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One of my favourite things to bring up in clinic is “bush pies.” Depending on where you hail from, just the sound of “bush pies” is making you either really confused and grossed out OR really hungry. Let’s clear up the confusion from the start. These are not droppings from a bear, moose or another animal. Unlike cow pies of the prairies, “bush pies,” for me, are something we make around the campfire.

 

The cooking equipment is a cast iron sandwich press which can be held over the campfire. You take 2 slices of bread to line each side, load the inside with either cheese, veggies, or dessert toppings and use enough oil or butter to make sure the bread doesn’t stick too bad to the maker. My favourite is the savoury or pizza variety. 

 

Now, part of the reason I bring up bush pies a lot is to explain how our digestion and our nervous system are interlinked. That’s right…now those weird looks make a lot of sense don’t they?

 

As a quick recap, let’s remember that our body has a system that keeps everything running smoothly in the background - the ‘ANS’ or autonomic nervous system. Kind of like the automatic transmission in your car. You don't need to worry about shifting from 1st to 2nd to 3rd, etc… This system has two main modes or ‘gears'; the sympathetic and parasympathetic. When we are in more of a sympathetic state (flight, fight or freeze), our body focuses on short term survival. Blood and resources are diverted to our muscles and sensory organs to help us resemble either a scared bunny, roaring bear, or a deer in headlights. Sometimes, we even get a strange unnatural combination of all three:

 

The roaring bunny frozen in the headlights.

 

We must flee or fight whatever is causing this response unless the threat is so great that we are simply immobilized with fear. 

 

The parasympathetic state is also known as the rest, digest and repair side. In this state, blood and resources are focused on long term survival. We become the calm bunny munching some leaves or a bear digging into a grove of Saskatoon berries in the forest. Nothing resembling the roaring bunny.

 

Now, one of the main complaints that people come in with is digestion difficulty. Sometimes, they have a specific diagnosis such as Crohn’s or Colitis. Other times, they are dealing with IBS in one of its many forms. This could mean only cramping or bloating. But, they could also be a walking pepto bismol commercial (all symptoms). 

 

However by this point, they are usually done with trying to pour pink liquid on their complaint.  Hence, they’re in our office. 

 

Warning signs

 

Now, I should mention there are warning signs or whispers that come from our body from time to time. These whispers are signs that your body is either agreeing or disagreeing with what is going on. Feeling vibrant, rested, content and without indigestion? Your body is probably agreeing with what you are doing. Feeling less than those things could indicate some shifts could be beneficial in the long run. What those shifts could be is entirely dependant on your unique scenario. 

 

These whispers and warning signs are available to check in on almost any time just like your car dashboard. You can take a look from time to time and see if any warning lights are on, how hot your engine is and how much fuel you have left. Handy things to know if you don't want to be stuck on the side of the road. And if we don't take a bit of time to take a look, then we will usually need some help down the road (pun intended). 

 

But, if we don’t listen or continue driving contrary to the warning signs, the whispers can turn into talking and shouting eventually.  For some people, they will get skin manifestations like flareups in rashes, Eczema or Psoriasis. Others can get achy and sore joints in addition to other musculoskeletal complaints. And for those lucky ones, like myself, their digestion starts doing all sorts of odd things. At first I can get bloating, cramping and indigestion. And then, it can turn into some sort of constipation or diarrhea if my body really doesn’t like what is happening. 

 

 

For myself, and many others out there, this can be boiled down to a combination of food and what state my ANS is in. 

 

If I am ‘on the go’ and ‘too busy’ (physically, mentally and emotionally), my body is trending towards the sympathetic side of things. Resources are focused on keeping me moving lest I become prey for some animal out there. My body is not in a state that is ready to digest and assimilate food with the greatest of ease. Irregardless of how free range, organic, natural and bland this food is, it doesn’t matter.

 

Depending on what state I am in, I have a list of things that I can digest with varying levels of ease. These are things you have bits and pieces of from time to time and you can ‘get away with it.’ Other times, you can’t at all. For me, these can include things like high fat / oil, meat, dairy, gluten, sugar, alcohol, caffeine and anything processed. I know - it's like I can’t have anything ‘fun.’ This list is also not too dissimilar to what many clients avoid as well.

 

*Please note, I am not saying that one can digest anything including something they are allergic to as long as they are relaxed. I'm referring here to the 'sometimes' foods.

 

So, let’s get back to “bush pies” and take a look at what a camping day could look like. You wake up in the cool morning. Sunlight streaming through your tent. You slide out from beneath the blankets and your eco space heater (golden retriever). Unzip the tent and step outside. It is so bright out, you think it’s noon. Actually it’s around 5:30 a.m.. Doesn’t matter, it’s time for some strong black coffee by the lake. Mmmm…. you can almost smell the combination of the roasted beans and the morning breeze coming across the water.

 

After two cups of strong coffee and 90 minutes, you head back to camp for breakfast. This may consist of eggs, pancakes and maple syrup with another cup of coffee.

 

Following a morning hike or bike ride (or both), lunch comes to the rescue with hummus, veggies and some fruit.

 

The afternoon consists of a couple games of cribbage and watching the lake for several hours.

 

As the sun sinks a little further West, supper enters the conversation more and more until a fire is started.

 

This brings us to my favourite meal. “Pizza bush pies” for supper. Tomato sauce, cheese, banana peppers and pepperoni sandwiched between two slices of store bought bread. Grilled to perfection with just the right amount of smoky charring on the outside to accompany the gooey savoury pizza insides. 

 

Mmmmm Mmmmm Mmmmm.

 

Three bush pies and a couple beer later, the stars come out and the campfire winds down. It’s time for some shut eye so you can wake up and do it again for the next three days.

 

Now, you must be thinking that with what I had during the day, did I neglect to mention 3.5 completed trips to the outhouse between 1 and 3 a.m.? Yes, you guessed it, the .5 trip refers to the bushes by the campsite.

 

No, in fact there were no trips to the outhouse aside from the usual.

 

How can that be? Did I use all organic ingredients? Did I forget to mention the bottles of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics throughout the day? Not at all. If anything, as far as liquids go. I probably had too much coffee and beer with too little water. 

 

How can this be? 

 

Did I enter some sort of forest triangle where digestive complaints get lost and disappear forever?

 

No, this brings us to the part of our digestive system that there is less focus on out there. 

 

Quick, look up! What’s that in the sky? 

 

It’s a bird! it's a plane! No it's your…autonomic nervous system!

 

 By now you’ve noticed that the ANS is something I talk about a lot. And, that’s because it is important! Take a look back at my daily camping activities and you may notice a pattern. 

 

There is NO RUSHING. We are taking our sweet time doing ‘diddly squat’ but enjoy the sights and sounds of the forest outside of preparing food.

 

So, considering the two side of the ANS, which side do you think I am operating in when we are camping…?

 

Thats, right! Aside from getting my heart rate up during the hike or bike ride, I’m hanging out in my parasympathetic side most of the day. 

 

*Please remember again, I’m not saying that this excuses poor eating habits if you can stay relaxed all the time indefinitely. 

 

By this point in our chat in clinic, some people will mention a distant relation that did just fine on poor lifestyle habits. If it worked for Uncle Jerry, why can't it work for me? Don’t get me wrong, there are those unique individuals out there, that exist contrary to what works for the general population.  Everyone has that "Uncle Jerry” or “Aunt Ethel” or another distant relative that lived on nothing but ‘darts’, beer and bacon until they were 102.  That’s not the point. The point is that you aren't “Uncle Jerry" or “Aunt Ethel.” You're you! And your indigestion, energy levels and overall ease in body and mind are the warning lights flashing on the dashboard. These signs may be signalling that you may need to adjust what you are eating and what state you are in throughout the day.

 

So, what are we to do?

 

As mentioned in other articles, the structure and function of our bodies are interlinked. This interlinking does include our mental and emotional state as well. From past injuries or lifestyles, we can be left with tight tissues somewhere in our body that encourages us to stay in the sympathetic state. In these instances your friendly neighbourhood Osteopathic Manual Therapist can be of help. They will be able to let you know what’s going on, and give advice on steps you can take to avoid being in this state most of the time. 

 

After all, life isn’t just about eating bland foods. We want you to enjoy some bush pies from time to time.