“IBS” Is Often BS: What’s Really Going On With Your Gut

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If I had a dollar for every time a woman told me her doctor brushed off her gut issues with, “It’s just IBS,” I’d have a pretty impressive vacation fund by now.

The truth?
IBS—or Irritable Bowel Syndrome—isn’t actually a root cause. It’s a vague label that describes symptoms without ever explaining why they’re happening.

Gas. Bloating. Constipation. Diarrhea. Cramping. Random reactions to food.

If you’ve lived with these, you’ve probably felt dismissed, frustrated, and like you’ve tried everything—yet still have no clear answers.

So let’s say it plainly:

“IBS” is BS.

It’s not that your symptoms aren’t real. They absolutely are.
It’s just that “IBS” isn’t the final word—it’s the starting point

So What’s Really Going On?

In my practice, I’ve helped hundreds of women get to the actual root causes of their symptoms—often after years of being told “everything looks fine” on labs or being given shortterm fixes that don’t truly help.

Here’s what’s often hiding beneath the surface of an “IBS” label:

1. Dysbiosis

This is when the bacteria in your gut are out of balance.
Too much of the “bad” and not enough of the “good” can lead to bloating, gas, irregular stools, and poor nutrient absorption. And when your digestion isn’t working properly, your energy, skin, and hormones often suffer too.

2. Leaky Gut (Increased Intestinal Permeability)

When the lining of your gut becomes compromised, it allows particles—like undigested food, toxins, or microbes—to pass into the bloodstream. This sparks inflammation and can lead to symptoms like:

  • Brain fog
  • Joint pain
  • Fatigue
  • Acne or rashes
  • Food sensitivities
  • Autoimmune flares

I see this all the time in the women I work with, and it's often the missing piece.

3. Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation
Whether it’s from stress, food allergies, toxin exposure, or infections, inflammation is one of the most common threads connecting unresolved gut symptoms. And if you don’t address it, it doesn’t go away—it just finds new ways to show up in your body.
4. Gut Invaders
Bacteria like H. pylori, parasites, or yeast overgrowths (like candida) can affect everything from your stomach acid to your mood. These bugs can cause bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and even anxiety or acne. And no, they don’t always show up on standard stool tests or blood work.

So What Do You Do About It?

Most people are stuck managing symptoms: taking magnesium for constipation, popping probiotics, cutting more and more foods out of their diet, or bouncing from one supplement to the next.

But true gut healing doesn’t happen from just slapping something on top of your symptoms. It happens when you understand the bigger picture—and address it step-by-step.

That’s why I created a free resource to walk you through what might be going on and how to begin supporting your gut from the root.

Grab the Leaky Gut Guide here
Inside, you’ll learn what leaky gut actually is, how to recognize the signs, and my foundational steps to start healing (no guesswork required).

You Don’t Need to Settle for “It’s Just IBS.”

You deserve more than a label.
You deserve clarity, confidence, and a body that actually feels good again.

If you’ve been spinning your wheels with gut issues, I want you to know: after years of trial and error with my own gut health, I found a better way that was actually tailored to me and my issues - not everyone else's.

The Wellness Way Approach is exactly what I did to heal my own gut (and chronic fatigue, hypothyroid, skin issues, and painful periods) and is what myself and my team use to help our patients working together 1:1.

Let’s get to the root together. Schedule your discovery call today.