Seeded Crackers

When looking for crackers to enjoy with your cheese, try to find varieties packed with seeds.

Not only do sesame, sunflower, pumpkin and flaxseeds provide extra omega-3 fatty acids and fibre, but they increase the protein content of the cracker, reducing the carbohydrate content and lowering your risk of a blood sugar spike.

IT’S Irritable Bowel Syndrome Awareness Month, an annual campaign to highlight this common disorder of the digestive system. There are several symptoms associated with IBS, which varies from person to person, including abdominal pain or discomfort, bloating or changes in bowel habits for over six months, including diarrhoea, constipation or alternating between the two.

Other symptoms include rumbling noises and excessive wind, a need to rush to the toilet, headaches, dizziness, backache, tiredness, muscle and joint pain, anxiety and depression.

“It’s essential for individuals with symptoms suggestive of IBS to consult a healthcare professional,” Alison Reid from The IBS Network says. “The condition has overlapping symptoms with inflammatory bowel diseases, and it is important that these are ruled out.

“The exact cause of IBS is not fully understood, although research is ongoing,” she adds.

There are several risk factors that might trigger IBS. These include an attack of gastroenteritis, a traumatic event, or a course of powerful antibiotics to treat another condition.

Managing IBS depends on an individual’s symptoms.

“The sensitive guts of people with IBS can react to foods high in fat, pulses, dairy products, chilli spices, caffeine, carbonated drinks, or fruit with stones and vegetables that contain poorly absorbed sugars,” Alison says. “It is still possible to eat a rich and varied diet while restricting