Illustration by Kat Frick Miller
Mia Ionescu began experiencing the debilitating symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as a teenager. The abdominal pain, bloating and constipation or diarrhea, which are called the “ABCDs” of IBS, often gave her anxiety, especially when she was out with friends.
“After eating I would feel a sense of urgency and anxiety that was so overwhelming,” says the 35-year-old. She was diagnosed with IBS, a gastrointestinal disorder that affects the intestines, digestion and how the brain interprets signals from the intestines, in her mid-20s.
Canada has one of the highest rates of IBS in the world, with the condition affecting 13 to 20 per cent of Canadians, according to the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research, compared with 5 to 10 per cent of the general population globally. According to a U.K. study published in November last year, patients with IBS can have a worse quality of life than patients with other chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart failure, and their work and social lives are usually impaired because of the debilitating symptoms.
The psychological effects of Ionescu’s symptoms worsened when she worked her first full-time job as a bank teller in her 20s. She always felt too embarrassed to admit to anyone what she was going through. It wasn’t until three years ago, well into her 30s, when she began working with a dietician.
The dietician put her on the heavily restrictive FODMAP diet, which is designed to help people discover trigger foods by first eliminating and then reintroducing foods that can cause IBS discomfort – some vegetables, fruit, dairy, wheat and legumes such as beans and lentils.
“Unfortunately, I was still experiencing symptoms even after eliminating all those foods,” says Ionescu.
In April last year, her physician prescribed her an anti-depressant, amitriptyline, which has been shown to reduce many of the common IBS symptoms when taken in a low dosage. The medication is the first thing that’s helped her symptoms and improved her quality of life, she says.
Since taking amitriptyline, she’s been able to incorporate more of the common foods that once caused her pain, such as whole grains, fruits and fresh vegetables.
“Now I’m focused on becoming more healthy,” says Ionescu, who has swapped a diet high in sugar, fatty and processed foods with one that focuses on healthy fats, fresh fruits and vegetables. Her diet is also high in protein, which she gets from low-fat sources such as cottage cheese, animal proteins and tofu.
Here is how Ionescu shops for groceries.
How I save money on groceries: I buy most of my fruits and vegetables either dry or frozen. Any time I buy fresh, I end up wasting some.
How I splurge on groceries: I splurge on wildflower honey. The taste is better than the generic brands I find.
The hardest shopping habit to keep up: Purchasing and eating enough fruits and vegetables. When buying them fresh, I find it time-consuming to prepare them.
How I’ve changed my eating habits recently: I am trying to incorporate more protein in my diet. I try to have more cottage cheese, which I wasn’t able to eat for a long time.
Five items always in my cart:
- Cottage cheese – SealTest – $4.99: I started incorporating cottage cheese in my diet because it’s high in protein. I mix it in with my scrambled eggs, which I typically have every morning.
- Skyr yogurt plain 0-per-cent fat, high protein – Siggi’s – $6.70: I usually mix it with honey, some nuts and seeds, and some of the dry or frozen fruit that I like.
- Dried mangoes – Kirkland – $24.99: I eat these as a snack. These ones taste great, and they satisfy my cravings for sweets.
- Minced garlic – Ferme Chant-O-Vent – $7.99: My parents are of Romanian heritage, and a lot of the dishes we made at home begin with garlic. I use it nearly every time I cook. Buying it minced makes it much easier to cook with. Finding little hacks like this encourages me to cook.
- Wildflower honey – Richard Paradis & Sons Beehives – $8.99: I really enjoy the taste of wildflower honey, and I like this Canadian family-run company. I usually put it in some herbal tea as a sweetener.
This interview has been edited and condensed.