Don’t forget your stomach on the big day
Hitting the middle of summer, even if the sun isn’t shining, means coming to the peak of the wedding season.
And while it should be the happiest day of their lives for the bride and groom, it seems that over 2.5 million weddings have infact been hampered by digestive problems.
A Gut Week survey, carried out in 2006 showed that stress has a big impact on the gut and especially ahead of big occasions. As well as weddings, exams, driving tests and job interviews have all been affected by digestive problems.
So how are stress and problems such as diarrhoea linked?
Gut Week expert, Dr Tony Leeds says: ”Stress is a common trigger for digestive disorders: it can have a bad effect on the digestive system and can cause diarrhoea, nausea and stomach-ache. When we are stressed we’re more likely to indulge in lifestyle habits that are bad for the digestive system – smoking, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, taking less exercise and eating an unbalanced diet – which all increase the risk of digestive health problems like constipation, diarrhoea or IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). According to research taken at the time of this study, 65% of us take no action at all to protect our bodies from the effects of stress. ”
So if your big day is fast approaching, what does Dr Leeds suggest you should do?
“ My advice is to sleep well – ideally for seven hours daily, exercise sufficiently, eat a healthy diet, avoid smoking and drinking alcohol to excess, drink sufficient water and try the effect of a regular probiotic.”
If you’ve got other great tips on how to combat stress then please share them. Am sure many an anxious bride will be pleased to hear them!
I have had 2 severe bouts of pain in my abdomen which I thought was bad diet at first. The pain was so intense I was rolling about, sweating profusely and agonising about going to A&E . I’m not particularly fat (bmi 26) but my husband tells me off for eating too
much junk. I cook all my meals , and generally eat 3-4 a day, not the recommended 5. I exercise, irregularly but often , 4 children. I have been hugely embarrased but eventually the pain was so bad this 2nd time and I went to the doctor. Discovered I may be suffering from IBS, stress related. The 2 times this pain occured when my mother in law was visiting, and we visited her.
My advice, don’t be embarrased, get advice sooner rather than later. I pish-tosh ‘d IBS until it happened to me. I will now try to exercise more.