Why Birds Love Papayas?

Why Birds Love Papayas?

Learn with Queen of the Thrones Why Birds Love Papayas

Why Birds Love Papayas?

Written by: Marisol Teijeiro N.D. (inactive)
Medically reviewed by: Victoria Williams R.H.N.

Est. reading time: 11 minutes.

National Papaya & Body Confidence Month

September is National Papaya Awareness Month and in case you’re thinking this is just another blog about the health benefits of a fruit, it’s not.

Get ready to expand your mind about this tropical fruit that looks like a squash but has a bright internal orange color that just screams out beta carotene! (That same stuff you get in orange carrots) and seeds that look like slimy alien fish eggs, but have benefits that are, dare I say it, out of this world!!

Stay tuned for that goodness, but this is also going to give you a whole new perspective on a movement having to do with @thebirdspapaya that I am loving and want to help support.  Her movement is changing how you, me and we see the world. 

Honor the papaya, like the birds do, read ‘till the end and share with all of your sisters and brothers, mothers and fathers!

Papayas Are For The Birds

Some people don’t like papayas and believe that they are solely for the birds.  As they blossom in tropical trees much as the banana does, these fruits of the tropics are well known to get pecked as they’re one of the favorite foods of parrots.

Bird love papayas because they are a superfood.  They provide the body with ample nutrients with a taste so divine – kind of like a mix between that fatty feeling you get in your mouth with avocados and sweet juiciness like a watermelon.

With high levels of healthy fats, protein, magnesium, fiber, calcium, and phosphorus, they pack a nutritional punch unrivaled by other fruits. 

Do The Health Benefits Translate To Humans? 

Birds even eat the seeds because, in nature, the seeds are a well-known anti-parasitic and have been studied for reducing intestinal parasitosis in humans.  In fact, they have been studied in Africa as an effective tool for mass de-worming programs for children, by adding the seeds to porridge in schools.  They are also an excellent source of the digestive enzyme, papain.

Queen of the Thrones recommends to eat Papaya for healthy digestion

All of this makes the papaya a perfect partner to help you poo too!  You all know how much I talk about the importance of pooping so this is just another reason the birds and I are so in love with the papaya!

Of course, papaya is great for humans too, and there are a few ways that I encourage people to eat them that help not only with pooping but also with your digestion.

How Do You Like Your Papayas?

Most people eat papaya on its own, in a papaya salad, smoothies or simply cut up with tart lime juice and salt to smooth it all down.  They are so delicious this way.  I like to add the seeds into my smoothies to help with digestion as well.

But there is another way I like them because when speaking of improving digestion we first must understand exactly what digestion is.

Defining Our Digestion

Digestion is the most important physiological function that goes on in our body.  We must take in nourishment, utilize it, then get rid of what no longer is needed.  However, it isn’t only the ability to digest, absorb and eliminate food.  There is also a very emotional energy connected to digestion.

Whether or not you digest well, depends not only on the types of foods you are eating.  Whether they are “healthy” I put this in quotations because healthy food choices depend on the individual.  Remember, a superfood for one can be a poison for another.  The way foods are combined, and the time of day they are eaten are also big factors.  These aspects all matter, but what matters more than anything is this simple fact that isn’t often talked about.

How we digest our food is symbolic of how we are digesting life.

How we are digesting the world. 

Say these powerful words one more time with me – Digestion is how you are digesting your LIFE!!!!

How We Digest Life

Digestion is about taking something from the outside world, like food, and processing it so that it works for us.  But if what we intake, whether food or something else (stimulus like violent tv shows, judgments of other people, social images that make you feel less-than), goes against our true nature and our soul’s purpose, these external stimuli does our body no good and it will resist.  The sequelae is we will have problems with our digestion.  Acid reflux, gas, bloating, indigestion, constipation, and diarrhea to name just a few. 

So many of us have an internal struggle going on within where we don’t accept ourselves for how we are naturally.  We work to constantly fix how we digest by taking digestive enzymes (like papain), supplements that coat the gut, and fiber to help us poo.

According to Queen of the Thrones papaya is one of the fruits with more fiber content

The Little Known Cause of Digestive Problems

But did you ever think that maybe, just maybe, your digestion problems are caused by elevated stress levels due to your inability to accept yourself, in the constant pursuit of achieving other people’s ideals of you?  Do you not think that inherently this is going to affect your digestion?

Of course, it does, no different than when you can’t poo (which symbolizes an inability to let go of emotions).  Or if you have diarrhea, it’s a sign of excess burden and stress in your life, and the need to force-quit out of situations.  It’s about being conscious of the messages that our body is telling us.  Getting in touch with our gut feelings, being conscious and confident in our bodies is the key!

Another Kind of Papaya

So where am I going with this?  Well, papayas are an excellent natural source of good stuff for our bodies.  I usually like my papayas with freshly squeezed lime juice and salt!

But beyond this, is another kind of papaya that I feel is so good for our heart, body, mind, and souls.  This special papaya can be found on Instagram at @thebirdspapaya.  I love her posts, her podcast @thepapayapodcast and her blog The birds Papaya because she is starting a movement to LOVE our bodies, to be confident, understanding and accepting of them wherever we are in our healing journeys.

Her story is real, it’s raw (like a papaya) and it is ripe and ready for picking!  I highly encourage you to follow her, because she is a leader in this amazing movement that I am literally addicted to.  Just like papayas! 

She became a leader by accident, as she began by simply sharing her story of her 111 lbs of weight loss, relationship struggles, financial struggles and every other struggle of human experience in a totally honest and incredibly relatable way.  What truly struck a chord with me was her stories of being judged by others and judged by herself for not fitting the societal mold of ‘perfection’.  She generously shares her life experience as she paves the way for us all to think differently.  I’ve been following her for over a year and I have to say I think differently than I did before I met her.  She preaches how to show up in your life, and I’ve learned a lot about showing up in mine in my true skin.

So she, just like my hot yoga, hot pilates, healthy diet, mindset molding, soul meditation, Castor Oil Pack for Liver practice, gratitude practices and sleep hygiene, are all part of my daily practices that keep me expanding and inspired to do the work that I do. 

What she has helped me to realize and connect to is that her, like my patients and like myself, have all experienced judgments (oftentimes from ourselves) to live up to the status quo.  To roll with the Jones’s, whoever they are.  To be part of the ‘cool people’, the ‘in-crowd’ or the popular clique, ugh feels just like high school and I’m so over that, finally.

Body Confidence Through Understanding

Her food for thought is all about a movement known as the body confidence or body positivity movement.  I really prefer confidence because the energy of that simply feels less judgemental.   I am vibing to her message because I feel what I do is so similar.  I want to empower people to be body confident by being conscious of what their body is telling them.  This can start with your poo, getting to understand the clues that it gives you about the state of your health.  And later we will delve deeper and deeper so that you have a vast understanding and love for yourself that allows you to own your throne, as I say.

The understanding that you are gifted by the divine with conscious thought, we are the only mammal with this ability!

Queen of the Thrones teaches you how to to cope digestive problems

This beautiful tool/gift that we have been given works for us only when we are focused on the present and in our hearts, taking all the signs and symptoms as blessings.  Yes, even the beautiful cellulite on your thighs.  I love that cottage cheese look so much.  Or your wrinkles, or how you go to the bathroom.  These are all signs to acknowledge and address in a way that is healthy and life-promoting for us so that we can live each moment showing up for ourselves and our loved ones, with the ability to digest our lives with ease and grace.

Inspiration Feeds the Soul

I feel it’s important for me to share who is inspiring me, because like I share what food is good for my body, A.K.A. papayas, more importantly, I want you to know what is feeding my soul. 

So my dear friends as you dive into your journey of enjoying some lime-bathed, salt-sprinkled papaya, leave some for the birds too.  Join these movements with us.  You can do so by following on Instagram, subscribing to her podcast and sharing us with all those you love (wouldn’t it be nice if you loved everyone you know? You can – it’s simply a choice)! 

You Have a Choice

Speaking of choice, don’t you think it’s high time you choose confidence and consciousness in who you are, why you are here, and bring on the gifts that we have been given so we can serve the whole world?

It’s time and it goes like this.  You either decide to be the designer of your destiny, by allowing stimulus that enlightens you, entertains you, helps you grow, helps you fall deeper and deeper in love with yourself every day no matter what type of package you come in, OR you choose to fall into the proverbial rabbit hole like Alice in Wonderland, falling into your fate, losing who you really are and feeling like there is no hope.

Stop the digestive upset with food and how you are digesting the world. It’s papaya time!  Love and share this now! 

Are you a practitioner, health coach or wellness influencer? If you’re interested in recommending our easy-to-use tools and practically applying them in your health and wellness professional practice, in clinic, or online with the people you serve, you can join now!

Click here for references

Bruno Levecke,1 David J Buttle,2 Jerzy M Behnke,3 Ian R Duce,3 and Jozef Vercruysse Cysteine proteinases from papaya (Carica papaya) in the treatment of experimental Trichuris suis infection in pigs: two randomized controlled trials. Parasit Vectors. 2014; 7: 255. Published online 2014 May 30. doi: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-255 PMCID: PMC4049439

Okeniyi JA1, Ogunlesi TAOyelami OAAdeyemi LA. Effectiveness of dried Carica papaya seeds against human intestinal parasitosis: a pilot study. J Med Food. 2007 Mar;10(1):194-6.

M. KugoL. KeterA. MaiyoJ. KinyuaP. NdemwaG. MainaP. Otieno, and E. M. Songok Fortification of Carica papaya fruit seeds to school meal snacks may aid Africa mass deworming programs: a preliminary survey. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2018; 18: 327. Published online 2018 Dec 7. doi: 10.1186/s12906-018-2379-2 PMCID: PMC6286506

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including information providers, are those of the respective authors or distributors. Neither Queen of the Thrones® nor any third-party provider of information guarantees the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content. This communication does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Information provided does not replace the advice of your health care practitioner. If you happen to purchase anything we promote, in this or any of our communications, it’s likely Queen of the Thrones® will receive some kind of affiliate compensation. Still, we only promote content and products that we truly believe in and share with our friends, family and patients. If you ever have a concern with anything we share, please let us know at care@queenofthethrones.com. We want to make sure we are always serving Our Queendom at the highest level.

Constipation: I Keep Trying to Fix It, But It’s Not Working!

Constipation: I Keep Trying to Fix It, But It’s Not Working!

Constipation I Keep Trying to Fix It But It’s Not Working by Queen of the the Thrones

Constipation: I Keep Trying to Fix It, But It’s Not Working!

Written by: Marisol Teijeiro N.D. (inactive).
Medically reviewed by: Victoria Williams R.H.N.

Est. reading time: 16 minutes.

Do you know WHY your bowel movements aren’t what they should be? Let’s find out and see what we can do to fix them.

 

Constipation is an epidemic and it affects so many of the world population. It’s time we take a stand and do something about it.

1. Why Is Constipation Called a Functional Digestive Problem?

The symptoms of constipation are varied1. A key component of it is functional, meaning you can’t find reasons for it. For instance it could be a mass that is blocking elimination. This is why it’s important to get checked out by your doctor. Usually your doctor will try different treatments or do a colonoscopy to visualize the intestines, dependent on your age. Other times they may try lifestyle changes and treatments first.

2. What are the Symptoms of Being Unable to Have a Good Bowel Movement?

The most common symptoms are that you are uncomfortable in your abdomen or belly, you feel bloated, you may have gas and you may feel pain as well. You may produce dry pebbles or hard stools. Often you go less than 1 time per day. According to the Mayo Clinic2, constipation is classified as less than 3 bowel movements per week.

3. How Does it Feel to be Constipated?

There is a very distinct feeling of constipation. You push and push and may go a little but you feel like not everything came out and it was a lot of hard work. It also takes you longer than most to go to the bathroom. The term used is incomplete evacuation and straining.

4. Why am I Gassy and Bloated When I’m Constipated?

Gas and bloating is part of constipation and functional digestive disorders4. Even though gas is uncomfortable, it’s one of the natural ways that the body signals the intestines to move. Hydrogen gas, in fact, is known to have beneficial effects for the colonic mucosa, including functioning as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. This, in effect, would help it to move out your poo5.

Good gas (I know, I know, how can it be good?) is produced by good bacteria, like probiotics. It stimulates the natural action of the intestines to move stools downward. If the bacteria in your intestines are unhealthy (conbiotics™ as I call them) such as the archaea species of bacteria that produce methane, then it can actually slow down bowel transit time. This is linked to constipation6.

5. How Often Should I Have a Bowel Movement ?

A normal bowel movement should happen every day. Men seem to go more than women. The statistics show that on average, men go every 1.7 days and women every 2.5 days7. Ideally in my practice our goal is for all patients to go daily, for this simple fact. You eat daily, so what goes in, should come out. Otherwise there is backup.

If you want to get more in detail about what your poo says about you, get your free download here 

6. Why Do Men Go to the Bathroom More than Women?

Men have a higher average of bowel movements because let’s face it, women are more complicated. Yes I am admitting that. But science shows this too. It has to do with the fact that we have a broader hormone mix than men. Estrogen can be very problematic to women and have an affect on your bowel movements. 

7. How Does my Thyroid Affect my Bowel Movements?

When you have an underactive thyroid (A.K.A. hypothyroidor a condition known as Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, a common symptom is constipation. Think of a thyroid condition as an overall slowing down of your metabolism. If your body is slow, then your bowel movements will be much slower too, leading to constipation. 

8. Why Do my Estrogen Levels Affect My Bowel Movements?

If you are carrying extra weight, taking the birth control pill or other estrogen-replacing drugs or are exposed to fake estrogens (A.K.A. xenoestrogens – which every human being on the planet these days is) you have a higher level of estrogen than most.

Progesterone balances estrogen in the female body. Progesterone is necessary to have healthy bowel movements. When your levels of estrogen are too high, you lose the proper balance between estrogen and progesterone to have those healthy bowel movements.

9. Why Can’t I Poo?

We’ve talked about a few, but there are so many reasons why you can’t poo8.
It has to do with:

– Your nervous system
– Your hormonal system
– Your immune system
– Your digestive system
– Inflammation that you have in your body
– The amount of weight that you are carrying in your abdomen (central obesity)
– The types of bacteria you have in your gut
– The types of foods you are eating
– The foods you may be eating that you are allergic, sensitive or intolerant to
– How much fluid you are drinking
– How many caffeinated beverages you are consuming daily
– How much sleep you are getting
– How stressed you are
– How depressed you are
– How deficient you are in certain vitamins and minerals that support good bowel movements
– Your genetics

And the list goes on and on.

Estrogen Levels may affect your bowel movements according to Queen of the Thrones

10. Why is the Digestive System called the Center of Our Body Universe?

The gut and digestive spot is the center of the universe when it comes to your body. You have health if you have good bowel movements.
So if you’ve had problems figuring out why you can’t go, it’s because you haven’t hit the nail on the head yet or you have a combination of different factors working against you, causing you to be constipated. You want to be looking at your stools for the clues.

As you can see it is a HUGE topic!

11. How Often Should I Poop?

What goes in, must come out. If you ate every second day, then you should poo every second day. But because you eat daily, you really should be having a bowel movement daily. Otherwise, you are constipated.

Your body is an environment that requires flow. Intake of good stuff, outpour of bad stuff. Think of it like a fish tank. When your fish poops, the tank must clean the water out from time to time or the fish begins to swim in his own filth. You don’t want the cells inside your body to begin to swim in its own filth. This is clearly not healthy.

12. How Come Most of my Friends Don’t Poo Daily?

The reality is that constipation is reaching epidemic levels. 14% of the world population9, which equals approximately 1 billion people, are constipated. The worst part is that it is a life threatening epidemic, because if you think about it, all natural environments, including your body, need to eliminate waste. If you can’t eliminate waste, the waste back ups and that is bad.

13. The anatomy of the intestines: How much should you poop each day? 

Did you know that your lower descending colon is the length of your wrist to your elbow. This is the amount of food, fiber and fluids that you ate the day before and should be what you eliminate daily. Remember, what goes in, must come out.

Have you ever thought, “Wow, here I am eating all this food and where is it going? If it’s not coming out of me, where is it?” It’s just sitting there causing problems. Let’s figure out what we can do to make it better!

Improve your bowel movements with Queen of the Thrones Castor Oil Packs

14. What is The First Step to Have Better Bowel Movements?

To know what to do, it is important to know what the problem is. Peeking after you poo every time you go is key. Start to keep a log about it (pun completely intended!) Our Queendom is loving The Log Book | A 7-Day Logging Exercise. It is not only great for tracking your stools, but also your gratitude practices, your health practices, your food & water intake, your sleep & so much MORE!

15. What is the Best Supplement-Free Tool to Help With Constipation? 

Castor Oil Packs are legendary, biblical treatment that have been used since the beginning of mankind to treat constipation. They are used in all forms of medicine including the Ancient Chinese, Indian, Mediterranean, Egyptian and Caribbean cultures to help with all things having to do with the gut.

The Castor Oil Pack for Liver IMPROVES:

– Digestion
– Absorption
– Elimination10

They have shown to reduce pain and inflammation11,12 associated with these processes no matter the cause. So anything that might be irritating your intestine like food sensitivities, allergies or intolerances, it will make it better tolerated so you can digest better.

Research shows that Castor Oil Pack practice results in less pain and bloating because it helps to improve factors in digestion that are making you feel horrible when you eat food. I can’t tell you how many times I have thrown on a pack when I’ve been bloated or really suffering in my guts. Whether it be from butterflies rocking my belly, or from serious gas.

If absorption is an issue, chances are you’re low on some of your vital nutrients. Castor Oil Packs help to replenish those deficiencies naturally, simply by helping you better absorb your food. To be able to digest food, you need amino acids from protein in order to make digestive enzymes. If you don’t absorb your food properly, how can you expect to make digestive enzymes? Improving this function helps your body work better.

Not only do the Castor Oil Packs stimulate the movement of the digestive tract, but they also help to get things out as well. It has been researched in comparison to stimulant laxatives and shown to produce improved satisfaction and sensation of complete evacuation, reduced straining and patients overall had a better bowel movement experience13.

On top of that it also helps to improve the antioxidants and factors in your body that help with cleansing, like glutathione14,15.

Queen of the Thrones Castor Oil Packs stimulate the movement of the digestive track

Remember as well there are so many possible ROOT CAUSES for your CONSTIPATION so troubleshooting can be very difficult. This is an easy way to set the foundation and start off by removing the most common factors. Then as you look and learn from your poo, you can be your own best digestive detective to understand what might be the underlying problem and then fix it!

Are you a practitioner, health coach or wellness influencer? If you’re interested in recommending our easy-to-use tools and practically applying them in your health and wellness professional practice, in clinic, or online with the people you serve, you can join now!

Click here for references

1 Sharma A1, Rao S2. Constipation: Pathophysiology and Current Therapeutic Approaches. Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2017;239:59-74. doi: 10.1007/164_2016_111.

2 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/constipation/symptoms-causes/syc-20354253

3 Mearin F1, Ciriza C2, Mínguez M3, Rey E4, Mascort JJ5, Peña E6, Cañones P7, Júdez J8; en nombre de la SEPD, la semFYC, la SEMERGEN y la SEMG.[Irritable bowel syndrome with constipation and functional constipation in adults: Treatment (Part 2 of 2)]. Aten Primaria. 2017 Mar;49(3):177-194. doi: 10.1016/j.aprim.2017.01.003. Epub 2017 Feb 24.

4 Wilkinson JM1, Cozine EW1, Loftus CG1. Gas, Bloating, and Belching: Approach to Evaluation and Management. Am Fam Physician. 2019 Mar 1;99(5):301-309.

5 Carbonero F1, Benefiel AC, Gaskins HR. Contributions of the microbial hydrogen economy to colonic homeostasis. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2012 Sep;9(9):504-18. doi: 10.1038/nrgastro.2012.85. Epub 2012 May 15.

6 Sahakian AB1, Jee SR, Pimentel M. Methane and the gastrointestinal tract. Dig Dis Sci. 2010 Aug;55(8):2135-43. doi: 10.1007/s10620-009-1012-0. Epub 2009 Oct 15.

7 Bohlin J1, Dahlin E1, Dreja J2, Roth B1, Ekberg O2, Ohlsson B1. Longer colonic transit time is associated with laxative and drug use, lifestyle factors, and symptoms of constipation. Acta Radiol Open. 2018 Oct 22;7(10):2058460118807232. doi: 10.1177/2058460118807232. eCollection 2018 Sep.

8 Sinagra E1, Morreale GC2, Mohammadian G3, Fusco G4, Guarnotta V5, Tomasello G6, Cappello F6, Rossi F1, Amvrosiadis G2, Raimondo D1. New therapeutic perspectives in irritable bowel syndrome: Targeting low-grade inflammation, immuno-neuroendocrine axis, motility, secretion and beyond. World J Gastroenterol. 2017 Sep 28;23(36):6593-6627. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v23.i36.6593.

9 Larry E Miller,1 Alvin Ibarra,2 and Arthur C Ouwehand2 Normative Values for Colonic Transit Time and Patient Assessment of Constipation in Adults With Functional Constipation: Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis. Clin Med Insights Gastroenterol. 2017; 11: 1179552217729343.Published online 2017 Aug 31. doi: 10.1177/1179552217729343PMCID: PMC5582663PMID: 28894394

10 Arslan GG, Eşer I. An examination of the effect of castor oil packs on constipation in the elderly. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2011 Feb;17(1):58-62. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2010.04.004. Epub 2010 May 18.

11 Grady H. Immunomodulation through castor oil packs. The Journal of Naturopathic Medicine. Volume 7 Jan 1 1998; 7(1): 84-9

12 Vieira C et al. .Effect of ricinoleic acid in acute and subchronic experimental models of inflammation. Mediators Inflamm. 2000;9(5):223-8.

13 Arslan GG, Eşer I. An examination of the effect of castor oil packs on constipation in the elderly. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2011 Feb;17(1):58-62. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2010.04.004. Epub 2010 May 18.

14 Badaró MM1, Salles MM1, Leite VMF1, Arruda CNF1, Oliveira VC1, Nascimento CD1, Souza RF1, Paranhos HFO1, Silva-Lovato CH1. Clinical trial for evaluation of Ricinus communis and sodium hypochlorite as denture cleanser. J Appl Oral Sci. 2017 May-Jun;25(3):324-334. doi: 10.1590/1678-7757-2016-0222.

15 Andrade IM1, Andrade KM2, Pisani MX1, Silva-Lovato CH1, de Souza RF1, Paranhos Hde F1. Trial of an experimental castor oil solution for cleaning dentures. Braz Dent J. 2014 Jan-Feb;25(1):43-7.

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including information providers, are those of the respective authors or distributors. Neither Queen of the Thrones® nor any third-party provider of information guarantees the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content. This communication does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Information provided does not replace the advice of your health care practitioner. If you happen to purchase anything we promote, in this or any of our communications, it’s likely Queen of the Thrones® will receive some kind of affiliate compensation. Still, we only promote content and products that we truly believe in and share with our friends, family and patients. If you ever have a concern with anything we share, please let us know at care@queenofthethrones.com. We want to make sure we are always serving Our Queendom at the highest level.

3 Things to Do If You’ve Been Diagnosed with IBS

3 Things to Do If You’ve Been Diagnosed with IBS

Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Packs best alternative in the market

3 Things to Do If You’ve Been Diagnosed with IBS

Written by: Marisol Teijeiro N.D. (inactive).
Medically reviewed by: Victoria Williams R.H.N.

Est. reading time: 13 minutes.

Bowel movements, defecation, going poo… it’s the #1 most important process of the human body, and not the #2! Are you one of the 14-20% of the world population with irritable bowel syndrome (that’s approximately one BILLION people!)1? It is hypothesized that those who have gotten the diagnosis are only the tip of the iceberg, meaning that there are so many more people that have it but haven’t been diagnosed yet. You know all too well how it can negatively affect your life. Here are the first 3 things you need to do to take control of what is happening to your body. It has to do with 3 “s” words, and shit isn’t one of them. Stools, stress and sleep.

What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

Irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic, long term, recurring functional condition, meaning that when you are tested via labs or colonoscopy, everything looks normal. There seems to be no reason for your symptoms, nevertheless you have them and they are debilitating.

The Frustration of an Irritable Bowel Syndrome Diagnosis

This is extremely frustrating to hear from your doctor, especially after you have been suffering with these symptoms that have had a detrimental impact on all aspects of your life. From limiting your social life for fear of an adverse bowel movement, to affecting your work life by causing you to spend too much time in the bathroom or taking more sick days than the norm. Not to mention huge psychological impact on your well being, living with this ever growing problem.

What are the Risk Factors for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

The most noted risk factors for irritable bowel syndrome are being a women, of young age, and having a preceding gut infection of some sort2. The risk is actually four times higher for those who have had an infectious gut condition3.

Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

The most common symptoms of IBS include a combination of recurring:

  • Abdominal pain
  • Distension, bloating and gas
  • Abnormal bowel movements – diarrhea and/or constipation

The Categories of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

It is classified in three categories – constipation, diarrhea or an alternation between both.

  • IBS-C: Predominantly constipation
  • IBS-D: Predominantly diarrhea
  • IBS-M: Mixed, alternating between constipation and diarrhea
  • IBS-U: Unclassified

The classification is based upon the Bristol Stool Scale (see below), designating the form of bowel movements.

Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome Genetic?

It is possible. There is a link to early life exposure to stress affecting the body’s natural response to stress. So, your exposure to stress in utero or fetal programming4 as well as  experiences as a young child can pre-program you into a maladaptive, unhealthy response to stress, changing the way that your hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) functions5. These are the master organs that balance the regulation systems of your body, most responsible for the way your body deals with stress.

IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT, BUT IT IS UP TO YOU TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

 

The Regulatory Systems Impacted In Irritable Bowel Syndrome

When you are under stress, whether it be emotional or physical stress, the body does not have the ability to differentiate6. Two processes occur in the body to try and maintain balance. The inflammatory arm of the immune system activates to try and burn off the stressor. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (a combination of the hormonal and nervous system7) also activates to turn off less important mechanisms that don’t deal with immediate life right now.

These three regulatory systems of the body, the immune, nervous and hormonal system’s goal in health is to keep everything in balance, everything functioning well. But under stress, they shut down non-vital functions for preservation of life. Therefore there’s dysregulation in these systems with IBS8. We also see an elevation of glucocorticoids and inflammatory markers.

So don’t be surprised if you find yourself with multiple conditions on top of your IBS. For me, I had both irritable bowel syndrome as well as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). These are often conditions that respond to an elevation of the body’s immune inflammatory messengers and the neurohormonal glucocorticoids.

Hormone Problems and IBS

Is this a coincidence then, that many women who have IBS also have PCOS? No it is not, because the body can only balance so much. In PCOS there are elevated levels of leptin, a hormone that affects food intake, energy balance and fat tissue stores but is also pro-inflammatory to the intestinal tract. Research shows that with irritable bowel syndrome there is also this elevated level of leptin in the intestine9.

When there is stress, many of our non-vital systems like being fertile, having regular periods, or having a healthy metabolism go into preservation mode, because the infinite intelligence of our bodies doesn’t want to use up resources because it has no idea how long the stressor will last.

Another co-existing hormonal problem that is common with IBS type symptoms, like constipation, is hypothyroid10.

Immune System Problems and IBS

The immune system is regulated by the MICROBIOME. The ever important home of billions of bugs that live on our mucosal membrane and skin.

Healthy, friendly probiotics help to improve the mucosal immune system11, whereas conbiotics™, as I like to call them, or pathogenic bacteria cause total dysfunction of the immune system12.

This leads you susceptible to constantly getting sick. Overreacting to foods as your gut’s reaction to foods is based on the immune system. It is well known that people with IBS react to many foods such as lactose13, gluten14 and other components of wheat to name a few.

Nervous System Problems and IBS

Google IBS and you will soon find many links that discuss the coexistence of depression and anxiety with IBS, but also as a coexisting factor with most chronic conditions. Many say that it may be in response to the condition, but it very well may be the cause of the condition, (is it the chicken or the egg, which came first?) as stress significantly alters the bodies’ regulatory homeostatic mechanisms15.

Is Stress the Cause of IBS?

Stress is a root cause of many conditions and chronic diseases. It is likely that it is a root cause of IBS, as the overlap of anxiety, depression, hormonal disturbances and immune variations are all linked to irritable bowel syndrome.

Treatments for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

It’s no surprise that at present the majority of treatments and medicines for irritable bowel syndrome are tools that mediate the functions of these three regulatory systems of the immune, nervous and hormonal systems, as the gut is the main hub for all three.

Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications have been used for IBS, as well as antibiotics such as Rifaximin, as a way to improve the gut microbiome16.

Fix the FOUNDATION, Don’t Palliate the Problem

Living happy and healthy with IBS requires a more foundational perspective. Not looking at what can be taken to fix the problem, but what can be done and practiced to prepare the body to be in the best shape to target the regulation of the 3 systems that are out of balance – the immune, hormonal and nervous systems of the body.

 

The 3 easy steps to alleviate IBS:

1. Know Your Stools:

Your stools say everything about you. It’s no surprise that irritable bowel syndrome is classified based on the form according to the Bristol Stool Scale and frequency.

They can tell you key nutrient deficiencies, like magnesium being low in hormonal problems or zinc deficiency in nervous system problems, as an example. They tell about B-vitamins and other necessities to keep the foundation of our bodies functioning in harmony.

Download the free eGuide called the 50 Shades of Poo that is the first step in understanding what your poo says about you. This will set you up with an excellent practice so you can take control of your irritable bowel syndrome!

This is the most important place to start, because as Maya Angelou said, “When you know better, you do better.” It’s time for you to know better.

2. Address Your Stress:

Stress plays such a key role in IBS and the problem is we are constantly bombarded with stress. Massages and acupuncture are great ways to balance our stress levels, but we can only do them from time to time because cost is prohibitive and we are so busy, it’s hard to go to an appointment.

A Castor Oil Pack is a legendary health practice that has been in existence since biblical times and practiced by all systems and cultures of medicine. Indian, Chinese, Greek, Mediterranean, Caribbean, etc.

This tool is predominantly used to practice the pause, or the relaxed state17. In the relaxed state you can heal. Your gut microbiota is healthier, your inflammation is down, you cleanse better and your bowels move (these are also all the things the Castor Oil Pack does, independently of helping you to practice the pause).

If you feel like you’re doing everything else ‘right’ – a healthy diet, good quality supplements, regular exercise, etc. but still feel like crap, this modernized ancient health tool can help pull everything together.

3. Fix your Sleep:

Sleep resets the body and it undeniably helps with cleansing and calming, so that the nervous, hormonal and immune systems have a fighting chance. One way to improve your sleep is simply by wearing an eye mask. Like the Castor Oil Pack for Liver, an eye mask stimulates the pituitary gland to produce melatonin naturally18. This is a supplement-free way to help your body sleep and it’s amazing how a simple strategy can help to improve the bodies’ ability to heal overnight. The Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Eye Compress Kit contains an eye mask as well as a 100ml Cosmetic Castor Oil and cosmetic brush for application of Castor Oil to the eyelash and eyebrow areas.

So there you have it. Those are the first three things you can do once you know you have been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. My hope is that you take these and let them help you to  make a difference in your life. Because you don’t need to suffer. You need to learn and do what will help you to get your best body balance.

 Are you a practitioner, health coach or wellness influencer? If you’re interested in recommending our easy-to-use tools and practically applying them in your health and wellness professional practice, in clinic, or online with the people you serve, you can join now!

Click here for references

1 Padhy SK1, Sahoo S1, Mahajan S1, Sinha SK2. Irritable bowel syndrome: Is it “irritable brain” or “irritable bowel”? J Neurosci Rural Pract. 2015 Oct-Dec;6(4):568-77. doi: 10.4103/0976-3147.169802.

2 Paul Enck,1 Qasim Aziz,2 Giovanni Barbara,3 Adam D. Farmer,2 Shin Fukudo,4 Emeran A. Mayer,5 Beate Niesler,6 Eamonn M. M. Quigley,7 Mirjana Rajilić-Stojanović,8 Michael Schemann,9 Juliane Schwille-Kiuntke,1 Magnus Simren,10 Stephan Zipfel,1 and Robin C. Spiller11 Irritable bowel syndrome  Nat Rev Dis Primers. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2016 Aug 26.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2016; 2: 16014.PMID: 27159638

3 Fabiane Klem,1,2,* Akhilesh Wadhwa,1,* Larry Prokop,1 Wendy Sundt,1 Gianrico Farrugia,1 Michael Camilleri,1 Siddharth Singh,3 and Madhusudan Grover1,# Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Outcomes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome After Infectious Enteritis: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysisGastroenterology. 2017 Apr; 152(5): 1042–1054.e1.PMID: 28069350

4 Mariann A. Howland,1 Curt A. Sandman,1 and Laura M. Glynn1,2 Developmental origins of the human hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axisExpert Rev Endocrinol Metab. 2017 Sep; 12(5): 321–339.PMID: 30058893

5 Miranda van Bodegom, Judith R. Homberg, and Marloes J. A. G. Henckens* Modulation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis by Early Life Stress Exposure. Front Cell Neurosci. 2017; 11: 87. 10.3389/fncel.2017.00087PMID: 28469557

6 Vanja Duric, * Sarah Clayton, Mai Lan Leong, and Li-Lian Yuan Comorbidity Factors and Brain Mechanisms Linking Chronic Stress and Systemic Illness Neural Plast. 2016; 2016: 5460732. PMID: 26977323

7 Kate Ryan Kuhlman,1 Jessica J. Chiang,2 Sarah Horn,3 and Julienne E. Bower1 Developmental psychoneuroendocrine and psychoneuroimmune pathways from childhood adversity to disease Neurosci Biobehav Rev. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2018 Sep 1.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2017 Sep; 80: 166–184.PMID: 28577879

8 O’Malley D1. Endocrine regulation of gut function – a role for glucagon-like peptide-1 in the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome. Exp Physiol. 2019 Jan;104(1):3-10. doi: 10.1113/EP087443. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

9 De-Rong Liu, Xiao-Juan Xu, and Shu-Kun Yao Increased intestinal mucosal leptin levels in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome World J Gastroenterol. 2018 Jan 7; 24(1): 46–57.PMID: 29358881

10 Anant D. Patil Link between hypothyroidism and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2014 May-Jun; 18(3): 307–309.PMID: 24944923

11 Salvucci E1,2. The human-microbiome superorganism and its modulation to restore health. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2019 Mar 7:1-15. doi: 10.1080/09637486.2019.1580682. [Epub ahead of print]

12 Shi N#1, Li N#2, Duan X2, Niu H1. Interaction between the gut microbiome and mucosal immune system. Mil Med Res. 2017 Apr 27;4:14. doi: 10.1186/s40779-017-0122-9. eCollection 2017.

13Bayless TM1,2, Brown E3, Paige DM3. Lactase Non-persistence and Lactose Intolerance. Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2017 May;19(5):23. doi: 10.1007/s11894-017-0558-9.

14 Rej A1, Sanders DS1,2. The overlap of irritable bowel syndrome and noncoeliac gluten sensitivity. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2019 Feb 12. doi: 10.1097/MOG.0000000000000517.

15 Vanja Duric, * Sarah Clayton, Mai Lan Leong, and Li-Lian Yuan Comorbidity Factors and Brain Mechanisms Linking Chronic Stress and Systemic Illness Neural Plast. 2016; 2016: 5460732.Published online 2016 Feb 8. doi: 10.1155/2016/5460732PMID: 26977323]

16 Emanuele Sinagra, Gaetano Cristian Morreale, Ghazaleh Mohammadian, Giorgio Fusco, Valentina Guarnotta, Giovanni Tomasello, Francesco Cappello, Francesca Rossi, Georgios Amvrosiadis, and Dario Raimondo New therapeutic perspectives in irritable bowel syndrome: Targeting low-grade inflammation, immuno-neuroendocrine axis, motility, secretion and beyond. World J Gastroenterol. 2017 Sep 28; 23(36): 6593–6627.PMID: 29085207h

17  Rolls ET et all. Representations of pleasant and painful touch in the human orbitofrontal and cingulate cortices. Cereb Cortex. 2003 Mar;13(3):308-17. ( Dopamine release, Limbic System of brain- Fatty Meal Satisfaction)

18 Rong-fang HuXiao-ying JiangYi-ming ZengXiao-yang ChenYou-hua Zhang. Effects of earplugs and eye masks on nocturnal sleep, melatonin and cortisol in a simulated intensive care unit environment. Published online 2010 Apr 18. doi: 10.1186/cc8965

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