Meditation helps us relax, but that’s not its only benefit. People who meditate can lower their blood pressure, improve their circulation and increase their overall feeling of well-being.

But research shows that meditation may relieve IBD and IBS symptoms, according to a pair of studies conducted in the past few years on the link between stress and digestive issues.

When you live with a chronic illness like IBS or Crohn’s, support from a friend can mean the world to you. But sometimes friends don’t always know the right things to say.

That’s why we’ve put together this list of five things not to say to people with IBS or Crohn’s disease (as well as some alternative approaches). It’s meant to be shared with friends, loved ones, and anyone touched by IBS or Crohn’s, for a better handle on approaching illness.

Gums are common additives, with ingredients such as xanthan gum, guar gum and carrageenan acting as thickening, stabilizing and emulsifying agents.

But recently, these gums have been used more extensively in non-diet and diet foods alike. They are especially common in foods marketed to people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity: in short, people who want gluten-free foods.

In my past two blog posts, I talked about my struggle with digestive issues, and detailed how finding the right health care practitioners and dietary supplements led to a complete turnaround in my health.

Since following the recommendations of my holistic doctor and my nutritionist, I am stomach pain-free, and almost just as important, worry-free!

In my first blog post, I talked about when my digestive symptoms began, and how I suffered greatly for years with debilitating stomach pain. I often cancelled social plans, including my special birthday dinners, and travel plans were always up in the air. I had trouble sleeping, and was losing a lot of weight.

In that first blog I also outlined the foods I thought triggered pain and diarrhea. I constantly ate cautiously - while hoping to unlock the mystery behind all my stomach issues and just feel normal again.