The festive season is associated with delicious food, celebrations, and activity, a time of fun and joy. However, these festivities can be especially difficult for those who are trying to lose weight, struggle with an eating disorder, or have IBS.
As you may have heard before, our gut holds the key to our mental and overall physical well-being. Keeping your gut in order is key to feeling happy and relaxed over the Christmas holidays.
Aside from food and drink, the festive season can bring with it other stresses and anxieties. For instance, many people feel anxious about meeting up with friends and family or attending parties.
It’s easy to lose sight of healthy eating habits during the festivities, and people may end up consuming more greasy, fatty food and alcohol, causing them to feel negatively about themselves.
Stress, combined with eating unhealthy foods, can trigger irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, if you’re mindful of your food and drink choices and keep anxiety at bay with gut-focused hypnotherapy, you can enjoy the festive season without triggering an IBS episode.
I’m Susannah Saunders, a clinical psychologist who uses hypnotherapy to help people understand the triggers and root causes behind their IBS and stress anxiety. IBS can often lead to discomfort and embarrassment, especially in social situations like Christmas or New Year’s Eve parties. However, I can teach you specialised techniques to help you feel empowered and more in control of your body, allowing you to control your gut by strengthening your subconscious.
What is the Connection Between Your Gut and Your Subconscious?
Are you wondering how IBS and stress anxiety are connected? Scientific research has shown that one of the primary reasons for gastrointestinal issues stems from a break in communication between the gut and the brain. Gut-focused hypnotherapy is effective in controlling the pain and unsettling feelings associated with IBS.
The gut-brain axis is bidirectional, and an issue in either can lead to a reaction in the other. For example, many people who suffer from this syndrome may end up Googling something like ‘How to avoid IBS flare-ups at my office Christmas party’ or ‘How can I avoid IBS at Christmas?’. Fear of an IBS flare-up can trigger their anxiety and make them stressed about attending a party or enjoying it, which in turn can upset their stomach, forcing them to make trips to the toilet one too many times.
The brain communicates with the gut, and the gut reciprocates. This occurs through the vagus nerves and involves your nervous system, hormones, and gut microbiome. With my gut-directed hypnotherapy, I try to remove the communication barrier between your gut and subconscious and help modify your subconscious to better deal with stress and other negative emotions that can lead to IBS flare-ups.
How Does Gut-Focused Hypnotherapy Help Control Your IBS?
Gut-focused hypnotherapy, along with the adoption of a healthy lifestyle and food habits, has shown better results in controlling IBS and its related symptoms than long-term usage of medication, which can have adverse side effects.
The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends the use of gut-directed hypnotherapy for treating IBS if medication and lifestyle changes have been unsuccessful.
During my sessions, I use IBS hypnosis techniques such as visualisation and comforting words to assist clients in entering into a state of relaxation and calm. This subconscious state makes the brain more susceptible to constructive advice than it would be during a state of consciousness.
Gut-focused hypnotherapy can help you achieve the following:
- Reduction in the severity and frequency of IBS symptoms such as stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhoea, and nausea.
- Reduction in stress and anxiety, key reasons behind IBS triggers. For example, many people with social anxiety or those who are introverts can struggle at a party, triggering their IBS symptoms.
- Feeling more comfortable in yourself. This will help you to feel less anxious in social settings, making managing Christmas stress easier.
- Reduction in the sensitivity of the digestive system.
Tips for Managing IBS During the Festive Season
During the festive season, those who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome tend to constantly worry about how best to navigate their IBS and Christmas parties. There are several ways to manage your IBS and go about enjoying your life, including understanding what foods to avoid if you have IBS and learning effective coping strategies to deal with the triggers.
1. Avoid Triggers
The first step to dealing with IBS and Christmas dinner without experiencing anxiety is to understand your IBS triggers. Inform your host in advance about any food you can’t consume, and always be mindful of avoiding foods that can trigger your IBS.
Stress and anxiety are other common reasons for gut issues. By managing Christmas stress, including avoiding people or situations that make you feel anxious, you can reduce the likelihood of stress triggering your IBS. If you have been newly diagnosed with IBS and are still struggling with managing your diet, especially during the festive season, you can search for ‘IBS Christmas dinner’ recipes online to get some ideas.
2. Say ‘No’ to Carbonated Drinks
It’s easy to give in to the temptation of fizzy drinks, especially at a Christmas lunch or dinner. Many people think that the acid reflux experienced by those with IBS can be solved by drinking carbonated beverages. However, one of the top foods to avoid if you have IBS gas is actually fizzy drinks.
Fizzy drinks, especially soft drinks and alcohol such as prosecco, are high in sugar and can disrupt the gut biome, further contributing to gas and bloating.
Some other foods to avoid if you get IBS gas and other IBS symptoms include the following:
- Greasy food
- Spicy food
- Milk products
- Alcohol
- Gluten-rich food
- High FODMAP fruit and vegetables, such as avocado, beets, garlic, cauliflower, leeks, apples, plums, cherries, etc.
It’s also important, however, to understand that every person and their triggers are different.
3. Plan Ahead
IBS-linked stress can often lead to feelings of isolation, especially during the festive season. However, proper planning can help you enjoy the festivities without triggering IBS symptoms.
If you’re hosting a meal or party, make sure you have IBS-friendly food on the menu. If you’re attending a party or are part of a bring-your-own meal, either inform the host or only select foods that are IBS-friendly.
Be mindful of what you eat and drink. Limit your alcohol consumption, avoid rich and spicy food, stay away from dairy products, and bring your own alternatives. Some foods to avoid IBS gas that you can incorporate into your festive diet include lean meat, leafy greens, fruits, vegetables and fermented foods.
4. Stay Hydrated
Water will be your best friend this festive season. Staying hydrated can prevent constipation, gas, and bloating. Sipping on some water (or flavoured water if you prefer) while others drink alcohol will help keep your stomach settled. You can also have herbal teas for extra flavour and as a healthy alternative. This will help you feel part of the gathering without triggering your IBS.
5. Stay Relaxed
Planning for Christmas and New Year’s can be extremely stressful. From buying presents to knowing what to wear to financial stress and the thought of meeting extended family, there are lots of elements that people lose sleep over. It’s important to stay relaxed and composed to keep anxiety and stress at bay during this time.
Contact Susannah to Effectively Control IBS
Gut-focused hypnotherapy uses different visualisation and calming techniques to keep stress and IBS symptoms such as stomach cramps, bloating, constipation or diarrhoea at bay. Each person and their triggers are different, so I take a personalised approach to helping my clients. I have over two decades of experience in assisting people suffering from IBS to deal with their issues more holistically.
By helping you understand the root cause of your issues, I empower you to better deal with situations and make mindful decisions. This can help you navigate through life in a more confident, assured and un-stressed manner.
Whether you’re finding it difficult to quit smoking,, are an introvert who is too shy to socialise, or suffer from anxiety, depression or eating disorders, I can help you deal with your issues in a holistic manner.
Reach out to me today or learn more about my treatments.
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