Too busy to be sick?
Are you too busy to be sick? do you have too many people relying on you?
That could be family, especially if you are in the sandwich generation looking after parents and children.
It might be colleagues. You might run a team or have clients relying on you and deadlines to meet.
It can be easy for a while to ignore IBS-type symptoms.
Diarrhoea take Imodium.
Constipation take fybogel.
Acid reflux take omeprazole or anti-acids or Gaviston.
Headache take a paracetamol.
Skin brake-outs rub on some cream.
Low-energy drink coffee.
These are all temporary fixes that get you on the school run, into the care home and into work.
But they are not benefiting you in the long run.
IBS symptoms are your body telling you something.
If you suffer from constipation and diarrhoea maybe that is your body telling you that some of the food you are eating is disrupting your marvellous microbiome and your immune system.
Acid reflux may be your body warning you to slow down and stop eating on the run.
Headaches and skin brake-outs are linked to dysbiosis, which is linked to many things, ultra-processed foods, too much sugar, antibiotic use, and an imbalance in your immune system, just to name a few.
What we do know is that these symptoms are impacted by high stress.
Let's talk a little about the stress response, and this is relevant if you are busy and don’t have time to be sick.
Our stress response is an ancient mechanism and it hasn’t changed since we were hunter-gatherers, which in evolutionary terms is not that long ago.
The stress response is designed to give us the energy to run away.
It’s that simple.
Cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline signal to your body to release stored glucose from your muscles to give you energy.
Our brain and our eyesight sharpen.
Our heart beats faster to pump oxygen around our bodies.
But it also switches off the bodily functions we don’t need while we are running away.
It can slow or switch off fertility.
It can slow or switch off hair growth and it slows or switches off digestion.
When our digestion is switched off it can cause constipation in some people because the motor complex that moves food from the stomach into and around the intestines is not functioning optimally.
It can cause diarrhoea and nausea or vomiting because your body does not want undigested food in its system.
It can lower the production of stomach acid, which can lead to dysbiosis, acid reflux, and disruption in the immune system,
All of these things deplete energy because we are not metabolising our nutrients properly.
When you have a stressful busy life and IBS-type symptoms you do have to do something positive to deal with the symptoms and the stress.
IBS symptoms don’t go away on their own.
My top tips if you don’t have time to be sick are;
Eat easy to digest food, especially in winter when we are happy to eat soups and stew or casseroles.
Always take the time to sit and eat. Just give yourself 10 minutes per meal. Prioritise sitting and eating.
Try not to snack on high-sugar foods.
Try and give yourself 15 minutes per day to relax, read a book, listen to a podcast, or take a shower.
Book with me.
I have 2 new packages available both are for 5 months.
Both will help you to feel better.
Both help you to make decisions about what and when you are eating.
Both help you to be accountable.
We can meet when it suits you, face to face or via Zoom.
Both have a payment plan to spread the cost.
Book a free discovery call with me, that way you can decide if you like me.
Take a look at my signature package suitable for IBS sufferers.
Take a look at my acid reflux package.
Take a look at my website for testimonials.
https://www.food4healthyguts.com/testimonials
Sending nutritional hugs as always.
Jackie x
