Creating a better relationship with my body
Hi. My day goes like this. I wake up and feel like I need to pass stool. It comes out watery and a bit broken up, but I'm fairly relaxed. About two hours after I eat I feel pressure like I am blocked up. This is when things go wrong because I end up straining to pass stool. This leaves me feeling like a complete failure and I add a while heap of self criticism. It's like I can't relax until I feel empty so have learned to force the situation. Anyone else relate? I drink enough fluids and I have very recently started my fodmap diet.
Have you tried Psyllium Husk? If you haven't: Use organic/high-quality husks only (they aren't expensive either way). Disolve half a teaspoon in a glass of water (be careful not to overdo it, those little buddies are very impactful and pure fibre), let that sit for ~5 minutes and drink that around half an hour before a meal. It's really important that you drink 1-2 glasses of water directly afterwards because psyllium husk draws in a lot of fluids and you get bad bloating (and worst case scenario block your intestines) if you don't.
I love psyllium because it regulates bowel movement, gives density to people with dirrhea (stool gets thicker because the mass that the husks form works like some sort of glue) and forces regulare and more easy stool for people with constipation. It also leaves its protective slime around your intestines which works anti-inflammatory which is always good for people like us.
Thank you for sharing this. Wonderful info here. I have been meaning to try this but just haven't yet. How have you been feeling lately? Best, Elizabeth (team member)
Thanks for the advice. I will try that along with the other medications and low fodmap diet
I'm doing ok but I think sometimes it can drive my anxiety, worrying about everything I'm eating so I'm trying to go gentle even if I have the odd bad thing. I really do feel if I can get on top of my anxiety about needing to be empty then I will do fine on any diet. 
Constantly worrying about food doesn't help, I feel you. I also feel like I can eat almost anything when I'm not stressed... I hope you'll find a compromise that works for you soon. Wishing you all the best, Karina (team member)
I can definitely relate. Feeling blocked up can ruin my day because i think we all can agree that not emptying our bowels properly is extremely uncomfortable. You aren't alone. Maybe try and focus on you microbiome health? Probiotics can help but mostly it comes down to diet. Eating properly to balance the gut. My dietician told me to try and eat the rainbow with every meal. Lots of colors. -Elizabeth (team member)
I wish I was even able to attempt that, Elizabeth. I miss the orange, yellow veggies and fruits, the purple beetroot, blueberries, red peppers, rainbow chard ! Before I suddenly got IBS, I used to eat all those things and more. I could eat anything. My diet was super healthy and had been for many many years.
But I keep trying in very small quantities, some of the foods I could eat before. Sometimes it's a win, even if short lived. Sometimes I find a food can fairly frequently be added to my diet so long as I don't have a massive quantity (broccoli. brussels sprouts, nuts, for example)
But I find that all of the foods that would normally in the past have kept my gut regular and my stool healthy, are now working to double or even triple that effect! So there are foods that I know always cause loose stool no matter what.
And the only ones that don't have that effect are mostly greens. (apart from cabbage)I bought one carrot! It's my plan to try and eat one inch of it every other day, and see what happens now. If one inch works out, I will try two inches.....
I hope I will be able to eat carrots again without them having the magnified effect of "making me go" a bit too much next day.I hear you. Sometimes it is easier said than done and if you can't tolerate it, then you just can't. I do love that you still try regardless. A little at a time is smart I think. -Elizabeth (team member)
