What To Do When You’re In a Digestive Flare-Up
The months of May and June flew by for me. They were filled with traveling, seeing family, getting engaged (yay!), submitting MBA assignments, and continuing to reintroduce new foods. Once we received our vaccines, my fiancé and I were more than ready to start traveling again.
In May, I finally got to meet my his family in person in California. This was the first trip I had taken since starting the food protocol my doctor is using to heal my gut and manage my SIBO. To say I was a tad nervous about traveling and staying on this protocol is an understatement. I wanted to relax and enjoy our trip BUT I also wanted to maintain the protocol as much as possible. I’ve come so far since February and did not want to ruin any progress I’d made with my gut healing or with the body awareness I was developing.
Thankfully, all of my supplements, SIBO herbs, and bone broth powder made it through airport security and I was able to grab a few snacks from the local Whole Foods that I knew my body could handle. I even found a local juice bar called Thrive Juice Lab where I was able to get my morning smoothie or smoothie bowl each day I was in California. I ate out for each lunch and dinner but in California, requesting very specific dietary requests was no problem. I even allowed myself to enjoy an In-N-Out burger, protein style, of course (to avoid gluten).
Although I was still sticking to my food protocol, I experienced a flare-up on the last day of our trip. The oils that restaurants cook with are cheaper oils (canola oil, peanut oil) that are known to cause inflammation. Because I was eating out at every meal, my body was probably overwhelmed and my digestive system needed time to rest.
I was angry that my body was experiencing a flare-up after doing so well for the rest of the trip. I felt like I was a failure because I was in a flare. I had to remind myself that the flare was only temporary and that it was nothing I did wrong. All I could do was use my usual remedies, communicate to the people I was with, and wait it out.
Because our bodies are not perfect 24/7, I’m sure a lot of you also experience digestive flare-ups from time to time. Digestive flare-ups are annoying and hard to deal with so I’ve created a list of my go-to remedies. I hope some (or all) of these help you the next time your body needs a little love and care.
1. Tell people you’re in a flare
I know it can feel embarrassing to tell people you are having digestive problems but it telling people closest to me if one of the ways I can get though a flare. I used to hide the fact that I was having a flare-up. I would put on a happy face and pretend like I wasn’t experiencing abdominal craps every time I ate, a gross feeling in my stomach, constipation, major fatigue. Digestive flare-ups are physically draining and whether you tell people or not, they will know that something is wrong. Being open and honest with others about the physical distress you are feeling will help relieve that embarrassment and allow you to focus solely on taking care of your body. Also, a lot of people will relate to you and the people i your life who truly care will understand and support you when you share your experience with them.
2. Listen to your body
When you’re in a flare-up, it is easy to search the internet for ways to fix it. This leads to a bottomless pit of conflicting information. One website will tell you to do a water fast. The other website will tell you to eat as your normally would. This is why getting to know your body is SO important. If you know what foods, teas, etc., help your body’s digestion, then you can ignore what all the websites are telling you to do. When I’m in a flare, my body does best with sipping bone broth, eating cooked leafy greens, drinking peppermint or ginger tea, and drinking room temperature water. Remember, this is what works best for me. Take the time to get to know your body and understand what eases your flare-up symptoms.
3. Slow down
This was the first flare-up I experienced since starting my doctor’s food protocol in February. When I used to get regular flare-ups, stress and anxiety were always a factor. If you are someone who likes to go-go-go, do-do-do (like me), a flare-up may be your body’s way of telling you to SLOW DOWN. You do not always need to be productive. Taking time to do literally nothing is completely okay and totally necessary for your both your mental and physical health. Practice slowing down, breathing deeply, and incorporating a daily mindfulness practices.
4. Practice gentle physical movement
Activate your parasympathetic nervous system (the rest & digest system) by practicing yoga or going for a walk. When you are in a flare, the last thing you want to do is add more stress to your body. More strenuous workouts (lifting, running, biking), will increase the stress in your body. And although this is normally a good thing, during a flare, it is not the best.
5. Get more sleep
During a flare, you will most likely be experiencing fatigue. This may mean that instead of your usual 6 or 7 hours, you need a full 8 or even 9 hours of sleep. Don’t judge yourself for going to bed early or sleeping in more than usual. Your digestive system needs this time to rest and heal.
6. Use home remedies
My go-to physical remedies to help me with bloating and general digestive distress are: a heating pad, hot water or herbal tea, and peppermint essential oil. The heating pad is my best friend when I’m in a flare-up. It helps to relieve some of the pain I experience when I’m bloated, gassy, and backed-up. Sometimes, drinking cold or even room temperature water makes me feel even more bloated, so I focus on drinking either hot water with some lemon juice and apple cider vinegar or a herbal tea (peppermint and ginger are my usual go-to’s). I’ve also found that rubbing peppermint essential oil on my abdomen helps to relieve my symptoms. Please note - if you are using an essential oil, it is always best to mix the oil with either a carrier oil or a non-scented lotion before applying directly to your skin. Click here to read more about essential oil safety.
7. Use the flare as a learning experience
Think back to what you were eating before your flare-up. If you record your food (to track symptoms, not calories or macronutrients), it will be easier to recognize patterns and pinpoint specific foods that cause digestive distress. Also try to notice if you are stressed about something in particular when you experience a flare up. I know for me, there are certain situations that cause me to become more stressed and anxious than usual. When I noticed I am experiencing more stress and anxiety than usual, I increase the dosage of CBD oil that take daily so my body can adapt.
8. Remind yourself that it is (hopefully) temporary
During my flare-up in California, I felt defeated and was in a negative mental state. I had to remind myself that the flare-up was only temporary and in a day or two, I would feel back to normal. You may be someone who experiences flare-ups more often than not. If you feel as though you are ALWAYS in a minor flare-up, I highly recommend reading The Inflammation Spectrum. This is the book that got me started on my gut healing journey and has helped me to develop more awareness around what foods work best for my body. If you, like me, are also trying to manage SIBO, I highly recommend SIBO Made Simple.
Photo by Vladislav Muslakov on Unsplash