# Home remedies & Slippery Elm Bark for IBS-C & IBS-D



## veggielover (May 1, 2012)

Hi all,I'm new here. I suffer from IBS-C, my mother has IBS-D and my father had IBS-C. Just wanted to share information on Slippery Elm Bark that I found today (http://www.care2.com/greenliving/plant-medicine-slippery-elm-bark.html). I haven't tried myself, so I can't opine but maybe some of you may want to try it. The author states: "Over the years I have recommended slippery elm bark to clients with digestive issues. When taken internally it soothes, coats and heals inflamed tissue including the mucous membranes of the mouth, throat, stomach, bowels and kidneys. Individuals suffering from colitis, constipation, cystitis, diverticulitis, hemorrhoids, ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome can benefit from taking it as a tea or in capsule form. The only caution herbalists include is for pregnant women not to use slippery elm bark as it may cause miscarriage. Other health conditions aided by slippery elm bark include sore throat, tonsillitis, and some swear it is the quickest remedy for controlling diarrhea. External skin conditions benefit from a poultice used to soothe diaper rash, inflamed gum, and mouth sores; although it is not recommended to use on open skin wounds. When working with medicinal plants and herbs, be sure to check with your doctor so they do not interfere with any medications you are taking. The mucilage of slippery elm can coat the stomach and intestines, slowing down the absorption of other medications. In this case you will need to take slippery elm either two hours before or two hours after you take your meds".I also wanted to share the home remedies used by my family whenever we have a flare up:1) use organic foods whenever possible, and drink filtered water2) stick to a low foodmap diet, emphasizing fruits and vegetables, white rice, oatmeal and barley3) preferably peel the fruit & veggie before eating, it will be easier to digest4) Stay hydrated! We swear by homemade rice milk to treat the inflamed colon. Boil 1/2 cup of white long grain or basmati rice in 3 cups water. Bring to a boil & simmer for 40 min. until rice is very, very soft & puffy. Blend in blender with additional water if necessary for two minutes, the mixture should be the thickness of milk. Drink immediately, preferably warm but keep a large pitcher in the refrigerator so that you can drink as much as desired. Add sugar if you're losing too much weight from the flare up.5) We swear by smoothies to replace meals, my favorite is a banana/avocado smoothie: 1 ripe banana, 1/2 rice avocado, 1 & 1/2 cup of fresh squeezed organic OJ, 1/4 cup unsweetened soymilk, and raw honey to taste. Blend well and enjoy! This stuff is magical, delicious and addictive, you'll want one every day.6) Cucumber is used to treat inflammation. Blend 1/2 organic cucumber (cut in pieces), 1 & 1/2 cup water, juice of 1 lemon, and sugar to taste in a blender. Pass mixture through colander to remove the fiber from cucumber (you only want the juice). 7) Drink a light broth for lunch, instead of heavy soups.So happy I found this site. Have any of you in the foodmap diet been able to eat beans? I used to be a vegetarian before my last flare up (I can drink the broth, or water from homemade cooked beans, which is healthy & delicious). I would like to know if anyone has found a way of cooking beans or eating them in a way that doesn't cause a flare up? My mother passes the beans through a colander, but I'm looking to eat the whole bean. I'm not stubborn, I just have very high cholesterol (hereditary) and I need to get my protein and iron from a vegetable source.Thank you for any suggestions!Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/plant-medicine-slippery-elm-bark.html#ixzz1vGmpICIX


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