As a kid, I was constantly sick with stomachaches. Always running to the bathroom with diarrhea, gas and constipation. I was anxious and bit my nails constantly. My thoughts were scattered, so much so I was called a scatter brain.

My parents thought I was just an anxious kid and chalked up the bathroom issues and nail biting to anxiety. I had a terrible relationship with my 6th grade teacher, which only made matter worse, but also had my parents believing my health problems were related to anxiety.

When summer came and I was still uncomfortable and in pain, my parents began to worry, and took me for a battery of embarrassing and uncomfortable testing. I was miserable.

Before the test results were in, the doctors said they were 98% sure there was nothing wrong with me and agreed with my parents that I was just an anxious kid.

At age 12 I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, and for 20 years, I suffered with belly bloat, nail biting anxiety, debilitating depression, inexplicable weight gain, malnutrition, stomach aches, irritability, diarrhea, constipation and migraines.

I was hospitalized countless times and had multiple surgeries to remove the inflammation in my intestinal tract. As I got older, the symptoms got worse.

I loved working with kids and had done so since I was 10 years old. I dreamed of having a family of my own. When the docs sat me down and told me I’d never be able to successfully carry a child to term, I was devastated.

It didn’t stop there. With no answers and no ideas what was causing the inflammation in my body, I was told I had to have a colostomy, an unpleasant procedure where what was left of my intestines would be removed and I’d have a bag attached to my belly to catch my poop. I’d no longer be able to excrete on my own.

So many of us rely on sugar as a sweet treat, a reward for getting through a difficult day, or being really “good” on our diets. Some of us use sugar as a pick-me-up when they are feeling down or tired. I know how difficult it can be to just say “no” to sugar. To reduce belly bloat and gastric discomfort, minimizing sugar intake is a must. Read on to discover why.

It is fairly common knowledge that sugar is at the root of so many of our health problems today, including belly bloat.

When your system is overloaded with sugars, and/or if you have trouble processing simple sugars, the result is excess bloating and gas.

Bloating occurs when the sugars ingested are poorly absorbed and make their way in to the large intestine feeding the sugar bugs, or bad bacteria, that reside there. The sugar bugs produce further toxic gases causing bloating, discomfort, pain, and irregular bowel movements.

I know how difficult it can be to give up or even reduce your caffeine…