Don't eat much. I always have something very light, a piece of toast or bowl of cereal.
Not a banana (too much fiber, goes right thru), nor yogurt (cultures also stimulate the bowel).
Other than that nothing else much has helped.
There are some interesting pre-perfomance jitter exercises to try on Michelle Joyce's "Secret's of the Stage" DVD, but I haven't used them yet.

Good luck!

it depends on the type of bowels you have.

I see where some would say "don't eat much," but I know there are some people whose bowels act up worse simply because they're emptier than they should be. However, they've had surgeries on their colons.

I would say increase your fiber intake for like the week or so ahead of time, and then ease up that day. See if that can help.

There's an article on my web site that talks about some of the causes of frisky guts and how to deal with them:

www.shira.net/travelhealth4-gitract.htm

The article is specifically aimed at the needs of people who are concerned about keeping a healthy gut while traveling to places like Egypt, so I don't know how applicable it'll be to your situation. But since it talks about stuff like diet (which foods help, which hurt) and how to get your energy back after an attack, I thought it might be worth a look.

Take calcium carbonate. It's found in most pill forms of calcium and also in Tums. Lots of people who have problems due to things like having had gall bladder surgery take them to keep things...cohesive. I have to take them anyway, but I have had my gall bladder removed and haven't had nearly as much trouble with mine as other people I know have had.

It's more common than you know! Try to eat natural (from the earth), simple, and easily digesitable foods on a schedule. Nothing fancy - sauces, etc. Light stretching is good. You know your body best. Lots of water, calming teas, and check out Rescue Remedy: www.rescueremedy.com/ it can really help!

I'm going to take a stab at a slightly different factor - muscle tension in the stomach. When people are nervous, many of them clench up their abdominal and surrounding muscles. This can, um, wring things out. Next time you feel anxious, take a moment to stop and check in with your body - are you sucking in your stomach or slightly hunched over from stress? Take deep belly breaths and push your abdominals outward to stretch them. I say all this because I am definitely one of those people who lets their stomach tie up in knots!

I get this, exactly the same, not when I'm performing, as I don't find that as stressful (I've been performing music on stage since I was about 5), but I've suffered with OCD/Phobia/Anxiety for about 18 years now, and every time I get a major anxiety attack, bout half an hour after it hits it sends me straight to the toilets!

Best thing I can do for it is minimise the stress, the less anxiety the less severe the reaction from my guts, so I treat the cause (the anxiety) and go with aromatherapy (lavender oil, rose oil etc), camomile tea and de-stress/relaxation exercises as soon as I am stressed. All these calm me down and the problem with my guts stops.

Ok, this is a LONG post, but hopefully this will help somebody out there.

There's no one quick fix for what you have going on. But, in combination, the following has worked for a lot of folks. I've had weird gut issues and consulted with a few doctors so that's where the stuff below comes from.

IBS tends to be a very common problem in women, so don't feel embarrassed if you have it, ladies! You also may want to pay attention to the state of your digestive system over the course of your menstrual cycle...sometimes women's digestive systems act up somewhere along your cycle. A good doctor will want to factor this in. Once you know where in the month your digestive system tends to be the most sensitive, then you can tailor your eating habits towards that.

But I HIGHLY suggest you see a doctor to get a diagnosis of what specifically is going on. It might take awhile and your doctor may need to try several things before your specific issue is narrowed down. Get a second opinion if the doctor simply starts throwing all manners of medication at you. A good doctor will want to treat the cause and not just the symptoms.

Over time, you might see results if you decide to try these tips:

* eat natural foods as much as you can. As mentioned above, artificial sweeteners are bad. That includes things with artificial sweeteners (like diet sodas for example). With popcorn, try the all natural kind or pop your own. The microwaveable popcorn that is so tasty does crazy things to folks with sensitive guts because of the additives and artificial ingredients (that's partially where the bloating effect comes from). If your food is certified organic, even better. Certified organic food will have a green and white USDA label on it. I can't emphasize enough how much eating natural food will change things for the better. It's easy, just more time consuming in the kitchen. Trust me when I say that you will feel a difference.

*wash your fruit and vegetables with a good all natural veggie wash. Trader Joe's has an excellent one. It's amazing what washes off your food when you do this. However, remember that fruit and vegetables contain a lot of fiber...not a good idea to eat a lot of this before a performance unless you need to get things moving.

* lots and lots of water. If you can stand it, room temperature water is less stressful on the stomach than cold water. I tend to go with room temperature bottled water since I'm living in So. California...because the tap water is WEIRD out here. On the greasy food thing...your body can digest greasy food a lot easier when you drink something that's room temperature.

* things that are notorious for increasing acid content in the stomach are (and ladies, this some of these things will us groan): things that contain caffeine, garlic, onions, chocolate, spicy food, and anything with a high acidic content (think grapefruit) I know, I know, I can't live without coffee or chocolate either...but decreasing your intake of these things will make a difference. I always try to stop eating these types of foods a few days before a performance. BIG difference.

* Herbal tea is magic. All natural ginger tea is AMAZING and will calm your digestive system exponentially. Peppermint or Mint tea are next in line for good digestive teas. If things are acting up, relax with a cup of one of these teas. You can even drop star anise seeds into your tea and let it brew for extra calming effects. I always travel with a teabag of ginger tea. If you ginger tea says that it's a laxative, search for another brand of ginger tea.

* Like everyone said above, relaxation is key. You can try meditation...or even get a meditation for relaxation CD or MP3 to listen to the night or the day of your performance. Valerian root in capsules is unbelievably good for relaxation, but CONSULT A DOCTOR FIRST. Be warned, as it will slow down your digestion temporarily...not a good idea to take it after you finished dinner. However, what Valerian Root does is block the signals from your brain to the acid producing things in your stomach. And it also calms you the hell down. Valerian Root is popular with insomniacs.

* Immodium can do messed up things. I haven't found a good over the counter alternative, but I've had some results with taking half the recommended dosage. A have something prescribed by a doctor that works well.

* if you have the opposite problem (ie. you need to make things move along) try eating 4-5 dried prunes and wait. Or eat a big salad. Or both. But don't do this the day of a performance or you'll be sorry.

* Take a good multivitamin.

* Drink Ensure if you feel like you're losing nutrients fast. Yup, it's the stuff that's supposed to be for geriatric people. But my doctor told me to do it and it works.

In short, this is all about treating your mind and body simultaneously. Stress sucks, but watching what you put in you can help.

I'm with you on this - our organs are intricately related to our mental state. Chek in with the nerves, try to relax before the show. Do some meditation and concentrate on moving that nervous energy out of your bowels and turning it into super bellydancing goddess energy for the rest of your body! Before you leave your house, make a potty run, and wear costuming that is easy to get in an out of (I know that's hard with bellydance) just in case you need to go right before the show. Don't worry about being embarassed about sharing the bathroom part - we've all been there :)

Occasionally I have had this problem too. I have a very sensitive digestive track, and it does not take much to throw it off. I have found that taking Acacia soluble fiber twice daily really helps. And I also keep high grade peppermint oil capsules with me that really calm down the whole system. If you want, you can visit this site (it is for IBS sufferers but you may find great info to help you out) www.helpforibs.com
Rice (Jasmine or any other white rice) and oatmeal are good on the stomach and bowel and tend to 'hang on' for a while. Good luck!!!