WHAT TO DO AFTER A FLARE-UP

I’m writing this after 3 days of very little sleep due to repeated flare-ups over the past 3 nights. Lately, my symptoms have been much worse than usual. I’m not sure what’s causing this, but I’m doing my best to eliminate potential triggers and go back to basics.

THE GAMEPLAN

start fresh

No matter the time of day, post-flare-up is a good time to start over. A flare-up does not mean you have completely reversed any healing or damaged your stomach irreparably. First and foremost, err on the positive side, because negativity and anxiety only worsen stomach problems.

The following steps make up my gameplan to get back on track after a nasty flare-up:

1. Gentle movement: Take a step back from whatever you’re doing and get outside for a 10-minute walk. Moving your body improves digestion and clears your mind of those toxic negative thought patterns that are so difficult to escape during a flare-up.

2. Cup of tea: But not just any tea. In fact, I’ve found many teas that actually trigger a flare-up. Watch out for peppermint, citrus, black pepper, and cinnamon in teas. Opt for chamomile, ginger, or turmeric. Another one I love is rooibos tea with a splash of almond milk.

3. Recenter: So you’ve had a walk, you have a cup of tea in hand. Now take just another 10 minutes to be with yourself. No doom scrolling the gastritis thread on reddit, no frantically googling all of your symptoms. That can wait. Just 10 minutes, meditation sound on, eyes closed, and breathe. It might sound like a waste of time but meditation has been a huge part of my healing ritual. I have found that when I skip these little steps in my routine, my digestion suffers.

4. Moving forward: Over the next couple of days, start each morning with these 3 simple steps. Better yet, make this a mandatory part of your morning routine. Giving yourself this space to relax and recenter allows you more energy later to focus on a plan of action to address your gastritis more carefully.

5. The meal plan: In addition to your new morning routine, spend the next few days to a week eating very carefully. I’m at a point in my healing where I have been able to reintroduce many foods back into my diet. But since my flare-ups have been so severe, I’m going back to basics. Here is my typical meal plan for the days following a flare up:

   Pre-breakfast: a warm (not hot) cup of tea. It’s important to wait at least 3o minutes between drinking and eating.

   Breakfast: plain oatmeal with berries and a splash of almond milk

   Snack: rice cakes with avocado

   Lunch: Tofu, vegetables, and sweet potato

   Snack: banana with 100% nut butter

   Dinner: pumpkin soup

   This is not an adequate amount of food for adults long-term, but it is necessary for coming out of a severe flare. I also make sure to not do any workouts during these few days since I’m not eating enough calories.

Several days later

After a few days of this diet (and your new morning routine), start to slowly add in more food variety and quantity. If you haven’t suffered from any more flares, then you can keep increasing and resume your typical exercise regimen if you have one.

Reality check

I have gone through many different phases in my healing journey. I have gone weeks with no discomfort, eating so many different foods with little to no problems, and thought I was completely healed. Many people make that mistake and face a reality check sooner or later.

Gastritis takes a long time to develop and a long time to heal. Good days do not mean the bad days are behind you, but luckily the reverse is also true. There are always good days ahead.

Keeping a journal of your days might seem monotonous, but it’s incredibly important to help you decipher which factors may be causing flare-ups and help you prevent future flare-ups from occurring.

If you have any specific questions about gastritis, feel free to contact me.