According to national surveys in the US 72% of people suffer with IBS-like symptoms on a monthly basis. This includes Gas, Diarrhea, Bloating, Constipation and stomach pain. It's one of the most common symptoms that I hear from clients on a daily basis. Now only 10-15% of the population are believed to have an actual diagnosis for IBS so what is everyone else suffering from. Did you know in the top 20 selling over the counter drugs gut issue drugs take up more spots than any other medication. Drugs top the list for Heartburn, laxatives, Gi issues, anti diarrhea and gas relief meds are all in the top selling list. What does this tell you? People suffer all the time with digestive disorders and I have to tell you this. The majority of them can be healed and the majority of them are epigenetic. Meaning that you are creating your own health woes. So let's look at the biggest digestive issues and then i'll get into how you can help yourself and heal your gut. Gas/ Bloating - Yes it's normal but it's not normal to be having gas everyday and after every meal. two ways of you getting gas, when you swallow air and when bacteria breaks down food in the large intestine. You may think that sounds normal. BUT undigested food that moves from the small intestine to the large intestine bacteria goes to work creating hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane. The issue with this shows you have a multitude of issues. which could be that you're not chewing your food properly, that you have weakened HCL, and that your digestive enzymes are not working efficiently enough to lead to undigested food getting to the large intestine. Constipation - Constipation affects over a 3rd of the population on a daily basis. It is when a person does not go or goes infrequently to the bathroom. And bathroom movements less than 12 inches per day would place you in a digestive issue and a lead cause of constipation. Many foods can cause constipation, and many lifestyle factors including dehydrations, stress, lack of sleep etc. Can all impact your bowel movements. This is not normal and do not accept this as something you need to live with. Look into the whole gut health and start healing yourself Diarrhea - Diarrhea affects 4.5 Billion people each year. The cause of this is endless from eating something that's off, to high stress, too much caffeine, too much stimulants, too much alcohol, and reactions to drugs and or anything else you have put into your body. It is your body's natural way to remove something that creates discomfort in the digestive tract. It is when we have the opposite to constipation. When your stools are loose, watery and overly consistent and you could say very inconsistent. It's usually short lived for most people with bouts happening in small cases. But if you suffer with this weekly or even day this is something that needs to be addressed. Look at all medications you are taking and take good luck at the food you are eating. Occasionally this is very normal but continually this is a bigger problem, What can you do? The cause of IBS-like symptoms can be and is endless. But there are lots of things you can do to help. The first thing I would recommend is to take a good look at any medications you are taking and look at side effects. More than two thirds of clients I work with with IBS type symptoms are a direct side effect from something they are taking. The others who struggle with this are usually eating something they are not supposed to. This is not just the list of bad foods. You can react to anything and everything. From dairy to fruit and veg. If it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work for you. I have clients who can't eat strawberries, or potatoes and to the more common ones like dairy and gluten. There is so much you can do to help with digestive health. It is however not a one size fits all. If you are struggling with any of the above and feel like you have tried everything. Reach out to me and I'll help you figure out why and what is causing you digestive health issues.