Are you on the IBS rollercoaster?
Living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) can be a rollercoaster. Symptoms come, symptoms go. But what we all know to be true is that stress plays a major role. So how can you best manage your IBS and reduce flare-ups when life is more chaotic than usual? Here’s what I learned about my IBS (and myself) during a recent kitchen makeover.
Hubby and I decided to finally tackle our long overdue kitchen renovation. It’s fair to say, that we completely over-estimated our DIY skills and, as a result, we’ve been living without a kitchen for 4 weeks. Here are my top 7 tips for managing your IBS when life is more chaotic than usual.
#1 - Remember that this too shall pass
Regardless of the source of your life’s upheaval, crisis or chaos, remember that it’s most likely to be temporary. This too shall pass. In fact, Buddhism has lots of helpful things to say about letting things go and loosening the grip on all our attachments. And if your IBS has decided to flare-up at the least convenient of times, don’t panic. Once life returns to normal, so too will your gut.
For me, there’s comfort in knowing that a “wash-out” period (usually less than 10-days on the elimination phase of the low fodmap diet) will enable me to get on top of my gut health symptoms and return to “normal”. If you’re not sure what the elimination phase of the low fodmap diet looks like - try our free Winter Good Gut Challenge. It includes a 10-day meal plan, recipes, activities & resources that can get you started.
#2 - Go easy on yourself
Maintaining a routine in the midst of chaos is tougher than you think. While sticking to regular meal times, healthy habits and sleep schedules helps manage your gut health symptoms, it’s not always possible to maintain your daily rituals during periods of upheaval, crisis or chaos. So go easy on yourself. Just do your best. And remember tip #1 – this too shall pass.
#3 - Eat mindfully, regardless of what’s on your plate
We all know that practicing mindful eating can help alleviate IBS symptoms. But what I’ve learned during our kitchen reno is that I tend to over-eat when I’m not in my normal routine. In fact, the whole family is starving, constantly. And our food choices are becoming more and more questionable. So I’m trying to practice mindful eating, regardless of what’s on my plate. Slow down and pay attention to your body's signals of hunger and fullness. Chew your food thoroughly and savour each bite. This becomes particularly tricky if you’re over-caffeinating and your gut is sending mixed messages, so make sure you stick to your daily caffeine curfew. (Mine is 12 noon - what’s yours?)
#4 - Don’t forget to drink water
It’s easy to get out of the habit of drinking water when you don’t have a kitchen sink. And you’ll be more tempted to grab a sugary drink to keep you going when you start manual labour. Setting up a spot for a 5-litre water flask in the laundry has helped provide a visual cue to remind me to drink water throughout the day. And buying 24 water bottles in bulk and leaving some on my work desk and in the car has helped too.
#5 - Don’t forgo exercise just because your to-do list is overwhelming
Balancing tradies on top of your existing work and family commitments is super challenging and it’s just so easy to drop good self-care rituals. Don’t. It’s so much harder to get back to the gym as each day passes. Book your self-care into your diary BEFORE you book up your tradies.
#6 - Want me to drop over a meal?
While I love family and friends who have dropped over meals while my kitchen has been out of action, the most useful thing is to ask if you can borrow THEIR kitchen. Doing your usual meal-prep in someone else’s kitchen is so helpful and ensures you’ll be relying less on take out and convenience meals. That said, ready-to-eat meals have improved significantly over the years but low fodmap options are few and far between. Choose the least worst option for your gut.
#7 - Stock up on gut-friendly foods
When the family cries pizza, make sure you’ve got an alternative. My go-to has been microwavable quinoa & rice, tinned tuna and salad bits. Make sure your BBQ remains accessible, as meat & salad will be an easy family meal and stock up on gut-friendly snacks. And don’t pack away your blender. Low fodmap smoothies are your friend and can help your gut stay on track throughout the chaos. As always, my trusty Superflora French Bean Vanilla shakes have been a godsend. And it’s such a comfort to know that I have gut-safe food on hand.
#8 - Be a scout. Pack an emergency kit!
When chaos turns into calamity and you’re head on into a full blown flare-up, find your emergency kit. You know, the bag you prepared before the kitchen reno started with all of your essential items – medications, hot water bottle, lavender spray, herbal teas, noise cancelling headphones, a good book, meditation resources… whatever you need to manage your flare-up.
While making steady progress, we’re still 1-2 weeks away from a workable kitchen. Will it be worth it? I hope so. And what’s the first thing I’m going to cook in my new kitchen?
my famous home-made gut-friendly muesli - I’ve missed this so much and there’s simply not a store bought alternative that comes close!
decent fried rice & stir-fry veggies because I’ve not been able to work out how to use a wok on a BBQ
and a multi-layered pink & purple birthday cake for my niece!
Written by Josephine Muir, PhD & Mary Webberley, PhD. Founders, Noisy Guts Pty Ltd. Want to read more about us? Click here!