Linkage: A Gutsy Girl

While poking around online today, I discovered this gut-friendly resource:

A Gutsy Girl

Gutsy is a blog/web presence by writer/coach/health mentor Sarah Kay Hoffman, a woman who started dealing with colitis issues after a tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy.  Sarah puts it all out there about living with and managing her colitis in this expansive site and her blog, which is part of the blog challenge, 101 Days of Blogging.   Sarah's posts are full of useful links and insights from her lived experience.  She even bravely shares photos of her bloated belly before she went gluten-free, just so readers can see what she's talking about when she means "bloated."   

I like her food/lifestyle-approach to healthy gut care:

My name is Sarah Kay Hoffman,chief gutsy. (<- Yes, my title.) I am a detective, a food and lifestyle detective that is. I believe we are given things in life so that we can make a difference in the lives of others. I was given Colitis. I was also given the passion to help women around the world heal their guts...Gutsy Girl uses food, fitness, relationships and other holistic “lifestyle” factors to “cure” yourself of the digestive problems you’ve been told only medication can fix. I have mastered these same methods to cure my own Colitis. 

And anyone who can slip in a phrase like "safeguard your juju" when talking about how to start your day has my attention!  

Linkage: Medical Students and GERD, Four Fixes for Acid Reflux,

Some interesting GERD-related items in the news:

• A survey of medical students in a Nigerian medical school revealed 26.3% were suffering from GERD.  Large amounts of cola and coffee are thought to be the cause, according to the GI specialist who discussed the survey.  I'm wondering if the pressure of medical school itself is a contributing trigger in this case -- med school is one of the most stressful training programs around.  

• The July issue of Spry includes "Four Fixes for Acid Reflux" by Dr. Jorge Rodriguez.  This quick list of tips are nothing new, but reminders are always welcome, especially since I am still not abiding by some of my own principles (tonight, I ate too quickly, too much, and finished a bottle of Diet Coke left behind by guests -- you can guess how miserable my esophagus feels right now).  

• And maybe my favorite link of the day -- Certified Nutritional Consultant and alternative medicine practitioner Brenda Watson's recent blog entry, "Part 1 of the Poop Chronicles."  I can't emphasize enough my personal experience regarding the connection between GERD and healthy motility.  Simply, when things aren't moving, I'm a reflux mess!   So, hurray for Brenda, who isn't afraid to put it all out there. There's endless amounts of interesting information on her blog/website overall, presented in a highly readable style.  Sure, some of her site is trying to sell you stuff, but I always learn something here (or am inspired to read more about it).  

What I Am Talking about When I Talk about Portion Control

Several of my recent meals were eaten at restaurants due to my work schedule and out of town guests.  I managed my GERD very well during this time by selecting restaurants and items that I know are easy on my gut (macrobiotic restaurant, salad bars where I can select my own items exactly).   Most importantly -- I ate slowly and did not finish the entire plate, saving leftovers to take home for another meal.   

EXAMPLE ONE

On Saturday, J. and I went for brunch at a "farm to table" cafe-grocery which serves fantastic egg sandwiches.  I ordered mine without cheese/with tomato, and ate half.  Here is the other half on Sunday at home.  I reheated it in the oven and sauteed fresh pea shoots in a bit of olive oil for a side green.   The tea is hojicha, roasted green tea.  It is one of my favorite morning teas but haven't had it for a while after it became a GERD trigger.  This morning, my gut had no issues with any of this food.  Just good eating and drinking!

Sunday breakfast

EXAMPLE TWO

Last Thursday, a friend came to town and we headed to Souen, a wonderful macrobiotic place with three locations in Manhattan.   I ordered the "garlic greens" with tofu, a favorite dish which arrived in a heaping amount on a large plate with a side of brown rice.   Here is how it looked before I began eating:

And later, when I sensed I was sated but not full/bloated:

I took this home, along with the leftover rice, tossed it into the freezer and will enjoy during some lunch this week!

Cranky Update:  This weekend, my cranky gut seems to be calming down, finally, after three weeks of awful daily reflux, some belching, nausea, and constipation.   I need to reduce my caffeinated tea intake, eat mindfully and I think another week-long "food diary" is in order to see any trends that are going on and keep me on track.   Stay tuned!


BONUS LINKAGE

Sue's Health Blog (a health/food blog by a "real person" which seems to be stalled as of October 2011) featured a post on portion control and how triggers are individualized.   She shares her own experience in this post.  

Resources: The Acid Reflux Solution by Dr. Jorge Rodriguez

I was excited to learn about The Acid Reflux Solution, a new book for treating GERD.    Published in March, this eating-for-an-acid-free-life plan was developed by a gastroenterologist who himself suffered from reflux, and makes sense to me.  Dr. Jorge Rodriguez advocates controlling reflux by changing your relationship with food and, in a word, mindfulness.   Particular "trigger" foods are discussed, but "Dr. Jorge" also advises it's not just particular foods -- but timing, portions, and other factors that come together to manage reflux.  His advice for a healthy gut includes:

• Small portions
• Trigger foods (caffeine, animal fats, fried foods, etc.) in moderation
• Good motility -- lots of fiber to keep things moving
• Reducing water intake during and around mealtimes

My lived experience coincides with his findings, and I love his easy-to-understand explanations and common sense, holistic approach.

Note:  In full disclosure, I have not yet read the actual book but I have a good sense of his philosophy from his website/blog, TV appearances and reviews.  Apparently, Dr. Jorge is on his way to becoming the next Dr. Mehmet Oz!

Dr. Jorge's professional website

Healthy World blog (Dr. Jorge's blog about reflux, eating for health -- well-organized with tags)

Dr. Jorge on The View (April 2012)

Updates for a Lazy Sunday

A cool and sunny Sunday -- just perfect for a morning bike ride once my flat tire is repaired.  The unexpected downtime this morning is pleasing.  I'm cleaning the apartment, listening to This American Life podcasts, engaging in more de-cluttering (once you start…), and I've been looking around the web and found a few places of interest:

zenhabits

Mindfulness, minimalism, and making your life less complicated.  And one of "the Top 25 blogs and Top 50 websites in the world."  I expect to spend some time on this site.

No Meat Athlete

Runner Matt Frazier's popular site full of his personal insights on the vegetarian/vegan lifestyle.   Poke around, there's a bunch of information and inspiration here.

Min Hus

One woman's chronicle of life in a mini-house.   Well-done blog with loads of photos and anecdotes.  I love the "min hus" and its owner's point of view.  Anyone who calls books "sacred clutter" goes to my church.

NOTE ON MACROBIOTICS POST:  

Thanks to Anonymous for the feedback regarding macrobiotics and the suggestion to follow the macro principle of "chewing until liquified."  I agree this may help -- the extra saliva can only aid digestion once the food hits my stomach, not to mention the act of slowing down may reduce the amount of food I eat altogether, keeping me from over-eating at a given meal.

This morning's breakfast was my first effort to really chew well before EVERY swallow, and it was more difficult than I expected to keep up that slow pace.   (Wow, do I really eat that fast?)   Should I try a week of this mindful chewing and blog about my results here?

Secret Weapon: Mindfulness and Movement

I am feeling good!  Despite having a minor procedure today (removal of that sebaceous cyst), I am thrilled to be focused and completing projects and feeling, overall, pretty normal GI-wise.    It is interesting to note I also have not been grinding my teeth the past few days.  Less stress equals a happy gut?!

After reincorporating caffeine (tea and chocolate) and other GERD diet triggers, I feel okay, with one exception:  an increase in belching.   This occurs during or after eating, so I suspect I may be eating too fast, or eating too much.

I greatly enjoyed my morning cups of green tea the past days but have to admit now, after my GERD diet detox:

My body feels different.

Good.

Energized.

Strong.

Looks good.

Since recent tea and chocolate did not "trigger" symptoms, I think the healthfulness I am feeling is related to a mindfulness and level of movement I embraced this past week.

I avoided gratuitous chocolate snacks, I drank a lot more water, and I really thought about my body and how it was feeling.  Focused on it.   And I cleared my head of tiresome nagging chores during my days off -- it was liberating to haul those sacks of books to the Salvation Army, clean the stove down to the knobs, and scour the shower.

I greatly increased my movement:  first with an extreme 14 mile bike ride, but then I walked extra blocks, took the stairs after lunch, added a new set of morning exercises and stretches to my routine.  This level of mindfulness and movement is something I would like to continue.

 P.S.  Blog finds:   Check out this gem of a well-written blog.    And then check this stunning berry layer cake -- breathtaking photo, cake, concept.  (I'll bet someone I know could veganize that…)