Archive for August, 2009
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
What is St Mark’s Hospital Foundation?
Hi – my name is Maxine and I’m the Fundraising Manager for St. Mark’s Hospital Foundation, the charitable arm for St. Mark’s Hospital in Harrow.
I’m currently one of four fundraisers in the Foundation raising money for research, training and education here at St. Mark’s Hospital in Harrow (this is the part the NHS don’t fund). I’m very proud to work for St. Mark’s which has grown to become one of the top national and international hospitals specialising in bowel diseases. Each year we see over 26,000 outpatients, many of whom have disorders so serious that they are referred to our medical specialists from other hospitals throughout the UK. Everyone at St. Mark’s is dedicated to improving the lives of patients suffering from bowel cancer and other bowel diseases. I meet many patients who are very grateful to our brilliant doctors and nurses who do everything from looking after their nutrition, helping them to keep fit, giving them a better quality of life, and in some instances literally saving their lives!
We are very pleased to be associated with the Love Your Gut team to make people aware about the importance of good digestive health. As part of this partnership, we are very pleased that the LYG team will be visiting two of our Trust’s hospitals during Gut Week to speak with our patients and staff. As part of Gut Week, we have also organised a parachute jump taking place on Saturday, 29th August – we have a number of very brave people who are willing to throw themselves out of a plane to help others – they are truly fabulous.
We have many events coming up, such as running, walking, cycling, concerts, comedy nights – and are always looking for people to take part or just come and attend – so as well as getting fit, keeping healthy, you can raise money for a very good cause. And yes, some of us in the team get involved too – this photo was taken a few weeks ago in Hyde Park for a 10k run/walk organised by a couple of ladies whose mother’s both suffer with Crohn’s disease. There were over 150 runners/walkers and we all had a fabulous time – as well as completing our 10k, we met a lot of inspirational people and were entertained by singers, dancers, a band – oh, and not to mention getting to meet the very charming Duncan James from Blue. The event has raised an amazing £17k to date which will go towards one of our research projects.
To find out more about our charity and further information on any of the above, plus how you can help, please visit www.stmarksfoundation.org.
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Monday, August 24th, 2009
Gut Week survey shows toilet insight!
The art of multi-tasking has even extended to toilet habits, according to new research released today.
Texting, blogging and surfing the internet are just some of the activities that over 75% of Brits get up to whilst on the toilet. The appeal of the digital space means 34% have sent a text message on the toilet, 33% have conducted a telephone conversation and 7% have searched the internet or bought goods online. The advent of Twitter has even impacted on toilet habits, with 1% admitting to ‘Tweeting’ on the loo.
And ensuring no time is wasted, Brits are using their toilet time to plan tasks such as what to have for their next meal (14%), whilst 6% can’t wait for meal times and actually tuck into food and drink whilst on the toilet.
The survey of over 2,000 people was conducted by Yakult to mark the launch of the 11th annual Gut Week (24 – 30 August), which aims to raise awareness of gut disorders and the importance of good digestive health.
The research also revealed that men are more likely to look for a distraction when on the toilet than women. 14% of men polled said they relive their football team’s success by reading souvenir match programmes on the toilet. 18% of men also used their time in the toilet to complete a crossword or Sudoku puzzle.
But this multi-tasking could be taking a toll on our health. Worryingly, 18% of those surveyed have suffered from cramps or pins and needles from sitting on the toilet too long. Despite this, nearly two thirds of polled (65%) are unaware that sitting on the toilet too long can cause haemorrhoids.
Television personality and former cricketer Phil Tufnell demonstrates some of the activities that British people get up to whilst on the toilet in London’s Paddington Street Gardens for the launch of the Gut Week
Phil Tufnell, launching Gut Week, said: “It’s not really cricket is it choosing to eat, drink, blog and chat whilst on the loo? Touring the sub-continent we tended to spend a lot of time on the toilet through no fault of our own and in these circumstances the odd toilet read was understandable. However, looking at what Brits get up to on the toilet makes you think that something isn’t quite right as we are spending too long doing our business.”
Christine Norton, Burdett Professor of Gastrointestinal Nursing, commented:”Some people do occupy their time on the toilet for all sorts of reasons. In the past this was with a newspaper, magazine or book, but now involves using a wireless device to access the internet or answer emails. Generally this is harmless, but there are a few health risks worth being aware of”.
“There are problems which can worsen from spending too long on the toilet, such as haemorrhoids, bleeding and problems with emptying the rectum. More importantly, eating on the toilet runs the risk of contaminating the food with bacteria from the toilet. This may cause a bacterial gastroenteritis, which is an infectious diarrhoea and can be very severe.”
The Yakult research also uncovered some interesting regional variations:
· Londoners are twice as likely to read recipe books on the loo than the national average (10% compared to 5%)
· People in Northern Ireland text on the toilet more than any other region (46%)
· People living in the east of England are most likely to plan their next meal whilst on the loo (21%)
Organised by the Gut Week partners - digestive health charities Core, The Gut Trust, St Mark’s Hospital Foundation, and in association with Yakult – www.loveyourgut.com offers practical advice and information on how to maintain gut health and ensure a regular bowel habit.
-ends-
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Monday, August 17th, 2009
Gut Week countdown - seven days to go
The digestive health event of the year is just around the corner and the Love Your Gut team are gearing up for what they hope will be the biggest event yet.
While we’re busy putting together packs for ‘Gut Week on the Road’ or dealing with media enquiries, we hear of companies who are also aiming to get Gut Healthy too!
Some have made displays in their offices, others are hosting events, or are even making sure that the menu choices in their staff canteens are serving meals which are little bit gut friendly. And if you’ve not noticed before, we have some on this website, so why not try your hand at creating some delights?
But most of all, we hope that the week will encourage people to talk about digestive health and digestive problems. If you’ve made the first step on getting online, then why not order a free digestive health pack, or if you have a digestive query or problem, then send your question to our team of doctors. And if you still want to make your own display then drop an email to info@yakult.co.uk and we’ll send you some posters and balloons today!
So, what have you done for your gut today? Don’t delay any longer!
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Monday, August 10th, 2009
Mediterranean nights with a mixed salad
July was a month to forget weather-wise and perhaps many a barbecue sat neglected in a far corner of the garden.
But it would seem that, August is looking marginally better, and as we did have a barbecue last night, I’m already thinking that this week could be one where salads will be nice and refreshing to eat.
And for those who’ve taken their holidays already, this dish might bring back happy memories. And for all of you worrying about your digestive health, the salad is bursting with vegetables and particularly those who are trying to get gut healthy this could be a good salad to try.
Mediterranean mixed salad
Here’s a recipe that will bring back memories of hot summer days and balmy evenings on the beach anywhere in the Mediterranean. Wonderful ripe tomatoes, succulent and flavoursome sweet peppers and the coolness of cucumber add up to a feast of vitamins and anti-ageing free radical fighters.
Serves 4
Per serving
318 calories 19g fat
3g saturated fat 6g fibre
Ingredients
350g (12oz) frozen sweet corn
1 red pepper (diced)
1 yellow pepper (diced)
1 medium cucumber (peeled and diced)
150g (5oz) radishes (sliced)
1 sweet Spanish onion (finely chopped)
5 plum tomatoes (finely chopped)
110g (4oz) raisins
100ml (3.5fl oz) French dressing with herbs
Method
1. Cook the sweet corn and leave to cool.
2. Put all the ingredients into a bowl with the raisins. Pour over the dressing and toss.
For more delicious recipes go to www.insideoutdiet.co.uk and order your free book
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Wednesday, August 5th, 2009
Exercise - more than having a trim tum
In a busy week, it may be hard to fit in those five lots of 30 minute sessions of exercise. And as the summer sun seems to have been a distant friend since Wimbledon finished, sometimes the weather hasn’t always been a motivator to get us out there and getting fit.
As a previous post has shown, many of us are embarrassed by our tummies, but what you might not realise is that exercise isn’t just good for keeping us in shape, it also helps to exercise the muscles of the digestive tract, helps control weight and can help reduce stress.
Did you know that our digestive tracts are ringed with muscles that contract to help food through? Well like other muscles in the body, these are stimulated by exercise - and regular exercise can help the bowel muscles contracting at a health rate.
So how can we get more active and keep it fun?
Personal Trainer, Sophie Christy offers these tips:
- Adults should do a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity, five times a week. As a general rule this should make you a little warm or sweaty, and slightly out of breath but no more than that.
- Exercise doesn’t need to be in extreme bursts - half an hour could be split up during the day -so morning and afternoon for instance.
- A lifestyle activity such as ‘walking the dog’ or ‘walking to the shops’ counts as part of your exercise.
- Vary your exercises - do flexibility exercises such as yoga or pilates, aerobic exercises such as walking or swimming and anaerobic exercises such as weight bearing exercises.
- If you are at risk from obesity or need to manage your weight because of a medical condition then you may need to increase to 45-60 minutes, five times a week. Speak to your GP or a trainer before undergoing any new regimens.
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We have many events coming up, such as running, walking, cycling, concerts, comedy nights – and are always looking for people to take part or just come and attend – so as well as getting fit, keeping healthy, you can raise money for a very good cause. And yes, some of us in the team get involved too – this photo was taken a few weeks ago in Hyde Park for a 10k run/walk organised by a couple of ladies whose mother’s both suffer with Crohn’s disease. There were over 150 runners/walkers and we all had a fabulous time – as well as completing our 10k, we met a lot of inspirational people and were entertained by singers, dancers, a band – oh, and not to mention getting to meet the very charming Duncan James from Blue. The event has raised an amazing £17k to date which will go towards one of our research projects.
