Food intolerance or stress causing gut issues?
Digestive symptoms such as bloating, indigestion, reflux and constipation or diarrrhoea are often related to food intolerances or problems with digestive function such as lack of acids and enzymes or motility issues affecting the movement of food through the gut.
Identifying food intolerances can be really helpful in alleviating digestive symptoms and discomfort along with a whole host of other symptoms such as headaches, skin issues, immune issues and inflammation.
To identify food intolerances I either use pathology testing which involves a blood test measuring your immune response to 96 commonly eaten foods ( the cost of the test is $265-$295) and provides comprehensive information in one go or the other option is a process of monitored elimination and reintroduction of suspect foods over a period of time.
Here is a link to some information about food intolerances
https://blossomwellbeing.com.au/food-intolerances/
But whilst food intolerances are common, there is another factor which must be considered whenever you're having digestive symptoms and that is- stress!
When you are stressed you simply cannot digest!
Your body is programmed when you're under stress to switch off digestive processes and divert blood and energy to your limbs to help you escape the threat (or the source of the stress). This is a primal reflex and your brain and body don't differentiate between a real threat from which you need to run to escape and daily lower level stress like feeling overwhelmed because you're multitasking and thinking about everything that you want to get done by the end of the afternoon!
Stress plays a huge role in so many symptoms and your ability to cope with anything whether its particular foods or resistance to viruses etc is strongly influenced by your stress levels.
Even the medical profession is now acknowledging stress as a common contributing factor in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
Identifying problematic foods and supporting your gut function and healing is very effective in improving digestive health which can lead to better overall health- BUT we just can't overlook stress management as a key component when approaching anything holistically.
Try to avoid eating when you're really stressed, when you're in a rush ad on the run or multitasking.
Taking a few moments to focus on your breath and bring yourself into the present moment and then focusing on eating only and chewing your food slowly can help to switch on your digestive system. There are some very effective breathing techniques which can also support your digestion.
Often when it comes to digestive symptoms, there is more than just one thing going on, so it's important to factor in not only what you're eating, how and when you're eating as well as addressing stress!
If you're interested in finding out which foods are causing issues for you along with strategies for stress reduction, reply to this email to book a time for an appointment or book online here: https://blossomwellbeing.as.me/
If you're a current client and would like to book an appointment purely for the referral and finger prick blood sample collection for the food intolerance test (eg. there is nothing else healthwise that you are wanting to touch base on or review) book via this link: https://blossomwellbeing.as.me/?appointmentType=9663632
