Skip to my Loo, and other tales of GI distress!
Bringer-of-Rain
As posted on the CanoeCountry Bulletin Board Mar 7, 2004, 2:40 PM (with permission from Bringer-of-Rain)
One of the quickest ways to ruin, or at least dampen a trip is to have a bout with gastrointestinal distress. The causes are many, but the end result is the same: a marked decrease in your enjoyment of our wilderness. This is not a subject that wins star billing on the board, but you are more likely to encounter it than to use your PFD! Since I am without any redeeming social values, I felt comfortable bringing it up!
If you have any additions, clarifications, or just want to flame, either reply to the board, or send me an e-mail- I will post your comments, while keeping your name a secret! On second thought, flames will guarantee that you will be the recipient of all the maladies listed below!
Our GI system is a wonder to behold: Put in food at one end, energy gets extracted, and then off we go into the woods! All fine and dandy, but those glitches can be a real problem. We are creatures of habit, and our GI tract is no different. Feed it a fairly consistent diet, and the system adapts with enzymes, fauna and flora. Change the input, and the system takes a while to adapt. Allow a few bad bugs inside, and a war can erupt.
One of the most common maladies is constipation. The system just slows to a crawl, and after a few days you start to feel uncomfortable, if not quite ill. One of the primary causes of this is dehydration! When you start doing physical activity, your water intake is critical. Get too little, and your system will try to extract as much as possible from the food you eat, slowing down the output. You should be drinking water all the time, not just when thirsty. Did you ever have a quick wave of nausea wash over you? That is one of the warning signs that you do not have enough water in your system.
A good rule to abide by is that you ought to be doing #1 every two hours! Another trick is to note the color- if it is dark, you are not getting enough water. Note that coffee, sodas, and alcohol do not count in this system- they are diuretics that cause the body to excrete even more fluids. Did you know that dehydration is one of the contributors to a hangover? Water, and water alone will help to avoid dehydration.
Many of the processed foods we bring on our trips are low in, or do not have any fiber.
We need to ensure that we add extra fiber to the diet. Dried fruits, vegetables, and beans will add fiber, in addition to other nutrients. Foods high in fiber include oat bran, oatmeal, beans, peas, rice bran, barley, citrus fruits, whole-wheat products, whole grain rice, cabbage, and carrots. Note that the peel of many fruits such as apples and pears contains much of the fiber.
Other foods high in fiber are the various bran cereals. Mix some All Bran or Bran Buds in with your oatmeal for breakfast! You should be getting 25 grams or more of total fiber per day. We always bring along a few whole potatoes, carrots, onions, and at least 1 dessert of baked apples. Yes, there is some weight, but the flavor and health benefits more than make up for it.
Another problem is the fear of “doing it in the woods”! This is most likely to occur with people on their first trip. We are conditioned from an early age to use the bathroom, in private, and being out in the open can be very intimidating for some. I don’t mean to be sexist, but young ladies, especially in mixed groups, seem to be affected by this. There can be a lot of “Potty Humor” on trips, and keeping this to a minimum can help to ease the anxiety. Any other suggestions?
OK, you have tried all of the above, and the pipes are still clogged. After 3-4 days without a BM, it might be time to take some action. Dr. William Forgey, in “Wilderness Medicine”, recommends (1) 5mg Bisacodyl laxative at bedtime. There are other effective laxatives available.
Another treatment might be to eat some of the new sugar-free candies, increasing in popularity due to the low-carb diets. The contents might include sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol, maltitol, and others. These are not completely digested, and can lead to a marked laxative effect in some folks. You might want to try them ahead of time, and judge the results for yourself.
Now, how about those who have to deal with the other extreme? The old Two Step has numerous causes, most of which are easily prevented.
One of the big concerns of many is food and water poisoning. This is caused by various bacteria, virus, and protozoa’s, known generically as “bugs”. Giardia is commonly known, and is easily prevented by careful water handling through filtration and chemical treatment. Note that Giardia can take several weeks to develop, so something that makes you sick on the trip is likely due to improper sanitation.
Many of us have two standards of cleanliness, one for our trips, and the other for the rest of the year. This can lead to big problems, most of which can be prevented by simple hygiene. First, wash your hands after a trip to the woods, and before handling any food! It is easy to forget, but the bugs do not. Also, wash your hands before cleaning fish, and rinse fish in clean water before cooking. Wash the dishes thoroughly, and be cautious when leaving prepared food and fish for another meal. Hot weather can make this problem even worse.
Another big problem is food allergy, or intolerance. These foods may affect us all the time, but a trip can aggravate this condition. Please note that many food problems develop later in life, so foods that you once enjoyed will disagree with you.
Here are some of the more common food intolerances/allergies:
-Lactose, or milk intolerance: Most people of Asian and African descent, along with many from Europe, cannot handle milk as an adult. Once the weaning process is completed, they lose the ability to digest lactose. Symptoms are bloating, gas, and of course diarrhea. There are various tablets on the market, such as Lact-Aid, to assist with digesting dairy products. Some folks find that they can handle small quantities of cheese and yogurt, but milk and cream are off limits. Stop all dairy products for a few days, and see if the symptoms abate.
-Fructose is a naturally occurring sugar. It is often added to foods to increase the sweetness, and is commonly found as high-fructose corn syrup. Many people have a limit on how much they can consume, before the rest starts things really moving! It is a main ingredient of Coke, and other soft drinks. While your soft drink consumption may drop during a trip, pay attention to the ingredients of the sweetened foods you bring along. Dried fruit will concentrate the fructose, so watch the gorp!
-Wheat allergy/intolerance: This one is rather common, but is often mis-diagnosed as irritable bowel, Crohn’s disease, and others. The term Gluten Sensitivity is commonly used, and may be responsible for a whole range of health problems. Serious wheat allergy is also known as Celiac Sprue. It took a while for wheat to make it up into Northern Europe, and there has not been enough time to effectively handle this new grain. Some tend to eat a lot more wheat during their trips, aggravating this condition. Symptoms are many, but one common one is the sudden “Urge” to head for shore! Try cutting out all wheat and gluten containing foods, such as wheat flour, food starch, rye, and barley for a few days. Some people have a problem with oats, some do not.
-Fish, believe it or not! Some people find that eating large quantities of fish can cause problems, particularly if they do not normally consume it. The cause and effect can easily be determined in the field!
Those on the Atkins or other low-carb diets will likely avoid most of the common food allergies. Have you stayed in the game while on a trip? What foods do you bring? Or, do you give yourself a week off while in the woods?
There are many other foods that can cause problems- I have just listed the more common ones. Some people have a cast-iron stomach, and can eat and drink just about anything! For the rest of us, forewarned is forearmed.
If you have made it this far, congratulations, and thanks! Again, feel free to post or mail additions and clarifications.
Wishing you a worry-free trip! Bon Appetit!
Posted on Mar 7, 2004, 2:40 PM