Understanding the IBS basics with Jessie Wong RD

The Allsorts Podcast

Hold on to your knickers: the number of people with irritable bowel syndrome is now roughly 11% of the world’s population. Yep, you read that right.

This is something that a LOT of people are dealing with, and as a gut health dietitian with IBS herself, I see everyday how much confusion and misinformation there is out there about what IBS actually is, and what to do about it.

Like, is the low FODMAP diet something everyone should try? How long should you do it? How do you know if your poop is healthy? It’s the reason why I focus so much on gut health nutrition in my practice. But also, it’s why I wrote Good For Your Gut…because I know that as much as working one-on-one with a registered dietitian is the best, most effective course of action, it’s not always available or affordable.

So I thought I would invite a fellow IBS dietitian, Jessie Wong RD, to the podcast to talk all about IBS, what it is - what it isn’t, how best to care for the condition and of course, nutrition for IBS!

Jessie is a Seattle-based dietitian with over 5 years of experience in caring for people with IBS. She takes an evidence-based, whole person approach to IBS management, with training in low FODMAP nutrition from Monash University. I really enjoy all of the supportive, informative content she is putting out there on her platforms and I just know you’ll learn so much from hearing her teach!

This episode is all about the IBS basics, and we talk about what causes IBS and how it should be diagnosed, including the different conditions that can look like IBS as well as the big differences between diarrhea-predominant and constipation-predominant IBS. And of course, we talk about all the ways that nutrition might be involved…and how sometimes, it might not be your main strategy!

If you’ve got IBS or have been having difficulty with your gut and are trying to get more information to inform your discussions with your doctor, this is a great episode to check out!

On this episode we chat about:

• The very un-dietitian-y job Jessie did before becoming a dietitian
• How pregnancy can trigger IBS
• The connection between digestive issues and disordered eating
• Conditions that can masquerade as irritable bowel syndrome
• The different types of bloating
• The most common cause of intolerance-type reactions
• How to “read” your poop
• How to rebuild your food tolerance after elimination
• Important lifestyle factors that influence motility
• How does a low FODMAP diet work?
• When low FODMAP can do more harm than good
• Fiber + IBS

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Full show notes including links and recommendations at https://desireerd.com/podcast/