Tame Your Tummy

Fiber For IBS

2009-02-05T10:51:00.000-08:00

Many people are confused about fiber and i understand why. I used to be very confused as well. With all the labels saying dietary laxative or stool bulking agent. What does this all mean in simple terms.

There are two common types of fiber, soluble, and insoluble.

Soluble fiber absorbs water and turns into almost a gel type substance when water is added. So if you have diarrhea this is the type of fiber you want to concentrate most on having in your diet. This can be done by using foods such as rice, potatoes, ect. This can also be achieved by using a fiber supplement. If you are going to use a supplement(which you should use both a supplement and food) then you need to start gradually by using 1/6 of the daily recommended dose each time 3 or 4 times per day(morning evening, and once or twice with big meals). If you jump in all at once and your body is not used to having the fiber then you will most likely run into the opposite effect. It will give you MORE diarrhea.

TIP-Remember soluble fiber is water soluble so there must be water in your diet equation. try drinking 7-10 8 ounce glasses per day. Spread the water out and don't drink within a half hour of each meal. The water can dilute your digestive enzymes and you don't want that.

Insoluble fiber is just the opposite of soluble, it is not water soluble so for those of you that are having constipation then you need to try to incorporate more of this in your diet. Don't worry this is very easy to do. Almost all Green veggies have insoluble fiber as well as nuts and legumes. You can find full lists online.

SOMETHING TO REMEMBER- You MUST have both types of fiber in your diet. It is like a balancing act. You have to find the right soluble to insoluble ratio for you and try to stick with one that gives you 1-3 good bowel movements a day. Don't give up because this can take some time. Increase you dose 1 time per week until you reach the full daily 20-30 grams of total fiber usually closer to 30 is better.

TIP- If you find yourself going pee alot with drinking all this extra water try two things. Do some kind of exercise for 20-60 minutes per day. Usually starting with light stretching or yoga is good. Also put just enough celtic sea salt in your water that you can't taste it too much. This will slow the movement of water through the body because your body will try to extract all the minerals from the water. ALSO get your sleep 8-9 hours per day if not more will help in fighting ibs.

ANY QUESTIONS OR NEED MORE TIPS JUST ASK IN THE COMMENTS

IBS and The Ongoing Cycle With Anxiety

2009-01-25T20:48:00.000-08:00

Please let me know if anyone else is dealing with something similar to this. Certain situations cause anxiety which causes my stomach to act up. If my stomach is acting up this causes anxiety. I have no idea which one to try to eliminate first.

I have been trying for quite some time to deal with my stomach issues with many successes and failures along the way. Even with some success I still struggle with this dreaded cycle.

I will admit I am at a slightly stressful time in my life right now dealing with this, but hopefully things will come around.

Anyone out there???

Please leave a comment if anyone is still interested in this info????

2009-01-15T00:11:00.001-08:00

please let me know so i can decide if i want to post more regularly.

thanks

Moments of Temporary Insanity Wearing Nothing IBS Goggles

2007-07-09T19:21:00.000-07:00

I hope I am not alone in this world of insanity. It feels like every time I am not stable, or am in my recovery stages that I have on some sort of IBS goggles. IBS goggles are what someone gets when every single piece of food around them seems to turn into a irresistible treat. Your mouth fills to the brim with saliva and all for something silly and often regarded as nasty like Taco Bell. These items become very tempting. It is like temporarily living in hell(not that I would know).I really hope I am not the only one who feels this way. Please tell me that one of you is feeling my pain???

Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Stress

2007-07-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

THE FACTS

So there has been this on going discussion among the IBS world whether stress contributes to IBS. The answer is YES hands down, no questions about it. I could ramble on about all this proof and this and that clinical study but we all know that would be extremely boring. The bottom line is yes it can increase symptoms for those of us blessed with this disease.

DEALING WITH STRESS

There are many ways that people deal with stress. Some people remove large chunks of hair from their skull. Some people take it out on those around them, and then some people deal with is the right way. Stress works differently for different people, therefore there are different ways of dealing with it. My favorites are exercise, yoga, sleep, and tea.

EXCERCISE FOR STRESS

I think that dealing with stress through exercise is one of the best forms of release. You get to sweat out the stress and take your mind off of what is bothering you. Even if you can't seem to shake those negative thoughts subconsciously you are doing so. This also ties into sleep. We all know when you are tired you sleep better.

YOGA FOR IBS

This is by far one of the best ways to release stress and it also greatly aids in digestion for many people. This is not only because it reduces stress but many of the moves stregthen stomach muscles to help with motility. Many of the movements are geared toward digestion. Just make sure that when you go to a class or watch a video and at the same time have IBS-D that you are careful with the moves.

SLEEP AND TEA

I early on discovered a direct correlation between the amount of sleep I got and how I felt throughout the next day. Do yourself a favor and try to sleep as much as you can. Take naps or just close your eyes and relax completely it can help tremendously. As for tea, there are many teas geared toward stress reduction which are great. For me they just make me relax more and even for some of the stronger ones make me a little out of it. Sometimes I feel like I just need to be out of it for a couple hours. My only warning for tea is to make sure you read the ingredients carefully as to not drink anything that does not agree with your stomach.

Any questions just fire them off in a comment.

Happy 4th of July

2007-07-04T13:42:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to wish everyone a happy and symptom free holiday. In the next day or two I will be writing about my experiences with stress and hypnosis related to Irritable Bowel Syndrome. For now I just want to wish everyone a safe and healthy 4th of July.

"I CANT FIGHT THIS FEELING ANYMORE"

2007-07-03T17:39:00.001-07:00

Ok ok I know that you know I do not have a great voice. This feeling I am speaking of is bloating and gas. I have spoken about gas in other posts so check those out if you want something a little more informative. As for now I just can't get rid of it. I have been home from Hawaii where I had some troubles and now am finding it hard to stabilize. I have heard some people say it takes up to 3 weeks!!! to stabilize. I dont have that long I have a job and a life among other things where I cannot be farting or feeling full of farts all day long. Raise your hand if you hate IBS right not. (my hand is raised very very high right now)

What are some of your favorite store bought snacks?

2007-06-30T10:15:00.000-07:00

I want to first write that not everyone is the same, and that at different points in recovery or suffering for some of us that we all have different levels of tolerance. That being said you will find me eating (all of these in small amounts not only because of small portion sizes but also the fact that I dont handle sugar very well and personally I think it causes gas) Gummi Savers....yummm, Enjoy Life cookies(usually choc chip), organic jelly beans( forget the brand-get back to me about it), peanut butter bars( I make these-want the recipe just ask and I will post it as a comment reply) no bake cookies (I make these also) and last but not least a variety of the allergen free low fat sweets at the local HFS. My fave is the spice cake with a slight drizzle of rice milk and powdered sugar mixture.
Any questions about any of these or if you are interested in an extensive list feel free to comment

It's been a while

2007-06-28T19:31:00.001-07:00

So it has been a while since I have posted I have been so busy with a new job among other things. Kinda just wanted to say a few words about how I am doing and ask how you are doing. As for me I am doing very well. I just got back from Hawaii where I had some trouble but other than that I am doing very well. Previous to my trip to the islands I had just finished a 100 day hypnosis program which I believe has helped me quite a bit. I will speak about this approach in a future post. Enough about me though. How are you doing? Has anything I have written about helped anyone at all(that is the reason I write this lol) Please let me know even if it is just a quick thank you comment or a whole paragraph...I would really love to hear from a reader.

SHORT LIST OF TEAS FOR IBS-IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME

2007-01-17T15:39:00.000-08:00

THESE ARE THE TEAS I DRINK TO HELP COPE WITH IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME

So I use the following teas to help with my IBS these are the most common and most helpful.

-Peppermint-This is a great tasting tea that has been used forever to calm the stomach. Those of us with IBS can use it to calm the cramping or soothe the stomach. I find it very helpful to drink a few cups a day with meals(small meals of course)

-Fennel -This tea taste like black licorice just not so strong. It is so so helpful in the category of gas cramping and bloating.

-Ginger-This is one of my favorites I use it on a constant basis. I will drink a cup in the morning after soluble fiber and breakfast and then another cup after all meals. It has a great digestive enzyme in it that if you have over indulged will help with the full tummy.

-Chamomile-This tea is used to calm you down after a long day and get you ready for a good nights sleep. I use it when it is late and I know I am going to have trouble sleeping.

All of us with Irritable bowel syndrome should try to utilize these natural gifts as much as possible to help Tame Our Tummy.

If you have any ideas or comments about what works best for you when trying to control your IBS symptoms just feel free to leave a comment. Thanks

Safe Snacks for IBS Irritable Bowel Syndrome recipe exchange

2007-01-03T20:57:00.000-08:00

SAFE SNACKS FOR IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME

I am sometimes at a loss for things to eat as a quick snack or things to buy that are easy to prepare or cook and that are reasonably quick so i am asking all of the readers out there to share some snacks that they prefer. I will start and then let you guys and gals take it away.(please include brands if you know them...thanks)

I like

english muffin(sourdough) with a little peanut butter(very little) and a banana for breakfast
For lunch some instant rice with smart balance light(it is dairy free the reg is not)and a little salt or with a little light soy sauce (Thai kitchen is good)
for dinner some white fish with a little lemon and a potato or some rice with it

NOW ITS YOUR TURN....just leave your favorites as comments thanks

ENEMA AND COLON CLEANSING FOR IBS-VERY BIG NO NO

2007-01-02T17:45:00.001-08:00

ENEMAS AND COLON CLEANSING FOR IBS

I am going to try to make this short and very straight forward. DO NOT FOR ANY REASON(unless an enema is needed for immediate severe pain removal) TAKE PART IN SELF ENEMAS OR C OLON CLEANSING. They are very addicting/habit forming and are the worst thing for a hyper sensitive gut(this is what you have if you have IBS) Try slowing adding an Acacia based soluble fiber(1/2 teaspoon just to start double the dose slowly say every week or two/whatever your body adapts too. There is no such thing as moving too slow with the soluble fiber but there is with moving too fast so take your time.) instead of using these harsh methods. If you decide to start on the soluble fiber try to stay away from fibers that are not acacia based because most on the market can cause gas pain and bloating in IBS patients.

I hope that was short enough :) I would love to hear comments from you

IBS dont be fooled by all the GENTLE LAXATIVES!!!!

2007-01-02T17:23:00.000-08:00

IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME

Hey its me again with another little helpful hint. This is something that I thought about delving into many a times and for some reason or another decided not to. Now I am thankful that i did not go this route. The route I am talking about is Laxatives. Now I'm sure you have all seen the articles or advertisements that things like senna aloe just to name a couple, are the magic all natural tools you need to relieve constipation or in the long run help IBS-D by improving bowel tone.....This is nothing but a lie...This DOES NOT HELP FOR IBS. These things can become addicting and very hard to get off of. It will shortly turn into a situation where you have to have them to have a bowel movement and this is definitely not what we are shooting for. My advice and I think anyone you knows the truth about stabilizing IBS is that you need to slowly introduce a completely soluble fiber supplement. My favorite is an Acacia based soluble fiber. Most if not all of the others can cause gas and bloating in IBS patients.

Well This is just my little word for the day. Once again please feel free to comment :)

IBS Irritable Bowel Syndrome-Interesting alternative therapy article

2006-11-13T17:45:00.000-08:00

IBS Irritable Bowel Syndrome-Interesting alternative therapy article

A fellow blogger told me about this interesting article. The read is kinda deep but not bad. I find that when i just open my mind to new things I end up learning something that makes complete sense in the end. So maybe the whole article is not of complete truth. Maybe it will not cure you, but maybe just maybe it can give you some insight in to something that may make your fight with IBS just a little easier.

http://www.atreya.com/english/article_grahani.html

Tell me what you think

Irritable Bowel Syndrome And Food Combining

2006-11-11T16:01:00.000-08:00

Irritable Bowel Syndrome And Food Combining

It seemed like recently food combining has become a very popular diet and digestion topic. After hearing so much about it I decided to take a stab at it. Although I did not notice a full cure to IBS I did notice that it seemed to, in my case, have a few benefits. When following this diet I noticed a generally calmer feeling in my tummy after meals. The BIGGEST difference I felt was a sizable reduction in gas and bloating(you know that feeling you get when you think everything you eat disagrees with your stomach). Although not as heavily, I try to stick to the guidelines when my stomach is acting up.

I scoured the net to find the nine basic rules. I have also placed a chart at the bottom for better understanding.

Eat acids and starches at separate meals. Acids neutralize the alkaline medium required for starch digestion and the result is fermentation and indigestion.

Eat protein foods and carbohydrate foods at separate meals. Protein foods require an acid medium for digestion.

Eat but one kind of protein food at a meal.

Eat proteins and acid foods at separate meals. The acids of acid foods inhibit the secretion of the digestive acids required for protein digestion. Undigested protein putrefies in bacterial decomposition and produces some potent poisons.

Eat fats and proteins at separate meals. Some foods, especially nuts, are over 50% fat and require hours for digestion.

Eat sugars (fruits) and proteins at separate meals.

Eat sugars (fruits) and starchy foods at separate meals. Fruits undergo no digestion in the stomach and are held up if eaten with foods that require digestion in the stomach.

Eat melons alone. They combine with almost no other food.

Desert the desserts. Eaten on top of meals they lie heavy on the stomach, requiring no digestion there, and ferment. Bacteria turn them into alcohols and vinegars and acetic acids.

Resource:http://chetday.com/fcprins.html

Irritable Bowel Syndrome And Water-Drink Tons

2006-11-11T15:25:00.000-08:00

Irritable Bowel Syndrome And Water

Really this is gonna be a really simple one. The fact is that people with IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome need to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. Many doctors say that you should actually try to consume twice that. I find that hard some days, but I don't know that when I am taking in a large amount of water each day I start to feel positive results within a week.

If you have liquid stool you probably know by now that taking a soluble fiber supplement can greatly help. Some people complain that this isn't helping. The truth is that a large percentage of these complaints come from those who are not drinking enough water. The two work in unison to carry soluble fiber to where it needs to be to effectively soak up excess liquid in the digestive tract.

The combination of soluble fiber and water also aid in GI muscle tone,Bringing oxygen to tissue, and removing unwanted and sometimes toxic waste from the GI tract. It has also shown to be helpful with the good little bacteria we need for digestion.

POINTS TO REMEMBER

Drink Tons of water- At the least 64 ounces every day
If you have liquid stool(IBS D)water and soluble fiber work together for great results.

ANY ADDITIONS PLEASE COMMENT

Irritable bowel Syndrome Diagnosis

2006-11-09T21:56:00.000-08:00

Irritable bowel Syndrome Diagnosis

IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome is somewhat hard to diagnose. Although in recent doctors have come a long way in the way of saving a typical patient time and money. A few years back a doctor would tend to use a elimination routine with IBS being the last illness taken into consideration. This testing could span a large amount of time and end up costing a patient a pretty penny.

The new practice is that your main MD SHOULD refer you to a specialist. This gastroenterologist will then listen very carefully to what you have to say, especially the way you describe your symptoms. Based upon what he hears he will most likely tell you you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome. He will recommend some diet and lifestyle changes(I write about these in depth in another article) to try and then schedule a checkup and go from there.

Now that being said IBS is not always the case. The following list is a group of things that you should ask your doctor about to see if they have ruled them out and why.

Inflammatory bowel diseases
Bowel obstructions
Diverticulitis
Food allergies
Intestinal parasites
Bacterial infections
Celiac Disease-I thought I had this allergy to wheat and ate gluten free for one year. I did feel relief from some symptoms but not all. I now know that this is not the case.
Ovarian cancer
Endometriosis

I want to stress that the diagnosis of IBS should be left to a trained professional. Self diagnosis is not an option.

Please feel free to leave comments and i will be happy to answer any questions or concerns. Thanks

Irritable bowel Syndrome-Trigger Foods

2006-11-09T15:12:00.000-08:00

Irritable Bowel Syndrome Triggers

The trigger foods for IBS are vast and many people are not on the right track from the beggining. Many people tend to think that only the bland foods are ok to eat. This statement couldn't be farther from the truth. The reality is that the triggers, or foods you want to stay away from are all of the things that are hard to digest. Most of these are insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber is the fiber in foods that is not easily digested. This is not to say that you cant have any insoluble fiber at all. You just need to watch you intake heavily and eat these items in small quantities. When eatin in moderation patients usually feel the differrance within a couple of weeks, sometimes within a couple of days. I have compiled a list of trigger foods which is shown below. If you have any questions please leave a comment and I will do my best to address it.

Foods high in fat-usually anything greasy or fried
Red meat-this one kills me. That includes anything that comes from pigs, cows, goats, deer, sheep and so on.
pultry is ok BUT the dark meat and skin are not- i ate chicken thighs for a while wondering why I had to run to the bathroom afterwards. There was a deffinate reason.
All Dairy products-this may surprise you but even the ones that are made with dairy but are lactose free can cause GI distress.
The Whites of eggs are ok BUT the yolks are not. In my case thay make me especially sick and bloated or gassy.

All of these foods tend to wreak havok on the intestinal tract for us IBS'ers. They can cause anywhere from just some minor gas to a complete attack of colon spasms and contractions at amazing rates. So I dont really need to say it but stay away from these. You do not need any of these. I mentioned above that some insoluble fiber you should eat in moderation those I will talk about in my next post, but for these listed above just stay away completely. You will thank me and your toilet will thank you.

There are many other foods that are high in fat that can also cause unwanted GI stress many of which you may not think of off hand. While i am going to provide a very short list reading labels on the food you order or purchase is a good habit to get into.

Coconut milk
Shredded coconut
All oils, fats, spreads, dressings, or added toppings may be very high in fats and oils.
watch out when eating food that could have been cooked in oil(you can order otherwise to be safe)
Mayonnaise
Olives
doughnuts or any pastries
Potato or corn chips but the baked variety is usually a great alternative. Just watch for flavor enhancers like modified food starch or MSG(this one is a complete Tummy killer)

Please feel free to leave comments I would love to hear what you have to say. Thank you

Irritable bowel Syndrome-General Info

2006-11-08T18:13:00.000-08:00

A Little about me and Irritable Bowel Syndrome

I want to start of by telling you a little bit about me and then fill you in with some general info about IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I have had IBS as long as I can remember. which depending on how my memory is serving me is about 6-8 years. ( I am 22) So I know from experience how any digestive disorder can be a day to day struggle and at times "all consuming" to say the least. I have spent the last couple of years dedicating my free time to learning all that I can about these disorders in an attempt to better my situation and now the situations of my readers. Ok now that that is out of the way I can get to the basics of IBS.

The Basics of Irritable bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a problem that affects mainly the bowel, or the large intestine. The bowel is the part of the digestive system that makes and stores stool. IBS covers a group of symptoms. For example, IBS causes crimping, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation.

Main Symptoms:

cramping and pain in the stomach area
painful diarrhea or constipation
mucus in the stool
bloated and pain in abdomen
feeling that you have not finished a bowel movement

The nerves and muscles in the bowel are extra-sensitive in patients with IBS. This can result in extra contractions. These contractions can cause cramping and diarrhea during or shortly after a meal. The stretching of the bowel when a person eats too much can also result in gas and bloating, which we all know can be quite painful and embarrassing.

The diagnosis for Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a little difficult. You may have every symptom in this world yet no traces of a disease or in this case syndrome. So you or your doctor will have to work a little backwards in the way that testing will be done to rule out every thing you don't have then conclude IBS is the source of your pain. After following a plan of action you will know if this is the true culprit.

The root cause in most cases is a large combination of things ranging from a poor diet to a persons lifestyle. This is a huge topic in itself which I will cover in detail in a later article.

These are the basics of IBS. The main focus for this blog is going to be the effective treatment of this and many other digestive illnesses. I will cover everything from diet and lifestyle changes to effective and some not so effective homeopathic treatments I really hope you will continue to read on.