Traditional Chinese Medicine Approaches for IBS

You’ve probably seen it. Maybe you’ve even lived it.

Scrolling through social media, you see one “expert” swearing by a plant-based diet to heal your gut. Then, the next post claims the only way to fix your symptoms is to go full carnivore. Meanwhile, a well-meaning friend insists gluten is the devil, and your doctor’s latest recommendation is to cut out dairy entirely.

You’re stuck. You’ve tried it all—elimination diets, food sensitivity testing, expensive supplements, and even some out-there solutions from holistic practitioners who swore their method was the missing piece. Yet, here you are, still dealing with bloating, bathroom emergencies, exhaustion, and the anxiety of never knowing what’s going to set you off next.

If this sounds familiar, I want you to know you’re not alone. And more importantly—you’re not broken.

The Over-Restriction Trap: When “Healing” Backfires

Take Brehan’s story. He went from doctor to doctor, each offering a different answer to his symptoms. One naturopath insisted he could eat wheat, but only if he didn’t combine it with dairy—so, no pizza, but bagels with a side of cream cheese (just eaten four hours apart) were somehow fine. Another practitioner muscle-tested him for food sensitivities and gave him a laundry list of things to avoid. A Western medicine doctor ran allergy tests that came up inconclusive. Meanwhile, his symptoms were getting worse, not better.

Sound familiar?

There’s a medical time and place for short-term dietary restrictions. I use them strategically in my practice to help clients identify food triggers. But here’s the thing: if restriction becomes your long-term reality, it stops being therapeutic and starts being harmful.

Chinese Medicine for Bloating and Other GI Symptoms

Brehan Crawford, a Chinese medicine herbalist, sat down with me on Podcast Episode 32 of my show, to discuss the misconceptions surrounding food sensitivities and restrictive diets, and how Chinese medicine can help. You can watch the full episode on YouTube here.

Herbal Treatment for IBS Symptoms

What if I told you the key to healing isn’t in cutting out more foods but in strengthening your gut so you can tolerate more?

Because let’s be honest—what is a life without the freedom to go out to dinner, eat with friends, celebrate a wedding, or enjoy an occasional treat? If your gut “healing” plan is making your world too small, it’s time for a new plan.

Here’s what I focus on with my clients inside The Tame Your Gut Program:

1. Pinpointing Real Triggers (Not Guesswork) – Through strategic food journaling, meal plans, and root cause testing, we identify what’s truly causing symptoms—not just eliminating foods based on a hunch.

2. Strengthening Your Digestion – Instead of cutting everything out, we focus on optimizing digestion so your body can actually handle food properly. This includes balancing stomach acid, enzymes, and gut bacteria.

3. Addressing the Stress Factor – Your gut and brain are deeply connected. The anxiety around food is often just as harmful as the food itself. If you’re constantly worrying about what you eat, your body stays stuck in a stress response that makes digestion even harder.

4. Creating a Sustainable Plan – The goal isn’t to eat five “safe” foods forever. It’s to build a foundation where your gut is strong enough to handle variety so you can enjoy food—and life—without fear.

   
   
   
   

Take the First Step Toward Freedom

If you’re done with the cycle of trial and error, it’s time for a better approach. Inside The Tame Your Gut Program, we get to the root cause of your

symptoms, so you can stop the endless restriction and start living again.

Click here to book a free consultation and learn how we can help you regain food freedom, energy, and confidence. Because you deserve more than a life of fear and avoidance—you deserve to enjoy food and feel good doing it.