At first this might seem like a stretch...connecting your bowel health to your loved ones...but hear me out. I have seen first hand how the internal health of your bowel can seriously impact your relationship with all of the loved ones in your life - family, friends and significant others. Not everyone shares these same issues, but this article comes from my personal experience in the hopes to encourage us all to become more understanding and compassionate of all our individual needs.
The first way in which your bowel can affect your relationships with loved ones...mood. Your digestion is your first line of defense against mood swings. By now, it is common knowledge that processed sugar, for example, can have a serious impact on your moods and emotions. Sugar creates a pendulum-like swing between emotional highs and lows that can come with side-kicks such as hyperactivity and depression. If your digestive system is compromised by illness, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), dis-ease, such as Ulcerative Colitis (UC) or Chrone's, or the Standard American Diet, aptly dubbed SAD, then you could be mood-swinging like Tarzan through the jungle. This can wreak havoc on any relationship, but can have catastrophic outcomes on those you live with because they will be witness to ALL mood swings.
Unfortunately, not everyone is able to keep up with the Tarzan-esque mood-swinging, and therefore brush off your down-swings as hormones or irritability. (When you combine these mood swings with PMS and a bad mood...WATCH OUT!) This is where communication is key. If you are blessed enough to have an open line of communication with your loved ones and they are willing to discuss your needs, be grateful! Not everyone has that ability to openly discuss such concerns, so be sure to express your gratitude for your supportive environment. Still, the conversation can be an emotional one. First, the issue can make you feel that something is wrong with you. You are not broken and do not need to be fixed; all that may be needed is a little TLC and understanding in order to take the stress out of the situation. Second, you may not necessarily know WHY these moods strike...you just feel like crudmuffins!
*Now, I am not saying that a healthy bowel will eliminate ALL mood changes - nothing is a cure-all. However, making sure your digestive system is in tip-top shape will enable your body to absorb nutrients and keep you nourished, which can help to avoid nutrition-based mood swings. In addition, your body will be eliminating waste properly, which will reduce the amount of toxic build up. If your body is in a toxic state, chances are your mood is too!
The next way in which your bowel can affect your relationships with loved ones: co-dwelling. When you live with others and share meals, it can be isolating when your diet has to be altered to keep your body healthy. From the viewpoint of those around you, it may look like you are being picky or trying to make them feel badly about their food decisions. Yet, every time you have to decline a food offer, and deal with the consequential "remarks", it puts a small tear between you and those around you, making you feel isolated on your journey. SO, rather than be an inconvenience or offend someone, you eat what is available, and suffer in silence.
Folks, this is just the tip of the iceberg. When you really think about all the areas of your life that your bowel rears its head (I just realized the true humor in that statement!) it affects so much more than we first think! When you feel bloated, constipated or are frequenting the powder room squeezing your cheeks, your self-confidence and body image do not exactly sky-rocket. This can literally infiltrate every aspect of your day! What will you choose to wear on a day when you feel like a balloon? How will your posture be when your stomach hurts? How will you treat people who get in your way on your (numerous) bathroom runs? What will your response be when your partner gets "in the mood"? The outcome of any of those situations is usually not your most stellar or empowering one...and definitely not a sexy one.
In order to truly appreciate the statement below, first spend time with a baby. A baby can be completely inconsolable, yet as soon as they unload in their diaper, life is good! I bet you feel the exact same way...it is just not socially acceptable to wear a diaper...yet!
All in all...a healthy pooper makes a happy person!
During this month, send a little love to your other end and I am sure it will return the favor. Simply thank your stomach (and other digestive organs) for all they do at each and every meal. Take a moment before you eat and prepare your body for food. Listen...Smell...Admire. After a meal, or at the end of the day, rest your palms on your stomach and send "gratitude vibes" to your digestive system for the work it has done throughout the day. A simple "Thank You" can go a long way.
I hope this article provided comfort if you are someone with digestive distress. You are not alone on your journey; support is all around you. On the other hand, if you are the loved one of someone with digestive issues, I hope this article provided insight to some of what they may be experiencing. The best thing you can do is open the space for conversation in a supporting, loving and non-judgmental environment.
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