Day 15: Last step + what’s next
You have one more step to take! Actually, I’m ending the program with two: one of them “mandatory” and one of the optional.
Goal 1: having fun and being social.
Doing pleasant activities, like listening to music, roaming in nature and having a massage all release endorphins, the body’s feel good hormones that are also called the body’s own pain killers. They help reduce stress and improve mood.
One study looked at setting off firecrackers as a fun activity to reduce stress in people with depression and saw that having fun with firecrackers was helpful.
What the pandemic did, was worsen social connection and this was a time that showed exactly how important social connections are for mental and physical health.
The lack of social connection is linked to health problems such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, depression and dementia. Having good social support is also linked to reduced abdominal pain in people with IBS, potentially through reduced stress.
What I’d like for you to do is to pick a fun or relaxing self-care activity do every week from now on. It could be something suggested in this chapter, or it could be something else that you enjoy. Seeing friends can combine nurturing social connections and having fun, so invite your friend to do it with you.
Goal 2 (optional):
Learning about supplements that can help ease gut symptoms, but it’s up to you if you wish to try some. I hope that if you are making the steps in this program a continual habit, you won’t need any supplements. See more below.
Supplements/medications for various gut problems
Aloe Vera: may help ease GERD (50 mg per day x 4 weeks), limited data
Turmeric: anti-inflammatory effects. Dose suggestion 2-3 g/day (don’t use too much). Take with black pepper if the formulation doesn’t already have it to enhance its effect.
Peppermint oil: antispasmodic with relatively good evidence for reducing abdominal pain. Use as directed in the container, choose only enteric coated capsules.
Gasex/simethicone: antifoaming agent: makes gas bubbles smaller in the large intestine thereby potentially easing bloating and gas. Evidence is not great, it may or may not help, but safety profile is good. As with anything else, trying it out shows you if it helps you or not.
Iberogast: contains peppermint oil + a handful of other herbs. May be helpful for both IBS and functional dyspepsia.
Vitamin D: avoid deficiency, get levels checked if able (it’s called 25 hydroxy vitamin D lab). Always use a supplement in the winter months, at least 400 IU (10 mcg per day), up to 100 mcg/day if severely deficient. Plays a role in gut microbiota health, gut immunity and gut barrier integrity.
Ginger: anti-inflammatory effects, antinausea, increases gastric motility. Helped rats with IBS-D. Dose: evidence is limited, but studies used 2 g/d doses of dried ginger root powder/extract.
Psyllium fiber: soluble fiber and can help slow diarrhea or ease constipation. Start low and increase slowly up to 20 g per day. Drink plenty of water with the fiber and throughout the day, 25 ml per gram of psyllium husk.
If you are curious about a supplement, send the name to me and I’ll look into it.
Always be mindful of what other medications and supplements you are already using and check with a doctor to make sure there will be no harmful drug-herb interactions.
Parting words
Congratulations! It’s the last day of the program and you have made it! I hope you’ve managed to take every step, or are working on those even a bit harder steps persistently. But, I want to also say that even if you took just one step during this program, that is already progress. So many people can’t change their habits at all, so any change is already a real win. Let’s celebrate that today! Amazing job!
How are you feeling? Fill out the form I gave you on day one to see if there has been any improvement.
If there has, I’m really happy for you! Keep it going to keep reaping the benefits of a good gut healthy lifestyle.
Keep your habits strong and if you slip, get back on track as soon as possible. There is no failure. There’s only growth.
If you haven’t noticed much difference, but you’ve faithfully done all the steps, keep at it. It might take a bit longer for you to feel a difference. But perhaps there are other benefits you are noticing? Do you have more energy? Do you sleep better? Do you feel calmer?
I also understand that if your gut health problems are more severe, these steps might not be enough. While these steps are foundational, there is so much more that can be done. If you haven’t gotten the improvement you wanted, keep going with these steps, and if in a couple of weeks things are still the same, come talk to me. You probably need more help.
To book a free 30-minute call, go here.
If you signed up before the New Year, you will get an email for the bonus webinar soon! It’s about gut testing and whether that is something you should go for.
It’s been a pleasure to have you in this program with me. I hope the information was helpful and you made a lot of beneficial progress in your lifestyle.
I’d love to hear your thoughts about the program. Please fill the feedback form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScAt8YpNk4W-y1uAlZgUjgQGAy7tmmdKYKaBoqJax_30a7-tA/viewform?usp=publish-editor . I want to hear it straight: what was good, what was bad, what could be improved on. My sincere goal is to serve you and help you live the life that you deserve, and so I need to hear it from you what I could do better.
If you ever have questions or need help, reach out: [email protected]
Goodbye!
Anna-Kaisa