Dear Colonics Queen,

I’m running out of time! My holiday is in a few short weeks and my stomach looks like I’m 6 months gone, with some other symptoms to match! I’ve tried eating less, drinking more water, but nothing seems to help.

Please can you give me some tips to help it go down so that I can bare to be in a bikini by the pool?
Desperately seeking answers,
Brenda B. Loted.

 

Well Brenda you’ll be overjoyed to hear that I have a magic solution for you. And it doesn’t include starving yourself or going on Slimfast!

I suspect that your bloated tummy is due to your digestive system being under stress. Today we subject our bodies to many toxins in our diets. These lead to an unbalance in our gut, which often leads to problems such as IBS.

Common symptoms of this are feeling bloated after eating, excess wind (don’t feel embarrassed) and either diarrhoea, constipation or both.

The magic that I speak of is Probiotics or Prebiotics (or both for added magic).

The secret to restoring the health in your gut is actually having the right balance of both good and bad bacteria in the gut. To get this, you need to consider taking a good quality probiotic supplement  and also eating probiotic rich foods in your diet.

What are Probiotics though?

Probiotics are live bacteria that line the gut and help absorb nutrients from food, as well as fight off infections. There are actually 10 times the amount of probiotics in the gut than cells in your body! You can get them into your system by taking a supplement as well as food, like yoghurts (the natural, live and full-fat kind)

The benefits of having these in your system range from better digestive health, a healthier immune system and even beautiful skin. All which would be handy for your holiday, wouldn’t they!

Plus these magic bacteria will help ease the strain of toxins put into the body. This will reduce the symptoms caused by them – such as your bloated tummy!

I stock a probiotic supplement called Optibac  which use scientifically researched probiotic species and strains that are clinically trialled. Continuing research is showing us that different strains of probiotics have many beneficial effects on the body.

So what are Prebiotics and how are they different?

Prebiotics are basically a specialised plant fibre that beneficially nourishes the good bacteria already in the gut. Think of it like a fertiliser. The body doesn’t digest them but uses them to promote the growth of more good bacteria in the digestive system.

When taken in adequate numbers, prebiotics are beneficial in controlling appetite, weight control and contribute to weight management. Bonus. They also help decrease or stop the bad smells that the bloating causes (remember, don’t be embarrassed…) I always say to my clients “it’s better to have an empty house, than a dirty tenant”!

Consistency is the key here.

Whichever you choose to try, the key here is to take them regularly. Every day if possible.

Within a few weeks, you will notice a positive difference.

Both produce more regular and softer bowel movements which means your body is releasing toxins regularly. This means that the digestive system is working well, which in turn should reduce your bloated tummy.

I think it’s the perfect solution and there are some added benefits that most bikini wearing (or mankini wearing) holiday makers would be glad of!

As always, give me a shout if you’d like more information, or you need to book in for a treatment either before or after the holiday….especially if it’s an all inclusive! Take a look at the Optibac product range that I stock if I’ve convinced you.

Hope you get that bloat baby shifted in time for your jolly-days.

Speak soon,

Helen x