Is Christmas time with IBS a terrible time of the year for you?

Many of our customers come to us for help because they have irritable bowel, coeliac, food allergies or general digestive discomfort. If this is you, here are five tips to help you through the silly season.

1. IBS is related to the stress response in many individuals, according to research at Monash University. It is possible to reduce your stress response by prioritising time out, being aware of your breathing pattern and slowing/deepening it when appropriate, practicing mindfulness and using relaxing herbs such as Solgar Ashwaganda or L-Theanine. Another good tip which I learnt about recently, is the Nerva App which was designed as a response to the Monash study on IBS & Stress. Pop into the App Store and download a trial to see if it works for you.
2. Know your triggers/limits. Be honest – its Christmas and many of us let our normal daily diets slip at this time of year. Avoid your triggers as much as possible, & actively search for replacements. There are so many options nowdays, from lactose free milk, to coconut icecream and even pavlova made from chick pea liquid instead of eggs (& it tastes good!!) If you are going to choose to eat things that cause digestive discomfort, be prepared in advance. Products such as digestive enzymes can be really helpful (to take with pavlova & cream for example), as can aloe vera juice if you have already indulged & you have digestive pain. There are a few nuances with these products so come and talk to us to work out what is best for your body.
3. If you are drinking alcohol, support liver clearance & digestive health with glutathione, the major antioxidant in the digestive system. This is particularly helpful for hormonal and/or menopausal women. Also check out the alcohol free ranges available now, or try kombucha.
4. Although Christmas is only one day, the silly season can take its toll with events for a month or more. Of course we always encourage you to eat well, but if you are taking a few shortcuts, consider adding a greens powder or an activated B vitamin. Both of these can make such a difference to energy if you are pushing to get everything done in time for Christmas, or you are burning the candle at both ends. Greens powder added to a dash of pineapple juice can make a huge difference to energy and nutrition levels in really busy day.
5. If you are inclined to constipation, add soluble fibre such as slippery elm powder (not capsules).This will also help if you are inclined to go the other way too. If constipation is really bad try Natures Sunshine Lower Bowel Support.

Hopefully these tips will help you to have a better Christmas time with IBS or other digestive issues. If you want more information or some specific help, feel free to pop in store for a free 15 minute consult, or book a more in depth hour long consult, where we will assist you to get to the bottom of your issue (pun intended).

Some interesting links to studies are in the article from Monash University below.

https://www.monashfodmap.com/blog/anxiety-ibs-and-microbiome-links/

Photo by Jasmin Sessler on Unsplash