How to make your stomach behave?

This is very important video : How to remove bloating/constipation by Dr Mercola.

Here is the gist:
1. Your gut is responsible for 80% of your function immune system. Mind and mood is also control by your gut.Your gut is a second brain
2. You basically want to nourish good bacteria and get rid of bad bacteria in the gut.
3. Eliminate sugar even fruit juices and especially artificial sweeteners. They act as fertilizers for bad bacteria.
4. Vegetables are good and pre-biotics. Fermented food are good and they reproduced good. Commercial yogurt and kifer is NOT good. It is not that yogurt/kifer is no good but it is how they are prepared. Commercial ones uses pasteurized milk and sugar as base... (It is a big NO NO) and the bacteria they tend to put in is so small in quantity and short lived. MAKE YOUR OWN...
5. Fermented food are good like Miso, Kimchi, olives
6. Stay away from antibiotics unless necessary.
7. Drink pure clean water. Chlorine kills good bacteria.. Eliminate chlorine by using simple carbon filters. Even boiling water will remove chlorine.
8. TAKE PROBIOTICS...Take probiotics on empty stomach, at least 15mins before meal. Make sure your buy from reputable manufacturer.

Scan and Make a model of your brain with a SmartPhone

Now, there is a device that can SCAN and MAKE a model of your brain! Imagine that.. Unfortunately, it works only on Nokia ..... no Iphone..... :) and apparently from cheap EEG headset only... WOW, if we could have this to detect growth and even scan stomach area to detect fibroids....

Here is the link to check this out.

One method I have used successfully to prevent IBS

One of my subscribers ask about meals and IBS. One thing that does the trick for me (which works more often than not and I believe there is a scientific reason to all this) is when I have a meal especially dinner, I will not take any liquid with the meal. After I have completely finish the meal, I'll wait for about 15 mins to 20 mins before I sip a glass of hot "cooled" water-Advice by a Tibetian Lama

About one hour after the meal, I will take fruits especially fibrous ones like an apple. I peel the skin.

Now, what I have observe is that when I do that, my BM the next day is good. If I have a good BM, I will have an excellent day.

Of course the meal must not contain any 'trigger' food. Sometimes it is hard to avoid, so whenever I do not feel good. I will quickly make a glass of cumin tea. Click here for the recipe here

Another possible cause of IBS? - Leaky Gut

I continue to research on causes of IBS and I came across this topic of leaky gut. I personally do not think I have one but one of my readers seems to having her wits tested in controlling her IBS. We spoke at length about this leaky gut aspect which seems to the cause. Let me explain.

Leaky gut in gist is inflammation of gut lining and when the gut is inflamed, it becomes porous, and become more permeable. Unwanted substances can then leak into the bloodstream. When that happens, toxins often build up in the bloodstream thus causing many different types of ailments. Our autoimmune system will become active to address the toxins presence. If the autoimmune system is over active, it will inflame the gut track and thus creates Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms.

Let me tell you about my friend. She had been suffering from leg issues like tendonitis and bursitis (at least diagnosed by doctors and treated as such). She is also suffering from IBS but manageable. But the last 2 years, her leg problems severely curb her daily routines. She had gone to several doctors, physiotherapies, chiropractor and acupuncturist with no long term healing. We talked and I knew about leaky gut problem and know that if toxins get into bloodstream, it creates all sorts of ailment, sometimes unrelated (like her legs).

I suggested for her to treat leaky gut to see if this could solve or alleviate her problem. She was willing to try anything and over the last one month or so, she told me that her legs have improved tremendously. She can now do a 2km walk without pain. She also said that IBS symptoms have also improved slightly. She is now determined to follow the regiment to see if it does completely heal her leg and hopefully alleviate the IBS as well.

So, what did we do?

1. Glutamine is used to repair gastrointestinal injury. A word of caution on over using this supplementation. There are some unconclusive studies that long term use of Glutamine can cause or aggravate situations like stroke, multiple sclerosis and disrupt pregnancies. So, take only in small doses and short term basis. Let’s take it as such and be safe anyway.

2. Increasing Fish Oil intake especially Omega-3.

3. Increase probiotics intake. The gut is already compromised, so we have to repair them.

4. Cut sugar intake. At least, don’t add any more unrefined sugar or sugar substitutes.

5. I suggested a much reduced carbo-diet approach and continue with high fiber, protein diet instead. So rice, bread, potatoes are very much reduced for her meals.

Something that will delight the women readers...

Nothing about IBS but I promised to focus once I get this out of my hair.....

What really causes IBS?

The cause of IBS is currently not known, however, it does not stop one from trying to figure this out from one's own perspective.

IBS is also commonly known as "spastic colon". What this means is the the colon has gone 'bonkers' and do not react normally anymore. Either it becomes too active or too inactive at wrong times.

When it is too active, you get spasm and cramps. When this happens you need to soothe it. Things like yogurt, malt drink, cumin tea, rasam are things which can soothe the activities. When this activity is high, there is also a likely chance that gas is also produced and you will feel bloated. If not remove, it can become painful. Either you have to encourage burping or 'pass wind' to get rid of the gas.

When the colon/intestines absorbs too much liquid and the colon compacts the waste too much and the waste do not have enough fiber, you get constipation. That's why we recommend to increase fibre intake and drink lots of water (6 -8 glasses per day spread of the entire day).

Two main causes of making the colon become spastic is 1) Stress and 2) Food we take, especially trigger foods.

It is key to understand Stress and Stress management to help in controlling IBS. Not only when you are stress, more acids are also produced in the intestine which will increase gas buildup.

Pay attention to your colon... It could be telling you something.

YOUR COLON

Kids are proud to show off their poop—but most adults rarely glance inside the toilet bowl. But the truth is...Examining your poop is one of the best ways to find out what's really going on in your body.  So take this quick quiz to get the inside scoop on your poop!

• Question #1: How long does it take you to have a bowel movement?

[ ]Less than 60 seconds  [ ]More than two minutes

Answer: Healthy bowel movements happen within 60 seconds of sitting on the toilet. The stool should easily come out without straining, grunting or any discomfort. It should have the consistency of toothpaste. If you have time to read a newspaper while sitting on the toilet—you probably have a problem with constipation or poor bowel health.

• Question #2: What is the shape of your stool?

[ ]Long like a banana [ ]round, hard pellets [ ]thin, pencil-shaped

Answer: Healthy stool averages about four to six inches long and are shaped like a banana or a torpedo.  Very narrow, pencil-shaped stool is a sign your colon walls are impacted or you have polyps or growths on the inside of your colon or rectum. This causes the stool to squeeze to get through. Stress can also create narrow stool.

Hard, round or pellet-shaped stool is a possible sign of poor liver function, lack of exercise, dehydration or constipation.

• Question #3: Is your stool accompanied by foul odor?

[ ]Yes [ ]No

Answer: Gas or odor is a sign of a bacterial imbalance in your intestinal flora. The "bad" bacteria release foul-smelling gases and toxins that can cramp your colon and create embarrassing odors.  You can eliminate this odor by removing debris and encrusted feces from the walls of your intestines and restoring the balance in your intestinal flora.

• Question #4: What color is your stool?

[ ]Yellow [ ]Green  [ ]Brown   [ ]Gray [ ]Black [ ]Bright red

According to Mayo Clinic research, all shades of brown and even green are considered normal stool colors. And the foods you eat can affect the color of your stool. For example, beets, tomato juice, blueberries, popsicles and green leafy vegetables can affect your stool color. However, a distinct change in stool color can be a warning sign for health problems.

Yellow-colored stool indicates your food is moving too quickly through your digestive tract—as in the case of diarrhea. If stool is greasy or foul-smelling, it may indicate excess fat caused by malabsorption of nutrients.
Green-colored stool means your food isn't properly being processed through your intestines. As a result, bile isn't broken down—and gives your stool that green color. Green stool can also mean you're eating too much sugar, fruits and vegetables and not enough grains or salt.

Gray or ashy colored stool indicates undigested fats or heavy use of prescription or over-the-counter drugs that contain aluminum hydroxide. It can also indicate a lack of bile in the stool that may be caused by a bile duct obstruction.

Black stool is a serious warning sign for bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract—possibly the stomach.

Bright red stool may indicate bleeding in the lower intestinal tract—possibly the large intestine or rectum. Hemorrhoids may also be the source of the bleeding.

• Question #5: Do you pass gas while you're having a bowel movement or have you noticed air or bubbles in your stool?

[ ]Yes [ ]No

Answer: Air or bubbles in stool can indicate an intestinal imbalance. Gas producing bacteria may be overgrowing and competing with the healthier flora in your gut.

Please know this: A normal bowel movement happens within 60 seconds of sitting on the toilet.
There should be no straining, pain, bleeding or foul odor accompanied with your bowel movements.
And wiping afterwards should be easy and simple—using just one or two pieces of toilet paper!

If that's not your experience in the bathroom—then you need to give your intestines a thorough internal cleaning!


When your colon is in danger—it will do anything and everything to send out an S.O.S. for health!
If you notice strong body odor—especially under your arm pits......Or if your friends shy away and frequently offer you breath mints—LISTEN to your colon—it's screaming for help!

And INTESTINAL parasites can also trigger:

• Painful gas and bloating
• Irritable bowels
• Runny stool or diarrhea
• Allergies
• Skin outbreaks
• Insomnia
• Poor immune system
• Muscle pain and joint soreness
• And much more!

Looking Back 6 years ago.. 2 years ago ... and Now

I am happy!

6 years ago.. I was diagnose to have IBS. The cause of my IBS was antibiotics for my severe sorethroat. I can't even begin to imagine that for such a small thing and I got IBS because of so-called modern medicine.

Well, 2+ years ago my IBS became so bad, I had to quit my job. My job was so stressfull and it was aggravating the IBS. I was only 'well' 2 weeks in a month. That was no life! I was so depressed. Thanks to my wife, I did not sink too deep into depression. The Internet help me a lot. I found forums and had some online support and that pull me out of 'why me' mindset.

I started my 'road to recovery' when I decided this was not the 'life' I wanted. I was not dead. My wife bought an ebook about depression for me and I started to change things in my life, literary starting with my mindset, and then diet and then exercise.

Well, I can't say that my IBS is all gone but I now have maybe one or two bad days a month. I have started my own business now. I am now armed with knowledge of what to do when things go wrong. Most often than not, I can feel when things are not going well, I am on the defence already with my naturual remedies and exercises.

But if you really ask me how I eventually able to get 'control' - I would say - MINDSET and get out of the depression! Because there are remedies out there, you just have to look.

I am happy now!

regards
terry

So what has worked for me to contain my IBS?

Hi,

A number of readers have asked me this question (or some form of it). "What has worked for you in summary to control your IBS?"

Ok, so here goes.

Basically,


1. Diet was the biggest change for me. Tracking "safe" and "terrible" foods with a cheatsheet was one the best thing I did. Now I am almost a vegetarian now. I do eat fish and occasional meat (chicken). No red meat at all.
2. Ritualised practices (in the morning)

1. Before I get out of bed, I do a few "sudden kick" exercises, while lying on the bed. The purpose is to get some bowel movement.
2. Every morning, I have a glass of warm honey (good honey, not commercial ones) before having any breakfast.
3. Bowel movements is VERY important. I make sure I do this at a specific time every day. If I have a fairly good movement, my day will be great. I get to smell the flowers.

3. I really watch what I eat for lunch, tea and dinner. I basically become less adventurous now with food and it saves my day. I guess it is what we, IBS sufferers have to accept in our life. We cannot be too adventurous with food. Read what happen to me when my greed got the better of me.. I suffered!

4. I try to get some exercise done everyday. Yoga is my minimal workout. I will either get a swim or a jog if I can make it. My yoga exercises focuses on the stomach area. I have a number of yoga stances in my website: www.ibs-relieftips.com. Pick some tips there.

5. For dinner, I eat fruits first. ( I will post something on this later) before my dinner. I finish off with warm water.

6. For a very light snack before I sleep, I take a cup of yogurt. I am lucky that I am not milk intolerant. yogurt basically saved my life. At one time I could not even take soya but after months of healing, I am now able to take soya in moderation. Soya is good stuff.

7. I wind down for the day fairly early. Get as much as 8 hrs of sleep. I start to wind down about 2 hours before either watching a movie or TV or read a book. I sleep at regular hours. I try not to stay up too late.

8. Before going to bed. I meditate. It is really refreshing to calm the mind down. Ops! I just realised I have not posted anything on how to meditate.. I will post one soon. Just sign up or be my blog friend and you'll get the posting soon.

Another important tip. Stress management. I can't really tell you how important this is. For my case, I quit my job to take control of my IBS because I knew one of my IBS major cause was Job Stress. I now work for myself. I guess it is a blessing in disguise. Please I am not saying to quit your job. You will have to evaluate your own circumstances to decide on this. I have learnt a lot from this book I picked up years ago.

This is my regiment, my daily ritual and it has saved me. Maybe it is the ritualized things that I do that started the healing process.

Best in IBS health
Terry

What are the tell-tale signs that you are stressed?

Hi

I was visited the doctor the other day and I noticed she had a poster up by some drug company. I don't really like drugs but I thought the information provided on the poster was interesting.


Check it out.

Stress is one of the problems that aggravates IBS... in fact , anything. You can't think straight, You get angry very fast. Your high blood pressure shoots up. Your lose your appetite... and tons more.

I will write a tip on how to control stress in another post. However, if you want to learn how to control the "STRESS" click here.

Best in IBS Health
Terry