Posts filed under ‘Uncategorized’
Too Much Stress
A Reuters article reported this week that, “People with inflammatory bowel disease commonly believe that stress can trigger their symptoms, and a new study suggests they may be right.”
YA THINK?
I am not sure whether I am humored or disturbed by this recent study by Canadian researchers. Maybe if more of them would get out of the lab and spend a week or two with some of us, they’d get even more perspective for what we go through. All I need is a bad day where my nerves are shot and my hands are shaking because I’ve got so much adrenaline and nervous energy pumping through my veins … and see where I am that night and the next morning. It’s not really rocket science here. Or here’s a tip for those who are on the cutting edge of colon cancer genetic research – come and test my blood after one of those days and see if stress impacts my MLH1 gene, or if I happen to grow a new round of little polyps after one of these seasons. I’ve got a hunch that there’s a corolation.
HOWEVER;
Although these researchers are just now finding some ‘validity’ to some of our ‘claims’ – it still doesn’t take away the real problem most of us face: too much stress. And while I’m sure we’d love it sometimes, it’s nearly impossible to isolate ourselves from it or just throw in the towel (although I do feel sometimes a total break from a bad situation is what it will take.) But generally as a culture,we’ve got to find a way to manage our stress better. My colon takes a toll, while for others it’s their skin, teeth, weight, blood pressure (or all of the above.) I’ve come to realize that if we all don’t start taking steps in this direction, we’ll be sorry. Some of us will get sick and deal with a poor immunity the rest of our lives, others will be on chronic care, and then some of us just might not even make it. Sorry to sound grim, but it’s reality. It will eventually kill us.
SO…
In the spirit of helpfulness, let’s talk about how to make this even a little bit better. Here are 5 things I am trying to put into practice when I hit those high-level stress days. Granted, I need to listen to myself more than I do, but here’s a start.
– Take a walk
– Landscape (a recent find)
– Boxing class
– Leave the situation
– Drink wine
OK … your turn. Chime in and toss out your ideas about how you try to manage your stress to add to the list.
SemiColon Props for Grandma
Today’s the day for another SemiColon Props. (To see who’s received the honor in the past, click here and here.)
Today, the props goes out to my good friend Amy … or should I say her grandma. This baby blows garden gnomes and bird fountains out of the water in the world of outdoor decorating. Take that Pier 1!
Patio Furniture?
Ask Dr. T
Ever wonder about those new colon cleanse diets and if they’re really healthy for you?
Curious about how many times you should be going #2 every day?
Wondering what kind of diet you should be on?
Well… Ask Dr. T!
The SemiColon Blog is excited to announce a partnership with my doctor and friends at Midwest Gastroenterology. Just like Dr. Oz, but better, Dr. Taormina and his practice have agreed to help answer some of your most embarrassing questions on our blog! Get advice and tips from a local doctor here in the Kansas City area! Ask him anything and everything, and don’t worry, you won’t gross him out. He gives colonoscopies for a living now.
Submit your questions by emailing me at SemiColonCommunications@gmail.com or leave a comment (it will not be posted!) We’ll choose a few questions to answer each month, so if you don’t see your answer this month, keep checking back!!
This is going to be so fun, I can’t wait! Please ask away, and lets work together to make digestive health a priority!
p.s. I realize not everyone is as excited to associate their name to poo, or other GI issues, as I am. For that reason, you questions will be anonymous on the blog. 🙂
You Say Tomato
Thanks to some of my great friends and former co-workers, I’ve had the pleasure of eating at this cute little shop two times in the past two weeks. Nestled in a neighborhood a few blocks from Crown Center and Children’s Mercy, You Say Tomato is definitely one of those “Cheers” type places for the healthy eater. It’s quaint, emo, and a neighborhood place that’s located in what was originally a grocery store. Their 1930s art deco decorations definitely take you back, and you get the feel that your immediate heartfelt feelings are not the only ones when you notice that many other professionals make it their lunch spot of choice.
While they don’t boast that all of their food is necessarily “organic” or “local” for that matter, it’s definitely still a place I will vouch for. Each meal is freshly prepared with wholesome ingredients. So far I’ve had the roasted turkey sandwich (came with real pieces of turkey like Thanksgiving leftovers – not deli meat) and the four-cheese grilled cheese. My lunch mates have ordered salads and a mushroom pastry meals. All that I’ve tried has been delish and well… wholesome. They are also known for their breakfast dishes and coffee shop.
I appreciate the ambiance of the place. They sell organic juices and yogurt in a cooler near the checkout line, and have a small grocery section off to the side full of organic and all-natural treats. They’re a very unique shop – you can buy a stick of butter and shop in the grocery section while drinking a coffee and waiting for bread to bake. They’re pretty eco-friendly too as each person gets a real cup and fills their own water from an old-fashioned ceramic water spout. I also hear they don’t have a microwave.
It’s fun to find little locally owned shops in KC that are trying to do food the right way again. If you ever venture over to the Crown Center area for breakfast, lunch or coffee, I highly recommend finding this place!
You Say Tomato
2801 Holmes
Kansas City, MO 64109
816-756-5097
Hours:
7 a.m.- 3 p.m. Monday-Saturday
8 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday
Another Semi-Colon Props
Our first Semi-Colon Props went to football player Devin Hester.
Our second goes to SNL & Ashton Kutcher for their Web Exclusive Video: Tooter. Way to have an idea that would make the world a friendlier place for us semi-colons.
See for yourself:
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/clips/web-exclusive-tooter/1199717/
(sorry, embed feature not working for me today!)
A Safe Apple A Day…
should really keep the doctor away – or at least hold him off if you’re like me.
Here’s my second recommendation for those of you interested in eating safer, healthier foods but have NO IDEA where to start. My first step was using the company Fresh Connect. My second step is knowing the “Dirty Dozen” and choosing to buy the organic version of these fruits & veggies.
The Environmental Working Group has made a list of the “Dirty Dozen” produce items that contain the highest levels of chemical and pesticide residues. Remember, the key is to start small, and this is one easy way to do that. Make a decision to start buying an organic version of ONE of these at first, and then break yourself in. You don’t jump into a cold pool all at once, you start by testing the water with your toe. So, do the same with switching to safer foods. Test the waters here, and choose a few of these to try. I’m not saying the organic version will necessarily taste different, but recognize how you feel afterward – both physically and mentally. If you’re like me, you will slowly work your way up to buying the organic version of almost all of these and find a way to make it work with your budget. It’s worth it.
Why?
Your body will be digesting foods it recognizes and not be distracted by processing strange chemicals that have been sprayed on the food. Your insides will stay focused on fighting disease, burning fat and keeping balanced hormones rather than going haywire because of a foreign chemical intruder. As a 26-year-old colon cancer survivor, this has become a priority for me as I can’t afford to have my body not focused on fighting off my naturally-causing genetic deficiencies because it’s preoccupied with Round Up on the peaches. I’m not saying this will keep my cancer away, but it sure won’t hurt that effort either. Whether you’re in my boat or not – do this for yourself and for your future health. I don’t think eating safe foods is something you’ll ever regret.
The Dirty Dozen
- Peaches
- Apples
- Sweet bell peppers
- Celery
- Nectarines
- Strawberries
- Cherries
- Lettuce
- Imported grapes
- Pears
- Spinach
- Potatoes
Here are some places in the KC area that I go to buy organic produce. (ahem – come on Walmart, get with it!)
- Fresh Connect
- Nature’s Pantry (great place, little pricey, but still awesome)
- Hy-Vee (fresh produce isn’t in the Health Market specifically, it’s with the regular produce. Frozen is with the Health Market stuff though.)
- Target (smaller selection, but it’s there nonetheless)
- Whole Foods (for my Overland Park readers)
- Farmers Markets. Here’s a link Farmer’s Markets in the KC Area. Don’t forget about Lee’s Summit’s market who isn’t on the list yet! Also remember that even if the market doesn’t say it’s an “Organic Market,” there will be plenty of vendors there with organic produce.
- Jason’s Deli. I know it’s not a market, but if you’re hungry for a safe salad, this is the place to go. These guys have a ton of organic produce on their salad bar.
Did I miss any here? Write in and let me know if I need to add to the list!
Source of the Dirty Dozen: An Unhealthy Truth by Robin O’Brien, page 274
Poop Rainbow
Today, the blog just got bolder. But this topic often goes un-discussed and needs to be out there. So here we go.
Ever have an unusual bowel movement? Poop looking peculiar? Have a crazy color in the ca-ca? Sometimes it’s nothing, and sometimes it’s something. Although I’m not a doctor, I’m often everyone’s go-to girl when it comes to unusual poop. While this isn’t a comprehensive list, hopefuly it’s a starting point for anyone seeing some strange stool colors.
Red – If you see any red in your stool or on your TP, have a heightened awareness. If it’s bright red, usually that indicates some type of tear or hemorrhoids. NOT ALWAYS, but often. Often called “blood in the stool,” the darker the red, the more serious the problem. If you start seeing dark red on your poo, speak up and call a doctor ASAP. It could be nothing, or it could be something. Don’t play with it though. And from personal experience – cutting out tomatoes, ketchup, Twizzlers or anything else “red” won’t make it go away.
Orange – You must have eaten a lot of carrots. This one is not extremely common, but can be found based on the bacteria in your body. Also, if you’ve recently had a scan involving dye, this could impact it as well.
Yellow/Green – If your food has gone through your digestive system faster than normal, a greenish/yellowish color might be seen. Or – if you have a tiny colon and much of the digesting is done in the small intestine, this is also the case sometimes, especially when things are running through you. Also to note, corn kernels don’t break down in the digestive system. It’s normal to see a yellow kernel saying hello during your trip to the porcelain pool. A diet high in iron, and particularly leafy greens, can also cause a green poop showing.
Blue/Purple – I guess this is mostly seen in kiddos when they get sick. While it’s not extremely common it can also signal that you’ve just eaten food with a lot of blue food coloring.
Brown– This is the most common color, obviously. This is mostly due to the bile, which is produced in the liver. Sometimes it’s darker and sometimes it’s lighter, but if it’s all brown, you should be in the clear. (** Unless you have a family history of colon cancer which means you should always be inspecting your poo and keeping up on your colonoscopies just in case.)
Black– Black stool is no good. It usually signals that you’re bleeding internally. Toward the end of my strange stool sightings and right before I went to the doctor, this color was pretty common for me. Don’t mess around with black stool, as it CAN mean cancer, ulcer, or other internal problems, regardless of your age! Get it checked out.
White – White poop is uncommon, but it can be a signal that something might be wrong with the liver. I wouldn’t mess around with this one either.
It is important to note that any dramatic change in color can be a sign that something is off. Keep a close eye on it, and if it persists more than a week or two, I recommend calling your doctor or GI specialist. Sometimes what you’ve eaten is influencing your poop’s color. But sometimes it’s not. And if you’re experiencing the colors of the rainbow more often than not, don’t let it go on for a few years and then decide to speak up like I did. You’ll save yourself the trouble and possibly many feet of colon.
Sources:
http://women.webmd.com/pharmacist-drugs-medication-9/digestive-problems
All About the Oats
A post about OATS for all of my semi-colon friends out there. (And others who don’t necessarily need to add a lot of fiber to your diet, if you know what I’m saying…)
Just a few pointers from my experience this past holiday regarding oats:
-steel-cut oats: If you eat them, don’t make plans to go anywhere that evening. Oh they’ll give you a healthy dose of fiber and make you feel full, but you’ll have enough gas to blow up a blimp.
– rolled oats: These are great, and especially for making homemade granola. While I can’t say avoid them all-together, just eat in moderation. AKA – don’t make homemade granola and eat it for breakfast and snack while you’re on a roadtrip. Side note: I’ve tested three great granola recipes, and here’s my favorite.
– quick oats: These guys get the bad rap with health gurus, but honestly – they’re worthy foods and I recommend eating them. These are the basic “Quaker Oats” you see at grocery stores. Although the original grain is the most broken down in this version of oats and lacks the same nutritional value as the others, they still make you feel just as full, provide you some fiber, help with the cholesterol AND are easily digestible. I recommend starting your day off with these bad boys if you don’t need a ton of fiber added to your diet.
The Key
I’ve learned that the trick is to stick with soluble fiber. Here’s the difference:
insoluable fiber: what’s most commonly known as fiber-producers. Found in whole grains, bran, lettuce, sprouts, seeds, nuts, etc. While it’s excellent for you, it’s also a GI-stimulant. So boys and girls, if you’ve got a little (or even irritable) colon, you want to moderate these foods. Eat too much and they can ruin your plans in an instant.
soluable fiber: these foods will change form and somewhat dissolve in water. Example: quick oats. Mix them with water and they get mushy and change form. That’s a sign that they will be easy on the GI track. Foods like oatmeal, apples, peaches, oranges, carrots, etc. are what you want to fill up on to get some fiber in your diet and have a life.
Final remarks:
I’m not down on fiber, I actually encourage it. However, know how much you need, the different types, and when to eat it in order to not let it run your life. Especially if you’re a semi-colon.
For more fiberific info, read this study in the Washington Post.
For more info about soluable and insoluable fiber, read this.
Food, Inc.
Happy New Year from the semi-colon blog!
My hubby & I kicked off 2010 snowed-in thanks to the Kansas City blizzard! These freezing temperatures kept us buried beneath several blankets and watching many movies. One movie we bought off of our In-Demand was a documentary I’ve been excited to watch, Food, Inc.
As many of you know from my second Dairy Dilemma post, I’ve recently been educating myself on our country’s food supply. Upon learning that I have a cancer-causing genetic mutation this fall, I went into high-gear to learn how to keep my body as safe as possible. While I can’t control my genes and what they do, I can try to control what I expose them to, and what I eat. Thus, I dove into learning about where our food comes from and how to stay as healthy as possible by making the right food choices.
Food, Inc. gave a great look into processed foods, high-fructose corn syrup, inhumane animal breeding and other concerns coming from our “Big Food” industry. Like An Unhealthy Truth, Food Inc., uncovered some of suspicious ties to Big Food and the FDA, and questioned the safety of trusting our government agencies to regulate the foods we eat.
I enjoyed the challenges from the movie. While I do not plan to go 100% organic so I can still enjoy eating out and dinner at friends homes, I’ve tried to implement some of these changes in what I buy for our kitchen. To show my appreciation to the “safe food” moment and do my part, I would like to pass along the five action steps Food, Inc. recommends. Together, we can show Big Food that we want healthier, safer foods at lower prices!
1. Buy organic or sustainable food
I am trying to do this as much as our budget allows. If you’re in the KC-area, Hy-Vee has a great Health Market with the largest variety of products at the cheaper price. Walmart has at least one organic variety of most processed foods, but not much organic produce or dairy (except yogurt). For our meat and produce, we have started getting deliveries from Fresh Connect. It’s awesome.
2. Go without meat once a week
After you watch the documentary, you might even want to make it twice a week. If the purchase of meat goes down, it will give large companies a big “heads up” to the public’s demand for better quality meat.
3. Read labels – know where your food comes from.
Look at the first five ingredients – as those make up the majority of what is in the food. Whole grains are always the best (over refined grains that are stripped of nutritional value.) Be careful of those though, as eating fiber as a semi-colon isn’t always as easy as those who have long colons. Also, try to eliminate high fructose corn syrup, regardless of their recent ad campaigns telling your differently. Anything ending in “ose” is sugar, spikes blood sugar and in the end, can hurt you more than harm you.
4. Drink more water, fewer sugary beverages
This is a good rule for slimming down the waistline, anyway.
5. Support companies that treat workers, animals, and the environment with respect.
If they are this type of company, they will be pretty open about it. Check their labels, websites, blogs, etc. if you’re interested in finding out more.
Find out more at http://www.takepart.com/foodinc
The Greatest Gift
Merry Christmas from the semi-colon blog!
It was a year ago Christmas Eve when I received the call that set the direction of this past year. The colonoscopy reports were in, docs were concerned, surgery was recommended. I remember trying to set aside the flood of emotions as I rejoined the family for the gift opening parade. I kept trying to brush it off as we sat in the ER later that evening until about 6 am while Mike recovered from food poisoning. It was like a ton of bricks had just hit us on what should have been the most wonderful day of the year.
I’ve been reflecting over last year’s Christmas a lot the past few days. Even with this Christmas – plans have gone awry. Our “White Christmas” has left us canceling family events and services, and we’re freezing cold in this old house. It makes me really re-think what this time of year is all about.
Growing up a church kid, I’ve always known Christmas was about Jesus’ birth. “The Reason for the Season” and “Christmas is about Christ” were ingrained in my head at an early age. But as I’ve grown and been influenced by culture and life’s situations, it’s really made me dig deeper into those common cliches and figure out what I really believe. Is Christmas still all about Christ when I’m told I have to have surgery again? Can there be joy as you’re sitting in the ER on Christmas morning? Is Jesus really the reason for the season when I cannot make it to my family’s gathering because it’s sleeting outside? Can I still celebrate even though I can’t eat all of the food?
I’ve learned this year that the only thing I need to do to celebrate Christmas is thank Jesus for what He’s done for me. I understand the temptation of skipping over God, or even cutting him out completely, all too well. But I’ve learned that it is not the way to cope with pain and suffering (although it seems reasonable at times.) Jesus offers us hope and love. He’s the source of all good things that have been, and all good things to come. I know the feeling of not wanting to believe because your days are so dark, how could you trust a God that allowed it. And while that’s another post in itself, you’ve just got to trust that God loves you, He has a purpose for you, and that trusting Him is the way to get through life’s biggest disappointments. He came here for us. He came to give us hope in the midst of a crappy world and spoiled plans. He offers us the best gift we could possibly ask for.
This Christmas, I urge anyone who can relate to those of us in the semi-colon community to discover why we celebrate Christmas. Belonging to the cancer community makes for a rough, unfair and often heartbreaking life. It’s one of the hardest things to bear. But the good news is that we do not have to bear it alone. Jesus went through the roughest thing on earth and also died an early, unfair death. And His significance is that He was God, He knew it was all going to happen, and He did it anyway for you and me. No colon issues, ER visits, sleet or snow can take away this message of promise and hope for all of us.
I wish anyone who reads my blog a very Merry Christmas. If you’re a person of faith, I encourage you this year to dig deeper and get to new levels in your relationship with Jesus. If you’re a person who doesn’t consider themselves “religious,” I pray that you give it another chance. Get to know the real Jesus. Read about what he was like. Put aside your stereotypes of Christians (although they are probably very accurate unfortunately) that hinder you from getting to know Jesus and check it out. Give it a chance. It will save your life. It will set you free from your pain, hurts and confusion. It will be the greatest gift you’ve ever received.
Semicolon Stories 