The Phase blog
Living well with IBS, one phase at a time
Research-backed guides to the low-FODMAP diet, trigger foods, and flare-ups — written to be genuinely useful, with sources you can check.
September 2, 2026 · Understanding IBS
Is IBS Hereditary? What Genetics Really Mean for Your Gut
Is IBS hereditary? Genes play a modest role, but family environment, habits, and gut microbes matter more, and your triggers are changeable. Here's what to know.
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August 30, 2026 · Understanding IBS
Is IBS Curable? The Honest Answer (And What Works)
Is IBS curable? No permanent cure exists, but IBS is highly manageable. Here's what actually works — low-FODMAP, gut-brain therapy, fiber, and meds.
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August 26, 2026 · Understanding IBS
Does IBS Go Away? What to Really Expect Long-Term
Does IBS go away? It's chronic but not a life sentence. Learn how symptoms go into remission and the diet, stress, and sleep levers you control.
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August 23, 2026 · Symptoms
Does IBS Cause Nausea? Why It Happens and How to Ease It
Does IBS cause nausea? Yes, it can. Learn why queasiness happens with IBS, the food and stress triggers behind it, and practical ways to feel better.
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August 19, 2026 · Symptoms
Can IBS Cause Back Pain? The Gut-Back Link Explained
Can IBS cause back pain? Yes, it often does. Here's why bloating, gut-brain nerves, and referred pain hit your lower back, plus red flags to watch for.
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August 16, 2026 · Food lists
Ten Worst Foods for IBS (and the FODMAP Behind Each)
The ten worst foods for IBS and the exact FODMAP behind each trigger, plus why dose and your personal threshold matter more than any blacklist.
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August 12, 2026 · Symptoms
How to Relieve IBS Pain Instantly: 6 Fast-Acting Tactics
Doubled over in a flare? Here's how to relieve IBS pain instantly with heat, peppermint, breathing and positioning, plus the red flags that mean call a doctor.
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August 9, 2026 · Living with IBS
IBS Flare Up: A First-Hour Plan to Calm Your Gut
Mid-IBS flare up? Here's a calm, practical first-hour plan: what to eat, what to skip, heat, gentle movement, and how to settle the gut-brain axis.
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August 5, 2026 · Food lists
Low-FODMAP Bread: Which Loaves Are Safe for IBS
Which breads are low-FODMAP and which aren't — from sourdough spelt to gluten-free — plus why fermentation lowers fructans and how to read a bread label.
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August 2, 2026 · Food lists
High-FODMAP Foods to Avoid: The Elimination List
The high-FODMAP foods to limit during elimination, grouped by type — fructans, GOS, lactose, fructose, and polyols — plus the hidden sources most people miss.
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July 29, 2026 · Protocol
7-Day Low-FODMAP Meal Plan for the Elimination Phase
A practical 7-day low-FODMAP meal plan for the elimination phase, with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks mapped out. Use it as a starting template.
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July 25, 2026 · Food lists
Low-FODMAP Fruits: The List, Plus What to Avoid
Your complete low-FODMAP fruits list, plus the high-FODMAP fruits to watch. Learn why fructose and polyols trigger IBS, and how ripeness and serving size change everything.
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July 22, 2026 · Food lists
Low-FODMAP Vegetables: The Definitive List (and Servings)
The definitive list of low-FODMAP vegetables vs the high ones to limit — plus why serving size decides whether broccoli, celery and corn are safe for IBS.
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July 18, 2026 · Food lists
Low-FODMAP Breakfast Ideas Beyond Plain Toast
Easy low-FODMAP breakfast ideas beyond toast: oats done right, eggs, smoothies, and yogurt swaps — plus the honey, apple, and wheat traps to skip.
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July 16, 2026 · Cooking for IBS
What Can I Cook for Someone With IBS? A Partner's Guide
A calm, practical guide for the partner or parent cooking for someone with IBS: safe default dinners, the sneaky ingredients to skip, and how to ask about it without making them feel like a burden.
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July 15, 2026 · Cooking for IBS
Low-FODMAP Family Dinners Everyone Will Eat
One-pot and sheet-pan low-FODMAP dinners the whole family eats — no separate “sick person” meal, no cooking two dinners a night. Safe by design, normal on the table.
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July 15, 2026 · Food lists
Low-FODMAP Snacks: 25+ Easy Sweet & Savory Ideas
Low-FODMAP snacks aren't off-limits on elimination. Sweet, savory, on-the-go and store-bought ideas, plus why serving size is the rule that matters most.
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July 14, 2026 · Cooking for IBS
Hosting Someone on the Low-FODMAP Diet
How to host a dinner party or holiday meal when a guest has IBS: a menu that happens to be safe, the one question to ask beforehand, and what not to say at the table.
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July 12, 2026 · Protocol
What Is the Low-FODMAP Diet? The 3 Phases, Explained Simply
The low-FODMAP diet is the best-researched dietary approach for IBS — but most people are handed the food list and nothing else. Here's how the full three-phase protocol actually works, and why the elimination list was never meant to be forever.
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