How to find the right digestive health advice

What is the right way to heal IBS?

When I was suffering with IBS 20 years ago there was just a tiny fraction of the information available online now.

You had to go to the library to read outdated books. Now you can Google at any time of the night and day and have more information than you can handle.

And lots of it is contradictory. So how do you decided what is good information and what is not?

Many of my clients are thoughtful and highly intuitive. They contacted me for help because they are “feelers” and it just felt right to work with me. Like me, they listen to and follow their gut feelings.

The clients that feel a connection and have trust in their guides are the ones that do the best.

In my opinion the best outcomes come from a good relationship between the client and practitioner. Having trust in something or someone has a power physical effect on the body. It is calming and regulating. And that is very, very good for digestion and motility.

Choosing the right person to work with can be an additional stressor. And if your intuition is not speaking to you, it is likely due to stress you feel about the situation.

Trying to find the perfect person can keep people from trusting or finding anyone. Especially if they don’t have basic faith in the idea that healing is even possible for them.

That belief could be one of the major things that is preventing progress. And to rewire that belief, hypnosis is a powerful remedy.

Many of us are disconnected from their body’s wisdom and guidance due to past traumas or extreme stressors. And we have to rely on our heads for guidance. And sometimes that can get us in trouble because it can leave us vulnerable to trusting someone who should not be trusted because we want to believe that they are the one.

Trying to find the perfect practitioner that checks all the boxes, may not create a perfect fit or synergistic relationship.

You have to ask yourself what it is that you need? Do you need someone who is there for you. Answering your emails promptly, explaining things well, listening and understanding your concerns deeply?

Most of us want someone who will fix us.

This doesn’t exist. We fix ourselves and need someone who will understand our strengths, weaknesses and blindspots to help us succeed. This is such a personal relationship so you need to find someone that really resonates with you. That feels good to work with and gives you hope and confidence.

That is the best practitioner for you.

What if you are not in touch with your gut feeling?

Your intuition is like the sun. It’s always there shining, but sometimes it is obscured by clouds. Those clouds are fear and past programming that keeps us stuck in protecting ourselves. That can look like not taking action or waiting for the perfect person or switching practitioners the minute we feel like something is not right.

The health coach that helped me was probably the 6th or 7th practitioner I saw. But she was also the final one.

Connecting to your inner guidance means simply listening to your body. When you talk to or think about or correspond with your current practitioner, how does your body feel? What emotions do you have?

Is there tension, shallow breathing, heaviness, confusion or a sinking, hopeless feeling? Or do you feel uplifted, calmer and have more clarity and resolve?

Your body is the wisest part of you and won’t let you down if you just begin to tune into its cues, emotions and sensations. It won’t steer you wrong. It won’t disappoint you.

Our brains on the other hand operate from past programming, from childhood experiences or the influence of authority figures, parents or society. Our mind doesn’t respond to our current reality, it is gathering it’s data from the influence of past events.

For example, the thought that the last two practitioners did not work out, perhaps no one can help. Or that you have already tried everything.

Those are the thoughts that throw us off track and keep us from getting the help that we need.

Find someone to work with that creates positive emotional reactions and a good physical response in your body. Trust yourself enough to tune in.

Maybe in the past, you felt like your gut steered you wrong. Chances are that it was your brain doing all the convincing.

And your brain will also likely hold you back from trusting your gut because it wants to be in control. Understand that you will experience resistance but if it feels right, you keep thinking about it or you are drawn in anyway, then take the leap. You are being guided.

I find that most of my clients have amazing intuition about what is going on with them. They just need to be validated so they can move forward with confidence. When you are highly sensitive, you are typically also highly intuitive.

It’s just the the stress, foggy head and doubt can cloud your knowing.

If your mission is to move towards health, find the right support to do it.

How to choose the right path?

There is so much choice of who to work with these days.

Start by noticing who you are already following and reading and ask yourself what it is about them that resonates with you. What is it that you are missing that they can offer.

I went through so many coaches, naturopaths, alternative health practitioners, body therapist and energy healers before I found the one.

I was tired, jaded and exasperated at this point but my gut told me to give it a try.

Alternatively, you can recognize who is not in it for the right reasons. I’ve listed some red flags below to watch out for, as well as practitioner that are the real deal because they have been there.

I only work with people who have experienced the problem and solved it in themselves because I think they have much deeper insight, compassion and unmatched experience.

People who heal themselves are usually obsessive about the topic and also understand the challenges you have. This is priceless.

I’ve broken down the type of health experts into 4 categories. There is definitely more. But this is what I’ve encountered online.

As you read below, notice if any thoughts, feelings or images comes up for you. That could well be your intuition trying to speak.

Four types of health experts

You have everything you need inside you to heal. The right guide will help you get there without getting lost, being thrown off track or throwing in the towel.

Before you read the descriptions below take a few minute to think about what you want and need in your health support system. And see if any of those things match below.

The Scientist/Professor

The science-based influencer/expert believes that the straightest path to healing is through the latest scientific research. And that science is unquestionable truth.

There is a lot of benefit to a science-based approach backed with research, but it can have its limits. Especially if you let the “science” and what’s supposed to happen obscure your actual experience.

Each practitioner needs to adjust their protocol to your individual biology and watch for signs that it is not going well.

When a practitioner is too dogmatic with their way, they fail to do this. They believe too much in their theory or paradigm to actually see you.

Bio-individuality makes it hard to apply the science to everyone.

And when science obscures intuitive guidance, it becomes problematic.

Healing is more art than formula.

Being too attached to “the science” comes from a desire for certainty. And that causes inflexibility. A rigid approach can backfire, causing more harm than good.

If something doesn’t work for you, even if it has been proven in studies, there is nothing wrong with you. It doesn’t mean you are broken or strange.

The science can also be flawed or vary based on unknown factors.

Healers who understand the science, but also focus on the individual are most successful.

After working with hundreds of clients for almost a decade I know that clients need to be seen and supported in their uniqueness.

A mix of science and intuition is a powerful combo.

The fanatic

This type of health expert/influencer thinks what worked for them is going to work for everyone. They are so confident that they convince people of their way.

Again, there is little flexibility in a one size fits all approach.

People who believe in one way of healing are only able to help people like them.

There are many ways back to health. Not just one.

It is important to choose a path that sustainable for your personality, lifestyle and body. Universally effective doesn’t exist and the reason it didn’t work for others is not because they didn’t try hard enough.

Marketing Maven

This person has a beautiful website, and branded instagram page with a big following. But there is not much substance.

We all want to think we can see through this but sometimes its hard. These types understand human psychology and pray on it.

They may convince your mind but they won’t convince your gut.

These practitioners sell the dream and portray the perfection, success and health we all desire.

But they are in it for the ego, the followers, money, ambition and validation.

While successful, they are not ethical. And the bigger they get the more detached they get from the people they serve.

This type of health influencer prays on people’s desperation and emotions. Maybe uses fear tactics.

If it feels too slick, it probably is.

Authenticity is something we can feel. Trust your gut on this one. Healing and marketing are distinct skill sets.

I gravitate towards people who don’t seem polished or like they have it all together. Sometimes the people who make spelling errors, don’t have perfect images and don’t seem ultra professional have the most to offer.

They are focusing on the healing work, not the marketing hype.

The explorer

The explorer got into health after a personal transformative experience with their own health.

They share authentically and honestly about their personal experience (the good, bad and ugly) because they care about spreading the truth. This work is personal and they care deeply. You may be able to feel the compassion.

They are passionate about learning and understanding the body. But don’t pretend to have all the answers. They curious, open to trying new things and openly share what they’ve learned.

They see you as an individual, and have a personalized approach.

They don’t expect perfection but try to help with personal challenges. They have been there too and understand why people can falter.

No forced dogma. No one size fit all, no pushing. They offer a collaborative approach.

You feel seen, safe, supported and involved.

You learn. You go at a comfortable pace. You are supported the whole way. This is how trust develops, and as I mentioned, trust is everything in healing.

I trust my client’s intuition and involve them in building their plan. I take their personality into account.

The benefit of having a guide is that you don’t feel so alone. Studies have shown that feelings of isolation raise inflammation as the immune system overcompensates when there’s no one to help.

You can probably guess which healer I aspire to be.

Working with someone you connect with is most important

Your practitioner doesn’t need to be perfect. They just need to keep you on track and help you adjust when things don’t work.

Checking in often with your practitioner is what helps people stay on track.

I offer unlimited email support to all my clients so they can raise questions and concerns anytime.

Healing is not a race to the finish line, it is a marathon of making and maintaining healthy changes and choices.

We need someone who makes it all doable. This far outweighs the importance of credentials.

If you take anything away from the blog post it’s this: your connection with your practitioner is what matters.

Learning to listen to your body’s guidance will help you see and feel who that practitioner is.

And don’t let your overactive, perfectionistic or pessimistic mind get in the way.

You don’t need the perfect help, you need the right help. Your nervous system will thank you.

And if your practitioner works with both the mind and the body, that’s a big bonus in my opinion.

You can’t fix trauma or nervous system disturbance with diet or supplements alone, like you can’t fix a physical issue with meditation or mindset work only.

Trust your gut, it provides better guidance than Google .