Dietary Prevention & Relief of IBS Spasms, Pain, Diarrhea, Constipation
Kit includes a generous supply of Heather's Tummy Tea Peppermint for the dietary management of IBS symptoms, particularly pain, spasms, cramps, plus Heather's Tummy Fiber for the dietary management of IBS symptoms, particularly diarrhea, constipation, alternating bowel motility, and pain, plus the diet and cookbook Eating for IBS. The tea can be brewed as often as needed for immediate help. The Tummy Fiber must be used twice daily, staring at a low dose and increasing gradually until bowel motility stabilizes, and then continued daily on that maintenance dose. Eating for IBS has comprehensive dietary information and 175 delicious recipes, for addressing multiple IBS symptoms.
Heather's Tummy Fiber is a medical food for the dietary management of IBS symptoms. Acacia senegal is a natural (not synthetic) whole food soluble fiber with a clinically proven prebiotic effect. Studies have shown that soluble fiber, as part of the diet, helps regulate bowel motility (alleviating both diarrhea and constipation), and relieves abdominal pain from IBS.
Acacia senegal's prebiotic effect stimulates the growth of healthy gut flora for ideal bowel stability, which can reduce bloating, gas, and bowel irregularities from IBS.
Heather's Tummy Fiber is unique, because it has a good gastrointestinal tolerance and a proven significantly bifidogenic effect. Heather's Tummy Fiber is formulated specifically for the dietary management of IBS and improved bowel stability
Relieve IBS Pain, Spasms, Cramps, Urgency
Immediate Bowel Soothing
Heather's Tummy Tea Peppermint is unique because it is formulated to contain a very large leaf size and a high volatile oil content. Both factors are integral to the quality and potency of peppermint when brewed as tea. Heather's Tummy Tea is harvested and packed to be as fresh as possible, and it is processed for minimal volatile oil dissipation. It is the volatile oils in peppermint that make it so effective for the dietary management of IBS symptoms, particularly pain and spasms.
Heather's Tummy Tea is packed in very generous quantities because it is meant to be used daily as a medical food for IBS. Brew a delicious cup of tea several times a day, every day, as part of your dietary management of IBS symptoms.
Heather's Peppermint Tummy Tea is sourced and specially produced for IBS-specific purposes and results, in several ways:
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Extremely high volatile oil levels. Why does this matter? Because the volatile oil is the component within the tea that yields the medicinal benefits. The higher the volatile oil level, the stronger the cup of tea, and the
greater the benefit for IBS symptoms.
Our peppermint crop can have a
volatile oil content of 3%. This is extreme - a percentage of 1.8% to 2.0% is considered high!
You can actually
see the oil rising to the surface of the peppermint leaves in the field. This is what our farmers watch for so they know when to harvest the fields at the optimum volatile oil level. When we were out in our fields in the fall right before harvest, the whole expanse of peppermint looked like it was glistening. It was not only beautiful, but the smell and taste of the fresh leaves was more potent than ever imagined.
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Very large leaf size (cut and sift grade, the largest cut available in the organic market). Other teabag brands use "teabag cut" herbs, which are very finely milled. This is so the tea will flow through teabag machines. But, the more finely you cut an herb, the more volatile oil is released and dissipated, and the weaker the final cup of brewed tea will be.
(We actually customized our own teabag machines so that we could run large leaf peppermint through our machines.)
*
Special jumbo-size teabags, which give an average of
two to three times more tea per bag as other brands.
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USDA certified organic. This means, among other things, that our herbs are guaranteed free of: pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, GMO (genetically modified organisms), preservatives, additives, irradiation, and there is no animal testing.
Organic materials and processing are significantly more expensive. But, our tea prices are actually
significantly less expensive than non-organic brands.
In addition, a comprehensive review of 97 published studies (published as the "State of Science Review" by The Organic Center) comparing the nutritional quality of organic and conventional foods has shown that organic plants contain higher levels of 8 of 11 nutrients studied, including significantly greater concentrations of the health-promoting polyphenols and antioxidants. This review concluded that
organically grown plants are 25% more nutrient dense, on average, than conventionally grown plants.
*
Packed in very generous quantities, as this tea is meant to be used daily for IBS symptoms. We offer 36 Peppermint Tummy Teabags per canister. This is
3-4 times more teabags per container than other brands, which means you will have enough tea on hand to use it regularly, which is how it works best for IBS.
The end result? Peppermint Tummy Tea is
exponentially stronger and more effective, and a better value, than other brands.
Peppermint Tummy Tea is the only brand of medicinal strength peppermint tea for IBS we're aware of, and one sip is all it takes to tell the difference.
Mint is one of the oldest of herbs. It was used by the ancient Assyrians, and was common to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who recognized its pain-killing properties. The mint-after-a meal custom in fact dates back to ancient Rome, and Pliny, the first-century Roman historian and scientist, included mint in his Natural History in 77 A.D. Mint was not used formally in medicine until the mid-18th century, but mint tea has been a favorite cure for indigestion since Biblical times. Modern peppermint is actually a hybrid of water mint and spearmint, and has stronger medicinal properties than either of the two originating plants.
Peppermint tea is extremely useful for IBS cramps and relieving painful abdominal spasms. Peppermint is anti-bacterial, increases gastric juices, and helps relieves gas and nausea. Peppermint also contains essential oils that stimulate the gallbladder to secrete its store of bile, which the body uses to digest fats. This makes Heather's Tummy Tea ~ Organic Peppermint a wonderful digestive aid for heavy meals. It also improves the function of the muscles that line the stomach and intestines, relieves diarrhea (it will
not cause or worsen constipation), and has a calming, numbing effect on the entire GI tract.
We personally find peppermint to be the strongest IBS anti-spasmodic and pain reliever of all the Tummy Teas, and really appreciate its noticeable whole-body mild anesthetic effect, particularly when it's brewed very strong.
Brew Heather's Tummy Tea with boiling water, but do not actually boil the teabags or loose tea in water as this can destroy its volatile oils, and thus its effectiveness. Peppermint tea (like all of Heather's Tummy Teas™) is naturally caffeine-free, as it does not contain any actual tea leaves (tea is a specific plant, even though other herbal drinks are commonly called "teas").
Peppermint tea can be sweetened with a little honey or plain sugar if you wish but I also think it's delicious plain. It can be chilled into iced tea, but remember that ice-cold beverages on an empty stomach can trigger GI spasms, whereas the heat in hot teas is in and of itself a muscle relaxant. The stronger the peppermint tea, the more pronounced its beneficial effects on your digestion, so don't be afraid to make a dark brew! Peppermint is classified as GRAS (generally recognized as safe) by the FDA - there are no limitations on its use as a daily digestive aid.
"What does it mean that Heather's Tummy Tea Peppermint is certified organic?"
Heather's Tummy Tea Peppermint is certified organic and therefore uses:
* no pesticides
* no fertilizer
* no herbicides
* no GMO (genetically modified organisms)
* no preservatives
* no additives
* no irradiation
* no animal testing
Organic certification guarantees that our peppermint is harvested with:
* good ecology - enriched soil, less soil erosion
* harvested through farming which respects the environment
* traceability of each batch demonstrated from the fields to the customer
* organic certified farming/harvesting
* organic certified manufacturing and packaging
* USDA organic certified
* organic certified by Quality Assurance International
"Certified organic" refers to agricultural products that have been grown and processed according to strict uniform standards, verified annually by independent state or private organizations. These organizations' certifying seals are your guarantee that Heather's Tummy Tea Peppermint has been third-party certified organic.
Heather's Tummy Tea Peppermint is certified organic right from the fields. After harvest, the peppermint is assigned its organic identification, which follows the peppermint through the entire packing and shipping process. This organic traceability is carried directly through to our customers by our certifying agency, Quality Assurance International. Heather's Tummy Tea Peppermint is also USDA organic certified.
Heather's Tummy Tea Peppermint is a medical food for the dietary management of IBS symptoms. Peppermint is one of the oldest of herbs that, through dietary management, helps relieve IBS symptoms, including pain, spasms, cramps, and urgency.
Menthol and methyl salicylate are the main active ingredients of peppermint. Internally, they have anti-spasmodic actions, with calming effects on the muscles of the stomach, intestinal tract, and uterus. They also have powerful analgesic (pain-killing) properties, which are mediated, in part, through activation of kappa-opioid receptors, which help block pain signal transmission.
As a result high volatile oil peppermint tea is extremely useful for quick relief of IBS pain and gut spasms. . Peppermint is naturally caffeine-free, anti-bacterial, increases gastric juices, and relieves gas, nausea, vomiting, and morning sickness. Peppermint also contains essential oils that stimulate the gallbladder to secrete its store of bile, which the body uses to digest fats.
In fact, peppermint is such a powerful muscle relaxant that it can trigger heartburn or reflux in people who are susceptible. If you are prone to these upper GI problems, avoid mint and stick to Heather's Tummy Tea Organic Fennel for IBS.
Eating for IBS confirms what every IBS sufferer instinctively knows: that diet plays a direct role in gut function, and that the abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, and bloating from bowel disorders can be directly controlled through diet. This is true not just for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, but also for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis, plus diverticulosis and diverticulitis. The Eating for IBS diet can make the difference between living a normal, happy, outgoing life versus spending every day stuck in the bathroom enduring pain, bowel dysfunction, and misery.
Contrary to what many believe, eating for IBS and IBD does
not mean deprivation, never going to restaurants, boring food, or a limited and therefore unhealthy diet. It does mean learning to eat safely by realizing how different foods physically affect the GI tract, and
how foods can help or hurt both diarrhea AND constipation, as well as abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and nausea. Foods can either
prevent or trigger IBS or IBD symptoms.
For example:
* There are two kinds of fiber ~ one soothes the colon and regulates gut function but the other can cause severe attacks
* Dairy is a common trigger ~ even in people who are not lactose intolerant
* Peppermint, chamomile, and fennel can prevent pain, spasms, and bloating better than some drugs
* Bland foods are not automatically safe foods
In Eating for IBS, Heather Van Vorous, who has suffered from IBS since age 9 and gradually learned to control her symptoms through dietary modifications, offers sympathetic information tailored specifically to the needs of IBS and IBD sufferers. She provides a comprehensive overview of IBS, explicit eating and cooking strategies, travel and restaurant advice, daily menus, supermarket ideas, and 175 delicious recipes. How delicious? Eating for IBS was a finalist for the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) Health and Special Diet Award - also known as the "Julia Child" award.
IBS and IBD sufferers will be thrilled to discover that they can enjoy traditional homestyle cooking, ethnic foods, rich desserts, snacks, and party foods - and don't have to cook unusual or special meals for themselves while their families follow a "normal" diet. Eating for IBS will forever revolutionize the way people with bowel dysfunction eat - and live.
People with Irritable Bowel Syndrome desperately want to eat without fear. This groundbreaking book tells IBS sufferers exactly what they need to know to relieve diarrhea and/or constipation NOW, and how to maintain stability by preventing symptoms in the future. Eating for IBS is the first and only work written by an author with IBS, with the express goal of helping others who suffer from the same disorder.
It offers sympathetic suggestions based on first-hand experience as well as nutritional and medical research, comprehensive eating and cooking guidelines, travel and restaurant advice, supermarket ideas, and gourmet recipes - all tailored specifically to the needs of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
In addition, the IBS dietary guidelines can aid diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain from bowel dysfunction related to Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis (Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, or IBD), diverticulosis, diverticulitis, enteritis, and fibromyalgia.
Chapters
INTRODUCTION
YOU ARE NOT ALONE! For twenty years I thought I was the only person in the world with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I wasn't, and neither are you. This introduction explains my personal history with IBS and how I struggled, with eventual success, to learn how to control my symptoms through diet. It also tells the story of how I learned that I am NOT all alone with IBS, how and why I began sharing information with other people, and how their personal stories affected me and led to this website and book.
SO WHAT IS IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME, AND HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE IT?
This chapter tells you exactly what you need to know to make sure you have been properly diagnosed with IBS. Odds are that you haven't had all the necessary tests, so they're listed here along with the diseases you need to make sure you've had ruled out. You'll also learn precisely what a diagnosis of IBS means, what it does not mean, what type of research into the disorder has been done, and exactly what is happening to your body during an attack.
A NEW WAY TO EAT - TRIGGER FOODS, SOLUBLE VS. INSOLUBLE FIBER
This crucial chapter tells you in detail how to rapidly stabilize your GI tract by eating properly. You'll learn to recognize which categories of foods can trigger symptoms – pain, constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating – and why other foods help prevent these problems altogether. Detailed explanations are given for how soluble versus insoluble fiber affects IBS, what fat does to the GI tract, and how trigger foods and drinks physically affect your gut. You'll learn precisely what to eat and what not to.
DIET STRATEGY, STRATEGY, STRATEGY
This is the information you need to easily transition from knowing what to eat to
how to eat, as both elements are crucial for IBS. Eating safely is not just about avoiding trigger foods (some of which are crucial to good health), but about incorporating them without risk. How is this done? This chapter tells you, in explicit detail, and gives you the tools you need to eat without fear each and every day, whether you're at home, traveling, or ordering at a restaurant. Learn tips, tricks, helpful hints, and how to focus on substitution, never deprivation, for delicious food indulgences that won't trigger attacks.
A NEW WAY TO LIVE
Now that you know how and what to eat to keep your GI tract stable, you have to deal with your needs in the real world. Here's how to manage questions, concerns, and a possible lack of support from the people in your life, from friends and family to coworkers. Your health is a priority, and you cannot compromise it for someone else's sake simply because they don't understand or appreciate your dietary needs. This chapter gives you the mental support you need to overcome IBS.
EATING FOR IBS RECIPES
Try a wide sampling of delicious dishes, from refreshing drinks to home-baked breads, from hearty soups and main dishes to sinfully scrumptious desserts. You simply won't believe they're all IBS safe – but they are! Recipes vary from traditional American favorites to exotic ethnic specialties. Each and every one is a genuine treat to eat, and a healthy choice for anyone who enjoys a great meal - whether they have IBS or not.
EATING FOR IBS MENUS AT-A-GLANCE
These suggested daily meal plans are structured for maximum convenience. Many of the items listed can be prepared well in advance, and will keep for many days in the fridge to be used as needed throughout the week. Dinner for one night is typically served as lunch the next day, and homemade quick breads serves as snacks, breakfasts, and desserts. You're certainly not obligated to follow these menus precisely. I've tried to design very generous daily suggestions, both in terms of variety and quantity. You can easily reduce the scale and make changes or substitutions. The important thing is to follow the basic formula of having soluble fiber as the basis for each meal or snack, the first thing you always eat, and the item you eat in the greatest quantity.
IBS KITCHEN ESSENTIALS
You might need to re-stock your kitchen with IBS safe staples and ingredients. This chapter tells you exactly what you need.
DIRECTORY OF IBS DIET RESOURCES
You should be able to easily find all the ingredients needed for the IBS kitchen right in your own local grocery store or health food market. If you can't, this directory offers all the resources you need.
