…how to reduce diarrhoea episodes
We have all no doubt at one point or another been ‘caught short’ in a situation where we have needed to rush to the toilet in somewhat of an emergency.
However, for the IBSD sufferers this can be a weekly or even daily hurdle to cope with which can be both excruciatingly painful and embarrassing at the same time, often affecting day to day life to such a degree that life becomes all about the bathroom, the toilet, where they are and how quickly you can get to one if you need to. The IBSD sufferer becomes a ‘toilet ninja’ and can locate a loo in seconds of entering a new venue.
If this sounds all too familiar then read on for my 7 Top Tips for calming your bowels and providing you with a little more confidence when out and about.
Tip 1 – Dairy
Stop eating dairy. Dairy is the third worst thing you can eat for diarrhoea. Statistically out of hundreds of IBSD clients I have worked with, dairy causes bowels problems.
Firstly, we are the only species on the planet to consume another animals breast milk. Which is gross in itself. We aren’t designed for this. 70% of the worlds population is allergic or intolerant to dairy. Chances are, if you have stomach problems you are one of them.
Dairy includes:
- Milk
- Cheese
- Chocolate
- Yoghurt
- IceCream
- Cream
Dairy is found in lots of other strange places like: crisps, protein bars and shakes, read meals and even wine…
Tip 2 – Gluten
Cut out Gluten. Gluten is the sticky protein found in wheat, barley and rye grains. It is this protein that bakers love as it holds baked goods together, allows them to work their magic and helps breads to rise.
Gluten paste (flour and water) was also used as wallpaper paste for hundreds of years. If you have ever visited a stately home you will see just how effective this has been to hold paper to walls for hundreds of years. This should show you just how un-useful this is for your gut.
We cannot digest gluten very effectively and we now consume 70% more gluten products in a day than we did 20 years ago. EVERYTHING seems to contain gluten this days. Going gluten free will enable your bowel to digest the foods you are eating a hell of a lot easier without having to process wallpaper paste.
Tip 3 – Sugars
Sugars. Reduce your refined sugar intake and completely cut out all fake sugars. I have worked with clients who ere regularly consuming ‘sugar free’ drinks and sweeteners and this is the fastest route to ruining your digestive tract. As well a zillion other detrimental health affects.
Read this blog for more info on sugar. Fake sugar, and refined sugars are not necessary for the body at all and you are better off getting all the sugars your body needs from natural sources such as fruit (you cant get much sweeter than a pineapple), organic (preferably local to you) honey or good quality organic maple syrup.
Your body really does not need any of these processed sugars and will thank you for restraining yourself to natural sugars.
Tip 4 – De-stress
Calm Down. Learn coping mechanisms to calm your body when you feel an attack coming on. Meditation, NLP, Hypnotherapy, Yoga, Breathing exercises can all really help to calm your brain, body and bowel before it goes into full on spasm, creating the unwanted diarrhoea.
Coping mechanisms will strengthen your ability to prevent IBS attacks but this will not render you 100% stress free and most doctors will tell you that your IBS is ‘stress related’. Well, of course you are stressed, you have IBS. And so the circle continues.
However you are not any more or less stressed that the person next to you. We all have to deal with stress on a daily basis so the best way of helping calm your gut is by learning how to destress – and quickly – by seeking professional help and guidance. I would be happy to refer several trusted people who can help you with this, simply contact me at helen@theibscoach.com
Tip 5 – Hydrate
Ensure your gut its hydrated by consuming plenty of clean fresh pure filtered water. This will have enormous benefits on a stressed bowel, helping to calm and reduce spasms that cause the urgent need to rush to the toilet.
Tip 6 – Glorious Whole Food
Strengthen your bowel by eating the right combination of foods for your body, taste and lifestyle.
Throughout your IBS Freedom course you will discover precisely what works for you. Use this time as your time to heal and start understanding your gut. Use the 80/20 rule and ensure that most of your diet is made up of real whole foods, allowing you a 20% seaway for treats now and again. This ratio has proven to work time and again with my successful IBS free clients.
Eat real food. Steer clear of processed, packet food and learn how to cook real, whole foods. Whole foods are natural foods straight from the earth such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains (not wheat, barley or rye) but oats, rice, buckwheat and quinoa. Sustainably sourced, organic meat, fish and poultry can add flavour, nutrition and protein to your meals but this is really all about the quality.
It is far better to have a whole roast chicken once a week that is free range and organic than it would be to eat cheep over processed battery chickens on a daily basis. You don’t want those extra growth hormones (a natural chicken takes 3 months to get to full size, a battery chick will be full size at 6 weeks), never mind the antibiotics and other poisons these poor chickens are fed. And of course free range means that the chickens have a better quality of life before entering your body as food. This is better karma for everyone all round.
Source yourself a decent local butcher and fishmonger and your body will be much happier for the better quality animal proteins.
In conclusion, listen and understand your body and your body will reward you by behaving itself and allowing you total IBS freedom.