Natalie: Hi, my name is Natalie and today I want to talk about Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which is also called IBS. I don't want to say that its near or dear to my heart but it is something that I personally experienced or I can definitely relate to you or if you know someone who does have IBS.
First thing I want to explain for IBS is it is group of symptoms and that's what actually syndrome means a group of symptoms and it can mean anything from gas to bloating to diarrhea, constipation or alternating constipation diarrhea. IBS involves your large intestine and so if you know someone who does have IBS will complain of lower stomach trouble or lower stomach pain verses may be someone who has gluten or heartburn they will complain of upper stomach pain, upper gastrointestinal distress.
So, large intestine is the last intestine of the digestive system, it's after the small intestine, it's where your bowel movements are formed and so that's the part that is going to hurt you if you have IBS. Something that's really shocking about IBS too is that it is the most common diagnosis by a gastroenterologist in the United States. So, over heartburn over gluten sensitivities any of those problems, irritable bowel syndrome is the most common diagnosis.
So, what is going on, there is a problem with our bodies, our environment and the foods that we are eating. So, for me it started around my junior year of college and I have really stressful classes and then I had some family issues going on, so that was definitely impacting my digestive system just all that stress, I was even eating pretty well, actually I was eating very well, dressing I was doing aerobics everyday for an hour so I had a healthy lifestyle but certainly stress was doing something to my digestive system and it was making it to the point where it dint matter what I ate, whether it was healthy or not I was having severe problems, running to the rest room in the middle of dinner, I could be out at a restaurant, you know totally and then everything would break loose and I would, the night was over and I was in agony and it just if not something you have to deal with on a long-term basis.
So, that's why when I talk about some things today that can help you or your loved one and you don't have to do with this on a long-term basis. So, I have already mentioned that stress and diet impact how you are coping with IBS. So, I want to talk about two nervous systems that we have, one is parasympathetic nervous system and one is the sympathetic nervous system. Don't let those freak you out, its not complicated its just the parasympathetic nervous system governs our digestive system, the other one called the sympathetic nervous system governs how our body respond when we are stressed. So, basically you have to kind of view like one system is going up and the other one is going down and then they are moving to maintain balance.
So, when we are stressed our digestive system and our digestive function decreases and then when we are relaxed and we are in a controlled environment and we don't need to be stressed than actually our digestive system works the best. So, when you are stressed and you are eating poorly both those things will actually make your symptoms worse.
Some of the foods that can influence how your large intestine reacts and how your digestive system reacts overall is the fatty foods, fried foods, especially diary because all those are high in fats, so any food that is high in fat is really going to escalate your symptoms if you are trying to still do hamburgers, French fries, fried chicken and milk shakes and you think that just miraculously your symptoms are going to go away after you have them for years and years, its going to come back to you when is your diet adopts really what is going to influence, how your system is handling stress and how you are able to function when you eat food.
Chocolate is also high in fat so that's something that you are going to have to limit, alcohol metabolizes fat, so again that something that you really need to reduce in your diet, carbonated beverages promote bloating so if you are someone who battles chronic bloating that is definitely something you want to stay away from. There is nothing worse than being bloated and doing something that causes more bloating and if you are someone who experiences bloating you know I am talking about you don't want to do anything to make it worse. So, stay away from all those, fizzy sodas.
And also last but not least caffeine. Caffeine is one thing to stay from for more than one reason. Caffeine does stimulate peristalsis, which is the movement that the large intestine moves bowel movements through your system. So, when you are taking drinks and have caffeine you are making those movements increase your increasing peristalsis. So, if you are an IBS person who is prone to diarrhea you are actually going to make your diarrhea worse by consuming products that have caffeine in them.
When I went to my primary care physician, sat down with her talked about all my symptoms, talked about all the problems I was having and it was about 30 minute appointment and she send me home with the fiber supplement and also sent me to gastroenterologist but when I hadn't took that fiber supplement and it just made symptoms worse. I was extra bloated, you know extra cramping. So, it was frustrating for me.
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