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Now, I’m no dummy but dealing with IBS sure makes me feel like one sometimes. Why? Well, because of rules like this…

Milk is bad! Unless it’s almond milk, cashew milk, rice milk, or (sometimes) soy milk.

Dairy is bad! Butter (can be) good.

Lettuce and roughage is bad! Unless you have IBS-C and then lettuce and roughage is good.

Coffee and tea is bad! Although black tea, green tea, and herbal tea (especially chamomile and fennel tea) are good.

It goes on and on…

Plus, first you have to figure out if you have IBS-D or IBS-C. It’s actually pretty easy to figure out which one you have…think of the bathroom…think of your bowels…think of the letters D and C. Got it yet? Another hint…IBS-C sufferers benefit from natural laxtives while IBS-D sufferers are terrified of natural laxatives. Whether you have IBS-D or IBS-C also determines how you eat a banana or an apple. It’s true.

IBS-D sufferers should eat ripe bananas with slight brown spots because they are good for digestion. IBS-C sufferers should easy slightly unripe bananas that are still a little green because they have a natural laxative effect.

IBS-D sufferers should eat apples without the skin. IBS-C sufferers should eat apples with the skin for the added fiber.

IBS-C sufferers should add a drop of peppermint oil to water to encourage a natural laxative effect. IBS-D sufferers should not do this.

On and on it goes so it’s hard not to feel like a dummy when it comes to IBS but this book sure helps. I feel like this book is a tremendous life-saver. I only bought it three days ago and I’ve already torn through the first 279 pages! I can’t “review” it yet because three days isn’t long enough to really tell if it helps with the condition or not but I sure do feel a lot more prepared to deal with it. My anxiety is the lowest it has been in months and I don’t feel like such a super “dummy” anymore.