Live Well With Lara

One of the worst feelings…

One of the worst feelings you can experience when you are dealing with IBS occurs when someone who doesn’t understand your situation says or does something that shows complete lack of consideration or empathy for what you are dealing with.

It can be a simple thing like a store not letting you use their bathroom. Or a friend giving you a hard time because you cancel plans last minute.

I still remember this one incidence that occurred when I was young, someone pointed to my belly and declared that I was fat, when in fact I wasn’t. I had slim arms and legs but my belly was bloated and round – NOT because I was fat but because my gut was swollen and tender and full of gas. That moment has stayed with me to this day.

In the moment that like you just want to cry but you know that engaging with them will just make the situation worse.

This is one of the reasons why I created the Live Well With Lara Gut Health community.

Because I get it.

I understand the ignorance, insensitive comments or lack of empathy that can make IBS seem so much worse.

So I just wanted to remind you that this is a safe place.

You are welcome here AND we understand.

So if you need help navigating specific ways to deal with these types of situations (and ignorant comments) post your question below and I will chime in…

Or if you have a tip for the community, please share what has worked for you.

Better yet, join my Facebook Group for ongoing support.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/livewellguthealth

Needing to Justify Investing in Your Yourself Shouldn’t Be a Thing…but

Here are 3 reasons if you need to convince yourself (or someone else) it’s TIME

1. Your IBS isn't Getting Better on Its Own

If you have been dealing with IBS for more than a few months - it's been too long. I have actually had a client decide to NOT deal with their gut health issues because it isn’t “that'' bad YET! How does waiting until things get worse make any sense? It is much easier to transform IBS at its earlier stages, rather than after it has progressed further…

2. The IBS is Affecting your Work or Family

If your IBS is now impacting your career or relationships that is a pretty good signal that something needs to be done about it. Not only is it impacting you - it is starting to interfere with the lives of those you love and may even start affecting your ability to provide for them.

3. The IBS is Limiting your Enjoyment of Life

If your gut health issues or IBS is making your life smaller because you need to say “no” to things you want to say “yes” to, this can begin to have cascading effects on your mental and physical health. If you need to limit your social outings, activity or travel then it's time to invest in a solution.

If it’s been more than 3 months that you have been experiencing IBS or if you are not getting the help you are hoping for from your doctor then let me know in the comments your biggest motivation for correcting the problem and I will reach out.

Would You Rather?

Be frustrated and confused or have a clear path forward?
Deal with this alone or have support and community?
Continue to patch your symptoms or get to the root of the issue once and for all?

This is how I help my clients with IBS transform their gut health issues in as little as 3 months.

Tag me in the comments if you want a resource to get you started!

People always ask me…

Research now shows that there is a strong connection between the mind and the gut, so effectively dealing with stress is a must in any gut health program.

This connection is called the Gut-Brain Axis but I always refer to it as the Mind-Gut Connection to remind myself that taking care of my body includes taking care of my mental wellbeing. In fact, I have dedicated a whole module to the “Mind-Gut Connection” in my new gut health program The Inside Out Microbiome Makeover™.

While there are many ways this communication happens, one of the main ways is via the Vagus nerve which extends from the base of the brain into the intestines. Because this communication is bidirectional, stimulating the Vagus nerve can also assist with gut function. And happily, deep rhythmic breathing from the diaphragm stimulates it!

So, people always ask me “What is the best form of meditation to do?”

Here is the answer…

The one you can commit to, do regularly and enjoy!

For me it is 20 minutes of Box Breathing at night before bed because I get the benefit of deep breathing as well as mediation all in one. I learned about Box Breathing from reading Unbeatable Mind by Mark Divine. You do it like this: breathe in for a count of 5, hold for a count of 5, breathe out for a count of 5 and hold for a count of 5. Simple but powerful.

Do you have a favorite meditation or breathing style or app that you use?

I would love to know!

Please share in the comments!

Here is Another Amazing Resource

This is my favorite guide to help with the gas and bloating that often accompany gut health issues and IBS.

I LOVE it because it explains 3 of the main reasons why you may have increased gas production that leads to that uncomfortable bloating (cue the stretchy pants) and simple things you can do about it.

If you want the link post “Yes Please!” in the comments and I will DM you the link.

(P.S. I’m only giving it out to those who respond in the comments so that I can see how many people are actually wanting these types of resources. If there is a good response I will make some more!)

Dysbiosis – The Missing Piece

I speak to a lot of people about their gut health issue and one of the biggest common denominators I see in the people who stay stuck in their chronic constipation (no pun intended) or debilitating diarrhea is that they are not taught about dysbiosis and how it can lead to those two issues.

They may seem like completely opposite problems but in fact they are the two sides of the same coin – dysbiosis. Dysbiosis occurs when the balance of the bacteria in our gut (our microbiome) shifts from predominantly good bacteria to bad bacteria.

The reason I know this missing piece called dysbiosis is connected to irregular bowel habits as well as other symptoms such as bloating and gas is that research tells us it is.

Here is how it works: the “bad” bacteria in our gut produces lot of gas and that gas often causes bloating and discomfort. Depending on what type of gas is produced determines if it results in diarrhea or constipation. A 2010 study looking at predictors in IBS and SIBO showed that hydrogen gas was the predominant gas detected in people with diarrhea-predominant IBS and methane was detected more frequently in people with constipation-predominant IBS.

Once we address the dysbiosis the other symptoms (gas, bloating, constipation and diarrhea) naturally begin to resolve; which means no more stretchy pants, scoping out all the bathrooms in any given location or endlessly waiting on the toilet hoping for something to happen.

If you are ready to say good-bye to IBS and want to know more about how The Inside Out Microbiome Makeover™ can get you to having regular bowel habits give me a 🙋 in the comments and I will reach out with more information.