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In This Issue (Scroll down for full newsletter or follow the links):
Ask Heather »
Special Series! IBS Basics: Questions You Must Ask Your Doctor
IBS Recipe »
Summer Pasta Salad with Tuna, Lemon & Fresh Herbs
Special Letter »
Extraordinary Celebration - from Hospitalizations to Restaurants!
Enjoy this week's newsletter!
Best Wishes,
Heather Van Vorous
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~ 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!
Summer Pasta Salad with Tuna, Lemon, and Fresh Herbs This salad makes a wonderful one-dish lunch or dinner on a hot summer day. It has a terrific combination of bright, festive colors and traditional Italian flavors, plus a high soluble fiber foundation from the pasta and the Tummy Fiber.
In addition, the Tummy Fiber works beautifully to emulsify the Tummy Fiber works beautifully to emulsify the dressing with just a very small amount of oil. If you have other fresh herbs on hand in place of basil, feel free to substitute - the end result will still be delicious!
Makes 3 Servings (easily doubled)
Dressing:
juice from 2 lemons
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Acacia Senegal Tummy Fiber
1 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1 1/2 teaspoon dill
1 small clove garlic, minced and mashed to a paste with a dash of salt
Salad:
8 oz. spaghetti, cooked until tender, drained, and rinsed with cold water
2 tablespoons finely shredded fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
1 medium fresh ripe tomato, diced
1/4 cup diced white onion
6 oz. can of solid white albacore tuna
salt and pepper to taste
Whisk together all dressing ingredients. Combine salad ingredients in a serving bowl and lightly toss to combine. Drizzle dressing over salad, toss and serve.
For a delicious summer treat, serve the salad with Lavender Lime Spritzers!
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! Get Eating for IBS, and find the answers to all your questions.
~ Heather's Tummy Fiber ~
For the Dietary Management of Abdominal Pain, Diarrhea, &, Constipation
Certified Organic Acacia Senegal ~ Pure Soluble Fiber
The prebiotic fiber that relieves both diarrhea and constipation!
** Very Economical ** Only 5 cents per gram of fiber!
** 100% Acacia Senegal ** Never Low Grade Acacia Seyal
Extraordinary Celebration of a Return to Normal Life
Dear Heather,
I felt like I was reading my own testimonial, literally, when I read the letter
'After $50K in medical bills, what finally worked' from your April newsletter. I have suffered with IBS since I was a child. School, raising my own family, and working outside the home have been challenging, to say the least, throughout the 30 plus years that I have lived with IBS.
I have been hospitalized 5 times with severe dehydration from diarrhea due to IBS. The last hospitalization was just this past winter with a hospital bill that exceeded $53K.
I have had surgery for GERD and gallbladder removal with my gastro doctor's hopes of rendering some relief from my symptoms, only to be disappointed. I've been through so many different regimens of anti-spasmodics that I can't begin to count them. These drugs offered me little relief from the excruciating pains of IBS. About 3 years ago my body stopped responding to this type of treatment and my doctor said it was time to take my treatment to the next level.
I asked what that meant and he replied, "Anti-depressants." I asked why and he told me that the only answer was to treat me for chronic pain and the negative psychological effects that often accompany it. I was appalled!
I researched the drug he had prescribed and the first side effect listed was "suicidal tendencies", followed by a host of others just as fearful. Masking one problem only to initiate a hoard of others was not my answer. I knew that was not a road I wanted to start journeying down. I didn't use that prescription - instead, my heating pad became my constant companion.
I turned to the Lord in prayer for my answer. One day I happened upon your website by accident and I instantly felt that God had led me there. After all, hadn't He included natural healing herbs in His creation along with all the provisions necessary for sustaining a healthy life? I was so excited!
Having always had an aversion to chemical drugs, I was thrilled to find a natural approach to treating IBS. I read every article, about all of the products, and the testimonials. I immediately ordered the Tummy Fiber Acacia, the Tummy Tamer Peppermint Oil Caps and your books, both of which are invaluably informative.
I read that it could be 2 or 3 weeks before some people become regulated and feel substantial results, but by the end of the second day I noticed significant relief from the debilitating cramping and diarrhea.
I'm in my fourth month of faithful use of your products and have added the Fennel Tummy Tea and Peppermint Tummy Tea to my daily regimen (the medicinal teas from our local health food store do not even come close in comparison to the potency and flavor of yours).
For the first time in so many, many years I feel like a normal person. I honestly feel like I've been given my life back. I hadn't been able to eat out in a restaurant in so very long, but my husband and I dine out often now and it always feels like we're celebrating the return of something precious that had been long lost.
My family is even enjoying my tasty experimentation with new ingredients from your cookbook, while gleaning the benefit of more healthy fare. I believe that each of us has a special purpose that is intended to enrich the lives of those around us. I am confident that you are fulfilling your special purpose.
Your commitment to finding a solution to your own struggle with IBS and then sharing your broad knowledge and in-depth research with other sufferers out here is so very much appreciated and needed. I know I am just one of the thousands that your work has impacted, but I thank you sincerely and hope that your life will be filled with joy.
(I would be delighted if you chose to use any portion of this letter in your newsletter, and you may feel free to edit any part that you deem necessary). God bless you Ms. Heather!)
Sheila Ashcraft
Thank you so very much, Sheila. I am just overjoyed that you are doing so much better! ~ Heather
Did you miss the recent letter from Sandy, who found instant relief for gas and bloating?
  
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.
Heather's Fennel Tummy Tea Heather's Peppermint Tummy Tea
 
Compare for yourself! The pictures above show the huge difference in the quantity and quality of tea per teabag. The price comparison here is even more shocking!
 IBS Basics - What You Must Ask Your Doctor
We're continuing our special series on IBS Basics this week. Last time around we addressed the fundamentals of an IBS diagnosis (what exactly is IBS? what are the symptoms? what other problems can mimic IBS and need to be ruled out? what tests do I need for a diagnosis?).
This week, we'll move on to that moment right after you know for sure, really and truly, that you do indeed have IBS. At this point, you're likely still in your doctor's office (remember, you cannot self-diagnose IBS). This is a good thing, because now you probably have a number of expectations about what your doctor can - and should - do for you.
Above all else, you can fairly expect your doctor to educate you about Irritable Bowel Syndrome and treat it as seriously as they would any other chronic disorder, with a focus on managing your symptoms.
Please be fair and realize that what you cannot expect from your doctor is a cure. Currently, there isn't one (except possibly gut-directed hypnotherapy), which is well-researched and which your doctor should definitely know).
Since IBS is by necessity a disorder that you, the patient, must manage on a daily basis, these are the questions to ask your doctor that will help you do just that:
1. Do my symptoms truly match those of IBS and the Rome Diagnostic Guidelines?
2. Have you run the diagnostic tests necessary to rule out:
Colon cancer
Inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis)
Bowel obstructions
Diverticulosis
Gallstones
Food allergies
Celiac (a genetic, autoimmune disorder resulting in gluten intolerance)
Bacterial infections
Intestinal parasites
Endometriosis
Ovarian cancer
3. Are there prescription drugs you recommend for me, and why? What if they don't work? What about side effects?
4. Are there any new medical options for Irritable Bowel Syndrome on the horizon?
5. How should I keep myself informed about current IBS research?
6. Should I schedule a follow-up visit with you? When?
7. What about diet?
8. What about stress management?
9. What about alternative therapies?
10. What types of supplements, soluble fiber or otherwise, do you recommend?
11. Do you know of any Irritable Bowel Syndrome support groups in my area?
12. Can you recommend any good books, literature, and websites on the subject?
13. What do you think is the best way to comprehensively manage my symptoms?
Even if you have an unfortunate experience with your doc and don't get the help you're looking for, take heart. As long as you're confident that you've been properly diagnosed, there are several key strategies you can use immediately to help successfully manage symptoms on your own:
* Follow the explicit IBS diet guidelines and IBS safe recipes
* Break the anxiety and stress cycle with gut-directed hypnotherapy
* Find the most helpful IBS supplements for your specific symptoms:
Soluble fiber for diarrhea and/or constipation
Peppermint for pain
Fennel for bloating and gas
Remember - you can control your IBS, not vice versa.
Coming next: what IBS patients need (but don't get).
~ Heather
Did you miss our recent "Ask Heather" and do I even have IBS?
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