The Unhappy Gut – What to do when your doc says you’re “fine”
You’re bloated every day, you either can’t go to the bathroom or you can’t get out of the place. Your tummy just feels so unhappy. You’ve been to your doc (as you should) and they’ve done all the testing and come up with…nothing. No explanation, no real idea and a “watch and wait” plan. It can be demoralizing. For many, diet and lifestyle modifications, teamed with stress management techniques and supplementation can be the simple answer to a complicated problem. So once the doc gives you the all clear, here’s what we recommend.
1) Get researching.
Book an appointment with a trusted or recommended complementary health practitioner like a Naturopath, Nutritionist or Acupuncturist.
Do your research and find someone who works with and has had success with the particular ailment that you have.
2) Write it down.
To prep for your appointment keep a food & symptom and activity diary. Note general information like the time you ate, what ingredients were included, if the meal was small, medium or large, fluid intake etc. Then note digestive symptoms you may have and their severity. Just from completing this task you may start to see patterns for yourself of particular foods or drink that upset you. Take this information with you to your appointment.
3) Get breathing!
A terrible thing happens with ongoing digestive complaints. Your gut health suffers and so your mental health suffers (via the gut-brain connection). And when your mental health suffers, your gut health suffers. So many of our patients are stuck deep in this vicious cycle. A great circuit breaker is to have a small mindfulness/meditation/breathwork practice each day. Even just 5 minutes morning and night of taking some time to take slow, relaxed breaths can begin to positively impact your mood and your digestion.
If you are struggling with ongoing digestive problems we’d love to help you get started. Book in now with our Womens Health Acupuncturists, Naturopaths and Nutritionists.