16 Dec “Its all about poo” A Merry Christmas Log Blog
Merry Christmas with a good log
As a trainee Kinesiologist you quickly get used to discussing poo. It becomes a standard topic of conversation, frequency, style colour, texture.
These are all hot topics in the life of a practitioner. We aren’t quite at the Gillian McKeith stage of actually examining a clients stools but we do like talking about a good loggy poo.
IBS is now so common according to the IBS Network it affects up to 20% of the population. There is a known link between bowels and hormones and we see it regularly in the clinic as well as having personal experience. A good Kinesiology practitioner will therefore be looking at getting hormones back in balance as well as your bowels.
Medically there has been research into the anti inflammatory properties of Omega 3 oils. This is unsurprising, the clue is in the name. They are called “essential fatty acids “not “good idea fatty acids” or “when I can be bothered” fatty acids.
This research undertaken showed that when taken at the correct dose (1-2g a day) inflammation was reduced. Other recommendations we would make are to increase fibre, it’s important that this is from a non wheat source. Wheat can be really harsh and scratchy on the bowel and what we need is for it to be lovingly soothed instead. Alternatives such as oat bran, spelt rye and psyllium are great.
Water is vital. 14% of our water intake is needed by the large intestine and help with stool formation. Food enzymes can really help people with IBS as it takes the hard work out of digesting food.
People with IBS need 40% more protein than other people, this is because the body struggles to absorb when it’s in crisis. The protein needs to be in an easily absorbable form so we swear by non whey protein shakes such as organic soya protein.
All of the above are really useful for good bowel health but the area that gets really overlooked is emotional causes. It’s common for us to gut react to a situation. Deep belly breathing can really help in a stressful situation as can Bach Flower Remedies, taking time out or a hot bath.
IBS doesn’t have to be a life sentence, there is so much that can be done. The suggestions we have made can really help but to get to the root cause quickly we would strongly recommend you see a Kinesiologist. Just be prepared for the poo conversation, it’s our favourite bit.