7 Things you need to know about “Irritable Bowel Syndrome”
August 30, 2009 by Admin
Filed under IBS - Free Content
So many people experience regular abdominal pain and frequent bouts of diarrhea and/or constipation, but what many don’t realize is that it could be the result of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Additionally, many don’t realize just how serious this medical condition really is, rather than only being an inconvenience at times. In order to help you determine whether or not you suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome, here are seven things you need to know:
1) Irritable Bowel Syndrome is more common than you think.
It is estimated that approximately 25 to 50 million people in the United States suffer from this condition. Furthermore, IBS is more prevalent among women than it is among men. Of those who suffer from this condition, 60% are women while the remaining 40% are men. One should also bear in mind that this condition can affect anyone, irrespective of age.
2) The exact cause of IBS remains a mystery.
Contrary to what many people believe, IBS is not a condition caused solely by stress, although stress can of course make the condition worse. Many medical professionals have suggested that the condition is brought about due to a disturbance occurring between the brain, the digestive system, and the nervous system. Even so, the root cause has yet to be pinpointed.
3) IBS Symptoms are not always the same.
The symptoms of IBS can vary significantly between one person and the next. While some people may experience constipation, others suffer from severe diarrhea on a regular basis. In fact, some people experience both of these symptoms regularly. Unfortunately, irrespective of how the condition effects you, pain is virtually inevitable, and while it may be relatively mild in some cases, it can be extremely severe than others.
4) There is currently no known cure for IBS.
Even though the condition can be controlled to a certain extent through a combination of medication and stress management, the minute a person stops taking medication, or their stress levels rise, they begin experiencing the symptoms again. (That is why I don’t recommend this way of training IBS!)
5) IBS is often left unreported.
Surprisingly enough, the vast majority of people who suffer from this condition, do so for many years before they seek help. This is possibly due to the fact that many people are embarrassed about the condition. This is also why some people do report it but they don’t make it perfectly clear just how severe their symptoms really are.
6) IBS is becoming more and more common.
Gastroenterologists have declared that between 20 to 40% of all their patients are suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and are in agreement that most fail to seek help simply because they feel ashamed.
7) IBS should only be diagnosed by a qualified health care professional.
If you or anyone close to you regularly suffers from abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, or excessive gas, you should immediately go and see a doctor. Irrespective of whether or not you are diagnosed as having IBS, a doctor would at least be able to check you for other, more serious, health issues.
Probiotics – Are they beneficial?
August 13, 2009 by Kimberly Buchanan
Filed under IBS Treatments
Dear Members,
Probiotics are quite a trendy thing right now – so do they actually benefit the body? In one word – yes. Probiotics add healthy bacteria to the digestive system. Eating foods filled with probiotics can help avoid a variety of digestive related issues. You can learn more about the health benefits of probiotics and where you can find them below.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are bacteria that support life. You already have bacteria in your body. These good bacteria support a healthy immune system. Ideally, you want the healthy good bacteria to outnumber the bad bacteria to fight infections.
Eating foods that are high in probiotics is a plus especially when you are taking medications. By definition antibiotics are the direct opposite of probiotics. They kill bacteria.
While they are useful for killing the bacteria that cause infections like urinary tract and vaginal yeast, the good bacteria are also decreased at the same time. Probiotics reverse this process to replenish the good bacteria in your system. That is one reason that eating yogurt helps prevent vaginal yeast infections when taking antibiotics at the same time.
Where are probiotics?
Have you seen those commercials for yogurt that can improve your digestive health? They are all over the television and magazine ads. The live bacteria cultures found in yogurt are one example of probiotics. Bacteria like lactobacillus, in its many strains, are plentiful in yogurt and provides for an increase in intestinal bacteria.
When buying yogurt, look for natural yogurt that contains no added sugars or flavoring. Plain yogurt is the best because it adds the most benefit with the least amount of added calories and sweeteners. Yogurt can be made at home instead of purchased at the grocery store.
Other probiotics can be found in fermented food. Think of pickles, sauerkraut, acidophilus milk, cheese and miso paste (a soybean paste found in Japanese foods). Bacteria are introduced to ferment foods and these bacteria are probiotics. Also try kefir (a milk drink) for increasing the probiotics in your diet.
As some of these natural sources of probiotics are acidic, a great alternative is taking probiotic supplements. The exact amount of probiotics needed each day is not well known but even a small amount can protect you from intestinal troubles and prevent certain conditions like diarrhea and yeast infections. Many supplements contain billions of beneficial bacterial cultures in each pill.
However, with all this said, probiotics is just one small change you can make to your overall diet to help with your IBS. Keep moving with the other things IBS Eliminated discusses!
To your health,
Kimberly
Reminder for Food Combinations
August 12, 2009 by Admin
Filed under Podcasts Audio
Hi all,
Here is another audio I have recorded just for my members. Remember curing IBS is not just a one off thing – it is something you need to keep working on!
As you know I am very keen to make sure that what we are eating and drinking is easy on the digestive system. This is a reminder of how to combine foods to help you stop your IBS.
See you soon!
Kim
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Sex and Colon Cleansing
August 1, 2009 by Admin
Filed under IBS - Free Content
When you’re constipated, there are many things going on inside your body that you may have no idea of. For example, if you’re not moving your bowels in a proper fashion, it can lead to a build-up of toxins that get re-absorbed into the bloodstream. As the toxins rush throughout your body, they send your systems into a frenzy. Your body is fighting the toxins so hard that other functions just can’t be handled. What happens is your immune system lowers, your digestive system is already wrecked and your sex drive suffers.
How to tell if YOU are Constipated
At any time, over 4 million Americans are suffering from constipation. To say it’s almost epidemic is an understatement! And those are the ones actually going to the doctor for it, not the people simply using over-the-counter treatments. What’s important to know is that you can be having bowel movements and still be diagnosed with constipation.
If you have two or less bowel movements in a week, you can be classified as constipated. If you have to strain, or have incomplete bowel movements 25% of the time you go, you are constipated. Likewise, if you experience black, small, hard and pebble-like stools, or thin pencil-sized stools, you’re constipated.
It’s important to understand that constipation is usually derivative of an underlying cause. It can be something as simple as an improper diet or as severe as diabetes. You need to be aware that you don’t get constipated for no reason. Blood sugar levels, diseases like diabetes and medications can all affect your digestive system in a negative way. These same reasons can also be adding to your sexual problems.
Study results show that people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) are over 4 times higher at risk to experience sexual health problems. Decreased sex drive was the most common complaint, and women were noted as experiencing pain during intercourse. It was also shown that the problems surfaced twice as much with constipation patients compared to diarrhea patients. Also, the worse the IBS, the lower the sex drive.
How to Get the Drive Back
Cleaning your colon can get rid of all the sludge and grime that is backing your system up and causing your libido to nosedive. It’s been proven that the average person has accumulated between 5 and 25 pounds of pure waste in the colon. Waste that never leaves. It just sits in there, putrefying. Right off the bat, imagine how much better you would feel if you cleansed 25 pounds of garbage out of your body!
Did you know that over 90% of all illness can be directly traced back to a dirty colon? The colon is where 70% of the body’s immune system does its work. If the colon is filled, the immune system is lacking and you’re getting sick. How much better would it be if your colon was clean and your immune system could fight the organisms it’s meant to fight instead of dealing with the toxins in your body?
Products like Oxy-Powder work wonders, effectively cleaning out the colon and getting rid of numerous years worth of build-up. Oxy-Powder’s powerful, yet gentle formula uses a combination of oxygenated magnesium, germanium and citric acid to naturally cleanse and detoxify your colon. It even promotes a healthy environment that allows good bacteria to flourish and aid in digestion.
With Oxy-Powder, you’ll notice a difference both inside and out. You’ll feel lighter, cleaner and simply healthier than ever on the inside. On the outside, you’ll have a much more vibrant look, a clearer complexion and your energy will be noticed by everyone. Your body is like a self-servicing machine. It has the ability to heal itself and avoid many illnesses, but that’s only if it’s healthy enough to do it. Removing the toxins from your body will allow it to work the way it’s supposed to.
Adding a proper exercise routine and changing your diet to include more fiber and water will help maintenance your clean, new system. A good diet should include 25 to 35 grams of fiber per day. Most Americans only get about 15 grams if they’re lucky. That adjustment alone can work wonders for your digestive system. A colon cleanse may be just the spark you need to re-ignite your life. You can say goodbye to constipation and hello to your partner again, in the bedroom!
By: The Colon Cleansing & Constipation Resource Center
About the Author:
The Colon Cleansing & Constipation Resource Center is sponsored by Global Healing Center, Inc. The Resource Center’s Web site features information on constipation, articles on colon cleansing, and research on the latest treatments. For more information, please visit The Colon Cleansing & Constipation Resource Center.
© The Colon Cleansing & Constipation Resource Center, All Rights Reserved
Great Tips to Prevent Irritable Bowel Syndrome
July 25, 2009 by Admin
Filed under IBS - Free Content
Prevention is better than cure. It is better to act wisely and take steps to prevent irritable bowel syndrome on time. After all, living with a condition that’s painful and affects daily routine is not worth it. The worse part is that you may even have to experience some real embarrassing situation. Remember that it is a chronic disease and you may have to live with it. It can even become a life-long experience.
Here are some techniques and tips that can help you prevent the occurrence or even reoccurrence of the symptoms.
First, you need to stay away from foods that trigger off this chronic problem. Foods with high fat content are an absolute no-no. These foods are capable of interrupting in the normal functioning of the intestines. These create reduced movements of the muscles. Under these circumstances, more gas is produced as the bacteria tend to act upon the component digestion in order to accomplish the task.
Second, have a lot of fluids, mainly water. This will cleanse your system. Do not take caffeinated drinks, tea or carbonated drinks. Good amount of fluid will maintain intestinal tract. Besides, fluids also help a lot in breaking down digested foods in the lower portions of the digestive system. This makes it easier for the body to digest the food. It also facilitates in replenishing water in case, dehydration is caused due to diarrhea.
Focus on doing exercising regularly. Here, you don’t need to work out hard at gym for hours or build up a muscular body (it’s great if you can do it!) but to work out at a certain intensity regularly. Even brisk walking on a daily basis will do. This will create healthy effects on your body and also help you to regulate abnormal movements of your intestinal tract.
Another great thing to do is to learn certain techniques for stress management in order to reduce the anxiety you may face. Keep tabs on your diet on a regular basis. Eat smaller portions of food. Instead of having three large meals in a day, try to have 3-5 smaller meals in a day.
Deep breathing is really important. You should act calmly while breathing from your diaphragm. This is the muscle that separates your chest from your abdomen. When you inhale, try to allow your belly to expand. Let it contract naturally when you exhale. Deep breathing facilitates relaxing your abdominal muscles. This results in a natural bowel activity.
Relax for at least twenty minutes in a day for any activity that you find relaxing. You can indulge in reading, dancing, listening to music, playing computer games, shopping etc.
Yoga and meditation can also help a lot. Try to pamper yourself by a good massage.
Last but not the least; you should know when to contact a doctor. Go for an expert consultation as soon as you show up warning signs or find something wrong with you digestive system.
By: Bertil Hjert
About the Author:
For more Articles, News, Information, Advice, and Resources about Irritable Bowel Syndrome please visit IRRITABLE BOWEL ADVICE and ACID REFLUX EXPERT
