Health & Wellbeing
During the month of April, we shine the light on 2 worthy causes that ultimately boil down to adopting a healthy life, through diet and making simply lifestyle changes.
They are:
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Awareness Month
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)is a fairly common disease that strikes anywhere between 10 – 15% of the general population so there is no need to feel like you’re suffering alone. The month of April is recognised as IBS awareness month and as a nutritionist, this is one of the top reasons my clients seek help, through diet, to reduce or indeed resolve symptoms that they experience.
What is IBS?
IBS is a condition that effects the digestive system. The disease generally causes stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation and can be ongoing for weeks, months or longer at a time. The exact cause for this condition is unknown but research is ongoing.
Prevention
There are some do’s and don’ts when it comes to IBS. A general guideline can be followed to ensure that symptoms are controlled.
DO
Make sure the majority of food eaten is homemade using fresh wholesome ingredients: fruits and vegetables, plant-based proteins, lentils, beans, un-refined carbohydrates, low in saturated fats
Keep a diary/journal of everything you eat in order to understand what triggers symptoms
Take probiotics to help with the overall health of your digestive system. Speak to your local health store or nutritionist to find out more about best ones on the market
Eat slowly and mindfully to aid digestion and conscious eating
Try following a gluten-free diet for 2 weeks to see if this helps reduce symptoms
Keep active. By walking for as a little as 20-30 minutes a day, this can help easy symptoms of discomfort and cramp and aid digestion of food
DON’T
Eat unhealthy processed foods or take-aways. These can contain high levels of fats, sugars and salts as well as added msg and gluten that could be a contributing factor to your symptoms
Drink alcohol or carbonated drinks
Eat too quickly or have too much delay between meals
Some foods to avoid include foods that are high in fat, caffeine, sugars, gluten, salts, carbonation, alcohol, and insoluble fibre, like: coffee, tea, soda, artificial sugars and chocolate
Conclusion
If you think you may have IBS don’t be afraid to do your own research. Seek professional medical attention if you feel your symptoms could be serious or that the symptoms are getting you down (mentally)!
There are healthy diet plans on the internet you can find as well as tips and techniques listed such as here on this article, alternatively you may wish to seek support from your medical practitioner or a trained nutritionist!
Contact me to find out more about my services as a Nutritionist Consultant and how I can help!
Active for April
Previously known as Step up for 30, Active for April is bowel Cancer UK’s annual fundraising campaign and they’re asking you to do something active every day for the whole of April as part of Bowel Cancer Awareness Month and get sponsored.
I will be doing this (walking), not to raise money as such, simply to raise the importance that ‘movement’ of any kind daily, for as little as 30 minutes a day, can have a significant positive impact to both our physical and mental state of being.
In addition, movement of any kind, starting off by simply walking 30 minutes a day, can play a vital role in reducing the risk of us experiencing any type of dis-ease, ranging from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes as well as significantly reducing the risk of cancer (any kind of cancer)! And for those who do already suffer with any of the above diseases or symptoms, you will know the importance that exercise and movement can have (both for mental and physical health) to improve these ailments if not get rid of them completely. Again, as with any lifestyle change, whether diet or exercise, please consult your medical practitioner before making any changes!
However, if you do want to get sponsored to do 30 minutes of physical activity every day for 30 days during the month of April, you can take part in ActiveApril as an individual or get friends and family involved and sign up as a team. To Join today, just click Register .
