It was a complete shock when, three months ago, I started having hot flashes several times a day and night. I am 47 years old and should not have been surprised, but I just never imagined getting to this point in my life so quickly.
These flashes did not drench me in sweat, as some women have described, but they were slightly uncomfortable and I was a bit embarrassed if I was near anyone. My face already turns red all too easily.
But the real issue for me was that these flashes were waking me up during the night, and that is one thing I will not tolerate. I have to have my full 8 hours of sleep. When my babies were little I thought they were sleeping through the night, only to find out later my husband was getting up in the middle of the night. He understands what happens if I don't I get my sleep.
So, knowing that the foods we eat affect us greatly, I started to research as much as I could for possible solutions on the internet. I looked specifically for studies on Google Scholar -- a wonderful resource that lists scientific studies published by mostly reputable organizations. Although most of these studies are not free, the publishers usually show the summary (abstract) of each study.
I knew I did not want to try HRT or any kind of hormone medication. Unfortunately I could not find any information that gave an obvious or easy answer to eliminate hot flashes, and many of the studies contradicted each other.
But one possible solution that interested me was vitamin E. I found some supporting evidence showing that vitamin E reduced hot flashes. Many of these studies were based on consumption of 400 IU per day. Since my goal was elimination, not reduction, I wanted to try a higher dose. I read a few studies that concluded 1,000 IU per day appeared to be safe, as long as there were no other health concerns. I believe the biggest health concern is that vitamin E thins the blood.
I looked up the amount of vitamin E in foods, but it is difficult to get this level of the vitamin in the foods we eat every day. I went to my doctor to get her opinion, and she agreed that it was safe for me to take one 1,000 IU vitamin E pill each day.
I bought pills at GNC and started taking one pill a day each morning. I still got the hot flashes for a few days, then voila -- the flashes were gone! They completely disappeared.
A week later I forgot to take vitamin E for two days, and I noticed a slight warm sensation every so often. I then took the pill and the next day it disappeared. Experimenting, I found I can skip a day about once or twice a week and not get any hot flashes. (Okay, it is more that I forget to take the pill every so often.)
So far, I have not had a single hot flash for three months. Pretty good results for very little effort, if you ask me.
Monday, August 23, 2010
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.
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.
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."
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.
#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.
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.
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