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If someone tells you to "listen to your gut", you'll likely assume that they mean for you to pay attention to what your instincts are telling you to do in a certain situation - whether to trust someone or not, or whether to say yes or no to a new opportunity. When you sense these instincts, you feel something akin to unease or "rightness" just below your solar plexus (below your sternum) that gives you a clue about what you should or shouldn't do.
I'd like to take this concept a step further: your entire digestive system, not just that little area underneath your solar plexus, can give you valuable feedback about your life.
I frequently teach about the importance of listening very carefully to your body. Not just for flashes of "gut" instinct, but for what your body might be trying to tell you about your life through more complex physical symptoms and illness. "Gut" or gastrointestinal symptoms are one way your body can tell you that you need to start making some changes.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a frustrating, annoying and often debilitating condition which presents with abdominal cramping, bloating and gas, is the classic "functional" GI disorder. According to the American Heritage Medical Dictionary, a functional disorder is "a physical disorder in which the symptoms have no known or detectable organic basis but are believed to be the result of psychological factors such as emotional conflicts or stress." As many as one in five North American adults suffer from IBS, and women are twice as likely as men to develop it.
The other day at the medical clinic that I work at, I saw a young woman who had left her home country to pursue a business opportunity here in Canada. As soon as she got here, she became debilitated and alarmed by severe abdominal symptoms that affected her ability to perform at her new job. Though other doctors who had seen her hadn't given her an official diagnosis, to me it sounded like IBS.
If you're sitting in front of me and you tell me that something strange or new or scary is going on with your body, one of the first things I might ask you is this: "What is this really about? Is there something that your body wants you to change about your life?" If you don't know, try paying attention to when you get a worsening of symptoms, and you'll start to see a pattern.
Most people can usually tell me right away why their body may suddenly be acting up, or failing. It might be that they're in a job or career that they can't stand, they may have someone in their life who's increasingly impossible to interact with, or they may simply be running themselves and their body into the ground.
In the case of the young foreign woman, she was lonely. She'd noticed that whenever a friend or relative from her home country came to visit, her gut would mysteriously settle down. Once she made the connection, she found that by deliberately creating relationships with other people from her country, here in her new hometown, she was able to almost completely relieve her symptoms.
If you've been plagued by mysterious gastrointestinal symptoms and your doctor, after considering and investigating other possibilities, has told you that you probably just have IBS, what else can you do? After asking yourself what in your life you might need to change -and taking steps to make those changes - there are some very specific modifications that you can follow, that your body will deeply appreciate.
These IBS tips come from www.MayoClinic.com:
1) Remember to Breathe Deeply
The more stressed we are, the more shallowly we breathe. Not only does deep breathing help you stay calm, it also helps relax your abdominal muscles, which can have a normalizing effect on your bowel activity.
2) Eat at Regular Times
When we're stressed, we skip meals - and your body won't let you get away with that for long. If you eat regularly throughout the day, and try to have your meals at consistent times, your tummy will thank you.
3) Exercise
Exercise, even just a twenty minute walk, is a major stress reliever, and also apparently stimulates normal contractions of your intestines (versus the painful, spasmodic contractions of IBS).
So there you have it. Listen to and respect your gut, and you both just might live happily ever after.
Dr. Susan Biali, M.D. is a wellness expert, life and health coach, professional speaker, and flamenco dancer. She has been featured as an expert on the Today Show and other media outlets, and is available for keynote presentations, workshops, and private coaching. Visit susanbiali.com to receive a complimentary eBook, Ten Essential Easy Changes—Boost Mood, Increase Energy & Reduce Stress by Tomorrow.
