Happy September!
Fall has always felt like time for a new start to me. In the Jewish religion, the new year is in September and that makes a lot of sense to me. As I've said before, I'm not into new years resolutions - I'm more about reflecting at any point in time and regularly trying to incorporate better habits. This includes getting a handle on any health issues that have been nagging you! Digestive issues are one of the most common complaints of my patients, so I thought I'd discuss them here. And just a note as to why digestion is so near & dear to my heart... I was diagnosed with IBS about 30 years ago and it was life changing in a good way. After going through the traditional medical system with no relief, I got help from a Naturopathic Doctor and it was so fantastic that it changed my career path from MD to ND!
What are the most common symptoms of digestive disturbances?
- Constipation
- Irregular Bowel Movements
- Bloating
- Gassiness (both farting & burping)
- Heartburn
- Loose bowel movements
- Hemorrhoids
- Stomach aches
- Nausea
- IBS
What is IBS?
- IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion. That means that if your MD can't find anything else causing a digestive upset, often you'll be diagnosed with IBS - just like I was!
What causes a digestive disturbance?
- There are many potential causes, of which I'll mention just a few...
- Eating a food that your body is reacting to
- Stress
- Not chewing your food
- Not eating enough fibre
- Hormonal shifts
- Not having enough digestive juices to break down food properly
- Eating too quickly
- Having an imbalance of bacteria in your gut
- Having a history of food poisoning or travellers diarrhea
What do I do if I'm experiencing these symptoms?
- Make an appointment to come and see me :)
- There are lots of herbs, teas, vitamins and diet/lifestyle changes that can help with all of the symptoms.
- One of the things I love to start with is by simply getting people to chew their food to a paste - if you take the load off of the digestive system by chewing better, lots of things can shift!
