Backseat Positivity
"Able to make serious topics lighthearted and fun - I even laughed at some points!"
Get your bi-weekly dose of positivity in this fun podcast with Dr Dawn Barlow, who helps you navigate all of the weird/best/worst parts of life!
Dawn takes you on the self-improvement journey you didn't realise you needed... Bought to you by a doctor who hasn't had life as sweet as many of her comrades. She knows firsthand just how rubbish life can be, yet has managed to turn her life around for the better!
From relationships to mental health to happiness, make sure you buckle up twice a week (Mondays and Thursdays) the join her and her guests for candid self-improvement. Don't forget of the course, the "weird thoughts" segment, where Dawn and her guests share weird thoughts from their lives.
Dawn says:
Sometimes life reminds me of being in a washing machine. It's a bit spinny and turbulent for a while, but then it stops and gives you a little break before spinning you into oblivion once more. It feels like the washing machine wants to wash something bad out of all of us... positivity.
Some might EVEN say that positivity is shouting from the backseat and no-one wants to listen to it... [backseat positivity] More than once a week, but less than 4 times a week, you can shove me in your auditory canals and listen to me chat about L.I.F.E., self-improvement, mental health and anything else that my little monkey-mind paws can grasp onto.
Sometimes other humans actually dare to join me.
It's candid, it's fun. Woo!
Backseat Positivity
Rebuilding the Gut after Gastroenteritis A Personal Journey
Ever endured the gut-wrenching turmoil of gastroenteritis? My family, including the four-legged members, recently battled this beast, and I'm here to recount the messy, yet enlightening experience. This week's episode peels back the curtain on the very real physical and mental anguish wrought by what's suspected to be a norovirus ambush. We'll compare the lurking dangers of bacterial versus viral gastro, muse over the curious case of our pets’ health mirroring our own, and navigate the choppy waters of restoring gut health after such a disruption.
When your stomach's in knots tighter than a python's squeeze, you know you're in for a rough ride. Picture this: demonic stomach spasms, a phobia of snakes making a surprise cameo, and the looming question of whether to rush to the hospital or ride it out with trusty over-the-counter saviors. Join me as I share the raw and unfiltered journey of sickness and the small victories found in paracetamol and the solace of hydration, alongside the stark reminder to abstain from ibuprofen when your body's running on empty.
Post-gastro grocery runs are an adventure in self-restraint, where fruits wrestle with chocolates for a spot in your cart, and kefir stands defiant against a battalion of Ben & Jerry's. In this episode, I offer up my personal take on the seesaw of healthy eating and comfort food cravings, highlighting the unsung heroes of recovery: dioralite, fermented foods, and prebiotics. We'll explore how to bounce back with your diet and stress management without sacrificing the soul-soothing indulgences that make life just a tad sweeter. So, buckle up for a candid ride through the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of gastroenteritis recovery.
Please consider helping me out, I'd seriously super appreciate it! <3
https://www.patreon.com/diariesofadoctor
Oh boy has it been a messy, messy week in this household. Let me tell you it's been a bad time Because, firstly, did not only one of my dogs, two, one of them got diarrhea and vomiting. Then subsequently my boyfriend gets a DMV. Yeah, I was gonna say, was it just the vomiting DMV? Then I get it and I'm like, fuck my life, I could have avoided it. You know, I literally knew it was coming for me and accidentally got it because I made a mistake. So today I'm talking about gastroenteritis, which means basically like a stomach, a stomach bug, like a tummy bug or, you know, a diarrhea, vomiting illness. Today I'm gonna be talking about, I think well, I know pretty much that I had a viral gastroenteritis because of the. It only lasted 24 hours, right, perfect, great, gone. But also I didn't get. You know, I felt very unwell but it was very short-lived and then all was okay and also I didn't have any like risk factors for having a bacterial one. So we're just talking about, you know, like a norovirus type thing probably, I don't know. But let's talk about that Because I could have avoided it. Like I said, and I'm gonna tell you why, and here's how I healed slash. I'm still healing. Basically, how to get your gut microbiome back to its happy state, and I'm not sure mine is. There's still a lot of smells coming out of there, maybe not so good, and everyone loves a good poo and wee story, don't they? Everyone loves hearing about how Dawn, you know, had a bad time with her head in the toilet. They love it. So let's get into it.
Speaker 1:My first time having gastroenteritis. I've only had it twice, like in my adult life. I don't remember my child life I've probably had it more times. I've had it twice. The first time was in uni. I was in I don't remember what year. Second maybe, yeah, I think second year, yeah, second year of medical school.
Speaker 1:And I woke up in the middle of the night with this horrible gripping abdominal pain like cramping tight ow, ee, ow. Abdominal pain's the worst because like it doesn't really feel like you can do much to get rid of it, like I don't know why it pain. Pain just isn't great, is it? I've got a bit of tummy pain right now, very mild. I think it's gas. So, basically, I woke up in the middle of the night with this like horrible abdominal pain. I would say it was. You know, it was pretty up there. It was pretty bad.
Speaker 1:And then I can't remember when the diarrhea started. I didn't have any vomiting with this, it just it was just pure diarrhea. Then the diarrhea started, I don't remember when, but it was like pure acid liquid coming out of my ass. It was like I was pissing out of my ass. It was so bad. I felt like it like literally burnt away my anus. It was so bad and thankfully I didn't have that this time.
Speaker 1:I didn't really have any diarrhea, really I'm not gonna lie. So I was having my little timeline for this time. Basically, that time it also got better in like 24, 48 hours and that's the great thing about these things. Your body's just like see you later, bye, bye, and everything's like gone. It just fucking ejects everything out of you. It's like back and front, sometimes at once at the same time, which is hard work, let me tell you. Thankfully there's usually a sink nearby or a bath and you can sort of you know. So yeah, that is hard.
Speaker 1:It was a really bad time, guys. I'm not gonna lie. I wouldn't really wish it upon anyone. I really can't tell what was worse, so I'm just gonna describe it to you and we're gonna see what mentally tortures me the most, I suppose. So basically, we went to Western Superman. If you don't know what that is, it's like Blackpool Leisure Beach if you live in the north but in down south. If you still don't know what that is, I don't know it's like a pleasure beach, like a beach, but I mean it is literally. It was February, right, so it wasn't sunny or anything, but we thought, okay, let's go for a walk, let's take the dog's for a walk. Okay, let's, inocuous, take the dog's for a walk. It's all fine. And we, basically, we took the dog's for a walk, it was all good. I was getting over my chest infection. I did a recent episode on that.
Speaker 1:I've had a bad time and I think it's because I, in particular my immune system, is lowered because of this wagovie, this fucking injection. I'm not eating enough, therefore I'm not losing weight, therefore I'm also getting sick, and that's what I think. Anyway, who knows, but I've had two. I mean it is also winter, you know, but like two not so great conditions to back, and but also, you know, tom has had them first and then I've got them off him. So it's, you know, great, but this time and I'm not sure, but Tom looked up. Apparently he said that if a dog or an animal gets gastroenteritis then humans can catch it.
Speaker 1:So basically, my dog we were at Western Supermare. She decides I'm thirsty, I'm gonna go and take a drink. I'm gonna go and drink a pool of stagnant water on Western Supermare beach and subsequently, the next day, the vomiting started. Now dogs are like do you know what? I do think it was the same bug, because her vomit and my vomit just looked quite similar and I know that's like quite a thing to say. But it was like her vomit was like kind of fluorescent yellowy, like a horrible, sometimes a bit brown concerningly, and my vomit was fluorescent yellow. But I mean that could just be stomach acid. I mean, I'm really drawing some conclusions here.
Speaker 1:So anyway, I went to, I took her to the vet because she shot herself and it's like having a toddler, having a dog. I don't think people realise this. People don't hear about the ins and outs of the diarrhea and vomiting of the dog. Like nobody knows about it, because everyone's like oh my god, my cute little fluffy dog, so cute, and then you know if it's really their parents dog, they don't know. I don't think anybody talks about it. No one's like, oh my god, my dog shot herself the other day. Anyway, she didn't shit herself, she shot on the floor, it was pure diarrhea, it was like a fair amount and there was blood in it. So I was like, oh my god, she's dying. And so I took her to the vet.
Speaker 1:That cost me £120, so that was a very expensive water stop for her, I think, cost her anything, though he did it so, and then obviously I couldn't go into work. So that's obviously money too, because I don't get sick pay, because I don't know, I have the privilege of choosing when I work. Apparently it's kind of crazy, I don't get sick pay, but there we go. I guess people would just constantly be sick, in inverted commas, anyway. So she gets sick, then Tom gets sick, and then I got home from work and I was a little bit peckish. You know, tom had some soup that he was having.
Speaker 1:It was the day after his episode, his 24 hours of hell, and I thought I just didn't really think anything of it. There was some pasta in there and I thought there, it'll be fine. In fact I didn't even think about it, I was just like it didn't even cross my mind that I was going to get sick from this and I'm presuming this is what it was, because I ate that in the next day oh boy, I awoke what time was it? It was probably eight in the morning. I just remember being like no, okay, I am on Mugovie, right, semi-glutide, or a zempik, as many people know it same drug. So I am on that.
Speaker 1:So nausea, vomiting and reflux are commonplace. I'm not even phased by it anymore. I'm like whatever, nothing can phase me anymore, because I am regularly nauseated, nauseous, I don't know what the one is. I don't want to say regularly. I frequently, to infrequently. It's not uncommon for me to throw up and I pretty much always have reflux. So you know, I'm just used to it.
Speaker 1:So I woke up and I had reflux and I felt a bit sick. So I was like, okay, don't feel great, usual shit. Okay, stack my pillows up. So I lie upright and I took some gavaskon and I thought, okay, that'll be the end of it. Right, usually gets rid of it straight away. But alas, I was wrong, because I just couldn't go back to sleep. I was just like my body had obviously like woken me up, like prepare, bitch, you are, you're coming to. It's coming to a head, let's put it that way. It's been sat in your stomach for 12 hours and it's ready. It's been brewing.
Speaker 1:So again, at this point I didn't even think like, oh, I'm gonna start having diarrhea and vomiting, so I just lie there and then I think, oh god, I still feel really sick. And I kept burping and burping, being like this reflux is not going away, burping, and I thought, do you know what? Let's go back to the bathroom. I couldn't sleep, for shit. I was like no, usually, like I said, I can just take in a gavaskon and just fall back to sleep again. And then I just like got to the bathroom and just went and just threw up not everywhere. Thankfully, I managed to get in the toilet and I was like, oh no, this doesn't happen with my wagovi.
Speaker 1:Usually what happens with my wagovi is I'll either be sick if I've eaten too much and drunk too much together, so my stomach is like really full and that's. I just feel like really fucking sick, and then sometimes I just go and be sick because I'm like I know that's the only thing that's gonna help me, and but my body won't necessarily make me sick, or if I drink alcohol pretty much. I'll be definitely nauseated the next day. But if I then get in a car, oh my god, that's a guaranteed throw up festival throw fest. Let's call it vomit fest. That is a guaranteed vomit fest if I do that. So even if I take anti-sickness, no, I'm like dreading the day if I ever have to go on chemotherapy because I'm like I'm gonna throw up or be feeling sick constantly.
Speaker 1:So then I did that. Yeah, I threw up and I was like, okay, I'm just a bit of food. And then I thought, okay, that was unusual because I don't usually like project, not projectile. Okay, that's a bit dramatic, but like, usually there's a bit of umming, gnawing. Am I gonna be sick, am I not? This was like got to the toilet, right, and then I tried to get back into bed. Wasn't happening, all right. So I went downstairs to lie on the sofa because I just couldn't sleep, like I don't know what's wrong with me.
Speaker 1:I was like sick and then I realized then it hit me, I think the second time, and also this sick was so violent, it was like my body was trying to fucking ring me dry, I swear. It was like I'd throw up and then I'd be like throw up, like three times, I reckon, and then, um, that would kind of generally be all of it, okay, three or four times, but my body kept pushing and squeezing, and it would squeeze it, I would. That would carry on for a minute, maybe a minute of this like really intense retching, maybe to two minutes, who knows. Because when you're in that situation, you're like happening and you're like oh, and you're like moaning and it's just like oh god, it's so awful like I can't even comprehend it, and it's like painful and you're like you know, you feel really fucking sick, obviously, and it's. It's like the pain and the stomach like oh, my god, I think I've got a fucking six pack.
Speaker 1:After how much my stomach was contracting. It was like whoa, it was like this fucking machine like pumping out. I couldn't believe it, jesus Christ, I didn't know my stomach muscles were that strong. I was like I'm gonna squeeze out my organs soon, like a toothpaste, like oh god. It's like, you know, when everyone did that thing, where not everyone, but like on YouTube where they poured the mixture in and then the elephant foam flies up, that is what I felt like. It was just, but it was like constantly, like, and I was like, chill out, stop. And eventually you'd have to try and stop yourself. And you're trying to stop yourself like, come on, you're not, you're not retching again because there's nothing. I'm telling you, there is nothing more to come up and you're only going to injure yourself. And yeah, that was bad.
Speaker 1:So the good thing was, what would happen is I would have that episode. My whole stomach would be cleared, like obviously my whole stomach and more, and then I would feel like infinitely better, like I'm okay again, everything's good, I'm all good. Wow, I can't believe I got through that. Then it would fester and worsen slowly over the next one to two hours and then it would happen again. So I would have, like I probably had maybe like five or six episodes of really intense fucking, like it's like you're being fucking, it's like an exorcist is happening.
Speaker 1:Honestly, oh God, I feel like that's what it would feel like if I had a python around my stomach and it was like squeezing, like as if it wanted to kill me. That would have probably been nicer than what I went through. I don't know. I'm actually scared because I'm going to Asia soon. I'm really scared. I'm going to wake up a python and or in a python. So that is like a big fear of mine that I'm going to be strangled, crushed to death by a massive python. The problem is, I don't mind the crushing so much. I don't like snakes, so I'd rather be like you know, not aware that it was a snake, I don't know. Good luck, dawn. So, yeah, every two hours Now.
Speaker 1:The main issue was my stomach was like I'm fucking done bitch, like I can't, you're not having anything in me, so I would sip water, throw it back up. Sip water, throw it back up, or it would seemingly feel that way anyway. I don't know how realistic that is, because obviously your stomach produces acid, right. So it's not like all the stuff that you're throwing up is water, it's like the water you've drunk. It's like some of it is acid as well, but it did also feel like the water I just drank.
Speaker 1:So after a while I started to get this horrible, oh God, body pain. I it is awful, like really awful. Now I know people have stuff called like fibromelda, right, I'm like if people are living with this, like how I felt for those hours, I honestly don't know how people are surviving. Like that was honestly so bad, I think, when I started to have the body pain. I was like do you know what? The vomiting isn't anything, I can cope with the vomiting whatever. But by that point it had sort of cleared a bit of vomiting.
Speaker 1:The body pain, oh boy, the only thing that would really relieve it a bit was paracetamol. The only problem was how are you going to keep it down? I considered going to hospital. I was like no, no, no, you can't go to hospital for a fucking diarrhea and vomiting bug. Dawn, you're not dying. I felt like I was dying, but I'm not okay.
Speaker 1:So I and also I kind of took the piss up, tom, because I was like you cannot go to hospital with a DMV bug, like, unless it's been going on for a long time and you're severely dehydrated or you know, you're really unwell. You can't go for a 24 hour DMV bug Like, you just can't. So then, for me to have felt like that as well, because I was like I just can't keep. I want pain, right, I want paracetamol because I feel like I've got fever, but I don't feel like I'm going to keep it down. Anyway, eventually I braved it and I kept it down. Surprisingly, I also had some memeprazole, because I was fed up with the fucking acid and worked great. Okay, because that is when the body pain. Now I don't have ibuprofen, by the way, guys, when you're having DMV, because it can give you kidney problems if you're dehydrated Pro tip.
Speaker 1:So I didn't have any ibuprofen, but I was like I'm having paracetamol, because paracetamol is fucking healer of all gods, honestly, like it must be a descendant from God himself. Like paracetamol, I honestly don't know where the shit came from, but it's amazing. It cures fevers, it heals pain. It basically just makes you feel all around great and not great. But you know better than the situation you were in. So I was like, yes, paracetamol, I loved it. I couldn't get enough of it. I was like, obviously I didn't like take too much, but if you want to, you're like I could do some more, I could have some more. So I took some paracetamol and yeah, I'm pretty sure.
Speaker 1:So the main pain was like in my back. I thought, god, am I going into kidney failure? Like I'm still peeing though. So I was like I can't be going into kidney failure if there's wee still coming out of me, right? That's like a not actually kind of a normal color. It was like not that concerningly yellow. I was like, oh okay, what's going on here? So that was a reassuring sign. Tom did see my wee was like brown or red at one point and I was like I don't believe that I didn't see it. Apparently it was, but I I have no idea, so who knows? So, yeah, I was like okay. So what I presumed this was was not my kidneys. Now, in hindsight, it was severe myalgia. I was like, oh, I was just curled up on the sofa like oh God, and that, coupled with the nausea and vomiting, was pure hell.
Speaker 1:Then the fevers came. I pretty much had like a low grade fever. I didn't measure it, but you know, when you can just tell your like hands are freezing, you're cold, but you're also like hot to touch, but you're also sweating and you're like what's going on here? Anyway, the whole night that night, after the first day of the you know situation, I sweated. The whole night. I had to change the bedsheets. It was ewey, it was gross. I was like no one can sleep in this after what I've been through in here. It was like I was damp the whole night. I was so damp, I was like tacky and but I was like I didn't want to get out and like or like uncover myself, because then I was cold. I was like, oh, I'm cold, no, I'm sweating, what's going on? So I'm pretty sure I had a fever, but that's normal, you know. Sweat it out, as they say. Your body's trying to kill the back to the virus, basically. So it's like overheats you.
Speaker 1:Anyway, I had what I would describe as a fever dream. I don't really know, but apparently they're supposed to be like really weird. But I can't quite remember them now, but I just remember them being really like unusual for me and being. It was like a kind of a weird like. I was like, was that really a dream? Oh, I remember now there was a thing about like someone. I was sat in someone's car and they were like speeding like excessively in Tesco car park, which is like supermarket, and then like slamming the brakes on and then, oh my god, it was anyway. Dreams never make sense when you describe them right, because I'm always like I just describe it in sequence and then it just makes no fucking sense. I'm like, yeah, I was in Tesco, but I wasn't in Tesco, but I was with this person, but they weren't there, they were over here, and then their auntie came and do you know what I mean? It just doesn't make any sense. So, anyway, it was extra weird, extra weird dreams. I just remember being like that was strange.
Speaker 1:So the next day, what happened? The next day, I think I had the body pains again. Did I have the? Yeah, the body pains, but like significantly less bad, like a you know three out of ten, rather than like an eight. I don't want an eight, I don't want to be dramatic. Okay, a sixth and a half. They were like you know, two or three, so I could cope with it. I could cope and I was keeping the paracetamol down.
Speaker 1:Then I started to get some rumblings. Oh, my god, okay, wait, I forgot the most important part. I got to liver-rew groceries and I made a lot of bad decisions. Okay, the first bad decision was the fact that I ate nearly I can't even believe I'm going to admit to this Nearly half a carton. I was so fucking hungry, guys honestly, and I was like I'm feeling sorry for myself and I just want to fucking eat something. And it was so good as well, like it was that perfect amount of defrosted that you could just like spoon it out. And it was so good and it was half baked as well.
Speaker 1:Bell and jerry's ice cream I ate like almost half of it. I say maybe a third. Oh, that was a bad decision and I probably just ate too much. Like, I just went a little bit crazy. I was like, right, I'm fucking starving.
Speaker 1:All of a sudden, I think I bought £35 worth of food from Deliveroo, literally from a shop. I've never done it before. But I was like, do you know what? This is the time? So I did that. And then, yeah, then I threw up again because I ate too much and most of it was ice cream, the ice cream. Basically, I was lying in bed and I could just feel it like coming up and like hit, like at the back of my throat and I was like, oh God. So, yeah, that was nice, that was a lot. I tell you what that was the biggest vomit I had. Well, I did it in a saucepan, so I could not, so I could measure it, but so I could measure it, you know. So I was able to measure it, but like I didn't throw up purposefully to measure it, but it was a lot. It was like I would say at least do you know what? 750 mils, like it was so much. I was like, oh my God, okay. And then, yeah, that was pretty much the worst of it. So I want to say how I'm healing afterwards.
Speaker 1:Guys, with my delivery shop, you will be pleased to hear I did order some fruits and some vegetables and some crackers. Crackers are the bomb, like literally just sea salt crackers. That is it. I'm really into plain foods at the moment. I'm like, do you know what? I just want one flavor and that is it. I won't mix them. One flavor done.
Speaker 1:So I bought some watermelon. I don't recommend buying these whilst you're still, you know, feeling like shit because all the acid not going to work. So I bought some raspberries, some pineapple and some watermelon, and then I actually had some cucumber and carrots, and then this is where it gets quite significantly worse. Okay, so I had some crackers and I bought some croissants. I don't know why. I was just like I need croissants, I need them. They were just plain. I just wanted a plain fucking croissant.
Speaker 1:But the problem was I could only buy four. So I was like, fine, sue me, I'll buy four. And then I just bought loads of chocolate. I'm not going to lie, I bought some marshmallows. Shouldn't have done that. But I was like, fuck it, don't care, and I bought some many eggs which I ate today Not the whole thing. And oh, I bought some pre probiotic yogurts, activia. Okay, I did some good. I did some good, I bought a buy that was somewhat okay for me. That might be it because I definitely bought more, but I can't remember. The Ben and Jerry's was definitely the downfall of the situation. Let's put it that way, not because buying Ben and Jerry's is a bad decision, but buying Ben and Jerry's and eating nearly half when you've just thrown up the whole day is a bad idea. It is.
Speaker 1:I really want to know what else I bought. Kinder Buenos haven't touched them. I bought like a fucking eight pack. What was I thinking? When I say I was unwell? You can tell right, I was like, fucking, I'm going to buy eight Kinder Buenos. Kinder Buenos are the bomb, though. Let me just oh, I know so I want to open delivery. Let me just see what else I bought, because I feel like, oh, we also had. I had some leftover baroque. And then I realized I was like why is my yellow, my wee, fluorescent yellow? I realized that if you have B vitamins, apparently it comes out in your wee. And then I don't know how I can't remember how I found this out, but I was like reading an article and I was like, oh, that's what it is, because I thought maybe my wee had just turned the color of my vomit. It makes no medical sense whatsoever, so I don't quite know what was going on there.
Speaker 1:Oh, I bought a random. Oh, I bought potato waffles. I even forgot that. I bought those Malted milks. They were great, plain, like a rich tea kind of thing, like melted milks, boring, love it. I just wanted a fucking boring biscuit. Yeah, I said most of it. To be fair, I did buy some to kiss.
Speaker 1:I didn't open that the same day, though. And then I bought a muller corner, which I haven't eaten. I think Tom just ate that. Actually, the main important thing was the fruits and vegetables, okay, and the activa, because, yeah, great. And I also, tom, bought some dioralite.
Speaker 1:I tell you what the dioralite he bought tasted really good. I was like, oh, tastes kind of nice. I don't usually like the taste of dioralite, so I must have been sick because I was like, hmm, kind of tasty. We got the black currant one. I prefer a raspberry myself, but fine. Oh, I think it was tastier because it didn't have the rice, whatever in it. Why would you put rice in it? But apparently it's like a stool thickener. I don't know, but the one I had had like a sediment at the bottom, the raspberry one, anyway. So he bought some of those.
Speaker 1:I was vibing that. Do you know what I was really? Vibing the dioralites? I only had two, but I was like, hmm, yes, and um, I did lose a fair amount of weight. I lost probably about two kilos, but I mean, it's come all back again. So it's not a, it's not a great diet, let's put it that way. So, barocca, um, it was basically like, uh, an effervescent energy kind of tablet, but not it has, doesn't have sugar in it. So it was just like, um, it was just, you know, vitamins, minerals, right, and um, I obviously didn't have any antibiotics.
Speaker 1:Now, the concern with trying to rebuild your gut bacteria after um DMV is, uh, antibiotics can kill some of the good bacteria as well as the bad bacteria. Now, if you have bacterial gastroenteritis, fair enough, you probably need antibiotics, but I obviously didn't right. So most About most gastroenteritis is are viral. Most infections are viral because it's just spread so easily, etc. So try, if you can Not go straight for the antibiotics, especially, don't use the ones that you've just got lying around in your cupboard. But, um, you know, make sure they are actually prescribed, because I see lots of people that don't do that and you don't know you're treating the right thing and then you've just killed off loads of your gut bacteria and, um, for no fucking reason okay, let's put it that way.
Speaker 1:Uh, bacteria are maybe not doing great things for us, like, yes, they, you know, can be really good, but when used correctly. I am a bit honestly concerned Because I'm like, guys, if we run out of antibiotics, that's it. People are dying of very menial things. So don't abuse them or misuse them. You know, once they're gone, what are we gonna do? I really don't know. So that is a concern of mine, I think probably more because I work in anyway Shovelers of water down, not loads. I've been sipping, dipping gently, because my stomach's still fragile. They're still like no, please, I tell you what, though? We just went out for food, I was so hungry. I went to the gym and then, oh, that's another thing I'm doing, exercising. I'm back, I'm back in the gym.
Speaker 1:Um, obviously, you usually have to wait 72 hours, I think, or 48 hours, from the oh, you might need to check that, I can't remember. Anyway, a certain amount of time after the last episode, um, is it 48 hours? I think it might be. Now that I'm thinking about it, okay, yeah, two days, so 48 hours. I mean there was no chance of fucking going into work like I literally couldn't move I. I stayed on the sofa the whole day, two days pretty much. There was no chance I would have been throwing up. I would have been the worst doctor you could ever see, like we should be trading places, me and the patient. I was honestly like on I looked apparently like I had, um, I had some like horror makeup on that's what tom said Because I looked so pale.
Speaker 1:I had bags under my eyes. I also had these like tiki eye, basically like Um burst, like blood vessels or like in my face, from where the pressure of throwing up. I get it really bad. I don't know why, um, it's a problem that I get.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, I'm having lots of fruits, vegetables, probiotics I'm going to get myself some prebiotic serials because apparently they work together and munch each other up and have a great time and lots of water, but not like excessive amounts. You know you don't want to um, um, dilute yourself even more. You've already lost lots of salt, um. So this is why it's good to have the diorailite, because it replaces all the stuff that you've shattered, vomited out, but to the correct um, to the correct quantity. You don't want to overdo it. You know, um, baraka, I don't know whether that's helping, but I feel like it is because it's.
Speaker 1:You know, I'm doing something and apparently fermented foods are really um good for building up your gut bacteria as well. So I will maybe be delving into that. I don't really feel like I can stomach that Generally, with my like general level of distaste for food at the moment, I don't feel like I can stomach fermented food like. I just don't feel like that's possible. But you know, it's something to try if you're, if you feel like you're up to that Um. Other things that you know can help with um gut health are vegetarian diet, don't smoke I don't smoke, so I can't really stop that Um using Different cleaning products.
Speaker 1:So apparently, you know, if we Disinfect loads of stuff, then we can ruin our gut microbiome by doing so, um. So Try to use the stuff that's like eco friendly or just use less. Um, obviously, if you've got active dnv, please wash your hands, um, and if you, if you live with someone who's got active dnv, don't use the same spoon as them or eat their food or kiss them or suck their fingers, because you'll probably get it like I did. Um, I didn't do all of those, so yeah, so, um, apparently, um, those who lived in homes where people use disinfectant cleaning products at least weekly were twice as likely to have higher levels of Blah, blah, blah gut microbiomes, a type associated with type 2 diabetes and obesity. Uh-oh, um, that's not good.
Speaker 1:Um, getting enough sleep oh christ, I get enough sleep. I probably get too much. That's problem. I don't know how I stay in bed for 10 hours. Like something needs to be figured out with regards to that. So let's get seven hours.
Speaker 1:I'm like yeah, hun, don't worry, that's already happening. Exercise guys. I could not wait to go back to the gym. Honestly, I was like I really need to go back. I get to a point where I'm like firstly, I'm paying for this, so I kind of want to go back, but also I can't sit on the sofa for any longer. Like my butt is imprinted into that sofa cushion, like I just can't, please let me leave. I would be terrible in solitary confinement and I would probably actually go clinically insane. And yeah, I mean it is a form of torture and anyway, maybe I shouldn't be revealing to people how to torture me. But yeah, I, I've watched so much netflix, I can't handle it anymore.
Speaker 1:I'm like no, um, reducing stress, I mean, isn't reducing stress? Fucking answer to everything like, yeah, okay, thanks, um, easiest said than done. No, hun, thanks. So I'm not going to go into, like, the significant details of how stress affects your gut bacteria, but you know there are different hormones and different things released when you're stressed. And I tell you what I definitely got fatter. I don't know if it's because I was eating more, probably, yes, it was. But like also because I was more sedentary and because I was stressed. So, um, I wasn't very healthy.
Speaker 1:I wouldn't say, um, eating less sugar and sweeteners. We should just be doing that anyway, guys, come on, come on. So I mean, yeah, okay, I've been a bit naughty, I did eat chocolate and benengeres. Um, after all of this went down, you know, a girl's got to live. A girl needs some help Emotionally getting over the turmoil that she's just been through. So if she wants to lean on the shoulders of benengery, let her fucking do it. Okay, so Sue me, but please don't. So. Yeah, I know I shouldn't have done it, but it was more the quantity I ate rather than the fact that I ate it, I think. But going forwards, we will you know, we're not going to be eating that much benengeres. In fact, I haven't bought benengeres in like literally years. I can't even remember, so it's a rarity.
Speaker 1:Um, the fermented things I was talking about, uh, fermented vegetables. I don't really know what that means. Kefir, oh love that. It's yogurt, but it's not yogurt. Uh, kimchi, I could probably handle kefir, to be fair.
Speaker 1:Um, kimchi Is probably a bit too much for me right now. It's basically like fermented cabbage. I think that might be wrong kimchi, but it's kind of spicy, tastes a bit like ooh, a little bit eclectic kombucha. Again, it tastes kind of like vinegar, but like fizzy Miso. It's not miso for miso, it's not for me. I can't handle miso. It's a flavor baffles me. Sour crowd, now that is cabbage.
Speaker 1:So what is kimchi? What the fuck is kimchi now? Now I'm confused. What would you even describe it, as I've had it. What is kimchi? Come on, google, tell me the answer. It is cabbage, chili, ginger, garlic, salt, fish sauce, soy sauce, miso. Okay, it's a weird mixture of things, but it does taste good, but maybe not when you're in this kind of space. Temper it's like a weird beanie curd thing, which I would again say is a very acquired taste.
Speaker 1:Probably the one thing that you're gonna manage is fear, like I always call it kefir for a long time, but it's kefir. It's basically like yogurt, but it's a little bit tangier and it's actually fine. You know, it's not like ah, like concerning, but the other ones are very difficult to wrap your head around, let's put it that way. So, yeah, and then you can get like prebiotic cereals and apparently these foods are prebiotic rich. So asparagus expensive. However, bananas they're good and they're cheap and they're like a great snack.
Speaker 1:Who doesn't love a banana? Chickery? Who the fuck is getting chickery? Like what even is that Garlic? We all love a bit of garlic, but it does make you stink, so make sure you eat it the night before you do anything important.
Speaker 1:Onions, again, bit stinky, but fine if you've cooked them. Whole grains, jerusalem artichoke what is that? So, yeah, try and avoid things like you know, diet coke. I didn't have a diet coke today. We went out for food because it was our anniversary whoo, four years. And yeah, sometimes I just want a diet coke, you know, because it's like refreshing, but diet, but no.
Speaker 1:My stomach was like I'm fine without it. So I was like, okay, okay, you got it, girl, you do your thing, you do your thing. Anyway, guys, I think that is how I've healed after gastroenteritis. To be quite honest, your body does most of the work. I'm now just being nice to myself. You know I'm going in exercising when I've been, you know, cleared to do so 48 hours and not gone back too quickly. I think that's important, and they've also. I'm trying to.
Speaker 1:You know I took some ometrazole. I don't have a metrazole every day. It's basically an anti-acid for your stomach. I don't have it every day, but I have had it recently because the acid in my stomach is ouchy, and you know that's the medical term for it ouchy, ouchy. So something needed to settle it down, and I can't be eating gavaskon fucking three times a day. So don't take a metrazole too much though, guys, because I don't know it's been linked to osteoporosis, bone thinning, but who knows if that's actually true. I think it is, though, anyway, that's why I don't have it every day, it's more of an emergency. You know, my throat was like ah, like burnt, ah, ah. So I was like right, I need something to sort this out. There we go.
Speaker 1:If you guys liked it, give it a like. If you're watching on the YouTube's, subscribe to hear more about my daily disasters, to be quite frank, and how I'm overcoming them. I feel like that should be my podcast. Really, how is Dawn overcoming her daily disasters? Everyone has a daily disaster, don't they? That's the fun of life. And, yeah, give it a, share it with friends.
Speaker 1:Whatever Comment, you know what you need to do Like, subscribe, comment. Everyone knows, right, everyone knows. And if you're listening on the podcast, well, just give it a five star rating. That would be good enough. Okay, that is fine. Just one thing. One thing in solid takes same for you YouTube listeners. Oh, by the way, if you're listening on the podcast, I do have a YouTube channel. It's at Dawn Barlow, like Gary Barlow's wife, but not so. That's where I describe it, if anybody doesn't know. Oh, my God, when I was out for food earlier, I went, someone was like what's your last name? And I was like um Barlow and they were like ooh, um Barlow and I was like no Barlow. Anyway, that was funny. Yeah, thanks so much for listening, guys. I'll see you in the next episode. I upload every Monday and Thursday and yeah, thank you so much. I'll give you a kissy without gastroenteritis. Bye.
