Living

#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping...

I have always been a big guy and a few years ago I decided I needed to lead a healthier lifestyle. At that point in my life, my weight was...

When you're a kid no one sits you down and tells you that someday you will be sitting in a doctor's office answering questions about your bowel movements. How is...

Having IBS-C can be difficult at times when things are stuck and just don’t want to move! So when I stumbled across the Squatty Potty I was intrigued to see...

Probiotic supplements have been shown to help improve IBS symptoms in some people by adding healthy bacteria to the gut, so you may have been told to start consuming probiotics...

I was diagnosed with IBS in the summer of 2016, but my symptoms started way back in 2011—and it seemed to happen all of a sudden. Not just one symptom...

Many people eat because it is something that you have to do, for energy and calories. And I know when I had a lot of IBS symptoms and everything made...

Bachelorette Parties. Beach Weekends. Weddings. Showers. Dinner Parties. Tailgates. What do all of these things have in common? All of these events include lots of food, drinks, and fun, and...

Talking about your bowel movements is not considered polite conversation in most circles. I was at a party recently and someone was asking me about what types of conditions and...

As a health educator, I’ve always encouraged patients to take an active role in their health. In our current healthcare system, being your own advocate is crucial. Many of us...

For those people who have suffered from IBS for a decent amount of time, you probably have heard your disease be referred to as a "functional disorder." That term sounds...

For mainstream healthcare professionals, pain assessment has become a numbers game. Not in the sense of your grandma playing the numbers in an illegal lottery--but in a simple 1-10 self-assessment...

Many times we hear people say, “Be a man!” or “Man up!” What does ‘being a man’ really mean though? From my personal experience, it meant never complaining, tolerating or...

Most people living with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) know first-hand the connection with stress and their symptoms. IBS often flares during times of intense stress. Why does this occur? And...

We all know those well meaning friends, family or complete strangers who like to throw in an offhand comment every now again without really thinking it through. Sometimes they don’t...

Dear IBS, As I was writing another article about what you do to me as a person suffering with IBS, I decided to take a break from that article and...

Having an invisible illness is quite difficult to deal with when you feel like no one understands what you’re going through. It’s especially difficult when you don’t fully understand your...

We have all heard and know that our mind is a powerful thing, but just how powerful is it? Let’s take a look at how strong our minds can really...

I recently wrote about getting tested for SIBO – small intestine bacterial overgrowth. Although the breath test wasn’t difficult, it wasn’t my idea of fun, and I was pleased that...

Big belly, water retention, swelling, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, just plain uncomfortable. This sounds like someone who may be expecting a child, but unfortunately, I’m not. That’s not to say that...