Gillian McKeith's Food Bible (269 page)

Use turmeric and ginger in your cooking.

Drink slippery elm tea between meals to help soothe the gut. Chamomile, peppermint, and fennel teas are also good digestive aids.

Drink pau d’arco tea for its anti-inflammatory properties and its ability to keep yeasts at bay.

Drink flax seed tea.

Sprinkle flax seeds over salads.

Evening primrose oil.

Slippery elm powder to calm down inflammation in the gut. Mix the powder with oatmeal, applesauce, or a cup of warm water.

Take L-glutamine powder or capsules. Glutamine is used up in large amounts with those who have IBS. One of its jobs is to carry ammonia to the kidneys for excretion.

Triphala tablets and milk thistle tincture help, too.

Supplement with probiotics to help to reestablish good bacterial balance in the intestines. As well as the probiotic, make sure that you take a low-potency B complex once daily to help the intestinal tract.

Take digestive enzymes with meals and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar before meals. Do not take protein digestive enzymes if you have stomach ulcers. You could try papaya enzymes instead.

Betaine with HCL may dramatically improve symptoms if digestive enzymes are not improving your symptoms. Start out slowly with low dosages before meals.

Make sure that you are getting enough magnesium, which can act as a gut relaxant.

Take vitamin B complex to help you break down your foods.