Natural Remedies For Irritable Bowel Syndrome: 6 Tips To Reduce IBS

There are various ways you can reduce or even cure your IBS with natural remedies. Here are some things to try out to reduce the discomfort of irritable bowel syndrome.

1. Ditch the artificial sweeteners

Whilst this may not be classed as a traditional "remedy" it's certainly worth doing. Artificial sweeteners are used all over and have been shown to cause gas and bloating. As you would expect, they are used in lots of diet products including soft drinks and other low calorie foods. But you need to check the ingredients list as they are also used in potato chips, toothpaste, mouth wash, chewing gum and a myriad of other products. Watch out for Sorbitol, Aspartame, Xylitol and other sugar substitutes. If there is no ingredients list, move on to the next product (if it's your favorite product, check the manufacturer's website for more information).

2. Eat more fiber

Especially soluble fiber. This will help your bowels to move more naturally which in turn should reduce their irritability. If you follow the current recommendations of eating more fruit and vegetables, you'll be on your way. Just make sure that they have suffered little if any processing. This means eating real fruit, not drinking juice or smoothies. Ideally your vegetables should be steamed or oven cooked rather than deep fried. So that means cutting down on the french fries. Sorry!

3. Get more friendly bacteria

It's not just an advertising gimmick. You can get probiotic drinks that you keep in the refrigerator and drink one a day. Or you can get a pot of Acidophilus from your local health food shop and keep that cool instead. Go for the highest strength available for maximum benefit.

4. Try peppermint tea

Peppermint has been used since ancient times to help with healing your digestive system. Brew a cup of peppermint tea instead of automatically reaching for coffee the next time you want a hot drink. It's a refreshing drink as well as helping your digestion.

5. De-stress your life

Stress is one of the major causes of IBS. Whilst modern western life seems to breed stress, there are ways of at least reducing it and they are well worth exploring. Treat yourself to some "you" time. Put on a favorite song or listen to one of the many purpose made relaxation MP3s available. If you can spare the time, investigate taking a local yoga class. Or look into one of the newer meditation methods that do almost all the hard work of meditation for you, leaving you free to relax and enjoy the experience rather than concentrating on a candle or a mantra.

6. Cut down on the caffeine

Caffeine can be a contributor to your IBS. Trouble is, it's quite an addictive drug. Which means that if you are used to drinking lots of coffee every day, you may need to reduce the amount you're drinking over a week or two, rather than cut it out completely overnight. Decaffeinated coffee has improved and almost tastes the same as regular. Just be careful to check how the coffee you change to has its caffeine removed as the chemicals in some of the processes can add their own issues.

To learn how to cure your IBS naturally, just click here: http://www.squidoo.com/ibscures

Ayurveda Colon Cleanser - How Does It Work?

Colon cleansing is the method of cleaning the colon and the intestines. They happen naturally in the body. When we consume foods, many kinds of foods naturally contain a large amount of fibres or the roughages. These roughages are the source of colon cleansing. Many kinds of starchy foods or sieved juices milk do not contain sufficient amount of fibres. As a result due to lack of fibres, they can not be efficiently driven out of the body in the bowel movements that happen daily on a regular basis. Many persons consider themselves very fit and fine when they consume high priced quality foods that are very rich in vitamins and minerals. But these processed foods lack the fibres that are also equally essential for the healthy body.

Raw foods are the best source of fibres. A balanced diet not only should have carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and fats in optimum limits but should also contain approximately 25 to 30 grams of fibres. They are of no nutritious value but aid in the absorption of nutrients from the intestines. Along with the fibres water also plays a crucial role in maintaining the fitness of the body. After all, all the nutrients in the body are dissolved in water prior to absorption. Water also plays an important role in waste disposal along with the roughages or the fibres.

There are many Ayurvedic colon cleansing kits that are available in the market that promises to clean up the colon from the deposited debris for over a very long period of time. The kit consists of the cleansing formula with four different herbal ingredients. In addition they are also provided with the human specific probiotics. These are the beneficial bacteria that are being added to improve the immune system and the vitamin production in the intestine.

The formula is also available in the form of powders that contains 22 different American, and many kinds of Ayurvedic herbs. It is available in tablet form and has to be consumed for 1 to four times during the cleansing period depending upon the individual condition. Intestinal bulking agent like the psyllium husk, slippery elm powder, flax seed meal, chia meal. These bulking agents also have to be taken 4 times daily depending on the individual status. These bulking agents conglomerate all the unwanted wastes from the intestine and increase the bulk of the excreta. As the bulk volume is increased, the pressure created inside the intestinal walls tends to pour out all the accumulated contents outside the body via bowel movement.

The blend also contains Bifidobacterium and lactobacilli in millions. These are quintessential bacteria for a stable intestinal tract flora. Some also market the Ayurvedic Triphala which is combined with various antibacterial and antiparasitic herbs. These when consumed not only cleans up the intestinal tract abut also help fight against the pathogenic bacteria and fungi that might have been formed over the accumulated debris.

A vibrational germ elixir, in a base of Ayurvedic oils that helps to remove the accumulated toxins and balance the subtle energy centres. All these products are helpful for treating the colon clogs but have to be consulted with a physician before starting to use them.

Read more about colon cleansing at: http://coloncleansetalk.com/

What in The World is Acid and Alkaline Body Chemistry?

Acidic and alkaline body chemistry refer to the pH, or potential hydrogen, balance within the body. If we have the optimal acid/alkaline balance, we have blood chemistry balance, or homeostasis.

This subject can be confusing, but it is an important one to try to understand, so I will do my best to explain it to you in a way that can be easily understood.

Have you ever wondered why certain environments attract different things? A field of flowers attracts beautiful butterflies and bees, while a swamp attracts mosquitoes and other insects. Well that is because one environment is alkaline, while the latter is acidic.

Science has found that organisms that carry disease, such as mosquitos, prefer an acidic environment. It is easiest to think of it this way: acidic attracts disease, while alkaline protects health.

Our body acidity or alkalinity predicts our environment. Just like a swamp or a field of fressh flowers it can either harbor disease or flourish. Although it is debatable, many experts believe that disease cannot live in an alkaline environment, yet it thrives and grows in an acidic environment.

Again, it is debatable, but I do believe that your body functions best when it is in an alkaline state because until two years ago, I was someone who used to be out of shape and overweight. I was not following a healthy natural diet and I was not exercising. I felt awful and got sick all the time.

I got the flu or the common cold six to ten times a year. I was depressed and had little to no energy. Since discovering the difference between alkaline and acid body chemistry I have made an active effort to make my body healthier and more alkaline.

Since then I rarely have gotten sick, I have more energy, and have had more tolerance to exercise. Most importantly I have been able to maintain the proper body weight, which is something I have always battled with.

Well how did I get my body more alkaline? I ate more organic fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. I made sure that I cut down on the acidic influences in my diet: red meat, dairy products, pasta sauce, coffee, alcohol, processed foods (fast food), deep fried foods, and chemical pollutants (pesticides, hormones etc.).

If you would like to find out your body's acid/alkaline chemistry go to your local health food store. They should have pH test strips you can buy that test your saliva. They are cheap, easy, accurate, and the roles of the strips allow you to test yourself many times. I test myself once a month or so.

If your body is acidic and you would like to try to make it more alkaline to see if you notice a difference in your overall health, you should maintain a dietary ratio of 75% alkaline to 25% acidic, this is what worked for me. Also exercise, or sweat a lot, this is your body's natural way of getting rid of toxic chemicals and pollutants that can make your body acidic.

It should also be noted that one way the body naturally protects against really high acidic levels is by using calcium as a natural buffer. If your body is highly acidic and you are not getting enough calcium through your diet or supplements your body will naturally pull calcium from your teeth, bones, to buffer the acidity. This is not good because it can make your bones and teeth brittle.

Some people's bodies are naturally more acidic or alkaline than others. You may or may not be able to get away with eating more acidic foods than other people. Always remember that everybody is different and you need to be as educated as you can on YOUR body and what makes YOU feel good and healthy.

Pay attention to how often you get sick in relation to certain foods, or toxins you are putting into your body. Make an active effort to test yourself and put good healthy food and supplements into your body, you will feel healthier.

Brue M. Baker, is an expert on natural health and fitness who has helped people from all across the country sky-rocket their health and well-being. Find out how you can get your hands on the best natural supplements at: http://www.dynamichealthtips.com/

What! Fat is Good For Us?

Ever look at pictures of people that were taken before 1970? You will probably be able to notice something different about them if you compare them with pictures of people today. They are not fat, and almost all of them look healthy. How many people do you see on a daily basis today that look really healthy?

Were our parents or grandparents exercising more than us? Did they have better exercise science? Did they work harder than we do? Were they taking special weight loss products we don't have today? Why in the world do they all look so healthy and skinny?

It all has to do with the type of fat they were consuming in their diet. Food was not altered then and everybody ate natural and organic foods, that is all there was. I don't know when or why it happened, but gradually food companies started looking for and began using cheaper ways of manufacturing food to increase their profit.

Thanks to the food companies, we get to eat all kinds of preservatives and unnatural fats they put in the food to give it a longer shelf life, this saves us a little money, makes the food companies a lot of money, and makes us fat and unhealthy. Then the food companies even figured out to somehow trick us into believing that things like margarine are better for us than actual butter.

When did we start believing major, publicly traded corporations could outsmart nature? I guess television advertisements and marketing can really mess with people's perceptions.

What is natural fat? There are three kinds of naturally occurring, "good" fats, to be aware of. They are saturated fats (butter, animal fats), poly-unsaturated fats (fish oils, vegetable oil, canola oil, corn oil), and mono-unsaturated fats (olive oil, nut oils,).

These "good" fats help give us energy, keep us warm by cushioning organs, keep our brain, nerves, skin and hair healthy. They also aid in cell division, growth and repair.

Obviously if you eat too much "good fats" you can gain weight, and raise your cholesterol, but overall they are very good for you. Use your common sense and follow a healthy diet. Also get your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked once a year by a certified health care provider.

NOTE: As you read this next section please keep in mind that poly-unsaturated fats (oils) are very reactive and literally "go bad" or turn "toxic" very quickly when exposed to heat, oxygen or light.

As we process our food, unfortunately we extract natural oils that are found in fruits, nuts and seeds. How are those oils extracted? (Remember to keep the above note in mind).

The seeds are crushed and heated to extremely high temperatures. They use pressure to squeeze the oil out, this generates even more heat. The oil is then exposed to oxygen and light and treated with solvents (vitamin E is destroyed during this process).

Often two toxic substances are added to the oils as a preservative. So the result of all of this; rotten, or toxic oil is extracted out for further processing.

However, there are a couple of safe alternatives that are being used to extract natural oils. They are expeller-pressed or cold pressed processing, which extracts the natural oils under low temperature and with minimal light and oxygen exposure. Most of the oils in packaged food available at your local health food store use the expeller pressing method.

Back to the toxic processing. After the (bad) oils are extracted they are often put through a hydrogenation process, this is usually done, once again, to extend a product's shelf life. Liquid oils go through this process to turn them into fats that are solid at room temperature (margarine).

During this process the oils are subject to starch, hydrogen gas, steam cleaning (to remove the 'bad' odor ), and are usually bleached for color. Yes I said bleached!

I bet you did not know that margarine's natural color is grey, not a creamy yellow like butter. That is why they bleach it, so it looks like butter.

What type of fat we are left with for consumption after all that processing? Trans fats.

Another negative side effect of the hydrogenation process is that the natural fat's molecular formation is altered. The altered formation, which is rarely found in nature is called a trans-formation, hence the name trans fats. I was never the best science student so I am not going to explain all of this in detail, it would get too confusing.

I'll tell you what you need to know. The potential health dangers of hydrogenated products and trans fats. They have been shown to increase your bad cholesterol and lower your good cholesterol levels, have been suspected to cause cancer and heart disease, and cause an increase in body weight.

What foods contain hydrogenated vegetable oil and trans fats? Most of the food in the aisles at your grocery store (prepared, packaged, instant foods). All margarines, most salad dressings, bread, cereal, cookies, baked foods, donuts, pies etc. are also loaded with hydrogenated oils and trans fats.

Please check the labels and ingredients of the food you buy. This will help you recognize what products are made with hydrogenated oils and trans fats. Do your best to eliminate as much of them from your diet as possible.

Think of your body like a Porsche; would you put cheap gas in a Porsche? What if you put "bad" oil into it? How would it drive?

How much money would it cost you later on when many mechanical problems start to go wrong because of it running on cheap gas its whole life? How much money would you be paying to mechanics to see your maltreated Porsche again and again every year?

If you would not treat your car this way, then why in the world would you put toxic food into your body?

Brue M. Baker, is an expert on natural health and fitness who has helped people from all across the country sky-rocket their health and well-being. Find out how you can get your hands on the best natural supplements at: http://www.DynamicHealthTips.com

Nutritional Supplements: Are They for You?

When deciding whether you need or want to take nutritional supplements, there are a few things you should know first. First of all, you should know what vitamins and minerals can do for you, and what they cannot.

Many people think if they take vitamins, minerals and other forms of nutritional supplements that they can eat anything they want and not have to worry about an otherwise balanced diet.

First, vitamins and minerals in any form can't replace food, so you still have to eat properly to obtain the necessary proteins, carbohydrates and sugars that your body needs for optimal functioning. While vitamins and minerals don't contain calories, they don't provide energy either.

Nutritional supplements should never be substituted for nutrients found in foods either. Many people don't realize that our bodies don't manufacture vitamins or minerals, even though our body systems need them to survive on a molecular level. The only way we get enough of these essential ingredients is through a properly balanced diet, at times enhanced with supplements.

You can compare the necessity of vitamins and minerals to the spark plugs in your car. If they're not firing just right, your car will still run, but not smoothly or to the best of its capacity. Nutritional supplements offer the same benefits to the workings of the human body. You can't see them, but they are a vital component to the workings of everything in your body, from cell structures to organ systems.

For those who eat a properly balanced diet, it may not be necessary to take vitamin and mineral supplements. But let's be honest. These days, who eats properly all the time? Considering that we get a bulk of those vitamins and minerals from fruits and vegetables, and that most people don't eat enough of either, it's important to ingest supplements in order to prevent health problems that begin through poor nutrition.

A vitamin or mineral deficiency in your body can cause all sorts of problems, from acne to disease processes. Those who smoke or drink also need increased vitamins and minerals to counteract the damage caused by alcohol or nicotine. Young children experiencing growth spurts need proper amounts of vitamins and minerals to ensure bone health, muscle growth and organ tissue development. Older people need to replenish stores of vitamins and minerals that their bodies don't process so well any more, and everyone in between needs to maintain proper levels of nutritional components to provide optimal health benefits.

Most vitamin and mineral supplements come in a variety of forms, from capsules to tablets to gel-caps. Some are big, some are small, but to be honest, most of them smell and taste funny. However, most people take them with juice or water, but always read the labels to make sure you are following dosage and dietary instructions, as some should be taken on a full stomach, others on an empty one.

There are a number of popular nutritional supplement brands out there, and when considering any of them, it's a good idea to know and understand what vitamins and minerals are, what they do for your body, and to determine if the brand you choose will deliver the product that you are paying for. Take the time to research national nutritional supplement brands, don't believe everything you read, and above all, when in doubt, ask your primary care provider for advice.

Brue Baker, is an expert on natural health and fitness who has helped people from all across the country sky-rocket their health and well-being. Find out how you can get your hands on the best natural supplements at: http://www.DynamicHealthTips.com