Iberogast to the Rescue

     When it comes to treatment options for GP, there aren't many. It's pretty frustrating but led me to search for alternatives, such as Iberogast. It's a simple blend of natural herbs (in liquid form taken three times per day so it's easily absorbed and digested) that helps with symptoms such as nausea, bloating, and heartburn, and also helps move food through the stomach which is exactly what I need. I had heard about Iberogast quite a few times before I decided to give it a try and am kicking myself that I waited so long to try it, but figured if nothing the doctors tried could help me, then why should something this simple.
     It's not a cure all, but has helped so much with my symptoms and reduce my number of flare ups. Before the Iberogast, I could hardly consume eight hundred calories per day and was at a dangerously low weight and now I can generally eat twelve to fifteen hundred calories per day and have gained six pounds! My eating is still far from normal and generally with some discomfort, but this simple and natural remedy has allowed me to eat more thus gaining weight and having more energy to get back to living the life I want and will continue to be big part in my fight against GP.
     Iberogast has a very safe tract record and has been used in other countries for quite awhile, but as with any medication changes you wish to make you should speak with your doctor before doing so. If you would like to give Iberogast a try, you can by it here on Amazon and also read all of the positive reviews of other people (including those without GP!) who have benefited. If you or someone else you know decides to try it, please let me know what you think=)

Get In My Belly!!!: Barney Smooth Almond Butter

     Wow. That's literally all I have to say about this almond butter. In the past, I was a lover of all things made with peanut butter, but lately it just doesn't settle well for me *tear*. So I decided to give other nut butters a try and had heard good things about almond butter, so that is where I started. I tried a few different brands and they were all pretty good, or so I thought. Most almond butters are made from almonds with the skin on and just don't get as smooth of a texture as I was use to from peanut butter.
     Then I tried Barney Almond Butter. They use blanched almonds (meaning that the skins are removed) so the texture is much smoother than many other brands. Finally something that could satisfy my craving! Now the taste isn't the same since it is a different nut, but if you enjoy the taste of almonds it's definitely a nice change. It's not nearly as sweet as most commercial peanut butters, but that's because it's not full of nasty chemicals and high fructose corn syrups so you won't hear me complaining. Also, I love the fact that they sell individual serving packets that are perfect for on the go and traveling. The only two stores that I have seen this brand of almond butter are Whole Foods (although they don't serve the individual packets here) and Plum Market. If neither of these stores are near you, you can buy them online straight from the Barney Website (you can also type in your zip code to find stores that do sell them nearby) or on Amazon.
     In small quantities (about 1 Tb at a serving, up to 2 Tb a day) nut butters are considered GP friendly, but they are generally high in fat so depending on your tolerance of fats it's best to build up to a full Tb to see how you personally tolerate it.  To satisfy my almond butter cravings, I start every day off with a nice hot bowl of grits ( 1/2 cup eatten very slowly is GP friendly for me) with 1 Tb of Barney Almond Butter and 1 Tb of light brown sugar. You'd think it'd get old fast, but nope I still love it! Hot cereals are very comforting to me and easily digested. Adding nut butter is a great way to add some protein and extra calories without adding too much volume, which is a big consideration for me since I can't eat too much food at one sitting.
     "Get In My Belly!!!" is going to be a permanent segment on my blog highlighting GP friendly foods that I have found since I know just how difficult it can be to come up with food ideas. True, every GP patient and their tummy is different and what works for me may not work for you, but hopefully it can be a good place to start your own experimentation, and if you have any suggestions for me please feel free to leave them in the comment section below=)

Make-Up Review: Velvet Eyeliner

     For awhile make-up was sooo not on my radar. I barely had the energy to walk up a flight of stairs let alone consider getting all cute and dolled up, but since I've been able to get my health on a more stable level I'm finding that I have more time and energy for the things I use to enjoy. Which leads me to my very first make-up review for an eyeliner that is pretty amazing!



     It's called Velvet Eyeliner and it's a liquid with a brush tip that can be used to apply thin or thick lines and works great to get that perfect cat eye. Now I know you're thinking there's nothing to extraordinary about that but here's the kicker, I got my first Velvet Eyeliner over a year ago and it still works! I've never had a liquid eyeliner last this long and it is so simple to use. Plus it's very study and compact so works great for girls that are always on the go as it is super simple to just toss in your bag and go. Also because of the way that it is designed, if you accidently forget to put the cap on it, no worries because it can not dry out! Simply put the cap back on and store it tip side down overnight and it should be good as new in the morning.
     This eyeliner has great staying power and the black (the only color that I have tried personally) is pretty intense which I love. It's water based so can be removed at the end of the night with simple soap and water rather than having to scrub your poor eyes to death, although I use my make-up remover anyway just out of habit. Overall I would give this eyeliner a 9 out of 10 stars and suggest every girl who uses eyeliner on a daily bases get one, you won't regret it!

A "Pinteresting" Idea

     Lately I've been busy using an app on my phone to keep track of everything that I put into my mouth so I can be sure I'm getting the right amount of calories and have come to realize that besides my colorful fruit snacks and jello, my diet is pretty "white." Grits, quinoa flakes, mashed potatoes, almond milk, white bread, crackers, just blah blah bland! All the foods I've listed I really do love and generally tolerate pretty well, but eating the same thing day in and day out gets boring really fast. Not to mention having little variety in the diet can easily lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies, although I've been suggested an awesome liquid vitamin to take so that's not a huge concern for me.

     To combat this boring spell, I know I'm going to have to work at expanding my diet through quite a bit of trial and error, which can seem a bit scary and overwhelming so I decided to try and make it a little fun with a "Pinteresting" idea. I've found that when I just snack all day, I'm less likely to make good food choices and tend to be way under my calorie goal so having set times to eat and healthy mini meals preplanned is my new goal. True, some days it will be tough to stick to my planned meals or I may even have to make substitutions based off of how my tummy is feeling, but having a plan of action will help keep me moving towards my main goal of getting out of my food rut and increasing my calorie intake.
 

     Now, back to this "Pinteresting" idea. I love Pinterest because it is full of great ideas, and when my sister and I ran across this one I knew that it would be perfect. I'm a real arts and crafts kinda girl and decided why should I make my meal plans on a boring piece of paper when I could make my own interactive DIY Meal Planning Board! So off we went to our local Michael's Arts and Craft store, and I'm not going to lie, this was not the cheapest project we've ever done but was totally worth it and turned out great (not sure why the picture is so squashed, it's actually a pretty decent sized board). As I add more foods to my diet, I can make a meal card for it and add it into my food rotation. I know that watching the pile of cards grow is going to be a huge source of motivation for me.

 

 

 

     You can find the basic directions here, but I love how customizable this can be. You can pick any size board and the color and decoration options are endless. Also, it can be set up as a daily meal planner with six pegs for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a few snacks or with seven pegs as a dinner planner for the week. The best part? It so easy to put together! A good pair of scissors, a large picture frame or cork board, some glue, a ruler, and some decorative paper and you're basically good to go.

     Although I plan on using this meal planning board to help me through my GP, meal planning is really a great idea for anyone wanting to be more adventurous with their meals (write meals you want to try on a meal card and have each family member draw one card until your dinners are all planned for the week) or wanting to eat healthier and save some money (with a little careful planning you can have all your meals packed and with you rather than eating fast food on the go). Hopefully this meal planning board can be as useful for you and your family as it will be for me, and if anyone has suggestions for more meal planning ideas feel free to share in the comment section below!