Michaela

Before seeing Ferdia I was struggling with IBS.
 
I was unable to eat certain groups of foods (dairy, fermentable items, onion and high fructose foods). If I did I would end up with a painful upset stomach that would inhibit my ability to exercise and would just be uncomfortable in general. Some symptoms included bloating, stomach pain and erratic bowel movement.

"I felt embarrassed and unable to enjoy food"

I felt embarrassed and unable to enjoy food. I had to plan my meals in advance and sometimes felt like a burden when going out for food/going to other people's houses due to
my specific dietary needs.

I had tried seeing a dietitian however their focus was very much on totally avoiding “trigger” foods. This approach was effective at toning down the IBS but made my food options particularly limited to an extent that I couldn’t manage. It became stressful as I was constantly stuck for food items and coming up with nutritional meals became very challenging. It was an unsustainable solution, particularly as I was soon taking a year out travelling.

"Ferdia explained the effects that stress can have on the gut"
 
When I booked to see Ferdia she explained the effects that stress can have on the gut and we discussed ways that this could be managed. This included explaining the importance of enjoying each moment and focusing on the beauty and joy of travelling and most importantly, eating! She emphasised how to plan nutritional meals easily and to focus my thoughts on what foods are available rather than
stressing about how my body might react.
 
I found these recommendations very easy to implement. I focused on ensuring my meals were as nutritionally balanced as possible whilst also ensuring I worked to lower my stress. This included not pre-empting a negative response from my body to foods I had previously reacted to.

"My IBS became less and less until it became virtually non-existent"
 
I found that as I focused on the positives of each meal and stopped anticipating a reaction my IBS became less and
less until it became virtually non-existent. I very rarely get any symptoms now and find a direct correlation between stress and my body's reaction.

Life is so much easier now! I can order whatever food I feel like without concern of how my body will respond. I’ve learnt how to manage stress in a way that doesn’t trigger my body to react. It means that now I can go out for meals with no concern which is quite freeing. I feel much more confident in my body and way more comfortable around food.

"Life is so much easier now! I can order whatever food I feel like"

What I found unique about working with Ferdia was the focus on my life as a whole. Ferdia focused on other factors
(such as stress) that were contributing to the response. This meant I was able to identify what was causing the IBS and work on those areas of my life. Furthermore, I loved that the
focus was on how to one day incorporate these trigger foods into my diet rather than how to avoid them. This gave me a really positive outlook that one day eating wouldn’t be such a
challenge.

"What I found unique about working with Ferdia was the focus on my life as a whole"

In just two appointments, Ferdia equipped me with the tools to identify the root of my ongoing IBS problems. Then she worked closely to help me overcome some of the triggers. She helped me understand the importance of understanding your body and enjoying your life – a big part of which is enjoying your food. From there I was able to manage my stress more effectively, enabling me to overcome IBS and focus on fuelling my body in the best ways possible.

She has taught me to listen to my body meaning I can now recognise and value it’s needs to keep it happy and healthy.