Tea Time

IBS and tea is a topic I have yet to cover on this blog.  It isn't a treatment many doctors will discuss with you, so I happened upon tea quite by accident.  To read more you may want to check out some other bloggers, most notably Dr. Barbara Bolen of About.com.

Let me start off by saying that I'm not a tea or coffee drinker in any normal sense of the word. Most gastroenterologists advise against caffeine and I stick to this by sheer accident because I hate the taste and it gets me so revved up I can't function.  I'm a water girl 99.99 % of the time.  In recent years I have taken to experimenting with herbal teas as a digestive aid and have had mild success.

What do I use herbal teas for?  If I feel bloated, gassy or like I need to use the washroom I may look to drink a tea. Sometimes a glass of hot water will help, but I tend to have more success with tea.  My faves are as follows:

1. Mint:  This can be a little controversial, especially for those of you who have GERD (I do!).  If you have GERD then it can exacerbate your symptoms, but I have learned how much I can handle without causing problems.  I tend to buy organic mint or spearmint tea - it has no added caffeine or green tea.  My preference is David's Tea, but I also like the Refresh Tea at Starbucks - but not at home as it is far too expensive!  I tend to buy 100g from David's Tea and it will last me several months.

2.  Detox tea: I have only just begun to explore this tea, also from David's, so am still getting used to it.  The flavour is a little overwhelming, but it does appear to help with digestion.

3.  Pu'erh tea: These teas have a long history in China of helping with weight and digestion.  I'm still acquiring a taste for this; I'm having trouble getting on-board with the flavour; however, know that it works really well.  My favourite way to drink it is with some mint tea thrown in their to mask the flavour.

You can also make your own tea using freshly grated ginger, to find out more take a look at this article on IBS from Best Health.  For other home remedies that may help your IBS, take a look at this article on Discovery.

Do you use any herbal remedies to help manage your IBS or to aid in digestion?

Travelling IBS Style

If you have any sort of digestive disorder, whether it is Crohn's, Colitis or IBS, you likely feel some degree of stress at the thought of travelling.  We have all encountered "close calls"; one of my most memorable close calls was while on my honeymooon in Antibes.  My husband and I had a lovely dinner, went for a walk along the boardwalk and then WHAM!  It hit me... that realization that I must find a washroom at all costs - before what I have always dreaded finally happened.

For anyone who has spent time in France or Europe, you realize that you cannot always walk into an establishment to use the washroom, you will likely have to buy something.  There are no Tim Hortons that you can slip into unnoticed.  There are no gas stations that you can discreetly duck into.  Europe has these public washrooms that are brilliant in their ability to self-clean - for those who are willing to pay, but, nevertheless, washrooms are not as widely available as they are in North America.  After extensive, frantic searching, I found such a washroom, during what is likely my closest encounter to date.  Thank goodness my husband is well-versed in my heightened level of panic and extreme erraticism when the runs come running.  Of course, upon discovering this washroom there was no toilet paper and no soap or sanitizer of any kind.  To add to this, you only have a certain amount of time to get in and out before it goes into clean mode.  This leads to complete and utter panic.

So, what did I do in this situation?  Being a veteran IBSer I carry the equivalent to the contents of a diaper bag with me at all times, especially when in a foreign country. In this vein, and in honour of my recent road trip to Cape Breton, I would like to share the contents of my emergency IBS kit.

First and foremost, the drug store is your best friend, especially the travel section.  Here you can find just the right size items for your carry-on or to fit in an overnight bag, or even your purse if you are out for a walk.

1.  Mini toilet paper roll:  I am in awe of the usefulness of this item.  I always pack one when travelling, or alternatively tissues if going on a short jaunt (think evening stroll or run).  This became essential last weekend when I had one of those emergencies and stumbled upon a washroom with no sign of toilet paper.  Not to worry, I had my handy-dandy mini roll in my purse, problem solved.

2.  Hand sanitizer:  if you have bowel issues you have definitely used some questionable toilets.  You reach a point where, in the right frame of mind, you will use absolutely any washroom available - be it the dirtiest gas station washroom, port-o-pottie, outhouse or the great outdoors.  I can personally attest to each and every one of these.  In these moments hand sanitizer is an absolute necessity.

3.  Vaseline/baby butt cream:  without going into too much detail - sometimes it hurts and these salves can help ease your pain.

4.  Baby powder or cornstarch:  similar to the products listed above, this can be helpful with pain management.

5.  Extra undies and panty liners:  in case that awful moment actually occurs, I always have stuff so I can quickly get cleaned up.  My theory is that if I prepare for the worst, I can hopefully avoid the worst.

6.  Baby wipes:  these can often be helpful and soothing and have a variety of uses.

7.  Purse hanger:  a friend gave one of these to me for my birthday a few years back.  I really had no idea how much I would use it, but I always carry this when I travel, for those bathrooms that you never wanted to step into and that you certainly do not want to bring with you (ie. germies).

4 Resources to Help Manage Your IBS

Last month I had the opportunity to work with the creator of IBS Impact – a blog and website run by and for those with IBS.  I wrote an article for their blog about Canadian IBS resources and certainly hope to contribute to the site again.  In an effort to ensure that my readers don’t miss out on some of this information, I wanted to share some of the highlights with you.  If you are not Canadian – don’t fret!  You will likely still find a gem or two in here that will help you in your IBS journey.

Did you know that approximately five million Canadians now suffer from IBS?  If you are reading this blog, you are likely one of them.  Are you constantly looking for credible resources that can help you cope with the reality of unruly bowels?  Check out the sources below for a few that I would recommend:

Canadian Digestive Health Foundation (CDHF): The CDHF has created a free app compatible on both iPhone and Android called GI BodyGuard.  This app will track your bowel patterns, your pain level, food, medication and other symptoms.  If you suspect you may have a bowel condition, you may want to consider using this app before you see a physician so that you can show your GP exactly what you are experiencing.  I certainly wish this had been available when my symptoms first started! 

Canadian Society of Intestinal Research:  I am not a pamphlet-lover and find that the information available in them is often obvious; however, I would recommend taking advantage of the free pamphlet-mailing service available for a multitude of digestive conditions.  The information available in these was actually pretty great and would be an excellent starting point for someone newly-diagnosed or perhaps for someone trying to determine if they have a certain digestive condition. 

Capital District Health Authority (Nova Scotia):  Through the Nutrition Education Clinic in Halifax and Dartmouth, the CDHA offers an Irritable Bowel Syndrome Program.   After a referral from your GP, patients can take part in one of the regularly scheduled classes where you interact with other sufferers and a nutritionist to learn how to manage your symptoms through nutrition. If you have any questions I would recommend calling the number available on their website – I called to inquire about the program when researching my article for IBS Impact and they were extremely helpful. 

Can’t Wait:  In this technology-crazed world, I cannot help but include another app recommendation!  The Can’t Wait app (developed by the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada) is your key to finding the closest washroom when you feel as if… well – as if you can’t wait!  Using your phone’s GPS, this app will generate a list of the closest public washrooms so that you can stop panicking and get on with your day.  The only drawback is that it is not 100% accurate – I did test it from my home and it did not identify the washroom that was actually the closest; however, if you were in a downtown core I believe it would be more accurate than in a rural setting.    

Now, I know there are likely many resources that are not covered above, so my question to you is – what is the most useful resource you have stumbled across to manage your digestive disorder?  I would love to compile a list and I am certain your fellow readers would be appreciative if you would share your go-to source for support, information or for symptom management.   

Update and gratitude

My apologies, I have been MIA for quite awhile now.  My husband and I just bought and moved into our first house, it happened quite by accident, but after adding some new flooring and fresh paint, we are finally moved in and life is becoming "normal".  Or, as normal as it can be leading up to Christmas amidst boxes!  I wanted to provide you with a few updates on running and the runs.

In terms of running, this has been a rollercoaster for me.  I may not be made for running, which I am finding hard to absorb after reading Born to Run (amazing book, read it even if you are not a runner).  I cannot not get injured.  Call me clumsy, but I cannot seem to get on track and go two weeks without something happening.  Ever since I received the go-ahead to start running again I am plagued with a bum knee after each run that essentially prevents me from running for approximately one week.  I promise this is not me wimping out, it involves not being able to walk up or down stairs (off and on I am that girl in the office tower who takes the elevator up or down one floor - how very embarrassing).  So, my chiropractor and I have come up with a new game plan that is essentially one last kick at the can; she very diplomatically stated that if this does not work I should find something else to occupy my time.  The plan is to walk/run (or run as things progress) 2 km approximately 3-4 times a week for two months.  The reason why we chose 2 km is because my knee starts throbbing around 3 km, so the theory is that if I stop before then and master that distance I might just build up enough muscle to increase my distance after the two month mark.  If not, at least I have a cute lulu running skirt that I can wear around the house...  So have I been doing this?  Ha!  Once.  I told myself that over the next couple of weeks I should do what I can as we try to get the house somewhat organized before Christmas and in January I will commit to at minimum three runs per week. 

Now let's talk about the runs - I had a few days in the middle of the move where I hit around 15, but aside from that I am hovering in around five, which I can deal with.  My husband and I are re-introducing vegetables after a moving hiatus filled with garlic knots, slices of pizza, wine and beer.  For anyone with IBS you can understand how unpleasant it can be to convince your body to digest fruits and vegetables, but, I seem to be doing all right at the moment.  I certainly have not added in any whole wheat items at this juncture, that would have disaster written all over it. 

In the Christmas spirit, I thought I would share with you a little list of what I am grateful for in relation to the new house:

1. I have stairs.
2. Two sets to be precise.
3. I adore the wall colours and flooring we chose and it makes me feel happy.
4. It is fun living in a neighbourhood and it feels safer when I go for a walk at night.
5. The house has more than one floor which enables me to feel decidedly un-hampster-like compared to the apartment.
6. I cannot hear every move my husband makes.
7. I have a propane fireplace and I turn it on even though I know it costs me money every time I use it.
8. There are built-in bookshelves in the basement which allows me to partially live out my dream of a home library.
9. My husband was comfortable with me taking up the whole closet in our bedroom, the downside being he has his own dressing room of sorts - my closet is bigger though!
10. My closet has a tower for my shoes.
11. We have a backyard! 
12. Our barbecue is no longer sitting in our living room, it is on the deck and we are using it!
13. We finally caved and bought a microwave after three years because there was a space for one in the kitchen.  I did not think I would like this as much as I do - I no longer have to heat my Magic Bag up in the oven.
14. No fire alarms have gone off while making toast.
15. No fire alarms have gone off period.
16. No one is smoking in the building.
17. My husband thinks he is Mike Holmes and is quite busy as a result.  I call him Tim Taylor.
18. I am super excited to be in before Christmas - we are setting up our first tree ever!
19. We have a dryer that dries our clothes in less than four cycles.
20. We can hang our clothes to dry out-of-site in the utility room.
21. I really feel married now, it felt kind of pretend before and I am excited to share this milestone with my husband.

Oh my goodness - I had to come back and add one last item - I forgot the most important item of all - two toilets!  This should have been at the top of my list!

Food Gone Wild: The Gaslight Edition

After introducing you to the idea that sometimes the unhealthiest foods are the easiest to digest for some IBS sufferers, I would like to talk a little about a specific symptom - gas.  I have already covered fibre here and here and I have touched on my love-hate relationship with corn and rhubarb, but let's talk about some gas-inducing foods.

The first obvious one would be cabbage.  Can anyone honestly say that they have ever come out of a meal involving cabbage (especially raw) completely unscathed?  This is on my Do Not Eat List, and if you have trouble with gas as an IBS symptom, I would recommend adding this to your list as well.

Another obvious one is turnip, and I know I am not alone here.  I know a couple of moms who do not give their baby turnip because of the flatulence that ensues.

Broccoli.  A lot of people hate this vegetable, personally, I love it.  Unfortunately, as is often the case with IBS, it does not always love me.  But, if you steam the heck out of it, broccoli can be quite digestible and you should avoid any serious side effects.  I keep bags and bags of it in the freezer as a quick side to a meal.

Next vegetable... peppers.  These vegetables are tied with cabbage at the very top of my Do Not Eat List.  The colour does not matter and it can be a regular or hot pepper, there is absolutely no difference.  I can honestly say I have not willingly eaten one of these in roughly a decade.

The general rule with fruits and vegetables is - if it has a peel, peel it.  I do realize that a lot of the nutrients and fibre are contained in the peel, but, unless you want to fart your way through life and feel like a hot air balloon, I would strongly suggest that you follow this key step.  When I began to do this it was absolutely life changing.  This one small change has allowed me to eat zucchini, cucumber (small amounts) and apples again - and to eat them raw!

Other gas-inducing foods in the not-so healthy category are:

• Frozen pizza/regular pizza
• Cheese
• Rice cakes (especially the flavoured kind)
• Kraft Dinner
• Munchies Mix
• Ice cream

The final category worth mentioning are beans and lentils, which are problematic for most people, I believe.  They are so notorious, in fact, that they have been made digestively famous by many a rhyme ... beans, beans, make you... and every family has a story about the after-effects of chili night at their house!

So, to recap a few of the golden rules for a blissfully gas-free (or reduced) existence:

• Peel it if you can
• Steam your veggies
• Try to avoid eating raw fruits and veggies 

For an excellent example of what you can do to relieve your gas, check out this post - but be warned, try this at home if you are having a bad IBS day!  In addition, if anyone else has recommendations of what to avoid or how to prepare, please, share your experiences so that we can learn from each other!

Food Gone Wild

WARNING:  This is an IBS-specific post, and may contain TMI - Too Much Information.

We have all been lead to assume that fruits, vegetables, lentils and whole grains are healthy and should represent a large portion of our diet.  I would also like to believe this is true, but, unfortunately, for some of us, this can run horribly awry in practice.

For the last few months I have had the sneaking suspicion that I have been heading toward a full-blown IBS episode. Firstly, as my episodes are normally about every two years or so, I am clearly due.  What tipped me off though were the minimum of seven to eight visits to the ladies room each day (double what I think of as normal) for the past eight weeks. I have had gas so badly that I have been unable to sit up straight at work and have been forced to drop everything, call a cab and head home to my magic bag on more than one occasion.  It has begun to affect my routines, my corn starch usage has gone through the roof and I cannot decide whether sitting or standing is preferable.

In an attempt to combat this I have tried a few things.  I had my first abdominal massage, I am now seeing a naturopath (the third in my lifetime).  I find myself agreeing to consume tinctures and Chinese herbs with names like bu zhong yi qi tang.  I have yet to try a rice water remedy that is supposed to help regulate me.

The likely question here is - is it something I'm eating?  I tried that experiment - I did the clean eating thing - I peeled and steamed my veg and fruit.  I ate lots of sugar-free applesauce and fruit cocktail (fresh fruit can be tricky for IBSers to digest).  I ate more fibre, I drank more water (more than my 3+ litres a day), I drank digestive teas, I did the digestive-friendly yoga poses and lots of yoga breathing.  The results?  It gave me the shits, like, have-the-flu kind of shits.

Upon realizing that this was not going according to plan I bought a lot of Boost and Gatorade (to help replace electrolytes).  On particularly high-pain days I have been drinking 1-3 Boost.  Some days I have a completely liquid day so it does not hurt quite so much by the time I hit number 8. On better days I have 1-2 Boost, applesauce, white bread with peanut butter and either more white bread, applesauce and an egg or grilled chicken with steamed broccoli.

However, a funny thing happened.  I went on vacation.  In the land of Olive Garden salad and bread sticks, pizza, fried food, dessert and alcohol.

Amazing milkshake at Duckfat in Portland, Maine

Aside from a little gas, I was at 1-2 washroom trips a day - without the big D and minimal amounts of pain!  I even hiked up several mountains at Acadia National Park without crapping my pants or popping a squat!  The only real side effects are my clogged arteries and the extra padding around my tush.

View from Acadia Mountain

Another beautiful view 

What does this mean?  It certainly goes to show that stress is the leading factor contributing to this IBS episode.  It also shows that when in an episode food can have little bearing on your symptoms.  So does this mean I plan to continue along this road to chunky town?  Definitely not.  Come hell or high water I am putting my fat pants away.  But, it does mean that as I go back on "real" food, life will be pretty awful, for quite awhile as my body gets used to trying to process fruits and vegetables.

As an IBS sufferer it is often difficult to choose the right foods because my reaction to the good food goes against everything I have been taught - from the food guide to my specialist, to all the health, fitness and wellness bloggers out there.  The healthy choice certainly feels pretty unhealthy to me as I have to go every hour, on the hour from the time I wake up.  It certainly feels unhealthy canceling appointments and making up excuses as to why I have to miss that meeting or have my colleagues believe that I really cannot shake that flu.  It is also really awkward dealing with the corn starch in a public restroom - all signs point to addiction.

So today, my first full day back from vacation I started off with my morning shake (Shakeology, cocoa powder, cinnamon, skim milk, peanut butter and banana baby food) and stuck to real food aside from my one ultra dark chocolate truffle and some butter on my white bread.  My body certainly cannot take whole wheat bread and vegetables all at once - one step at a time.  As I slowly, but surely trade in my fat pants for my skinny jeans, think of me, perpetually on the throne, in a cloud of corn starch.  Think of this as installment one in Food Gone Wild - an IBSer's tale of strange food choices, all in the name of the colon!

For those of you with digestive issues, I would love to hear if you have any recommendations!

Field of Dreams indeed!

The season for corn on the cob is now well underway, therefore, as a brief tribute to that golden deliciousness I thought I would share some thoughts on the matter.  I fondly recall many summer evenings shucking corn on the back deck of my childhood home, the smell of it cooking, the butter and salt dripping down my chin and that first delightful bite.  This experience ranks as highly as fresh strawberry shortcake.

My husband is from Iowa, home to the Field of Dreams and one of the ultimate baseball movies of all time.

"If you build it, he will come" and "Is this heaven?  No, its Iowa."  One year my husband surprised me on Easter Sunday by stopping in Dyersville at Iowa's main attraction. Despite the fact that we had not hit corn season, it was pretty magical to be there.  My Dad was far more impressed with this quick roadtrip than any European adventure I have had, or ever will have.

Unfortunately, that is where the magic of corn ends for me.  Corn wreaks havoc on my body.  It is guaranteed that if I eat this, I will land on my porcelain throne in less than 30 minutes.

On summer nights I long to eat it, but only ever attempt it a maximum of once each summer.  On a long weekend.  With no plans.  With a toilet in very close proximity.  You only get burned once by an experience such as this.  That sweet, innocent-looking, unassuming corn.  Who would have ever thought that it could be so dangerous?   Explosions of flavour indeed!  Corn is such a reliable laxative that when I feel gassy or bunged up I will make a bowl of popcorn and then - hallelujah! - problem solved.  I do not find popcorn as potent as fresh corn, but it certainly does the trick.  

So, as you tuck into some of summer's finest, when it is uniquely acceptable to ingest copious amounts of butter and salt, I will be eating carrots.  Or celery, sans butter, thinking of the field of dreams.

Let's Get Topical!

WARNING:  This is an IBS-specific post, and may contain TMI - Too Much Information.  

Problems associated with IBS are not limited to the amount of times that you go in one day.  Often, as a result of frequency issues, sufferers encounter other problems such as fissures or hemorrhoids, which can be far more painful than the washroom usage itself.  Either way, many IBSers have a sore bum, both internally and externally; think about when you have the flu and mad diarrhea; this is what many IBSers feel like on a daily basis.  Because of this, they spend their time searching for ways to combat these issues.  With this being said, it is time to get topical – topical remedies, that is. 

There are wide arrays of ointments, creams, foams and powders that can be used to treat these problems.  Many of them are over the counter and many require a prescription.  When you begin waddling because of the pain in your butt, or you try to find a way to do your job standing up, desperation normally sets in and you set yourself on a path to find anything that may bring some relief.  Personally, I have tried most available over the counter and prescription ointments, however, I have extremely fair and sensitive skin, resulting in allergic reactions to all of these products, so I have had to become inventive.  If you were to run into me at the drug store, you would likely think that I have an infant.  This would be because of the Vaseline, zinc oxide, baby wipes and powder that I manage to purchase on a fairly regular basis.  I can assure you, in the event a baby appears at my door, I have everything short of diapers to take care of that little butt. 

I stopped using the stronger stuff once I realized that my butt would actually feel worse after all of the over the counter ointments, instead, I normally use what you use on your baby.  Unfortunately, with both zinc oxide and Vaseline, I can only use them for a day or two before I have an allergic reaction, but that is normally sufficient to give me a bit of relief.  From experience, I would recommend never using the organic Vaseline, for the simple fact that this stuff seeps through everything in sight.  It will seep through the container, it will seep through Ziploc baggies, and pretty soon you will have a slip and slide in your purse.  My recommendation on this one – get the brand name. 

Just as you may think I have a baby, you may also suspect chronic cocaine usage.  This could not be further from the truth.  Two magic words – corn starch.  This is not the kind of topical you use at work.  It gets everywhere.  It looks like I take hits on my bath mat or in my tub; I assure you my desperation has not culminated in drug abuse just yet.  Corn starch is nature’s equivalent to baby powder, without the chemicals or fragrances.  It calms things down, but is a hell of a mess to clean up.  I travel with mini containers full of corn starch, which I have labeled so as not to appear on the drug smuggler list at the airport.  My husband is very mindful to never use the bathroom corn starch.  So, for those of you who have seen it in my loo, nothing quite as exciting as cooking going on in there. 

Baby wipes and Tucks, the best price in town on baby wipes is at Costco!  These can be amazing, and horribly awful.  They will either soothe, or, burn something awful.  In my experience, I cannot always anticipate which one it will be, think of Kevin in Home Alone using the after shave.  Same sensation.  However, baby wipes are extremely useful after using Vaseline or zinc oxide.  Enough said.

In terms of other remedies, not necessarily classified as topical, Advil Liquigels are a gift.  I pop those things all day long when my IBS is acting up, it helps to reduce swelling and relieve pain.  I also use those disposable heat packages, the ones you stick to your neck for relief.  I keep a pack of those in my desk at all times and will put them on my stomach to ease any cramping I may have as a result of the IBS. 

Doughnuts.  Sadly, not the edible ones.  The ones you sit on.  I try to avoid using these at all costs, because, honestly, I do not want to have this conversation at work.  However, it did come to that one year, where, for six months I had to sit on one in order to gain a modicum of relief.  My recommendation would be to put it in a pillowcase and try to pass it off as a cushion. 

As the great Vanilla Ice once said ice, ice baby.  I have spent many nights curled up with ice in a bag where the sun don’t shine.  It is not glamorous, but often it numbs you enough to allow you to function. 

Sitz baths and/or Epsom salt baths.  Sitz baths are not nearly as relaxing as an Epsom salt bath.  The primary difference being that a sitz bath is a device that you fill up with warm water (sometimes with a bit of salt) and place on your toilet.  It is often recommended as a way to promote the healing of fissures or hemorrhoids.  Epsom salt baths are in your actual bath tub and they allow you to step away from the can for a moment.  Personally, I try to limit these, due to my sensitive skin, but they can promote relaxation. 

I hope that you will find some of these recommendations helpful.  If you have any of your own, I would love to hear them! 

Yoga, a gaseous affair

WARNING:  This is an IBS-specific post, and may contain TMI - Too Much Information.  

Is it possible that I have found a subject perhaps even more taboo than the bowel movement?  A friend of mind confirmed today that yes, this is, in fact, the case.  Passing wind, tooting, farting, letting ‘er rip – all terms to refer to flatulence.  It is difficult to write a blog about IBS without ever touching on this subject matter.  So, I will be completely honest, on occasion, I toot.  I call it toot because it sounds a little more sophisticated than some of the alternatives listed above.  When you have IBS this can be one of the biggest, and most embarrassing, challenges you face.  We have all had that awkward situation where you are doing everything in your power not to do so.  You have also, no doubt, been in a situation where, horror upon horrors, one has escaped.  Extreme and utter embarrassment.  For some of us with IBS you go through bouts where you are gassier than others, for whatever reason – too much fibre, not enough fibre, not enough water, something you ate, too much air intake, stress, backed-up etc.  So, without further ado, I am going to tell you about my last yoga class…

As with any physical activity, I plan my meals ahead of time in order to facilitate full digestion.  Last Thursday I did exactly that, I had a 7:30pm yoga class, I got home from work at 5pm – this gave me two and a half hours to attain full digestion.  One would think this should be enough.  Please keep in mind, whenever I have a fitness activity I always eat something with very little fibre and arguably nutrients, basically, I choose straight white carbs because, for me, these are the most bowel friendly.  With this in mind, I ate two pieces of white toast with peanut butter.  But then I did something I should not have done.  Peanut Butter Captain Crunch – one of life’s greatest meals; I adore it so much that my American mother-in-law mails it to me because you cannot buy it in Canada.  In my heart I knew this would be a bad move, but there was exactly enough for one more bowl, I still had about two hours to go, so I ate it.  As I was leaving for yoga I started to realize that I would not be able to digest this meal, I tried several times to have poopy success, but, it was not to be.  With a feeling of impending doom, I left for yoga. 

Has any yoga instructor ever mentioned to you that certain poses help to facilitate digestion?  This is completely and utterly true.  It is also one of the last things you want to hear as you butt-clench your way through a yoga class, trying not to rip ass in the middle of all these zen-loving strangers.  Bearing this in mind, I would like to say that Yoga Thursday was one of the most uncomfortable experiences in recent life.  I felt ready to explode for the entire duration of class.  Gas can be manageable if you are doing poses like warrior, however, very difficult to ignore in child’s pose, or even worse, in downward dog.  In down dog you are in the perfect position to happily relax and let your body do exactly what you both want it to do – if you are in the comfort of your own home.  I managed to fare all right up until the superman pose where you lie on your stomach and float your legs/arms out behind you.  Essentially, you are rocking on your stomach; this is tantamount to becoming a human whoopi-cushion.  As I lay there trying not to rock I looked at the bum of the woman in front of me.  Unbeknownst to her, I was eyeing her rear end thinking, if I were to projectile vomit right now, it would definitely land on that bum.  Even worse would be projectile vomit coupled with one rip-roaring fart.  I obviously decided to stop the pose and just lay there.  Good life decision. 

I did manage to get through the whole yoga class without tooting, and I can honestly say that I have not done so in a class before.  I can also tell you that I wasted no time in getting myself to the safety zone outside my car, where with a great sense of relief I finally ripped one good under the cover of a darkened parking lot. 

The F word – Part Deux: Dear Diary…

In my last post I began my introduction to the world of fibre and how I came to discover my optimal intake-level of the f word.  Knowing your numbers is great in theory, but if you do not know how to track your fibre then you will have no idea how you are doing.  Sure, your symptoms may indicate that things are not going well, but you will not know how the fibre or the food is affecting you.  The solution is … food journaling! 

For those of you who have been diagnosed for awhile, you have probably received this recommendation many times before.  If you are anything like me, I blissfully ignored it.  I became so aggravated any time someone suggested that I track my food, and even worse my symptoms, and my feelings.  And then I had one too many “episodes” and could no longer ignore the repeated recommendations of my dietitian to begin tracking.  So, pen and notebook in hand, I began the tiresome task of writing everything down.  When I say everything, I mean absolutely everything. 

What to track?

• Track how much (ex. 1 slice of whole wheat bread, ½ cup of unsweetened applesauce etc.) and how it was prepared (ex. peeled, cooked, grilled, poached, raw etc.)
• DO NOT forget to track your liquids, especially water
• Track when you ate it
• Track how you physically felt throughout the day (ex. felt bloated after lunch, solid BM after breakfast, cramps after dinner etc.)
• Make note of details relating to your BM (bowel movement), this would include color, consistency, smell, easy or difficult to pass
• Track how you felt emotionally (ex. felt stressed all day, very positive day etc.)
• Write down any event you may feel was significant
• Make note of any physical activity you did that day and for how long – in addition, if your IBS felt better or worse as a result
• For women, if you are on your period, be sure to note this as it can drastically change your symptoms

 Now that you know what to track, how should you track?  There are so many options that you can use, I have tried both the manual options and a few of the online options.  Here is a sampling of what you can use:

• Notebook – just like a diary, you can just make a new entry each day and jot down all of the details as listed above.
• Spreadsheet – I am a girl who loves her spreadsheets.  I love to create an Excel file for pretty much everything, so journaling was no different.  My philosophy is, if you can make it visually appealing and thoughtfully organized, you will be more likely to use it.
• Worksheets – Some dietitians will give you a worksheet that you can use to track your food, and if not, make your own, maybe using a spreadsheet!
• Online – There are unlimited online choices.  In the past, I have used Fitday (the free version) and I currently use Livestrong (paid version, but will likely switch back to the free version next year).  These providers have all of the information available online, so you do not have to wonder how much fibre is in the food you are eating, or what the nutritional break down is of a Tim Hortons blueberry bran muffin.  These are useful tools because they can show you whether or not you are reaching your RDI for various nutrients, it has a “journal” option that allows you to track your symptoms, as well as your fitness and other activities.  My husband is a valiant Fitday supporter, but, Livestrong is prettier and has lots of articles relating to fitness and food.  A friend of mine uses a similar paid tool on the Women’s Health website and I also know that many runners use SparkPeople.  However, it does not matter which option you choose, it just has to work for you.  
• Mobile –  most, if not all of the websites listed above also have apps that you can download to your iPhone or iPod so you can track on the go.  They also sync up to the online versions.   

When keeping a food journal, ensure that you track for a minimum of two weeks, but preferably a month.  This will allow you to track a wide variety of foods and it will give you a clear idea of your eating habits and how your symptoms relate to what you eat.  

Once you have tracked for the allotted time, you should analyze the results and make adjustments accordingly.  For example, if you notice that every time you eat turnip your guts are a-rumble, maybe you should stop eating this gas-inducing food.  If you notice that when you eat food high in refined sugars that you have the runs, maybe it is time to re-think your sugar intake.  If you notice that no matter what you eat for breakfast, you are having problems, maybe change the time you eat breakfast.  Perhaps you discover that an after-dinner walk makes you feel much better, you should ensure that you do this every night because it gives you relief.  What happens if you have strong symptoms and cannot figure out the trigger?  Check your food intake on the previous day.  Often times, it is the food that you ate yesterday that creates the symptoms you feel today.  If that does not work, did something happen in your life that could have triggered the symptoms? 

Below are some screen shots from both Fitday and Livestrong to give you an idea of what their interfaces look like.  Check back for Part 3 in my f word series.  

Screenshot of Livestrong's MyPlate 

Screenshot of Fitday's interface