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Certified Organic
Acacia Tummy Fiber
The prebiotic 100% soluble fiber that relieves both diarrhea and constipation!
In this Issue...
Food & Recipes
Reader Letters
Special Events
Rx News & Research
Ask Heather
Did you miss the latest
IBS newsletter, and
an end to IBS panic attacks?
Past issues
are posted here!
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Heather's IBS Newsletter ~ For Irritable Bowel Syndrome
 Twitter
No more IBS medications for Matthew! What's his top recommendation?
Vitamins pills are good for you - aren't they? A surprising number four on the
7 sneaky sins of the IBS diet.
Pancakes! This common breakfast trigger food gets an IBS-friendly makeover.
New stores in California, Illinois, and Utah!
Hello to everyone -
If you've ever struggled with stress and IBS, we have an inspiring letter from Matthew, who has overcome great loss this year and is now overcoming his IBS as well.
Plus, we're at number four on the list of the seven sneaky sins of the IBS diet. Everyone knows vitamin supplements are good for you - but are they good for IBS? Find out!
As always, we also have a delicious digestion-friendly recipe and the latest IBS news and research.
Enjoy!
Best Wishes,
Heather Van Vorous
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Organic High Volatile Oil Fennel & Peppermint Tummy Tea Bags
Extraordinary Quality ~ Very Economical
Fennel is terrific for bloating & gas, Peppermint is great for IBS pain & spasms.
Caramelized Vanilla Pear Pancake I love serving this beautiful breakfast dish on cold winter weekend mornings. The pears turn golden brown and slightly chewy, and the vanilla perfumes the whole house as the pancake bakes. Everyone with IBS knows that breakfast is the toughest meal, and traditional pancakes are major triggers due to their high dairy and fat content. I created this recipe to let you enjoy a delicious morning treat without the fear of consequences!
Makes 6 Servings
1 cup soy/rice milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/3 cups all-purpose unbleached white flour
1 tablespoon Acacia Tummy Fiber
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons canola oil
8 organic egg whites
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
5 firm-ripe fresh pears
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Preheat oven to 400 F. In a small bowl stir together the soy milk and vinegar; set aside. In a large bowl sift together flour, Tummy Fiber, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 3 tablespoons of the brown sugar. In a small bowl with an electric mixer beat well 2 tablespoons of the canola oil, soured soy milk, egg whites, and vanilla until frothy. Whisk by hand wet ingredients into dry until just combined. Set batter aside.
Peel and core pears, and slice lengthwise into 8 wedges per pear. Stir together remaining brown sugar and lemon juice, and add pears to coat. In a large cast-iron skillet heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Arrange pears in a spiral pattern in skillet, top with any remaining sugar mixture, and cook over medium heat until just tender and sugar begins to caramelize, about 10 minutes.
Pour batter over pears and bake in oven for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 and bake 5-10 minutes more, until golden and firm to touch. Remove from oven, immediately run a thin knife around edge of skillet, place heat-safe plate on top of skillet, and carefully but quickly invert. Slowly lift skillet off cake. Serve immediately.
Serve this pancake with Sweet Ginger Chai Tea, a drink so delicious it actively helps IBS!
Are you just learning how to eat for IBS? A little intimidated at the thought of special IBS recipes? Not quite sure just what makes these recipes special in the first place? Don't worry! Come see the IBS Diet pages, and find the answers to all your questions.
~ Heather's Tummy Fiber ~
For the Dietary Management of Abdominal Pain, Diarrhea, &, Constipation
Certified Organic Acacia ~ Pure Soluble Fiber
The prebiotic fiber that relieves both diarrhea and constipation!
** Very Economical ** Only 3 cents per gram of fiber!
No More IBS Medications!
Heather,
I wanted to add my voice as someone who has gone through the IBS Audio Program that you have promoted. I am very happy with it. I went through the program last summer and diligently followed the 100 day process. I completed that in early November. It was a slow process but I continued to improve daily, even after no longer listening to the CDs.
I went backwards over the holiday because I lost my father to cancer right after Thanksgiving, and there was so much stress associated with it. However, at the end of January I noticed that I had not had a bowel movement in 3-4 days, so I started cutting back on my IBS medicine. Long story short is that I have been completely off my medicine for a week and a half now, have not had an IBS attack, and have had good regular bowel movements. I recommend these CDs for anyone and I am grateful that I found them through you.
Matthew Smolko
Honolulu, Hawaii
Thank you so much, Matthew. I'm so happy you've gotten through a very rough time and are feeling better. ~ Heather
Did you miss the last reader letter from Joanna, who's gone from IBS panic attacks to big band dancing
Researchers call gut-directed hypnotherapy a "cure" for IBS!
The Best Gut-Directed Self-Hypnosis Program for All IBS Symptoms
Gives an average 85% reduction of pain and bowel dysfunction symptoms.
Listen to IBS Audio Program 100 samples!
Probability of Benefits "Excellent" with IBS Hypnotherapy
"Research indicates that the probability of achieving benefits is excellent with either [hypnosis or cognitive behavioral therapy], even for patients who haven't improved from standard medical care," said Olafur S. Palsson, a clinical psychologist and associate professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Center for Functional GI & Motility Disorders.
Studies have found that patients who received "gut-directed hypnotherapy" had significant improvement in symptoms compared with those who did not receive this intervention. Hypnosis treatment has been reported to improve symptoms of the majority of treated IBS patients in all published studies, noted UNC's Palsson.
"If a patient's main goal is substantial relief of bowel symptoms, hypnosis is probably the better choice," he said, for the research literature strongly suggests that it improves the gastrointestinal symptoms far more reliably.
Go here for more information about gut-directed hypnotherapy.
Go here for more information about this article...
Drug Trials of Lubiprostone for IBS Constipation.
A recent study in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapy reported the phase 2 trial results of the drug lubiprostone, and reported that it may be an effective treatment for IBS-C. After 1 month, lubiprostone showed significantly greater improvements in mean abdominal discomfort/pain scores vs. placebo. After 3 months of treatment, the improvement in each lubiprostone arm was greater than placebo, but the test for trend was no longer significant. Treatment with lubiprostone showed significantly higher rates of gastrointestinal adverse events, especially diarrhea and nausea. These results warrant further study of lubiprostone for treatment of IBS-C patients. Go here for more information about constipation.
Go here for more information about this study...
Looking for more IBS research and news? Check the IBS Research Library!
~ Heather's Tummy Tamers Peppermint Oil Capsules ~
Peppermint Oil Caps Called "Drug of Choice for IBS"
Our Peppermint Oil Caps have the added benefits of fennel and ginger oils, and they help prevent abdominal pain, gas, and bloating!
New Retail Stores Carrying Heather's Tummy Care Products
We're continuing our special rebate offer for people who buy Tummy Care products at their local stores, and we have new store announcements this week as well.
California
Real Foods Sausalito
200 Caledonia St
Sausalito, CA 94966
415-332-9640
Illinois
Arlington Health Foods
15 N Wilke Rd
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
847-818-1870
Body & Soul
320 W Illinois Ave
Morris, IL 60450
815-941-2611
Utah
Good Earth Natural Foods
336 West Main
American Fork, UT 84003
801 756 0233
If you don't have a store in your area carrying Tummy Care products yet, please give them this flyer to ask them.
 The Fourth Sneaky Sin of the IBS Diet
While the IBS diet can be one of the most successful ways to manage all IBS symptoms, there are some common pitfalls. I hear from a lot of people who make a tremendous effort to modify their diet for IBS, but who still have abdominal symptoms they feel certain are associated with their eating habits.
This can be exasperating (to say the least) because it may seem like there simply aren't any steps left to take. But - it's much more likely than not that there are still dietary triggers involved, they're just being overlooked.
I've found there are seven specific traps that ensnare people as they adjust their diet - and I call them the Seven Sneaky Sins of the IBS Diet. We tackled number three, alcohol, last time, and we'll continue to work our way through the list. This week, let's take on number four:
#4. I'd like to take a multi-vitamin and multi-mineral supplement just to be sure that I'm getting the nutrients I need. But every time I take my vitamin pills I feel worse, not better. What's going on?
Vitamin and mineral supplements in general often cause GI problems for people with IBS. Ask your local pharmacist about the most tolerable brands of vitamins in their store. GI upsets are very common with vitamins, and pharmacists are familiar with this request. Prenatal vitamins may be an option, as they are sometimes formulated specifically to help minimize the risk of GI side effects. You may be able to simply phone in a prescription request for these from your doctor - just explain why you need them. You may also want to ask your doctor about intraveneous vitamins or vitamin shots if you are unable to tolerate oral vitamins.
Liquid vitamins or powder caplets may also be more tolerable than pills. Another thing to consider is the fillers and additives in many vitamins; check the ingredients for lactose, artificial colors, and preservatives, as many people with IBS are sensitive to even small quantities of these substances. A health food store may have a wider variety of additive-free vitamins than a drug store.
It's often helpful to take two or three smaller-dose vitamin/mineral supplements each day instead of one large dose. This will not only reduce the risk of GI upsets, but will aid your body in absorbing the nutrients as well. If you can't find smaller-dose vitamins, try just breaking a regular pill in half. Never take vitamins pills on an empty stomach. Always take your vitamins after a high soluble fiber meal, and for an extra measure of digestive stability add in a dose of your Tummy Fiber as well.
(As a side note here, soluble fiber will not interfere with the absorption of vitamins/minerals any more than food would, so no worries. After all, most of the naturally occurring vitamins you're eating come from fruits and veggies, which also contain fiber.)
Vitamin C is particularly notorious for causing gas, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. Vitamin C is ascorbic acid, and as the name implies, it's acidic. When it enters the alkaline environment of the lower intestinal tract it can create diarrhea and gas. In Germany, vitamin C is actually an approved laxative, so imagine what it will do to you if you have IBS. The recommended dose for Vitamin C is generally under 2,000 mg. daily. Over that, and you really risk the GI side effects. Unless your doctor has recommended otherwise, make sure your multivitamin does not exceed one hundred percent of the US RDA for Vitamin C.
Calcium, magnesium, and iron all require special consideration as well. Calcium can have a constipating effect, which can be helpful or hurtful depending on your symptoms. Magnesium can have a laxative effect, and this too can either aid or exacerbate IBS, depending on the individual. For many folks with IBS, it's best to make sure that your mineral supplement is not giving you a megadose of either one of these ingredients, but simply a balance of the two. Calcium carbonate contains just calcium and no magnesium, and is a good choice if you always tend towards diarrhea. If you're IBS-C (prone to constipation), try cal-mag instead, which contains magnesium. With either form of calcium, there should be Vitamin D included in the supplement as well for the best possible absorption. It's a good idea to take only 500 mg. of calcium per dose, as your body may not be able to absorb more than this all at once.
Iron can cause stomach upsets and be quite constipating, particularly if it's ferrous sulfate and not ferrous gluconate. Iron also blocks the absorption of calcium. If you aren't anemic or prone to anemia, you may well not need an iron supplement at all. If you do need to take an iron supplement and you're also taking calcium, have these supplements with different meals. Iron is best absorbed in the presence of Vitamin C. If you're trying to juggle all of these different supplements, it can be helpful to take your multivitamin with C and iron at one meal, and your calcium or calcium/magnesium combination with Vitamin D at another meal. Again, make sure these are high soluble fiber meals, or that you're adding in Tummy Fiber to the meal itself.
As a rule, it's always best to get your nutrition from as wide a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, and nuts as possible. There are many nutrients in whole foods that simply can't be extracted into pills. If you're struggling to add enough nutrition to your diet, check Eating for IBS for how to safely incorporate insoluble fiber foods into your meals, and for nutritious IBS-safe recipes. Until you're able to stabilize your IBS, you may not want to add in any vitamin/mineral supplement at all (unless medically necessary); this will eliminate the risk of the potential GI upsets from the supplements.
Coming next...#5 on the list of the Seven Sneaky Deadly Sins of the IBS Diet!
~ Heather
Did you miss the recent "Ask Heather" and number three on the list of Seven Sneaky Sins?
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