Merry Christmas, Happy Yule, Holidays, and a Happy new year! We hope you have a fun, festive, and IBS-Free time wherever or whatever it is you are doing.

If you haven't done so already, be sure to see our hilarious Christmas Elf dance youtube video! see the video here:


Christmas is a comin'!
Do you dread this time of year because of IBS? Rest assured you are not alone!
Finding the willpower to stay positive and energized while entertaining guests is one thing, but many of us find ourselves under pressure to travel to visit family at this time of year. Some of us feel the pressure even more if we are staying over at peoples houses, particularly if there are lots of other guests and the number of available bathrooms are in short supply. We don't want to be awkward by refusing to eat certain foods, and we may feel torn between a rock and a hard place with not wanting to offend our hosts and not wanting to appear as fussy or finicky eaters.
I'm sure even those of us who set out with the best of intentions may still succumb to the "eat/drink now, pay later" scenario, where we find ourselves consuming all the wrong things, only to regret it soon afterward. For those who inevitably end up in this awkward, and often painful place, our hearts are with you!

Kev has written a great article called: Christmas Trees, Mistletoe, stress and bathrooms! (My first Xmas with a sufferer of IBS.) In which he tells about his first Christmas with Sian several years ago and how he has to take into consideration Sian's IBS when making any plans...be sure to check it out by clicking here.

Meat
For the meat course, roast turkey breast without eating the skin, or a lean ham should be OK for many, providing you are not Vegetarian of course.

Gravy
Gravy can be an issue as it is often made from the fat drippings and is very high in fat. A good alternative would be to make gravy from fat free broth and mushrooms with just a hint of flour or starch to help thicken it.

Potatoes
Roast the potatoes rather than mash them so they are lower in fat. They can cook in the same heat at the meat, and then be turned up to crisp once the meat has been removed and is resting.

Vegetables
A good practical choice would be to steam them. Remember that the majority of veggies contain insoluble fiber, which is a known IBS irritant, so eating them in large quantities may cause some IBS issues. Avoid eating vegetables on an empty stomach and try to mix them in with soluble fiber (oatmeal or rice for example). For IBS sufferers it's better to cook, chop or even puree vegetables, or make them into sauces or soups. Eating them raw, especially on an empty stomach can cause some real IBS problems.

Sauces
There is a reason sauces taste so good, many of them contain huge quantities of fat or sugar, or both. It's an easy trap to fall into, being selective about choosing a low fat main course is one thing, but that innocent-looking sauce can undo all the good work in one pouring.

Desserts
A real festive minefield! High levels of sugar and fats are probably going to be your biggest concern here. A friend of ours passed on these fantastic tips about Ricotta cream. Blend some low fat ricotta cheese with either some sugar or a sugar substitute you tolerate. You can add vanilla, spices, cocoa or other extracts to get the flavor of what you really like. Add a touch of milk or yogurt if it needs to be thinned a bit. She also suggests that a baked apple or other cooked fruit dessert that doesn't have a lot of fat or sugar added to it could be a suitable dessert for and IBS sufferer.

IBS Festive Drink
Cranberry juice
Ok, so most of us know alcohol and IBS don't generally mix, but our bottle of plain water just doesn't have the same appeal when those around us are are indulging.
So, our top IBS drink tip this year is Cranberry Juice.
From our research, it seems that many IBS sufferers, with a few exceptions, seem to get on very well with it, although IBS-D sufferers should not drink it in large quantities. It's a perfect festive colour and tastes great. If you want to make it feel more festive, try garnishing with a slice of strawberry and a cocktail umbrella! Another excellent reason for drinking Cranberry juice is that women who suffer IBS can be prone to urinary tract infections, and Cranberry juice has been shown effective in preventing the bacteria sticking to the walls of the bladder.

Drinking Cider leaves my stomach much calmer, and my head much clearer the following day than if I were drinking beer or larger. This would seem to be because Cider has less additives and is a clearer drink than many strong beers or lagers. Whiskey is also a drink I have discovered that has much less of an effect on my stomach than wine does. For nausea, a glass of Ginger Wine is often very effective. Of course, drunk in any quantity, alcohol will upset your stomach and can cause diarrhea. Sherry, that seasonal favorite, can literally go straight through one.

Of course moderation and common sense is the order of the day. You know your triggers and your limits. If you stay within them, hopefully your festivities will be most enjoyable.

Volume
Many people trigger IBS attacks simply because of the quantity of food and drink they consume during the festive season. Monitoring what we eat through the day can fall by the wayside during these occasions, especially if we are in new or unusual social situations where our normal routine is disrupted. Try not to starve yourself through the day so that you can have a big meal later, this tends to aggravate IBS symptoms, especially if your dinner involves vegetables like Brussels Sprouts, or cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower. Obviously you need to figure out what works best for you but remembering quantity awareness will help. It may be worth buying a bottle of Pepto Bismol or an antacid drink like Gaviscon, in case you feel uncomfortable after eating or develop abdominal pain.

The Library is expanding all the time with new books and every month we will feature an e-book of the month.

You need a password to access the library - this will change with each new newsletter This month's password is: sorry, only available to subscribers of this e-zine
You Can subscribe here.

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Loneliness and IBS
To compliment kevs article on his first xmas with an IBS sufferer, Sian put together an article on Loneliness.
Christmas is traditionally a time of togetherness, it may be the only time of year when extended families meet up. Since IBS often constricts our lives and traveling, it can also be, for those of us who suffer with the syndrome, the loneliest time of the year.

Personal IBS Stories
At IBS-Life we are beginning to post personal accounts and stories from IBS sufferers. We are continuing to build the site in the hope that it will provide a helpful resource for people who live with this problem, and perhaps to share their own experiences of IBS, how it has affected their lives, how they live with it and treat it.

Since we have found that it is a relief to know we are not alone, we have a dedicated stories page. Some people have contacted us via YouTube already, or through previous contact with one of us via email. http://www.ibs-life.com/stories.html

Any-one can submit a story in the submission form at the bottom of the page. You may remain anonymous, of course, or use your own name. The information is on the form. We may also add pictures to the page, but if there are any particular images you wish to be used, please contact us. For example, a friend of mine who is an Operating Room nurse submitted her article about enemas with photographs of herself http://www.ibs-life.com/constipation.html

This is not necessary however, it was what she chose. It is not a requirement, as we can use stock footage.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact either myself, Rick or Kev. The idea of our site is simply to share information, experiences, remedies and everyday living with others who likewise endure IBS. Personal accounts do have a great impact upon other sufferers. We get a great deal of mail from people who are simply grateful that they are not alone, and that in itself is a comfort to them.

We have many great ideas for developing the site in the future and truly hope to create a warm and friendly place for anyone to find out quality information about living with ibs, for the people that suffer from it and anyone else that IBS has an impact on (friends, relatives, workmates of IBS sufferers).

Final Message
While Christmas can be a wonderful time for many people, IBS sufferers often have to forgo the pleasure of eating and drinking what they want. Whatever you do during the forthcoming holidays, we hope you all have some fun and relaxation, and we will be thinking of our fellow sufferers, wishing you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays or Joyful Yuletide.

With our best wishes,

Sian, Rick and Kev (the IBS-life-ers)