It’s gotta be a good post with that kind of title, right? Well… I guess we’ll see. This might be a little TMI for some of you, so feel free to skip it.
For the past few months I’ve been having stomach issues. Rotating between cramping, bloating, stabbing pains (rare, but they’ve happened a few times), nausea, and lots of gas. I’ve always been very “regular” when it comes to potty time. And I still am—sometimes as much as 3 or 4 times a day. But at least once or twice a week I find myself glued to the toilet in the morning, if you know what I mean. And the gas… I feel sorry for my poor husband is all I can say.
Geez. Writing about your bathroom behavior without being too disgusting or descriptive isn’t easy.
Over the last few weeks my stomach issues seem to have gotten worse. I fought them all weekend while in Hokkaido and didn’t even get to enjoy the group meal out on Friday night because I felt so sick. I skipped ramen last night because my stomach felt so full and bloated it hurt to even imagine eating.
After doing a little symptom checking with webMD, it seems I might have Irritable Bowel Syndrome. My bowels certainly feel irritable… sexy, right? A lot of the symptoms match up with how I’ve been feeling. Obviously I would prefer to not have stomach problems, but since I am having them I want to get to the bottom of the situation and figure out what (if anything) I’m consuming is triggering my stomach pain and discomfort.
It is suggested that people with IBS avoid:
- caffeine
- alcohol
- milk products
- foods high in sugar
- fatty foods
- gas-producing foods (such as beans, cabbage, and broccoli)
- artificial sweeteners sorbitol and xylitol (often used in sugarless gum and candy)
Though I rarely drink alcohol, I do consume caffeine, milk, and sugar daily. I also have a BIG thing for chewing gum. 
My goal this week is to cut out the caffeine and artificial sweeteners to see how my stomach reacts. It’s going to be tough—I love my coffee—but it will be worth it to feel better. If the stomach issues still persist I will look into cutting out dairy and sugar next week.
So, why I am telling you this? I’m hoping if any of you have had similar issues you could give me some tips or point me in the right direction.
I took photos of my food today, since I’m being more careful with what I’m eating. Enjoy.
This morning I replaced my coffee with some caffeine-free peppermint tea. I love tea and I drink it throughout most days, but it just isn’t the same as my beloved morning coffee.
I was feeling very lazy after breakfast, but I finally coaxed myself into the Vibrams and out for a 2 mile run.
Lunch was some ham and mustard on a Bagel Thin, an apple, and a hard-boiled egg. I know I swore off the “thins” in an old post, but I found some Everything Bagel Thins when we were home in December and I couldn’t stop myself. They are so good. Dammit.
As a snack I had a mikan and some goldfish before work and a peanut butter granola bar.
On my way home from work Jeremy let me know that he was cooking dinner tonight as a Valentine’s Day surprise for me. If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time you probably realize this is a big deal because Jeremy does not like to cook. But he’s been trying harder to learn lately and put his skills to use tonight by making dinner all by himself.
We’re currently reading The Five Love Languages together and it was interesting to me that Jeremy chose to cook for me. I definitely think he shows his love/appreciation through acts of service. Personally, I lean more toward showing love with words or gifts, I guess. 
The night ended with chocolate cake!
Okay ,not totally caffeine-free, I know… but it’s Valentine’s Day. A little chocolate is necessary, right?
Happy Valentine’s Day friends!
(Oh, and let me know if you have any IBS advice!!!)
It’s gotta be a good post with that kind of title, right? Well… I guess we’ll see. This might be a little TMI for some of you, so feel free to skip it.
For the past few months I’ve been having stomach issues. Rotating between cramping, bloating, stabbing pains (rare, but they’ve happened a few times), nausea, and lots of gas. I’ve always been very “regular” when it comes to potty time. And I still am—sometimes as much as 3 or 4 times a day. But at least once or twice a week I find myself glued to the toilet in the morning, if you know what I mean. And the gas… I feel sorry for my poor husband is all I can say.
Geez. Writing about your bathroom behavior without being too disgusting or descriptive isn’t easy.
Over the last few weeks my stomach issues seem to have gotten worse. I fought them all weekend while in Hokkaido and didn’t even get to enjoy the group meal out on Friday night because I felt so sick. I skipped ramen last night because my stomach felt so full and bloated it hurt to even imagine eating.
After doing a little symptom checking with webMD, it seems I might have Irritable Bowel Syndrome. My bowels certainly feel irritable… sexy, right? A lot of the symptoms match up with how I’ve been feeling. Obviously I would prefer to not have stomach problems, but since I am having them I want to get to the bottom of the situation and figure out what (if anything) I’m consuming is triggering my stomach pain and discomfort.
It is suggested that people with IBS avoid:
Though I rarely drink alcohol, I do consume caffeine, milk, and sugar daily. I also have a BIG thing for chewing gum.
My goal this week is to cut out the caffeine and artificial sweeteners to see how my stomach reacts. It’s going to be tough—I love my coffee—but it will be worth it to feel better. If the stomach issues still persist I will look into cutting out dairy and sugar next week.
So, why I am telling you this? I’m hoping if any of you have had similar issues you could give me some tips or point me in the right direction.
I took photos of my food today, since I’m being more careful with what I’m eating. Enjoy.
This morning I replaced my coffee with some caffeine-free peppermint tea. I love tea and I drink it throughout most days, but it just isn’t the same as my beloved morning coffee.
I was feeling very lazy after breakfast, but I finally coaxed myself into the Vibrams and out for a 2 mile run.
Lunch was some ham and mustard on a Bagel Thin, an apple, and a hard-boiled egg. I know I swore off the “thins” in an old post, but I found some Everything Bagel Thins when we were home in December and I couldn’t stop myself. They are so good. Dammit.
As a snack I had a mikan and some goldfish before work and a peanut butter granola bar.
On my way home from work Jeremy let me know that he was cooking dinner tonight as a Valentine’s Day surprise for me. If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time you probably realize this is a big deal because Jeremy does not like to cook. But he’s been trying harder to learn lately and put his skills to use tonight by making dinner all by himself.
We’re currently reading The Five Love Languages together and it was interesting to me that Jeremy chose to cook for me. I definitely think he shows his love/appreciation through acts of service. Personally, I lean more toward showing love with words or gifts, I guess.
The night ended with chocolate cake!
Okay ,not totally caffeine-free, I know… but it’s Valentine’s Day. A little chocolate is necessary, right?
Happy Valentine’s Day friends!
(Oh, and let me know if you have any IBS advice!!!)