Holiday tips for people with irritable bowel syndrome

Some of us are blessed with a well behaved bowel. However, there are those who need to do a little bit more disciplining. Here some of the guidelines to keep your bowel in shape.

1. Eat several small meals a day, instead of three large ones, to allow your bowel to work more at leasure.
2. Keep meals low in fat, and high in carbohydrates.
3. Some common food triggers that put you into pastures include:

• Alcohol
• Artificial sweeteners
• Coffee
• Dairy
• Egg yolks
• Fried foods
• Oils
• Red meat
• Shortening

4. Bananas, beans, broccoli, cabbage, garlic and onions may all cause gas-read bloating.
5.Taking more soluble fiber may help with the symptoms. Some easy source for soluble fiber include:

• Brown rice
• Oatmeal
• Pasta
• Psyllium husk (Metamucil)
• Raisins
• Sourdough bread
• Soy

6. Some people are just sensitive to these food:

• Sorbitol (Sugar substitute)
• Fructose (found in fruit juice and dried fruit)
• Lactose (found in milk), caused by lactose intolerance.
• Wheat bran

7.Acidophilus helps maintain the 'good' bacteria in your gut, and easily found in yogurt that contains live culture. I'm not trying to advertise for them but Yakult and Vitagen are good and easy source for acidophilus.

5 ways to beat holiday weight and still keep you sane

Exercise.
Yes, you are busy, you couldn't care less, there much better think to do and so on. Before you start complaining, think about it this way, be creative (read my previous article on creative holiday workout). You are just going to have to make time because working out definitely help you reduce holiday stress (yep, holiday can be very stressful ordeal) AND help you keep extra holiday pounds from all that party food at bay. Instead of trying to fit an hour a day for exercise, try to break it into manageable segments by finding 15 minutes 2 to 3 times throughout the day. Do quick workout, it could be walking the stairs up and down, looking for your missing belt or running through the mall for last minute shopping-whatever works !. Also, instead of concentrating on one body part each exercise, why not do compound exercise where you target more than one body part at a time. You'll enjoy the holidays a lot more if you are relaxed, stress-free and feeling good about yourself.

Relax
No matter how busy your schedule is, always find time to cool down. Chilling out could make the holiday whirlwind much easier to face. Try taking a relaxing bath, reading your favorite book, doing some yoga or do some deep breathing. Even deep breathing can help keep your stress hormones in check. While sitting straight on a chair or floor, breath in deeply through your nostrils allowing your belly to bulge out with the inhale, then exhale through your mouth very slowly, contracting your abs at the end. Repeat this a few times.

Indulge moderately
Special occasions offer things we don't usually indulge in like pies, sweetcakes, fattening drinks, and those butter cookies... Its easy to get caught up and overindulge yourself. So the best way is to plan ahead (refer to Holiday Eating). Eat healthy snack beforehand to keep you full and grab a glass of water when you get there to fill up and keep you hydrated.

5 ways to beat holiday weight and still keep you sane

I know, I know, holiday is a lot of fun, and you want to enjoy yourself to the fullest. Think about this, do you want to carry over extra pound to next year, thanks to your late nights and late foods?

Read through these if you would rather be slim for new year celebration:

Eat
Its easy to blow your diet by skipping meals and hitting the vending machine for sustenance. I know, you are busy and all, yes, I also know you are doing double duty and just don't have the time to prepare a good meal. Before your ultra-busy days come, prepare some healthy foods nearby-nutritionbars, oatmeal, cereal, lots of fruits-anything that's easy to prepare and will keep at the bottom drawer of your desk.

Sleep
How will you ever get anything done if you are dragging-butt all day long, everyday day? Think of a good night sleep as a necessity-much like oxygen, you can't live with it could you?-to keep you sane and prevent you from violent thoughts towards your family and friends as you spiral into stress-mode. Whatever happen during the day, out aside enough time for an 8 hours sleep, and start winding down 30 mins before your bedtime. Trust me, you will thank me later when you wake up with great skin. Also, just to remind you, lack of goodnight sleep inhibits concentration and makes us less efficient and more irritable.