Dig IN and Dig OUT: A Long Winter Contributes to Inflammation

A long winter is pro-inflammatory. In this podcast Dr. Mark Pettus explains why and how to dig yourself out of a long, cold season.

Inflammation is at the center of many chronic, complex diseases e.g. diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s, autoimmunity, and depression. Dr. Mark Pettus has some science-based and really helpful self-care tips to approach inflammation. In this podcast, he teaches us some ways to take the N=1 [that’s uniquely you!] and turn an “inflammatory burden” into an “Anti-inflammatory garden”.

Be your own gardener and landscape architect and learn new methods of self-care that change the “soil” of your health. When we redesign and reconstruct our life structure and fill our lives with mindful, healthy choices, we make our lives better.

Lifestyle strategies are greatly under-utilized yet simple lifestyle considerations are mighty effective in reducing Inflammation and allowing the body to regain its Health Edge.

Tune in to you and tune in to Doctor Go! For more on Inflammation, read Dr Pettus' accompanying lecture in Doctor Go! To hear more podcasts from Mark Pettus and John Bagnulo, visit The Health Edge.

FODMAPs: For Healing Your Gut

Lately, I've been hearing a lot about FODMAPs. What the heck is a FODMAP anyway? To learn more, I visited nutritionist Kathie Madonna Swift's website. Kathie lives and works right here in Lenox, Massachusetts as a registered dietitian nutritionist in the field of integrative and holistic nutrition. She is one of the many trusted health and wellness super-stars that "we locals" are lucky to know. 

Kathie is the Education Director for Food as Medicine, a professional nutrition training program for physicians and other healthcare givers and a lead teacher in the Healthy Living programs at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Lenox, Massachusetts.   Her message is clear and simple: Whole Foods. Whole Person. Whole Life. If anyone could explain FODMAPs in a clear and concise way, then it would be Kathie. Sure enough, Kathie offered up a straight-forward explanation and my eyes didn't glaze over once. Here's a snippet...

Developed in 2005 by researchers at Monash University in Australia, “FODMAPS” is an acronym for Fermentable, Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols -- types of carbohydrates that are difficult to digest and become fermented by bacteria, causing bloating and discomfort. 

FODMAPs is an elimination diet plan for digestive distress specifically designed to identify food triggers that cause digestive symptoms such as bloating, gas, and abdominal pain. If you're suffering from any of those things, check out the really helpful FODMAPs diet & meal plan and download it from Kathie's site. It's a concise, informative print out that provides lots of great recipes, too. As with any diet, make sure you check with your doctor or nutritionist to make sure it's right for you.

FODMAP refers to certain foods that exacerbate bowel symptoms. A low-FODMAP diet eliminates or minimizes these foods and can be particularly effective in healing and alleviating symptoms while the autoimmune component of a disease is brought under control. While I am enjoying greatly improved health and sustained pain management as a result of all the changes I have made to my life and to my diet, I still suffer debilitating flare ups of fibromyalgia. They are random episodes and I don't yet know what sets them off. My journey to wellness is not over yet. As part of effective self-care, it's critical to keep exploring the clues my body sends out in order to find answers. FODMAPs presents a new perspective when translating dietary choices and patterns.

The FODMAPs food list is divided into three columns - AVOID, LIMIT and ENJOY. I've spent years reducing-eliminating most of the foods in the 'avoid' column so it was not a scary list to me, but I can see how it could be daunting for some one starting at square one. The reassuring news for anyone starting out is that self-care has to start somewhere. With the help of a good doctor or a nutritionist, the first step can be less scary. The first step is always the biggest, scariest step [leap], but it's that first healthy choice that leads to more and more healthy choices and ultimately, to your good health. 

You will be surprised by what you can and cannot eat on the FODMAPs Diet. Good Girl is no stranger to taking things out of her diet, but was completely surprised to learn what could be added back into it - Brie, Camembert and Cheddar cheeses!! but I didn't dive back into cheese. Instead, I set my focus on some new food "suspects." I admit, it was a little heartbreaking to see some really healthy things on the FODMAPs list of foods to avoid. Asparagus, celery, garlic, leek, and onions are all in the HIGH FODMAPs foods to avoid. Yikes, I eat these foods ALL the time.

Broccoli and Brussels sprouts are on the list of items to limit and I've always gobbled them up, too. Yet, for the past month, I have successfully managed to avoid them all. How I managed to do that in January - the height of soup season in New England - I will never know, but has my bloating gone down? YES. Absolutely. I've also added two sixty-minute cardio TK-Fit classes each week for the past month so I can't say for sure if it's all down to FODMAPs. I reckon it's a combination of the two in addition to all the previous life changes I have made over the years. As always, I will keep an eye on this and discuss it with my doctor, but for the moment it looks like a Cardio + FODMAPs is a step in the right direction. 

Sometimes, you've just got to keep chipping away at things so that you can build them up. Go on, Good Girl, build yourself UP!

INFLAMMATION: DON'T ADD FUEL TO THE FIRE

DON'T ADD FUEL TO THE FIRE. Inflammation is the body's way of responding to tissue damage. In the latest issue of Dana Farber's Paths to Progress, Robert Levy writes Dousing the FLAMES: Why inflammation may blaze a trail for cancer and explains how investigators at Dana Farber are studying how lifestyle changes that reduce obesity [a trigger for inflammation] can impede cancer development. So folks, that means MORE MORE MORE! MORE exercise, MORE breathing, MORE meditation, MORE healthy eating habits, and MORE self-care.

Good Girl was surprised to learn from the article that "multiple studies have shown that anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin can reduce the risk of developing colon cancer, and of the cancer recurring after it's been treated. Fuchs and his colleagues have shown that this effect stems from its ability to block a key enzyme called COX-2. In another study, his team found a way to identify colon cancer patients who are most likely to benefit from aspirin therapy." Aspirin, who knew?! Talk to your doctor first, but maybe this is one pill that's OK to pop??

Ginger's Got It Goin' On

Next time you reach for an Advil or Tylenol, think about using Ginger instead as a natural way to combat inflammation.

Ginger root has anti-inflammatory properties that can be beneficial for people with arthritis, fibromyalgia and seasonal allergies. 

Ginger is a gastric stimulant that can kick-start your organs in the morning, influence a good digestive system and break down fat. It's known to alleviate bloating, flatulence, diarrhea and constipation; relieve dizziness and nausea; lower cholesterol levels and decrease systemic blood pressure.

Ginger possesses blood thinning capabilities that help in the treatment of heart disease and it boosts your immune system by warming the body and helping it break down the accumulation of toxins in the organs, particularly the lungs and sinuses.  

KICK START YOUR DAY. Drink 8oz of “Good Girl Ginger Tea” first thing every morning. The anti-oxidant powers of ginger are a great way to clear your system and your sinuses. Here's a quick and easy way to prepare...

Peel and slice organic ginger into thin pieces, approximately 1 cup and place in a large 4 cup teapot.  Boil water and wait for it to cool down to about 140°F/60°C to prevent burning all the goodness out of the ginger then pour water over ginger. Let sit until cooled. Refrigerate overnight and drink first thing on an empty stomach in the morning. Add lemon or [local] honey if you like. You can probably get a second pot from the same ginger, so go on, add some more hot water for another round! Do this every day and you might never need to pop Tylenol ever again. Go Good Girl, Go!

Here is a helpful article from Dr Oz in The Oz Blog .

Lucky 13?

It's Day 13 - no java no nice. I am having a really tough time today. My brain feels like it is sloshing around in there and I question whether or not I should even be out in public...but lucky for me, I bumped my cart into the nice young man working in the produce section at Guido's Fresh Market. I fessed up and told him it wasn't the vodka on my cornflakes and he pleasantly reassured me that by Day 21 things should be looking brighter. Well ok then, that'll keep me clean for another week.  I also need to be more patient and remind myself why I am doing this, like a mantra bringing me nearer to a better place... I am not depriving myself of the joys of a latte. I am instead choosing to make my gut less acidic and [gulp] to FULLY embrace the anti-inflammatory diet my body needs to manage the pain of fibromyalgia. 

Sunshiney Day!

Storms are over and the big sky is back! but if you're still feeling a bit sore and achy, don't reach for the Advil...peel and chop a handful of organic ginger instead. Place it in a small tea pot. Add boiling water over the ginger and let sit over night. First thing in the morning, have a glass to go with your Fire Cider shot [and probiotic of choice]. Go, Good Girl, Go!