| |
Heather's IBS Newsletter ~ For Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Huge Holiday Sale and IBS Treatments Special Issue!
Save on Acacia Tummy Fiber Kit, Peppermint Oil Caps, IBS Self-Hypnosis Program, & IBS Stress Kit!
Mega-study shows simple treatments best for IBS - and a reader letter finds simple treatments better than the Mayo Clinic.
Hello to everyone -
To celebrate the new research finding that the traditional IBS treatments of soluble fiber and peppermint are best, we have added the Acacia Tummy Fiber Kit and the Peppermint Oil Capsules to our ongoing holiday sale!
The Acacia Kit and Peppermint Caps are both on sale at 25% off the list price. This is a savings of almost $10 for the Acacia and almost $7 for the Peppermint Caps.
The sale also includes our ongoing special on the IBS Hypnotherapy Program, which is now just $79.95 (a $10 savings from the normal price of $89.95). Plus, our fantastic IBS Stress Kit, which includes the IBS Audio Program, is on sale for 20% off the list price (a savings of over $25)!
If you've been trying to figure out which treatments for IBS are best for your symptoms, this is the special issue newsletter for you. We not only have the new mega-study on IBS showing that simple approaches work best, we have a terrific article on the 5 key strategies for symptom management. See which one is best for you!
Happy Holidays!
Heather Van Vorous
Did a friend send you this newsletter? Sign up here for your own free subscription.
Cheesy Pasta Carbonara with Bitter Greens This recipe is a deliciously safe version of a traditional Italian indulgence. The pasta itself provides a good soluble fiber foundation, and allows the non-traditional addition of bitter greens for healthy insoluble fiber and a lovely note of color. If you haven't yet been convinced that soy and rice substitutes for meat and dairy can taste terrifically authentic, this is the recipe that will change your mind.
Makes 4-6 servings
2 T olive oil
6 oz. soy bacon or fat free turkey bacon (such as Fakin' Bacon or Bacos)
1 C plain soy or rice milk
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
2 C bitter greens (such as broccoli rabe) chopped into bite-size pieces
1 lb. spaghetti or bucatini
6 organic egg whites
1 C soy or rice Parmesan cheese stirred together with 1 T Acacia Tummy Fiber
Cook soy/turkey bacon in a small saucepan in olive oil until brown and crispy, stirring often. Remove bacon from pan and set aside. Add soy/rice milk, garlic, and pepper to pan and blend well, then remove pan from heat and set aside (you'll bring this pan back to the heat later).
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add chopped greens. Simmer until very tender, then remove greens from pot but do not drain pot of water. Set greens aside with bacon.
Bring the pot of water back to a boil, and cook pasta until just tender but still firm to bite. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and drain pasta, then return pasta to the pot. Set pot aside off of heat.
Add egg whites to a large bowl and whisk to blend. Bring reserved soy milk and garlic mixture in saucepan to a boil, then gradually whisk the soy milk into the egg whites, whisking constantly. Whisk in Parmesan/Tummy Fiber mixture.
Add the milk/egg sauce to the pasta in pot and toss over medium heat until sauce thickens and coats pasta, adding reserved pasta water gradually if pasta seems too dry. Add bacon and greens and toss to heat through, add salt and additional black pepper to taste.
For a truly special dinner add dessert - the incredible Chocolate Fallen Souffle Cake from Eating for 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.
Simple Treatments More Helpful than the Mayo Clinic
Dear Heather,
I just wanted to say "THANK YOU" and God bless you and your website. It has saved my son. He was diagnosed with IBS last year at the Mayo Clinic. We have been battling his stomach pains for years.
The first time he went to the doctor for the pains and an embarrassing accident on prom night he was told that he was "just hungry". I don't think I have ever been so upset and mad in my life! He was 16 at the time and is over 6 ft tall, very slender build. He ate continually. But was still told he was "just hungry".
We also went through the "it's all in his head" ordeal. I have never felt so helpless and scared. They finally sent him to the Mayo Clinic where he was diagnosed as having IBS after many appointments and tests.
I was happy that we finally knew what was going on with him. But he was still having the stomach pains and dealing with the disappointment that we felt even though we were feeding him what they told us to.
After the last attack and emergency room visit I went online to try and find some answers. I found your website. I found out more information from your website than what Mayo Clinic ever told us. He is now on the Acacia Tummy Fiber, the Tummy Tamers peppermint oil caps, the Peppermint Tummy Tea, and no red meat. He came up to me one day and was crying and told me that he hasn't felt this good in years.
We are still in the trial and error stage, but at least we know where the limits lie. We are eating a lot of chicken and turkey and are staying away from the fried, greasy foods. McDonald's lost one of their best customers. Every now and then he gets pains but that is caused from him not eating, or not getting enough rest.
I have a friend whose 17 year old daughter has been diagnosed with IBS. I sent your books home with her and when she brought them back, she said they had gone and bought them and in just a couple of weeks could not believe the difference.
So Heather, thank you, thank you, thank you. You have touched so many people's lives with your website and books. I was afraid that my son was getting so frustrated with the pain and no one believing him that he might have done something rash. But he is finally feeling good after so many years.
I thank God for you and for your website. God Bless You!
I would be honored if you used my comments. You have done so much for us, and I was very excited when I could pass along your website and books to my friend for her daughter.
Karma Nipp
Austin, MN
Thank you, Karma! I'm so happy to hear this about your son! ~ Heather
Did you miss the recent letter from Kathy, who is symptom-free after 36 years of IBS?
~ 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 4 cents per gram of fiber!
Now On Sale for the Holidays!
Traditional Treatments Called Best for IBS
The best therapy for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may be older, cheaper options such as soluble fiber, peppermint oil capsules, and antispasmodics, according to a new study in the British Medical Journal.
Researchers noted that these simple treatments have fallen out of favor because of the availability of newer (and more expensive) drugs, some of which have been taken off the market due to safety concerns. But these experts say that the traditional therapies should become first-line treatments in guidelines for IBS.
"IBS can be difficult for physicians to treat," noted lead researcher Dr. Alex Ford, from McMaster University, Health Sciences Centre in Ontario, Canada. For the study, Ford's team reviewed trials that compared IBS treatment with soluble fiber, peppermint oil capsules, and antispasmodics to a placebo or no treatment. The trials included more than 2,500 IBS patients.
The researchers found that soluble fiber, antispasmodics and peppermint oil were effective treatments for IBS. There were no serious side effects associated with any of these treatments. Peppermint oil capsules appeared to be the most effective therapy of those reviewed.
Interestingly, the trials reviewed also compared insoluble fiber (in the form of wheat bran) and found that it was not effective. Instead, only soluble fiber reduced symptoms. For antispasmodics, the most effective was hyoscine. This should be used first among prescription antispasmodics, Ford's group advised.
"Physicians, particularly those in primary care, who are being asked to take increasing responsibility for the management of IBS, should consider the use of these agents as first-line therapies for IBS," Ford said.
"If you have IBS which is not under reasonably good control or you are not happy with your symptom profile, you should see your primary-care doc or gastroenterologist for review and perhaps remind them that there is new evidence about the effectiveness of these traditional medicines and you would like to give it a go," Jones said.
"Alternatively, if you feel sufficiently well-informed and confident, you can go do it yourself..." Jones added.
Go here for peppermint oil capsules.
Go here for soluble fiber.
Go here for full information about antispasmodics.
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!
Now On Sale for the Holidays!
 5 Key IBS Treatments & A Cheat Sheet!
While I usually use this column to look at one aspect of IBS in detail, this week I thought it would be helpful - especially if you're still struggling - to step back and take a look at the big picture. What exactly are all the best treatment options for IBS? How do you decide which options would be best for you, and what you should try first? Is there an easy way to overview all of this information?
Yep! In a nutshell, there are five key categories of treatment for IBS. The most successful treatments in general tend to be natural. Even though there is no cure for IBS so far, the strategies summarized below can help significantly to alleviate or even prevent all IBS symptoms.
To go with our summary, there is a really helpful IBS Treatment Cheat Sheet for Tummy Care products as well.
This week, we'll tackle the first two categories on the list:
1. IBS Treatment through Diet
Diet plays a direct role in gut function (something that is instinctively obvious to people with IBS). There is in fact a proper "IBS diet", as IBS is not so highly individualized that no accurate generalizations can be made. Dietary changes can make some of the fastest and most tremendous improvements to all IBS symptoms. It is truly rare for someone with IBS to find that what and how they eat just doesn't matter.
The good news is that there are very clear dietary guidelines to follow for how to eat safely for IBS, based on the well-established effects certain categories of foods have on the GI tract. The key word here is categories.
Any food that is high in fat, insoluble fiber, caffeine, coffee (even decaf), carbonation, or alcohol is problematic. All of these food categories are either GI stimulants or irritants, and can cause violent reactions of the gastrocolic reflex. This directly affects the muscles in the colon and can lead to pain, constipation AND diarrhea, gas, and bloating.
On the other hand, soluble fiber - from both supplements and foods - is the single greatest dietary aid for preventing IBS symptoms, as well as relieving them once they occur. Soluble fiber is not typically found in foods most people think of as "fiber," at all, such as bran or raw leafy green vegetables (these foods are high in insoluble fiber, a dietary trigger).
Soluble fiber is actually found in foods commonly thought of as "starches", though soluble fiber itself differs from starch as the chemical bonds that join its individual sugar units cannot be digested by enzymes in the human GI tract. In other words, soluble fiber has no calories because it passes through the body intact.
Soluble fiber soothes and regulates the digestive tract, stabilizes the intestinal contractions resulting from the gastrocolic reflex, and normalizes bowel function from either extreme. Soluble fiber prevents and relieves both diarrhea AND constipation.
In addition, IBS responds to how you eat as well as what you eat. Check here for comprehensive information about IBS treatment through diet.
2. IBS Treatment through Supplements
There are many types of supplements for symptom management of IBS that are very effective. Unfortunately, there are also some supplements that can make IBS symptoms worse, not better (please avoid cleanses and senna in particular).
For the greatest odds of success, try prebiotic soluble fiber, herbs (such as peppermint oil capsules and fennel tea) that have beneficial effects on the gastrointestinal tract, heat therapy, calcium and/or magnesium, and probiotics.
These are all of proven benefit, and have little to no risk of negative side effects. Some supplements, such as soluble fiber and probiotics, can actually have benefits for your health beyond IBS management. One of the best things about treating IBS with supplements is that results are usually felt very quickly - sometimes even immediately.
Most reputable IBS supplements, particularly medical foods for IBS, are very safe and many are meant for daily, long term (even lifelong) use. Some are even certified organic, which guarantees you that they have no added herbicides, pesticides, preservatives, or additives that can upset sensitive guts. IBS supplements are usually inexpensive as well. In terms of risks versus benefits, supplements are a significantly cheaper, better, safer, and likely more effective option than most IBS prescription drugs.
You can also check the IBS treatment cheat sheet, with Tummy Care products checked for the best symptom matches. Many products help multiple symptoms, so even if a particular symptom is not checked it may well be a secondary benefit of a product.
Coming next time, the remaining key categories of IBS treatments!
~ Heather
Did you miss the recent "Ask Heather" and our special hypnotherapy interview?
Shop at Heather's Tummy Store for IBS
HelpForIBS.com
The only store that's just for IBS - so we only carry the very best
You're on this newsletter list because you have expressed interest in IBS news and information.
Change your newsletter email address here.
If you are viewing this newsletter on a website and would like to subscribe for email delivery, please "Join the IBS Newsletter" here.
ANTI-SPAM PRIVACY & SECURITY POLICY
HelpForIBS.com
Heather's Tummy Care
80 S. Washington St, #304
Seattle, WA 98104 USA
© 2008 Heather Van Vorous, Heather's Tummy Care. All rights reserved.
USA Copyright Office Registration Number TXU 1-270-858 and others
|
|
|
