I can’t deny that I have found this year to be the toughest yet! Trying to keep the clinic going, being a single mum and earning a wage to survive as costs generally have gone up.
How has this affected me…….. Bloated constantly, stomach or intestinal cramps, constipation, the list goes on. Ok I have not been to the doctors but I have treated so many different symptoms over the years of IBS that I knew if I did go to the doctors then this is probably what they would say, as my stress levels have been so much higher.
Now, I regard myself as healthy, I cook fresh food every night, drink plenty of water, exercise and think I have a good quality of life, yet here I am looking like I am 3 months pregnant!
On holiday I was so bloated that one evening I was in so much pain that I took myself to bed as lying down was less painful that sitting upright!
It has been so much better since coming home, as I decided to address the simplest approach! I cut sugar completely out of my diet; I am using a plant substitute in my coffee, cut wheat down by 50% and hit pro-biotics in a higher intake!
It has now been 2 weeks and the bloating has gone, my bowels are completely regular again and I have no pain what so ever! I know that it will take a while for my bowel flora to get back on a balance but actually I am not craving sugar like I used to (biscuits were my downfall, especially with afternoon tea!)
The other thing I am doing is making a Kefir fermentation; there are 2 types, water based and milk based. It is a live culture that you actually feed with sugar, fruits of your choosing and lemon. It sits in this with water in, for 2 days and it smells like a combination of sweetness, acidity and vinegar!! Sounds quite yuk, but is quite refreshing once you use the fruits you like in it! My 6 year old daughter even tried it this morning! It contains lots of strains of good bacteria and supports a number of ailments. If you are interested in finding out more you can look at kefirshop.co.uk to find out more.
I will let you know how I improve as time goes on!
IBS
June 15, 2011 at 14:16