HealMyIBS.com Interview with Dr. Wangen from the IBS Treatment Center.
Yiannis over at HealMyIBS.com recently did an interview with Dr. Wangen from the IBS Treatment Center:
Yiannis:
How did you get involved with IBS and what is the idea behind the IBS treatment center?
Dr.Wangen:
I was once diagnosed with IBS. I wasn’t very impressed with the diagnosis, but like many of my current patients, I assumed that stress was the cause of my problem. It turned out that stress had little to do with my symptoms. It can exacerbate symptoms, but it is usually not the fundamental cause of digestive problems. Once I discovered how to cure my own IBS, that gave me more confidence in exploring how to help other people. That led to the development of the IBS Treatment Center, the first comprehensive treatment center dedicated to resolving.
Read the full interview at HealMyIBS.com.
Align Probiotics Review
Buy Align from Amazon.com
Recently Proctor & Gamble’s marketing department got in touch with me to take a look at their flagship probiotic, Align. While I haven’t actually started taking Align yet, I’d like to share some of my first thoughts on the product.
I’ve seen Align advertised before & it has received good reviews on places like Amazon.com. I am a little skeptical on mass marketed products that have slick packaging. In some cases the word probiotic is used to attract people to a product that has little digestive benefit. In one case I got some terrible breakfast bars that supposedly had “probiotics” in them, but they were barely a step above sweetened laminated cardboard. I don’t think this is a goal of Align since they are strictly focusing on a probiotic supplement where the cardboard is only in the packaging, not the actual product. Continue reading “Align Probiotics Review: First Glance” »
Trigger Foods and Valentine’s Day.
So it was Valentine’s day last Sunday, for which I decided to make a cake for my girlfriend. Unfortunately cakes usually do not agree with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. On top of this I was making an Asian style pork roast(ginger, soy sauce, honey, garlic, etc..), rice & steamed carrots + broccoli. Overall the meal was quite good, the only problem was that pesky cake.
Trigger foods for me are usually fatty foods that are low in fiber, plus dairy is rarely good unless something has broken it down. Cheeses are okay, so is sour cream. Plain milk is a no-no. Sometimes it’s a matter of mixing a trigger food in with something so it doesn’t bother me as much. Continue reading “Trigger Foods and Valentine’s Day.” »
Digestive Charities You Can Donate To.
Perhaps you’re in the mood to give to a good cause, why not donate to an organization that aids in the advancement of treatments for digestive disorders. I’ve compiled a couple different organizations that could use your support. If you are aware of other organizations I should have listed here, please drop me an e-mail or leave a comment and I’ll add it.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome:
Crohn’s Disease:
Gastroparesis:
GERD:
If you have something to spare, please think strongly about giving to one of these organizations. Thanks.
Apple Cider Vinegar Benefits for IBS/GERD
Apple Cider Vinegar has a lot of buzz going for it on the Internet and the natural health circuit. It can reportedly help with all sorts of problems ranging from gout to heartburn to weight-loss. While a lot of these claims haven’t been proven, I decided to give it a try.
Vinegar is fermented apple juice thanks to yeast helping to breakdown the apple juice to an alcohol & then bacteria break that down into the sour acidic substance we know. Most commercial vinegar we see in supermarket shelves has been filtered & pasteurized, possibly even distilled(clear). If you’re looking for health benefits then you’ll want to skip those & look for Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar. Filtered & pasteurized ciders have had all their “goodness” boiled or strained out of them. Continue reading “Apple Cider Vinegar Benefits for IBS/GERD” »
I was recently reading an article from Time magazine about Zinc being used in 3rd world countries to fight childhood diarrhea which is a very serious cause of death in these countries. This got me to thinking that perhaps Zinc could be useful for people dealing with Irritable Bowel Syndrome diarrhea.
Zinc is an essential metal the body needs to function. Not only could Zinc help with irritable bowel syndrome diarrhea, but it could also help other bodily functions & your immune system. I used to take Zinc quite a bit as a child because my mom wanted me to & we were able to get through a winter season without getting sick. Zinc can be hard on your stomach, so it’s important to take a supplement with food or get a multivitamin that includes it in the mix. Probably a good idea to take all your vitamins with food.
I’d suggest trying out Nature’s Way Calcium, Magnesium and Zinc complex or Nature’s Way Alive Multivitamin. Note that Calcium can also help with chronic diarrhea as well.
Hopefully these guys will help you out in reducing whatever chronic diarrhea you’re experiencing.
Review: Gas-X Thin Strips for gas & bloating with Irritable Bowel Syndrome(IBS)
So I am sure we’ve all probably had times were we’re filling gassy or bloated. When dealing with IBS these times are probably more often than we’d wish. Now, normally I’d suggest a natural product, but in some cases a less than natural product is needed. This is were Gas-X Thin Strips step in. Why do I like Gas-X Thin Strips? A) It works. B) The packaging and form factor are very discreet. Continue reading “Review: Gas-X Thin Strips for gas & bloating with Irritable Bowel Syndrome(IBS)” »
Review: Iberogast for Irritable Bowel(IBS) – Buy Iberogast from Amazon.com
Today I’ll be reviewing Iberogast, a natural herbal pro-kinetic motility agent distributited by Medical Futures & Flordis.
warning: According to the the Flordis website, Iberogast contains Ethanol which may be derived from corn. If you have a severe corn allergy, you should not use Iberogast.
So first off, what is a motility?
Motility is basically another word for movement. Movement in your digestive tract is obviously important. It’s especially important that these movements are coordinated. A lot of digestive problems can be linked to poor motility, such as chronic indigestion, gastroparesis, constipation or diarrhea. Continue reading “Review: Iberogast for Irritable Bowel Syndrome & Gastroparesis” »
Special Diets
There are quite a few special diets which some people find helpful with IBS. Some may purport that “such and such diet” is the cure. I am not entirely sure that everyone’s IBS can be controlled on diet alone. Radically adjusting your diet could be harmful to your health both mentally & physically. You may become very frustrated with finding foods that meet the requirements of your new diet or become depressed in the loss of your ability to eat foods you once loved. It would also be terrible if this new diet didn’t actually improve your IBS symptoms. This isn’t to say that these diets don’t help people or that you won’t find success with them, but it’s best to take it slowly and perhaps speak with your doctor or a trained nutritionist before making a radical change. Continue reading “Special Diets & Irritable Bowel Syndrome” »
What Are Digestive Enzymes And Do They Help IBS?
Digestive enzymes are proteins that have the function of breaking down different types of food matter. Different enzymes work on different types of food matter.
Enzymes are important for the proper digestion of our food. Most people are capable of producing enough enzymes on their own, thus adding more may not be of much benefit. However, adding more usually doesn’t do any harm either. It can be hard to tell if you body is deficient at producing enough enzymes, so ultimately it is worth trying. Problems that are occurring in the upper digestive system, could lead to issues later on in the lower digestive system.
I personally did not see major improvement after taking digestive enzymes. At some points I felt a bit more nauseated after taking a digestive enzyme pill before eating, however this probably has more to do with me overeating during these occasions rather than the enzymes causing the problem themselves. Continue reading “Digestive Enzymes & Irritable Bowel Syndrome(IBS)” »