I have already talked about my tips o
n Christmas with IBD but just wanted to focus specifically on IBS for this post and share some more advice for helping those with IBS survive Christmas!
1. Have supplements to hand to help. Digestive enzymes can be really helpful to deal with big meals especially if they’re high in fat. When we eat, saliva releases digestive enzymes and many of the other organs in the digestive tract do this too. Those with IBS can sometimes have low levels of the enzymes- for example:lactose intolerance can be really common with those with other gut issues and this is because the body doesn’t make enough lactase- which helps the body break down lactose. You can get a general digestive enzyme supplement that can support the body in ensuring it has enough to break down food. You might also consider Betaine and Pepsin if you think you suffer with low stomach acid and as a result can’t digest red meat (This is really common and I’ve explained it in my Indigestion blog post) More on supplements in this post.
2. Alternate nights out with gut rest days. I’ve been scheduling these after Christmas meals- they tend to involve a lot of bone broth and juice- a pain but it can help your gut have a chance to recover. Bone broth is one of the most helpful things I’ve found for gut rest days- you can add chicken and rice noodles to it for an easy to digest meal- it’s got
l-glutamine and amino acids which can help repair the gut lining. Read more in
my post on bone broth here . You might also consider juicing and smoothies on these days.
4. Make Safe Alcohol Choices. Alcohol can cause issues for many reasons. Gluten and Yeast can be an issue with beer. Histamines can be a problem with wine- interesting fact antacids can also make you more susceptible to a wine intolerance as it increases the amount of histamines in your body and of course, alcohol is essentially a toxin, so too much may cause an issue. Therefore, try to find alcohol choices best for you. If you are drinking (and lets face it, most of us will!) you may want to try Milk Thistle to support the liver and drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration.
5. Take time to rest and deal with stress. Remember that just because it is Christmas doesn’t mean fatigue and exhaustion go away. Find ways to make sure you have plenty of rest and relaxation before the big day.
6. Have Medication Close at Hand. Although my blog is often about natural tips on gut health, there’s nothing wrong with packing an emergency supply of medication- alongside your usual supplements and must have items. You might consider probiotics, electrolyte sachets and specific IBS meds such as Buscopan or Immodium.
I hope this helps give you some tips on dealing with IBS at Christmas; I’d love to hear some more of your tips below.
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