success stories, the role of exercise and yoga in IBS, and how sugar affects IBS The cookbook has 130 recipes (I recently tried Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry and loved it!) Kate’s favorites include Peanut Noodles, Cheesy Grits, and Chocolate Walnut Brownies Most GI conditions are on the rise in the US and there is more awareness of probiotics and the gut biome Why it’s important to talk about these issues Common foods linked to IBS: emulsifiers, ultra-processed foods,and polyunsaturated fats How Omega-3 fatty acids are protective and fruits and vegetables can lower the IBS risk Kate recommends eating mostly whole foods, less packaged foods, and minimal emulsifiers  

Resources:

We're giving away a copy of The Low-FODMAP Diet, Step by Step by Kate Scarlata, RDN and Dede Wilson. Post a comment at the end of this post telling me why you want to win this book and/or how the low FODMAP diet has helped you or someone you know with IBS.

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