With the temperatures hitting over 20 degrees this week, it’s definitely bbq season in the UK. I love a bbq, it’s like the British answer to tapas. You pick your meats and your side dishes, your breads, your sauces. It’s joyous. Truly.

However, when you have IBS, having a BBQ is made so much harder. From gluten in sausages, to onion in burgers and garlic on the shop bought kebabs, you really can struggle. My answer is to make some lovely bbq favourites myself, and completely Low Fodmap too.

Today’s post, focuses on a marinade. You can use chicken, lamb, beef (basically any meet you want, or even cauliflower steaks if you want a veggie alternative), but I’m using pork. Now the next fun task is picking your cut, I use tenderloins because they’re so easy to do on the bbq and they look great when sliced on a board for everyone to help themselves too.

You can serve your marinate meat alongside a simple salad and boiled potatoes for a nice balanced meal, or alternatively pair it with boiled rice and pineapple salsa for a Caribbean hit! You can find a good pineapple salsa recipe on my instagram. If the Caribbean doesn’t tickle your fancy, try a more southern American vibe and have corn on the cob and some dairy free coleslaw! Really the choice is endless, and you can pair it with whatever you like!

Now for today’s top tip! When marinating meat/vegetables the best and cleanest way to make it is in a bag! If you get a large sandwich bag and place your freshly made marinade inside with your meats, tie it up with some air inside and shake. Hey presto, the meat is evenly covered, your hands are clean, and there’s no washing up! Winner winner!

My other top tip is to use whole ingredients. I know that frying some seeds and then grinding them is a bit of a faff but honestly it tastes 10 times better for the extra few minutes work. If you’re thinking of ditching the frying, don’t! It releases the aromas and the flavours and it also makes the seeds easier to grind! It’ll take all of two minutes, DON’T BE LAZY, DON’T TAKE SHORTCUTS.

That’s it for today’s post, let me know how you find the marinade and if it packs enough punch for you! Also let me know what you decide to eat it with!

The recipe as always is below,

Happy BBQ’ing everyone,

@myibsandme x

Bloating, is the bane of every IBS sufferers life. When your clothing size triples with one crumb of gluten, a drop of milk or a single clove of garlic it can be very frustrating, which is why I have compiled some tips to help us all cope with bloating.

First things first, lets talk about what makes us bloated. Put simply, bloating is when we have excessive amounts of solids, liquids or gas in our digestive system. The best way to stop this is to follow the Low Fodmap diet, eat slowly and eat a diet with enough fibre in to keep everything moving regularly.

But if you still find yourself bloating, here’s some things you could try…

1. Place a hot water bottle or hot towel on your stomach. The heat and weight helps to reduce the pressure in your stomach!
2. Chew on fennel seeds – I know this sounds totally gross (especially if you don’t like aniseed) but fennel has been found to relax the muscles in our digestive tract which helps to prevent cramping and reduces the pressure on our stomachs. I’m sure a fennel infused tea, may work in a similar way if that’s easier to stomach.
3. If fennel doesn’t take your fancy, try peppermint. Peppermint is amazing at calming the stomach, reducing gas and can speed up digestion. The best way to get peppermint in your system is by having a few cups of peppermint tea each day.
4. The third and final food recommended to cure bloating is Ginger which helps to reduce inflammation and relax the intestines. Drop a few pieces of fresh ginger into hot water and let it infuse, eat raw ginger or by some ginger tea if you fancy trying to cure your bloat with ginger.
5. Activated Charcoal. This is something that you’ll need to talk to your GP about as you need to find a suitable dosage, but its basically a tablet that binds to the gas in your stomach and therefore reduces the pressure. Don’t just buy this online, it’s really important you consult a health professional before you start eating charcoal!!
6. Do some exercise, even if it is just a walk or some Yoga. Exercise helps to shift the gas and keeps things regularly!
7. Massage your tummy – Sounds obvious but have a gentle rub on your stomach can help to move the gas and relieve that pressure!
8. Meditate! breathing and meditation can help us to reduce stress, anxiety and nerves which in turn can reduce your bloat.
9. Take a bath or go in a hot tub. By lying in warm water your body will relax and the pressure in your stomach should reduce due to the heat.
10. Relax…Take it easy…Chill out! Instead of rushing around, lie in bed or on the sofa and chill out! Relaxing can help our body to recover naturally and it’s a great excuse to do nothing!

Hopefully these tips help you in your quest for a bloat free life! Do any of you have any good bloat busting remedies? I’d love to hear them!

My IBS and Me x