I feel this is something I must touch on as it is so common for people either not knowing what a normal bowel movement should be, or having concerns in that area.
There is so much research and information I can be putting into this blog on the importance of having a healthy digestive system and good stools. But I will touch only on the basic information today and the need to knows.
IBS does not exist
I had to highlight this one and put it out there as I am sick of people being slapped with this label rather then having the issue at hand being felt with. IBS does not exist there is always a reason behind the constipation, bloated, having gas or diarrhoea that you are experiencing.
IBS definition is a person who experiences abdominal bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, cramping and mucus in the stool with unknown origin. Basically we have no idea what to do to help you so you have IBS.
In my experience their is always a reason for these symptoms and due to this there is always away to heal and recover from them.
So know that's out of the way.
What should stool look like and how often should you be going?
Stool should be fully formed NOT mushy, NOT watery and NOT hard. A healthy digestive system should be going to the toilet once or twice a day. There may be days when even a healthy digestive system misses a day, normally due to travel overseas, menstrual cycle or a bad day of bad food.
Common causes of diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, gas and all symptoms put into the box of IBS.
. Food Intolerance such as dairy, gluten, egg.
. Leaky gut causing the food intolerance most of the time.
. Anxiety and other emotions
. Our diet and what we eat ( very important one)
So these are the most common factors once you clean up the diet, heal the gut and work on the emotions your digestive system starts to function correctly.
Brain and gut link
your emotional state and your emotional health is linked with your digestion. When one is not working correctly the other is also struggling in same way.
The emotional sensation behind being bloated
"holding on to anger, trying to find someone to blame, feeling like a victim, helpless, hopeless. working too much and holding on to fear. constant self doubt and self sabotage. buying into the belief that you are not good enough" Taken from the book the secret language of your body by inna segal. I can tell you know she is spot on, with all her emotional links as I see this in practice.
Diarrhoea emotional link
"feeling uncomfortable with decisions you have made. not knowing how to ask for help. feeling helpless, lost, unsupported, insecure and confused. experiencing fear and apprehension". INNA Segal
Immune system and Digestion
Another big link and one to be aware of, if your digestion is not 100% then either is our immune system. The more likely we are to get a cold or virus when our digestion is not supporting our immunity.
Everyone is difficult and as such everyone needs a difficult holistic approach to there health care. I work with the individual person when it come to digestive health and each treatment will be different for each individual.
Just remember there is always something you can do, don't let yourself be slapped with the IBS label and feel helpless in changing your state of health because of it.