Do you regularly experience debilitating symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, diarrhoea, constipation or nausea?
Here are some tips for improving these symptoms:
1. Increase your physical activity:
the minimum for general health is 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week
2. Eat slowly:
chew your food properly, put your fork and knife down between bites
3. Reduce your alcohol consumption:
1-2 units of alcohol per day for females, 2-3 units for males (i.e. 1 unit = 125ml wine/ 1 lite beer/ 1 tot)
4. Reduce your caffeine intake:
maximum 3-4 cups tea/coffee per day
5. Reduce your intake of spicy foods:
chilli, pepper, garlic, curry powder
6. Drink lots of water :
A minimum of 6-8 glasses per day
7. Watch your total intake of dairy products:
see if you feel better when you have just small amounts of milk/ milk alternatives/ lactose free milk in tea/coffee
choose plain low fat yoghurt or harder cheeses as calcium sources
8. Eat regularly:
3-6 smaller meals/snacks per day
9. Reduce your intake of high fat foods
i.e. takeaways, deep fried/ tempura foods/ high fat snack foods/ baked goods
10. Find time to relax and get enough sleep
If you have other more worrying symptoms, or you do not see an improvement in symptoms with lifestyle changes, see a dietician to help you to feel confident with your food choices and prevent uncomfortable situations.