No Shame in Helping Your Bowels

Your digestive system seems to be out of control. Either you can’t stay off the toilet, or your stomach is tied in knots. Your bowel movements are loose and runny, or unusually hard.

If this sounds familiar, you are probably suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), the most common digestive disorder. A lot of people are too embarrassed to seek help. Symptoms include constipation or diarrhoea after meals, over a period of several months, usually accompanied by abnormal cramps or bloating and increased intestinal gas.

The good new is that IBS isn’t life-threatening. These tips to ease the discomfort cause by IBS:

• Avoid gas-forming foods like potatoes, beans, legumes, broccoli, lentils and cabbage.

• Eat a high-fibre diet. Fibre increases stool production and reduces pressure in the intestines.

• Eliminate diary products to see if your condition improves.

• Have small, frequent meals and cut out fatty food like ham-burgers, frieds, ice cream and chocolate.

• Drink lots of fluid to keep your bowels moving smoothly

• Avoid coffee – Caffeine, even in small accounts, stimulates the bowels.

Exercise like a Kid

The more you enjoy exercising, the more likely you’ll stick with it. Children play these games just for fun, but you can get a healthier heart and slimmer body:

• Hula-hoop – Targets abdominal and lower back muscles for a sculpted waist.

• Skipping rope – You’ll tone your calves and build agility, strength and endurance. Just 15 minutes of vigorous skipping burns almost as many kilojoules as a half-hour jog.

• Scooter – The standing leg gets stronger, while the pushing leg gets an endurance workout. It’s great cardio and will firm up the legs. Balancing works the core while trimming abs.

• Trampoline – Not recommended for children, but a high-intensity session on a mini-trampoline burns about the same number of kilojoules as running, without the knee-jarring impact. Just be careful you don’t fall of.