Symptoms of IBS, bloating, stomach pain, trapped painful gas, constipation, heartburn and acid reflux can have a detrimental impact on your health and wellbeing.
Your professional life may be affected due to taking time off work. People with IBS take around 1/3 more days off than non-IBS co-workers. Your sex life may be affected due to the uncomfortable bloating and constipation. Your family and social life can take a hit too because you simply don’t have the energy or the interest to join in activities.
Improve your digestion by trying my five top tips guaranteed to prevent painful trapped gas, minimise bloating and reduce the risk of getting constipated:
- Start the day with a digestive boosting tonic made with warm water, a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to stimulate gastric juices and help digestion.
- Swap gas producing veggies such as cauliflower, brussels and cabbage for vegetables such as braised fennel, courgettes, carrots and swede. Certain vegetables can cause excess wind and bloating as they are harder to break down and cause trapped, painful gas to be produced.
- Try to avoid common irritants such as gluten and dairy where possible. There is a gluten free alternative to everything nowadays which is brilliant; this includes things like gravy and even Yorkshire puds! Dairy can cause unpleasant symptoms in people with IBS so why not try some of the vegan cheese options on the market such as ‘Violife’ or if you must have cheese, try goats cheese as it is better tolerated than many other cheeses.There are lots of delicious dairy free milks in the supermarkets now too, my favourite is ‘Rude Health – Almond Milk’.
- Avoid large portions of red meat where possible as they are hard to digest and highly inflammatory and acid forming in the body. If eating red meat, then see it as an accompaniment to a meal, not the main event and then load up on veggies. Always take one of my Just For Tummies Digestive Enzyme tablets before a meal that contains red meat to ensure it is properly digested, broken down, and eliminated.
- Book in for a colon hydrotherapy treatment to eliminate any painful bowel spasms, trapped gases and solid wastes. It’s a safe, gentle and extremely effective treatment, especially in the management of IBS. For a qualified practitioner, visit The Association of Registered Colon Hydrotherapists website: www.colonic-association.org
Linda x
