Hey, if you've ever frozen mid-task, gut twisting, knowing you've got seconds before you have to run, this one's for you.
That Exam Disaster I'll Never Forget
Five years ago, I was mid-biology exam in 6th form. The room was dead quiet except for nervous pens scribbling. I'd been stressed for days, stomach already sensitive. Then suddenly, that sharp, urgent gut drop. No time to think.
I shot up, chair screeching, teacher yelling "Where are you going?!" as I sprinted out. No time to explain.
Locked in the stall for a grim, full hour. I sat there humiliated, thinking: I never want this to happen again.
That kicked off my research rabbit hole. I tried everything, low lactose, gluten-free, probiotics. Some helped a bit. But IBS-D kept winning.
When I Finally Cracked the Real Problem
Two years later, starting my nutrition degree, I learned about "osmotically active" FODMAPs, like water magnets in your gut. They're poorly absorbed compounds, so they increase stool water content, loosening everything fast.
Biggest IBS-D culprits? Excess fructose and polyols, hiding in everyday fruits and some veg.
Stress makes it worse, your gut goes hyperactive with faster motility. Load up on these foods when stressed? Perfect recipe for the runs.
My innocent evening fruit salad was loaded: apples, pears, grapes, plus the honey drizzle. No wonder exams + those foods wrecked me.
The Simple Swaps That Changed Everything
Especially when stressed (they hit harder then), I'd cut:
Apples, pears, grapes, honey, cherries, blackberries, nectarines (excess fructose/polyols flood your gut with water)
And swap for these, stools firmed up in days:
Kiwis, oranges, blueberries (low FODMAP, gentle fibre, minimal water-pull)
Psyllium husk (1 tsp in 250ml water, bulks up and soaks excess liquid)
Oats (30g breakfast bowl, soluble fibre slows transit, gels to firm stool)
White rice (easy digest, low osmotic pull)
These swaps slashed my diarrhoea frequency and severity. Still use them today when my gut acts up, even though I've basically reversed my IBS and tolerate most foods now.
These swaps are backed by solid IBS research and made a huge difference for me personally. But IBS is highly individual and other foods may be your triggers. I’ll break those down in more detail in future newsletters.
Your 3-Day Test (Super Easy)
Tomorrow, stressed or not: Swap one high-FODMAP fruit (like apple) for kiwi + 1 tsp psyllium in 250ml water.
Track urgency/looseness (1-10). Hit reply, I'll tweak it for you.
What's your worst stress-trigger food? Let me know, I'm reading every one.
Instagram: @zakthenutritionist
P.S. Next: My top 5 tips to manage IBS-C.