It’s exactly one year since I posted my first blog about my ‘tummy troubles’. My ramblings about my digestive dysfunctions have had nearly 9000 views over the last 12 months which is just astonishing to me! Hopefully I’ve provided some answers or given a new perspective to people looking for help with their own digestive problems.
I’ve found out so much more about what could be causing my symptoms (fat intolerance, eggy burps) over the last year. I’ve had a few theories, tried out a few different experiments – some worked, others not so much (My Trial with Symprove). In general life I am fitter than I’ve been in a long time – maybe ever. Exercise helps a huge amount with my symptoms. Here’s a Tara Stiles yoga video which is great for easing that over-full feeling.
I’ve discovered over the last year that coca-cola can be a medicine for helping to move stuck food through your stomach. The first instinct when you feel sick is to take antacids but if you have bile reflux the problem may be that your stomach is not acidic enough because bile is neutralising the natural stomach acid required for normal digestion. A small drink of cola may be all you need to feel fine – antacids could be making things worse! I still occasionally get acid reflux as well and take an antacid but only the burn in my throat is particularly uncomfortable.
In the last year I’ve also learned more about the ‘second brain’ we have hiding away in our digestive system. Our Enteric Nervous System controls all the different aspects of digestion and is almost entirely independent of our ‘first’ brain. This is why it is so very difficult to diagnose stomach disorders. Any number of things can be wrong yet because our stomach and our brain do not talk to each very well our only indicators of a problem are nausea or pain. There’s a lot of research about how our food intolerances can effect our mood. It is so common for people to blame digestive disorders on depression or stress but what if it is the digestive disorder that is causing the feelings of depression or stress? I’m reading up even more and planning to post about our second brain soon.
My diet is still very low in fat and that continues to keep the particularly bad episodes at bay. My last one was in February the day after stealing a pizza crust from my husbands dinner plate. The pizza crust was delicious but definitely not worth the result. Times like that renew my resolve to fight to be healthy and live a good, happy life not chained to the bathroom! I still get waves of nausea, bloating, sensation of fullness and ‘traditional’ IBS-D symptoms on a daily basis but they are eased by keeping portion sizes small and avoiding those foods which I know trigger my symptoms. Everyday I discover something new and everyday I get closer to finding that perfect balance to keep my digestive system calm and functional permanently. Thank you for reading!
Fat Free Living 