If you've been reading Ellis Tuesday for a while now. You will know that I suffer from IBS and other digestive issues. There are some days when thankfully I'm pretty much symptom free. But there are others where I struggle to get out of bed or to leave my bathroom. And that's what inspired today's blog post with Rennie.
Even when I'm not in the midst of a flare up or recovering from one. On a pretty much daily basis I will experience one of the following problems, if not many of them combined; trapped wind, indigestion, heartburn, acid reflux and bloating. With many others also suffering from these issues as well.
Starting my week of little changes
So when Rennie challenged me to integrate a week of little changes into my usual daily routine, I was completely on board. Sometimes making the smallest changes can make a real impact to your overall health. So I was intrigued to see how my chosen changes would ultimately work, or not work, for me.
IBS and similar digestive issues can affect every individual differently. And this makes it difficult to find a universal or catch all solution. But there are some tried and tested methods that we can all try to take better care of our digestive health.
So let's see how I got on over the course of a week;
Adding exercise to my weekly routine
The first change of the week was to implement exercise into my weekly routine. My main form of exercise is usually just walking. And attempting to meet my goal of somewhere between 7000 and 10000 steps a day. This is because I'm not the biggest fan of strenuous exercise. So I was happy to see that in terms of keeping on top of digestive issues, low to medium intensity exercise can actually be some of the most beneficial.
In the warmer months I really enjoy going out for a walk for around 45 minutes to an hour at least once a day. But I tend to just fit it in whenever I have free time. I'd never thought about making a conscious effort to go for one after I'd eaten. After waiting around an hour for my main meal to digest, I got wrapped up and went for a gentle stroll around my block. Moving about and being out in the fresh air made me feel a lot less sluggish than I usually do after dinner. And it even did something that truly surprised me.
Walking after dinner
On two of the days, after having my dinner, I could feel a bit of trapped wind starting to build up on my right side. Normally I would take it easy and lie on my side for a bit to see if that would ease it slightly. But as I was committed to keeping up with my new routine, I put my jacket and trainers on and went out for a walk. After a few minutes I was pleasantly surprised to feel the trapped wind starting to dissipate.
By the end of my twenty minute walk it was all but gone. And definitely a whole lot more manageable. I'm already looking forward to the lighter nights and keeping up this little change permanently going forward. As someone who also works and lives in the same space, it felt really good to have a change of scenery at some point during the day as well.
This week of little changes also gave me the push that I needed to finally try yoga. Not only were the series of poses and stretches manageable for someone who isn't really the fittest. But I could also concentrate on my breathing and engaging my stomach muscles properly. Exercise, in of itself, can help to prevent indigestion by stimulating the muscles that move food along the digestive tract. It's also believed to enhance the diversity of microbes in your gut. Which in turn helps to protect our immune systems and ultimately, keep us healthy.
Stay hydrated
It may seem obvious but drinking more water or fruit juice is beneficial to our bodies in a variety of ways. We should all be aiming to drink at least two litres of water each day. This means giving the likes of coffee or tea and fizzy drinks a break. Or only having them once in a while as a treat. I personally switched out fizzy drinks for fruit juice a few years back, only having a can of fizzy juice once or twice a week instead of every day. And I felt a noticeable difference when it came to my acid reflux and indigestion issues.
I also finally invested in a water bottle with time markers on it to coincide with my week of little changes. And I couldn't quite believe how much this actually motivated me to get drinking throughout the day. Particularly when I'm sat at my desk. You can pick these up for a couple of pounds on the High Street now. Which means there's no excuse not to try one if you've been thinking of doing so for a while now.
Eating smaller meals
After undergoing Invisalign treatment last year, where I was only allowed to have my retainers out for a maximum of two hours a day. I got into the bad habit of only having one really big meal at dinnertime. And not having much else to eat throughout the rest of the day.
Admittedly, it's been a difficult habit to break. But after a few days of eating breakfast, lunch and dinner at set times along with at least one little snack throughout the day too. My body knew exactly when it next needed to be fed. Normally my stomach grumbles pretty much all day. Either because I've not eaten enough or because I've eaten too much. But having three small meals a day instead, meant that I didn't feel too full or too hungry. And in turn it made my gut feel a lot better. Eating smaller meals also puts a lot less pressure on your system to digest such a large portion.
Chewing your food and trying not to talk whilst you're eating can also make a difference. Thoroughly chewing each mouthful allows your food to be broken down more as it comes into contact with your saliva, reducing the chances of bloating.
What I thought at the end of the week
After undertaking my week of little changes I have to say, I'm so impressed with the way in which I felt at the end of it. Making the smallest of changes really can have considerable benefits to you and the way your body feels and acts.
Whilst there's no guarantee that these little changes will work in the same way for you. I would definitely recommend trying some of them out for at least a few days to see if they do in fact have any benefit for you. As I always seem to pin to my Quotes board on Pinterest, 'the secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine'. And I have to agree.
Do you suffer from any of the issues mentioned in today's blog post? If so, how do you go about dealing with them? And do you make any conscious efforts when it comes to your exercise or eating habits?
