Training a happy tummy

Seriously, if you have IBS, try doing more exercise. Nothing I've tried up until now has given me relief from my symptoms like it. Since the beginning of the year, when I decided to really find out what was causing my IBS and then do something about it. I did begin doing more exercise in an effort to get fitter but focussed on food as the source of my symptoms. I found out that I'm lactose intolerant, and became vegan. Then I realised too much gluten could really upset my system. I also realised that eating too much, and eating a lot of nuts and sugar could cause havoc too.
However, when I upped the amount of exercise I did, I really started to notice a change.
Working out a lot also seems to be reducing my cravings for sugary things, so it's a happy tummy circle.

Swimming front crawl is still beyond me at the moment. I still cannot breathe out with my face in the water, water gets up my nose and I get freaked. So I have been doing breaststroke and have started doing the drills from Lesson 1 of the Total Immersion program, which is basically armless backstroke and then alternating rolled on one side. However, with every visit to the pool, I feel myself getting stronger, faster, my stroke getting more even. Although most people find the sea scarier than a pool, I'm looking forward to going out to the coast next week and splashing around in them waves. I feel safer there. At this stage though, it's looking unlikely I'll be able to front crawl for the tri. So I'm just going to keep working on my breaststroke, and maybe try out sidestroke in the sea and see what it feels like.

Some recent munching:
Avocado, tofu and veggies with salsa and frozen raspberry, banana and mango blended up as a post run cooldown. Yum.


Lentils, sweet potatoes and salad (romaine, peppers, carrots, green onion)

Nut burger and salad with Brendan Brazier's tahini cayenne dressing

Porridge with fresh orange, soy yogurt and cacao

Collards and onions, pesto, salsa, sweet potato and hummus