All week in my Instagram I have been posing questions and thoughts on IBS. This Thursday, November 26 I will be recording an IGTV Live telling you about my story with IBS.
Today I want to share with you a few practical tips to help guide you on this personal journey. Remember, be open to creative solutions. Be coachable and be willing to accept discomfort as a teacher and not a punishment.
Creative Soultions.
Why do I mention this phrase. IBS is a complex intenaction between mind and body, each person's experience is fluid and changes with enviornment, emotions, hormones and food intake. With all of these factors in play, you have freedom to get creative in what mix of solutions and tools will be most effective to help you live fully and feel healthy, well and vibrant. Track your attempts and their consequences. When you are learning anything with an open mind, you use the scientific method. You have an idea, you test it out, you record the result. You then test the results to see if they are consistent if you repeat the test. Don't treat this as a life sentence you need to accept, it is a process you can learn from and even find fun.
Coachable
Who should be coaching you around IBS. Well, that depends on your goals. Everyone needs a team and you get to curate that team to create to support and focus you want. A nutrition coach like me is great if your goal is lifestyle changes, weight loss, cooking techniques, meal planning and creative food solutions. You defintely need a gastrointerologist to be involved to keep abreast of your symptoms, any medications or supplements you may have been on or need and to test things like your blood, feces and intestinal track. GROSS but super helpful. A Massage therapist, yoga teacher, meditation instructors or apps for these things can be very helpful parts of a team. I highly recommend 10% happier app for meditation and yoga with adrienne and beachbody on demand meberships for fitness and meditation together.
Accept Discomfort as a teacher not a punishment
To learn what works for you, and in what quantity it works, you need to be willing and open to trying things. When you IBS acts up, ask is this an emotional trigger? What is the trigger? How quickly did it come on? Discomfort is our greatest teacher. It helps us to be honest and see what are the most valuable changes to work on, in order to manage our lives. Is your financial situation an huge trigger? Thaen part of your team might be a finncial planner. Yes she may be on your IBS team. The lessons you can learn about yourself are never, I am broken. I should be able to, but I can't. The lesson is always, i'm ok I am only a novice at managing my time or mindful eating, or handling the teenager stress, or this sleeplessness from my newborn, or digesting cabbage.
Come visit me on Instgram @lilyaronin and please email me coachilyaronin@gmail.com and tell me your IBS story.