IBS, Cravings & Nutritional Therapy

IBS, Cravings & Nutritional Therapy: A case study from Melanie Flower:

Sarah is a girl in her early 20s who had been suffering from eating disorders since she was 13.  She had been through stages of anorexia and also bulimia, coupled with severe depression.  When I first saw her she had been through extensive psychotherapy and felt that she was on top of her eating troubles, and to finish the healing process wanted to see a nutritionist.

She had very bad sugar cravings and also IBS.  There were very few foods that she could digest well, because as expected her digestive system was in a very poor state.  My first thoughts were that she should take extra digestive enzymes and a probiotic to help rebuild her digestive system.  I also used a high strength multimineral with extra zinc to help rebalance her blood sugar control mechanisms.  At first she had difficulty digesting the vegetable fibre that I had suggested, but when she reduced the amount of vegetables she was eating the bloating subsided and her digestive system gradually started to improve.  

After 3 months her bowel movements were normal and she no longer had sugar cravings.  And the best thing was that she actually felt happy!  Zinc was a very important part of her healing process, helping to balance her blood sugar levels, improve her mood and also support her digestive system.

 After seeing me 3 times, she was eating a normal balanced diet, and was able to exercise in a controlled way.  Her weight normalised to something she was happy with and she was able to continue along the path of good health.  

One interesting thing was that she noticed that her eyesight had not deteriorated as much as it usually had when she had her annual eye test.  This is one of the unexpected benefits of following a nutritional therapy programme.

Melanie Flower, nutritional therapist, Pinner and Northwood, Middlesex, UK | Melanie's web site | Find a nutritional therapist.