a little more health talk ~ and my reading stash

Good morning, friends! I've received some comments and emails from readers asking questions about intestinal problems and asking about different foods. Some people have said that they could "never give up beans". When you have an intestinal problem such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), or Crohn's, there is no choice in giving up beans/legumes (among other particular foods) ~ unless you want to remain very sick. Beans contain indigestible saccharides. The dietary goal with treating IBS and other intestinal maladies is to eat foods that are easily digested. This way, most of the nutrients can be absorbed higher up in the intestine, away from bacteria that lives near the end of the small intestine. I love beans/legumes - I used to eat them all the time because I ate mostly vegetarian. Little did I know one of my most-loved foods was contributing to my gut problems. To give them up to feel well once again, not be in constant pain, not have my stomach be so bloated that I look five months pregnant and can't even button my jeans, and not be constantly running to the bathroom with diarrhea (sorry, but I have to be real here) is 100% worth it. Once the eight weeks of being on the FODMAP diet is up, I can then try adding in one of the higher FODMAP foods (beans, gluten, apples, pears, onions, garlic, etc...there's a long list!) one at a time, to see how my intestines react.*

  On to better things ~ reading! I am never just reading one book or one magazine. I like to have several different genres of things going at one time, because I choose depending on my mood. If I want light or quick reading, I will pick up a magazine. And I'm a magazine junkie! I don't spend much on magazines...there are several I get free (I signed up with Mercury Magazines several years ago and still get free subscriptions through them) and others that are passed down to me. I do have subscriptions to several of my favorites: Mother Earth Living, Better Homes and Gardens, Clean Eating, and Midwest Living. I love the British magazines such as Country Homes and Interiors, Country Living, and The Simple Things. Every so often, I'll go to Barnes and Noble and thumb through these...and once in a blue moon, I'll treat myself to one or two of them. This is my current stash. Sorry for the poor lighting quality. I took these photos at night when I had the lights on in my house.

Here's my current book - and other reading material - pile. A cookbook, a health/psychology book, a novel, and yes, a medical article on microbiomes (which is all about your gut flora). As you can tell, I am fascinated by medical issues, how our body works, and natural ways of healing. If you're interested in reading a little about microbiomes and how they control your health, click here to read an article from Dr. Mercola. There's also a video to a TED talk in this article.

Here's a great idea that I actually saw in a magazine (don't remember which one, so I can't give proper credit): use extra vintage Pyrex dishes to corral stuff around your house. In my case, I'm using one of my dishes to stash a couple of small notebooks, page tabs, note cards, and a pen. I keep this dish in the living room by my book pile. I can't tell you how many times I'd be reading something and then have to jump up to dig for a pen, a piece of paper to write on, or a Post-It note to mark a page.

What's in your reading pile right now?

*Disclaimer:

This blog post pro­vides gen­eral infor­ma­tion about health and related sub­jects. The words and other con­tent pro­vided in this blog, and in any linked sites, are not intended and should not be con­strued as med­ical advice. If the reader or any other per­son has a med­ical con­cern, he or she should con­sult with their physician.

Never dis­re­gard pro­fes­sional med­ical advice or delay in seek­ing it because of some­thing you have read on this blog or in any linked sites.

weekend recap and update on FODMAP diet for IBS

Hello! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Mine was filled with good things ~ a lovely wedding, a library book sale, and a friend's annual Fall Day party. 

 I'm still learning as I go about this FODMAP diet ~ there's a lot to learn, both in reading about this food plan and putting it into practice. But it's all worth it because I am feeling unbelievably better. It's such a relief not to have terrible bloating and stomach pain after every meal, not to mention having to run to the bathroom way too many times every day. And just as a little side note, just from giving up added sugar (no candy, ice cream, or baked goods/desserts) last April and eating a clean, healthy diet plus walking and doing yoga, I've lost another five pounds! (Oh - and Brian lost 10 lbs just from giving up sugar - and he wasn't even particularly overweight. Not fair that men can lose weight that quickly!) I think that makes 10 pounds now that I've lost in a year. I don't own a scale. I go by how my pants fit. I can tell if I've gained or lost a couple of pounds. Anyway, when I was at my friend's Fall Day party, I spied a scale in her bathroom. I weighed myself and my eyes bugged out. I stepped off the scale and back on to make sure I was seeing the correct number. I'm now at the lowest weight I've been since before having children 28 years ago! I almost did a happy dance right there in the bathroom. ;-)

 {a stone's throw from my house, right down the street}

 I wanted to share another resource with those of you who may be interested in the FODMAP diet. It's amazing how many people I've heard from who shared with me that they too, have IBS. It's the FODMAP Life Blog. Here you will find expert advice, health news, resources, foods to avoid, recipes, personal stories, etc.

{neighbor's maple tree which, as of today, is now totally red}

Of course, another biggie with IBS is stress and anxiety. You can be eating all the right foods but if you face a stressful issue (and let's face it ~ that's going to happen) or a situation that causes you anxiety, it can trigger an IBS episode. I'll talk about that at another time.

Here's to your health! 

 

a little catch-up, IBS, and the FODMAP diet

I know I've been MIA for a week. Lots going on, but mostly good stuff: meeting up with Tim for a late breakfast and catching up; a visit from an out-of-town friend; meeting up with my niece and talking to her over dinner; shopping for a dress to wear to my best friend's son's wedding next week; shopping for a rug and comforter for our in-progress bedroom re-do (got the rug; no luck yet on the comforter)...and then just keeping up with the everyday stuff with housekeeping, grocery shopping, yard maintenance, little home projects, hair cut appointment, daily exercise, yoga classes, and vet appointments for Monkey. I'm glad to report that he's doing really well.

I know I don't normally mention health issues on this blog, but this medical issue is part of my life and something I felt I should share with you all since it's a common problem. I'm learning a lot about it and figured that perhaps I could help someone else as I go on a new journey and share what I learn.

I have IBS ~ or, Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I've actually had it for about four or five years, but it's been getting worse recently. Gut problems and food intolerances run in my family. Also, anxiety can trigger episodes of IBS and yeah, I have pretty bad anxiety, too. I'm not on any medication for my anxiety; I choose to treat it with natural ways such as meditation, yoga, walks in nature, deep breathing, and hot baths with essential oils. I'm not saying this is the right way for everyone; I'm just sharing what has worked for me.

With my IBS getting worse, I've done a lot of research and have read not only about IBS in general, but about diet. I have eaten a healthy, clean diet for several years now ~ meaning no processed foods (I read labels on everything!), no fast food, no foods containing high fructose corn syrup, soybean oil or any other hydrogenated oils, no nitrates or nitrites, no food colorings or MSG, no refined sugar, no excess sugar or sodium, etc. Basically, I stick to real, whole foods as much as I can. I'm not perfect and neither is my diet. I'm not saying I've never eaten any junk food in these past few years. It's more about being mindful about what you put in your body. BUT. That's not enough to help IBS!

I found a great website that has a ton of information about IBS. It's the 

International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. 

You can read about topics such as, What is IBS, Signs and Symptoms, Treatment, and Living with IBS. Each of these sections gets into more related detailed topics.

In relation to food, I started reading about the low FODMAP plan. FODMAPs are Fermentable Oligo-saccharides, Di-saccharides, Mono-saccharides And Polyols - basically, carboyhdrates that are found in foods. According to Stanford Hospital Digestive Health Center Nutrition Services, FODMAPs are osmotic - meaning they pull water into the intestinal tract, and may not be digested or absorbed well and could be fermented by bacteria in the intestinal tract when eaten in excess. A low FODMAP diet may help reduce symptoms of diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating, and cramping. Click HERE for the link to the Stanford report. It also gives you the do's and don'ts for the FODMAP plan: which foods are OK to eat (low FODMAP foods) and which foods to avoid (high FODMAP foods). The International Foundation for Functional Gastroinestinal Disorders (link in previous paragraph) also has information about the FODMAP diet and even has a SYMPTOM DIARY where you can keep track of your food intake and symptoms.

I've started this low-FODMAP eating plan today. You're supposed to stick to it for six to eight weeks and then introduce other foods (the high FODMAP ones) back into your diet one at a time, so we'll see how it goes. I hope to share more with you as time goes on.

Disclaimer:

This blog post pro­vides gen­eral infor­ma­tion about health and related sub­jects. The words and other con­tent pro­vided in this blog, and in any linked sites, are not intended and should not be con­strued as med­ical advice. If the reader or any other per­son has a med­ical con­cern, he or she should con­sult with their physician.

Never dis­re­gard pro­fes­sional med­ical advice or delay in seek­ing it because of some­thing you have read on this blog or in any linked sites.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. Weather is supposed to be perfect here: warm and sunny. We have a couple of exciting things planned for this weekend, so I will be sharing with you soon. See you then!