Ok, so you went out to your favorite restaurant this weekend and ordered that item on the menu that you had been thinking about all last week. It’s the same item you order every time you go and everyone makes fun of you for it, but you don’t care, because you know what you like and you know your tastebuds and your physique will both be satisfied.
But a few hours after the meal you start to feel “funny”. You don’t remember eating the whole plate of food and didn’t order dessert, so why does your stomach feel like you’ve eaten everything on the left side of the menu. You know what I mean, that bloated, three months pregnant feeling. And the intermittent pain that follows in your lower abdomen. I won’t go into details about the gaseous feelings and having to prop yourself up in bed that night because of the heartburn. Oh, and possibly the emergency stops to the bathroom or the feeling that you’ll never visit it again.
And why did this happen this time and not the last time you ate your favorite meal? Was something different in the cream sauce, the bread, the pasta, the water!
Do you know what I’m talking about?
If you do, then you, my friend are not alone. This was my life for a long time and still part of my life today but the “episodes” are farer and fewer between.
So what’s going on that so many people experience one or more or all, plus a few other symptoms I’ve just described?
Some call it
IBS, some
Celiac Disease, some
Lactose-intolerance and some Gluten Sensitivity. If you research all of the above, you will find common symptoms that weave in and out of each condition. It can be confusing as you try and figure out what is going on in your body.
I’m not a doctor so I can’t diagnose what’s going on in a person but I can speak to what went on in my life and my stomach. Last year I was diagnosed with IBS but I know I have a sensitivity to gluten, dairy, yeast, avocados, peanut butter, pork and beef. And I learned this from living with the above symptoms for many years. I discounted the symptoms, lived with the ups and downs of feeling good, feeling bad, feeling awful and feeling depressed and then when I got so sick I was in the doctor's office one day and getting a CT Scan the next, I decided to do something about it.
Elimination!! Don’t you hate that word. I do. It’s so.....mean! I’m the type of person who doesn’t want to be told what she “can’t do” or “can’t have”. My flesh nature rears its’ ugly head and a form of adolescent rebellion overtakes all sensibilities. But for the sake of my mental and physical health, I decided to “eliminate”. I started with gluten because I had been on a whole wheat kick for several months trying to get healthy and after reading a lot of information on gluten, decided that maybe I had overdosed on the stuff. After seeing results in just a few days, I took all dairy out of my diet and began to eat mostly fresh fruits, vegetables and chicken. I knew pork and beef were my two “meat nemesis’” so that was a no brainer for me. It was the little things like yeast, avocados and peanut butter that took me some time and patience to conquer. I had to learn my “trigger” foods in order to maintain a healthy body and soul.
I also am very blessed to work for an Acupuncturist who believes in functional health. Our office carries both nutritional products and chinese herbs that promote a healthy lifestyle. He suggested that I take Probiotics (which I must admit, I don’t take like I should because I’m a baby when it comes to swallowing pills). For that I’ve had to apologize to my youngest son. He doesn’t like to swallow pills either and I had given him a hard time when he was younger. “Sorry, Jonah”.
I also use a product called : OptiCleanse Plus, by Xymogen. It is a vegan friendly functional food that promotes detoxification. You can find the full description by visiting
Xymogen.com. It has worked wonders for me. When I accidentally eat something that my body doesn’t like (and this still happens from time to time), I will substitute a meal or two with this product. Just beware that it does what it says, it Cleanses! But it has 24 grams of protein and a host of good stuff that your body needs while recovering.
I took a container of this product on my trip to Europe,along with Probiotics, at the suggestion of my boss and I am glad I did. I only used one serving of the Xymogen and was diligent about taking the Probiotics before eating meals I was unsure of and it made all the difference in the world (or in Europe). I was even able to enjoy a few cappuccinos while still sticking to my food restrictions.
I’m sure there are other products out there that compare to Xymogen and I don’t want to promote a specific product but I would suggest that if you are struggling with constant or periodic symptoms, find a good “cleanse” to use and get on a Probiotic.
And if you know of any chewable or liquid Probiotics (which I’m sure there are some out there), let me know.
