Saturday, October 3, 2009

The Cure for Ulcerative Colitis

I believe there is a cure available to everyone suffering from ulcerative colitis. The cure rate is 90%, at least according to one study by Dr. Wolfgang Lutz. It involves no medications, no surgeries, no risks, and no cost.

This cure is simple -- limiting the total carbohydrates consumed to 72 grams per day. While this is simple to understand, its not simple to do. For one thing almost all foods offered are high in carbs. And there is not a lot of support with either the still-recommended-but-outdated food pyramid or the general consensus that the low carb diet is a tried, but failed, diet fad. Oh, and of course there is the addiction to carbs. (Which is probably the biggest obstacle.) But there is just too much research out there to ignore; research that collectively shows that reducing carbs can help with many health issues. An in-depth review of this research is summarized by Gary Taubes in "Good Calories, Bad Calories", a book that challenges some long-held beliefs.

While I am not surprised that eating healthy would cure a digestive disease, I am surprised at how few with ulcerative colitis are aware that there is a potential cure. My daughter was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, but she was not encouraged to eat healthy by her doctors. I don't know why. I am guessing it is because medical school does not promote nutrition. Also, it takes time before you see results for ulcerative colitis. That's the bad news. Read on for the good news.

In the book "Life Without Bread", written by Christian Allan, Ph.D., and Wolfgang Lutz, M.D., there is one study by Dr. Lutz for patients with ulcerative colitis that I think you will find astonishing. Here is an excerpt from the book:

"Even though ulcerative colitis responds to low-carbohydrate (72 grams/day) nutrition, its course is not as rapid as that of Crohn’s disease. However, very positive results have been observed using the low-carbohydrate diet for ulcerative colitis patients.

Of the first 74 patients treated until 1979 with a low-carbohydrate diet, approximately 60% were without complaints after two years. They had normal laboratory values and normal rectal mucosa. The remaining 40% took longer to stabilize. Some of these patients required up to 8 years until the bleeding stopped, iron levels normalized, and diarrhea and abdominal pain subsided.

Whoever believes they can get rid of their colitis in a few months is mistaken. But one has to see the success of the diet in relation to its alternatives; there are none we know of that can give these overall results."

What is amazing is that 90% of all the patients were without symptoms after almost 8 years. (I can't help but speculate a possibility for the lengthy time-frame is that carbs are incredibly addictive, and it is not easy to always limit carbs to 72 grams a day.)

This is exciting, especially since eating healthy and reducing carbs cured my daughter. In April 2002, we discovered blood in my daughter's stools. Anne (I am using her middle name for privacy) was only six years old, and after extensive tests she was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. She was put on Asacol and given predisone when there were flare-ups. Over the next year she would go into remission for a few months, but then the symptoms would return, worse than before. On October 3rd, 2003, she started having pain in her joints, as well as quite a bit of blood in her stools, and was given prednisone for several months.

I remember being told early on by Anne's pediatric gastroenterologist that Anne will likely have progressively worsening symptoms, and then need to have her colon surgically removed when she became about 16 years old. Apparently the average time a person deteriorates to needing this surgery is about ten years from the initial diagnosis.

I couldn't accept that. At about this time the "SuperFoods Rx" book by Steven Pratt came out, listing the 14 super foods for health. It is an excellent book and easy to understand. I focused on those foods that decreased inflammation, which is the essential problem with Anne's disease. So we started a new regime of slowly switching our food choices to the most healthy foods. We didn't know it at the time, but these foods are also low in carbs.

The biggest changes we made are those that we still practice today. We frequently eat smoothies in the morning -- plain yogurt with frozen strawberries and blueberries mixed in the blender, salmon once per week, tuna once per week, oranges, turkey, no pop, very little fruit juice, and rarely eating at fast food places. We are also now having her take 2 fish oil pills and one vitamin D (2000 mg) pill.

Here are four basic rules we all follow, even thought Anne is the only one in the family with ulcerative colitis:

1. Limit the total carbs per day to 72 grams of carbs. While this is not always possible, this is the overall goal each day.

2. Eat more protein with each meal to reduce the craving for sugar and junk food. One rule of thumb is to divide your weight in half, then eat that much protein grams per day. For example I try to eat 25 grams of protein for each meal, or a total of 75 grams per day (see the "Potatoes, not Prozac" book). We love the whey protein shake from Trader Joes.

3. Eat more non-inflammatory foods: wild-caught salmon and tuna, spinach, broccoli, oranges, yogurts, blueberries, organic strawberries, for example.

4. Drastically reduce omega-6 foods such as soybean oil, found in Miracle Whip, and eat more omega-3 foods such omega-3 eggs and grass-fed beef, etc.

Because the foods we eat are based on a lifetime of habits, it will take time to make these changes. You don't want to get frustrated, so be sure to find foods you like, and plan on making small changes at a time. See Dr. Weil's web site for a customized health plan.

The result of all this? Anne has not had a single flare-up of her disease since October 3rd, 2003. She has not been on preventative medications for over two years.

Please don't dismiss this as luck or genetics. Anne was getting progressively worse, not better. While she needed to be on medications for some time, we were very determined to eat healthy every day. We have worked too hard for this to be dismissed. My hope is that others will see the potential and decide to try to reduce their simple carbs.

We are still scared, since we don't eat as healthy as we would like. Anne still eats ice-cream, candy, cookies, etc. It is just in moderation to the extent possible, which is pretty difficult given all the holidays, celebrations, and basically unhealthy school lunches. But we will keep trying to eat healthy.

Happy 6th anniversary of good health, honey. Let's hope others with this disease can say the same, soon.

Monday, September 21, 2009

3 Healthy Meals for the Lazy Morning

Most mornings I just don't have enough time (or coffee) to figure out what to eat for a healthy breakfast. So I love ideas that allow me to be lazy and lay in bed a little longer, yet still eat healthy. Here are my 3 favorites.

#1: Trader Joe's Chocolate Whey Protein shake. I mix 2 scoops of the protein to a small glass of milk. It tastes very good. It does not have any artificial sweetener, but does have 9 grams of sugar. I will also have a piece of whole wheat toast to start the day with a complex carb. I've lost a few pounds since I am not hungry after I drink a shake, and there are not that many calories per serving (about 200).

The consensus seems to be that it is better to buy the whey protein rather than the soy protein. I have not tried the hemp protein, only because it is more expensive. Apparently there are many reasons soy is not preferred; but the biggest for me is that whey tastes better.

Unfortunately I could not find an exact substitute protein at GNC for when I can't get to Trader Joe's. GNC sells the Pro Performance, a product recommended by my friend's doctor after gastric bypass surgery. I like the Pro Perf. unflavored whey protein, but not as much as TJ chocolate. The unflavored Pro Perf. has no sugar and no artificial sweetener, so I add it to fruit smoothies and oatmeal. There is no taste, but it does make your food really thick. If you have a hard time adjusting to the texture, try it at least two more times and you will find you get used to it quickly.

#2: Speaking of smoothies. Just pick up the cheapest large non-flavored yogurt container (best price is at the super Wal-Mart for $1.79) and add frozen strawberries and frozen blueberries in a blender.

The strawberries should be organic, since of all the different fruits, they have the most pesticides. One study showed 36 different pesticides! But I couldn't tell if it was an organic farm that sponsored the study. You just can't win, I know. That means back to Trader Joe's, since they have the best price on organic frozen strawberries.

#3: For oatmeal, try the Trader Joe Instant Organic Blueberry Oatmeal. Just add water and microwave for one minute. Then add the unflavored protein. This is yummy and fast. If you can't get to a TJ, make a huge pot of oatmeal from scratch and just microwave a bowl the next few mornings. Don't add dried fruit though. Too many carbs. Throw in frozen blueberries instead.

My goal for the past year is to increase the amount of protein per meal. I want to eat 25 g of protein per meal. Then I am too full to snack on the dreaded addictive simple carbs.

These are just a few ideas to eating healthy and keeping the weight down. Check back since I will be adding more tips soon. I especially welcome any ideas that you are willing to share.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Warts -- Duct Tape vs. Dermatologist

When my daughter, Anne, was 10 years old she developed a large wart on her left hand. After trying Compound W for a few months, the wart not only would not shrink, it spread and she then had three warts between both hands, so off we went to the dermatologist.

Makes sense, right?

Wrong. Every visit to this doctor's office made her wart situation worse. First they tried freezing them with liquid nitrogen. Nothing happened so they tried a second time. Again the warts did not shrink. They then used an acid to burn the warts. This procedure was performed two different times, and both times resulted in large, yellow blisters, as intended. But unfortunately new warts grew around the outer circles of the larger blisters. Finally, after many months and painful visits to the dermatologist, and the warts growing and spreading during this time, the doctor suggested surgery to remove the warts, which would leave scars all over her hands.

We high-tailed it out of there.

I can't find the picture of her hands after the treatments at the doctor's (dang) but it is unbelievable. The back of her left hand was almost entirely full of huge warts, and two fingers on the other hand were covered with warts.

At this point my mother suggested duct tape, and we thought "why not"? We bought regular, then clear, then finally opaque duct tape at Menards (which blended in with the skin color better). It was a huge effort that took about four months. Although Anne had about 15 warts, some as big as inch in diameter, they all cleared without leaving any scars or marks.

The secret? The tape has to stay on ALL the time in order to "suffocate" the warts. My husband and I constantly cut circles of the tape slightly larger than each wart. The tape would fall off or get wet, and we just cut new sections. Some people suggest only 6 days but that is not long enough. We did not use an emery board on the warts. We just kept the tape on until they disappeared, for weeks. Anne wasn't thrilled with the tape at first, but when she could actually see the warts getting smaller and flatter after just the first week or so, she was just as determined as we were.

While this treatment is not easy to do and requires determination, it is free, painless, effective, and better than any other alternative we tried. Thanks, Mom!

What is disheartening is that the next time I went to the dermatologist (for another reason), I explained to him how the duct tape eliminated her warts, thinking he would be interested in order to help other patients. He dismissed my comments, vaguely saying that the warts probably cleared on their own. Huh? Fortunately his nurse was excited and planned to pass this information along.

Yes, we finally switched to a new doctor.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Law Eliminates Nasty Surprises

A law passed this year will help people who are trying to manage their credit card debt. The law, which takes effect in about six months, forces credit card lenders to play fair by requiring that they:

... not change interest rates unless the customer is more than 60 days behind on a payment,

... provide a 45 days' notice of any increase plus an explanation,

... restore the previous rate if the consumer pays the minimum balance on time for six months,

... not enact any retroactive rate increases,

... post credit-card agreements online,

... require a co-signer for new credit card applicants 21 years old or younger, unless they prove they have the means to pay the debt,

... mail monthly statements at least 21 days before a payment is due,

... and show how many months it will take to pay off your total balance if you only pay the minimum.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

How to Raise Your FICO Credit Score

I didn't think it would be that difficult to write up this piece on improving your FICO score, especially since I analyzed credit reports for a living at one point. Boy was I wrong.

To back up for a second, a FICO score is a number that summarizes your credit risk -- the likelihood of defaulting on a loan based on your financial history and current debt balances.

This score is constantly updated and provided by three major credit-reporting agencies: Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. The score can range from 300 to 850. You have to pay a small fee to get this score since it is not included in the credit report.

You are entitled to one free credit report a year from the three agencies, which you can get at http://www.annualcreditreport.com/. Be sure to order the reports from all three agencies, since the reports may vary slightly because not all lenders report to all three agencies. Check the reports carefully for errors that could hurt your score. If you find any errors, the agencies are required to investigate disputed items.

Why should you care about your score? Primarily since it is one factor used by lenders in deciding whether to give you a loan and at what interest rate. A score of 760 or higher will get you the lowest interest rate on a mortgage.

These are the categories used in determining your FICO score, per myfico.com:

The first two categories are easy to understand: pay your bills on time and lower your credit card debt, and your score will go up.

You need several months of on-time payments to raise your score, while a single late payment will lower the score. Even though there are new FICO rules coming out this year that will not penalize the score as much for one or two late payments, always pay your bills on time. Your top priority is paying your mortgage payment on time. If you do miss a payment deadline, call your creditor before they report the late payment to the credit bureau. Most creditors will not report the late payment until more than 30 days have past.

Here is something scary: although your bank may grant you a "grace period" in which you are allowed to pay the mortgage a few weeks past the due date, some banks will still report the payment to the credit bureaus as late. Call your bank to verify they do not report these payments if this applies to you.

Make credit card payments as soon as you get the bill, since some credit card company will sit on payments for weeks to mark it late in order to charge a large fee.

Lower credit card balances to 10% or less than the credit card limit to lower your score. Pay off your debt rather than moving it to another card. Don't open new credit cards just to increase your available credit, since it will lower your credit score.

Basically, the next 3 categories ask the same question: whether or not to open new credit cards. Opening an account while you are young will help the “Length of Credit History” category over time. At first your score will be lowered with a new credit card per the “New Credit” category, since new credit is considered riskier. Ignore the category “Types of Credit Used”, since myFICO states it probably won't raise your credit score. Just open the one card and make timely payments.

Searching for new credit is a negative. Instead read the credit card details and apply for only one or two cards. But comparing home and auto loan rates will not impact your score. And you can check your own credit report without affect your score.

MyFICO suggests that you don't close unused credit cards. But unless you are in the market for a loan in the near future, close as many credit cards as possible. Even thought your score will drop a little at first, your FICO score is not nearly as important as getting out of credit card debt. Yes, you would be penalized for getting out of debt. No, it does not make any sense.

Also, myFICO suggests you re-establish your credit history by opening new accounts responsibly and paying them off on time. Again, this is entirely unrealistic. If you had trouble with credit card temptation in the past, you probably will in the future, and your credit score is not nearly as meaningful as living debt free.

The bottom line is if you are very responsible, open one credit card, make timely payments, and over time your score will increase.

But if you have trouble with high credit card debt, just focus on eliminating your credit cards altogether, since you don't even need one.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Get a New Attitude

Yahoo! Finance listed 20 ways to save money this week. This is a great collection of tips that everyone should adopt, even if you are flush with funds. Money should not be wasted, when there is so much good it can do either for yourself or those around you.

But if thinking about your personal finances gives you heartburn or makes you a little uncomfortable, you may have to work on your relationship with your money. Rather than ignoring, repressing, or pretending, here are a few ideas of how you can relate to your finances a little more positively:

  • Instead focus on how to best play with your limited pile of of money. Do not focus on making your pile of money bigger. We spend hours generating cash, then blow it in seconds on things we don't need. Focus on how to best use your existing pile.

  • Get your pencil and paper out (or your laptop) and write down an estimate of your extra "play" money -- money left over at then end of the month after the bills are paid. Then plan and control how to best use this play money and pick one or two goals. Like a kid with birthday money -- do you spend it now on a toy or save it for something bigger?

  • When thinking of the best use of your money, consider two things: relationships and happiness in the long run. Investing in a grill means you can invite your friends over, and will add more meaning to your life, while wasting it on expensive junk food at the gas station because you need a pick-me-up will make you feel worse later.

  • If you don't have any extra funds left over after the bills are paid, a detailed, written budget is even more critical. You need to evaluate areas that are a lower priority in order to cut them out. I will write a post soon on why you need to set up a plan for your money, and how to easily create this plan.

  • You also need to challenge yourself to see “how low can you go”. Every time you are about to spend any money, ask yourself if the item is a “need” or a “want”. If it is not absolutely necessary, consider an alternative -- borrow, garage sales, do without, etc. Challenge yourself to be creative.

  • Set aside cash in an envelope or in a separate savings account for infrequent expenses you normally forget throughout the year. Even if it's a small amount, it will add comfort to know its there so you are not depressed when the annual insurance bill comes in the mail.

  • Remember to recognize and appreciate the non-cash wealth you have. The wealth you enjoy while millions are denied: a roof, food, limbs, eyes, medicine, safety, freedom, life.

Once you accept you have limited funds, take a second look at how you really want to best spend your pile of money, understand your spending habits after your compare what you spent to what you planned, and appreciate all that you have right now, you might find that money is a good thing.

Your gut will tell you when that happens.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Can delayed gratification be taught?

One reason people run up credit card balances is based on emotions. They really, really want to buy something right now. The excitement is a wonderful feeling.

We’ve all been there. As you waver, wondering if you should buy something, the internal dialogue starts. The cautious voice is barely noticeable, overshadowed by the We-Only-Live-Once voice saying “I deserve it! I work hard. Everyone else has one. It will be easy to make the extra payment over several months.”

But what you do at this point is what separates people into two groups: those that delay gratification and those that don’t.

In the famous marshmallow experiment in the 1960s, some of the four-year olds would wait 20 minutes in order to get a second marshmallow, but some kids could not wait and then were not rewarded. For the next 40 years these kids participated in follow up studies, and throughout the years the kids that could not wait were not as well adjusted as kids that waited for the second marshmallow.

Can people be taught to control impulses, to wait for an even greater reward? It appears that the answer is yes.

Before you pull out a credit card for that exciting purchase, here are 3 steps for you to try:

1. Ask yourself, “Will I be happier next month if I buy this, or will I be happier if I don’t buy it?” Think about the long-term benefits of the new purchase. Is it enough to offset the pain of credit card debt?

2. Visualize the credit card balance as a black cloud that hangs over your head, never far away. Remember that this black cloud is scarier during the middle-of-the night worry sessions.

3. Recognize the win/win of waiting. For example, you want to watch a movie but you need to clean the kitchen. If you clean now, then there is more pleasure now, because you anticipate the fun that will come later when you watch the movie. And watching the movie is more pleasurable because it is a reward, something you earned, and you don't have the dread of cleaning later. This is a win/win because there is more pleasure now (anticipation) and more pleasure later (relax with pride and nothing to dread).

Conversely, if you watch the movie now, then there is less pleasure now because you anticipate the pain of cleaning later. And when you finally do clean, the pain is greater since there is nothing to look forward to. More pain now, more pain later.

This can be applied to your money. If you wait and save up to buy something, there is the pleasure of anticipation while you save, and then greater enjoyment for the item that you purchase, since you can be proud of yourself.

And there is the pleasure of only white marshmallow clouds hanging over you, instead of black clouds.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Does money buy happiness?

Yes. No.

Yes, money will buy happiness for your basic needs, such as shelter, food, health and security. But no, more money will not buy you more happiness. There are just too many research studies that back this up.

For example, in Stumbling on Happiness, Harvard University psychologist Daniel Gilbert wrote "Psychologists have spent decades studying the relation between wealth and happiness, and they have generally concluded that wealth increases human happiness when it lifts people out of abject poverty and into the middle class but that it does little to increase happiness thereafter. Americans who earn $50,000 per year are much happier than those who earn $10,000 per year, but Americans who earn $5 million per year are not much happier than those who earn $100,000 per year."

I can hear the protests now. Everyone believes -- at some level -- that more money means more happiness. Of course they do. Businesses spend gazillions of dollars trying to convince us that buying their product will make us happy.

What makes the idea more convincing is that when you buy something new, there is some happiness. George Carlin made fun of our chase for more stuff: "The whole meaning of life is trying to find a place for your stuff. That's all your house is, a place to keep your stuff, while you go out and get NEW stuff".

But this happiness is temporary. Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness, writes "we think money will bring lots of happiness for a long time, and actually it brings a little happiness for a short time." This is called hedonic adaptation, where humans rapidly become accustomed to sensory, physiologic, and major life changes.

So we buy more stuff, something newer, bigger. Not only are there constant advertisements designed to brainwash us to spend more, and not only is there instant gratification, although fleeting, when we buy more, we inherently crave new experiences. No wonder everyone is convinced money is the key to happiness.

But the commercials that imply you must spend money to be happy are lies. The excitement you feel when you buy something is only temporary. And money is not necessary to satisfy the cravings for new experiences, since there are many ways you can explore for free.

When you realize both in your head and in your gut that being rich will not make you happy, you stop spending your energy chasing after more money, and spend your time appreciating the stuff sitting in your house right now, instead of out shopping for new stuff.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Gasp. You Don't Have A Credit Card?

I celebrated my cousin's birthday in a restaurant the other night. There were ten of us, all women, discussing credit cards and debt. Eventually I mentioned that I don't have a credit card. Haven't had one in years. Everyone at the table went silent. The two women across from me actually dropped their jaws.

Well that was weird. I'm shocked that they were shocked. When it comes to personal debt, I think the world has gone mad. I've seen people take out cards and spread them like a deck of playing cards. Who can track that many? And you need to track them closely. Too many banks that issue cards are sneaky.

This is not to be confused with debit cards. I have a debit card that I use daily. And I am not talking when you use a debit card as "credit". It is still the same as writing a check, regardless of whether you punch the debit or credit button when using a debit card.

I had a credit card a few years ago, but it got cancelled from lack of use. I didn't know they could do that. I guess I liked having a credit card since everyone did, even if it didn't get used.

Then last year I started to apply for a new card, since I read you had to have one in order to rent a car or reserve a hotel. And also to help your credit score. But then I read the fine print on the application and gave up. Not only was it too confusing, they were clearly out to "get me" if I slipped up in any way.

And guess what? I have never had a need for a credit card. For several years now I rented cars and stayed at hotels with no problems, using only my debit card. My FICO score is good. I check my bank statements online frequently to make sure no one is using the card fraudulently.

After reading all the pros and cons of debit cards versus credit cards, I still don't see the need to sign up with the big bad wolf of a credit card company.

Maybe I am missing something here. Clue me in if you know of a good reason for a credit card, one that is worth tolerating the frustrations of the credit card company schemes. If you are thinking "well, it's necessary as a backup for cash shortfalls", you need to check back soon as I will be writing about the benefits of delaying gratification.

Full-disclosure note: Yes, I have screwed up in the past and gotten in over my head with credit card debt. Not a huge amount, mind you. But enough to still remember the pain of Eeyore's black cloud following me until I was agonizingly and slowly able to pay it off.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Pleased to Meet You

People are falling like dominoes all around me. My neighbor lost his job last month. My friend's brother will lose his job as a lawyer in two weeks. Almost every day it's someone new. And then I sit and wonder about their finances.

Its not that I am nosey. In my last career I was a financial analyst, and on a personal level I can't help but find it both fascinating and troublesome to hear when someone loses their job, because I wonder about their personal financial details and if they could use financial advice. There are so few people I know that actually takes Suze Orman's advice and sets aside emergency funds worth 8 months of expenses.

I wonder what they are considering for their options; if they are getting creative with their existing resources, cutting back on expenses, or creating budgets. And if they believe you need a lot of money to be happy.

Which is why I am writing this blog. Since personal finances are just too painful and embarrassing to talk about, maybe I can reach out to folks here.

I was a financial analyst for twenty years, explaining how the money was spent and estimating how much money would be left over at the end of the month or the year for both companies and cities. I also ran a couple of small businesses (golf course, neuroscience research). But my real interests are analyzing the dynamics behind personal finances.

Although this blog was started so I could share ideas on better managing money, I also plan to write about health-related issues, especially on eating healthy.

If you want ideas to better manage your money or improve your health, I hope you will continue to check out this blog. I love advice, and would enjoy hearing any of your ideas. And hopefully with all this self-improvement we can have some fun along the way.