Archive for September, 2009
Monday, September 28th, 2009
In order to maintain good gut health, it is important to become aware of how your digestive system functions, and to be alert to any unusual symptoms. This week, Dr Phil Tozer (below), a Clinical Fellow from St. Mark’s Hospital in Harrow, shares some sound advice for anyone experiencing gut problems or unusual digestive symptoms:
“If you found a lump in your breast or your testicle, you’d show it to your doctor (I hope!) without too much persuasion.
Symptoms in the gut can be quite tricky since a little bit of bleeding or mucus from the back passage, or a day or two of diarrhoea might be quite normal occurrences for many of us.
However if these symptoms persist or become more noticeable, your gut might be trying to tell you something.
If you’re worried, or even if you just have a mild symptom that has lasted a bit longer than usual, don’t sit on it and don’t be afraid to ask: your doctor will usually be able to reassure you that everything’s ok but if there is something wrong, early diagnosis often leads to more straight forward and effective treatments.
So don’t ignore your gut; listen to it, love it and take care of it so it can carry on taking care of you!”
For more information on St Mark’s Hospital, the national and internationally renowned centre for intestinal and colorectal disorders, visit http://www.stmarkshospital.org.uk
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Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009
As we age, our digestive system changes. In later life, gut muscles tend to weaken, whilst levels of good bacteria in the intestines may decrease. This, combined with changes in diet, exercise and general lifestyle, can leave us more susceptible to a number of digestive complaints.
However, there are plenty of small steps that can be taken to help take good care of your digestive system. Follow our experts’ top tips for maintaining good gut health into older age:
Nutritional therapist Melanie Flower offers some dietary advice:
- Fibre provider: A dry mouth or tooth loss can make it harder to eat fibrous foods as we get older – but dietary fibre is essential for good gut health. Softer versions of high fibre food such as porridge, fruit smoothies and hearty soups packed with vegetables and lentils are still great sources of fibre.
- Good bacteria: Aim to consume ‘probiotic’ and ‘prebiotic’ foods. Probiotics place high numbers of ‘good’ bacteria directly into the gut; prebiotic foods (such as onions, asparagus and garlic) ‘feed’ these bacteria. Probiotics and prebiotics can help to improve the transit of food through the intestines, which may help ease constipation.
- Stay hydrated: Water is vital for good gut health – it helps food pass through the digestive system and helps to soften stools. Aim to drink eight glasses each day.
Personal trainer Sophie Christy shares a few easy exercise ideas:
- Keep it light: We should all aim for 30 minutes of exercise – but this need not be overly strenuous; anything that gets the heart pumping is good for you. Build exercise into your daily routine with a lively housework or gardening session!
- Club together: Exercise can be easier when enjoyed as a group – so why not set up an activity club with friends? Opt for gentler options such as swimming, yoga or Pilates – they’re still great exercise and a good excuse for a chat too!
- Walk the walk: It may seem an unusual connection, but walking can have a positive impact on stomach muscles – and therefore overall gut health. Walk with your chest lifted, back upright and tummy pulled in, and you should find that your abdominal muscles contract. Set up a manageable walking schedule, increasing distance and frequency gradually, and you will find that these muscles strengthen over time.
[Note: If suffering from any medical condition/s, always seek medical advice before embarking upon a new exercise regimen.]
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Tuesday, September 15th, 2009
Try out our Health in a Bowl!
It’s only about another month until the clocks turn back and am sure you’ve noticed it’s already starting to get darker a little earlier each evening.
As Autumn approaches, we’ll be starting to think about comforting foods to get us ready for the cold weather, but too often it’s too easy to fall into the trap of substituting healthy food for more fattening snacks.
But, renowned chef and Love Your Gut supporter, Antony Worrall Thompson offers us this healthy recipe, which will not only warm you through the winter months but will help your digestive health too.
Health in a Bowl
SERVES 8
450g (1lb) thick-cut ham on the bone, chopped
2.4 litres (4 pints) chicken stock
4 tablespoons pearl barley
2 tablespoons Puy lentils
2 medium onions, sliced
46 medium carrots, diced
2 medium parsnips, diced
1/2 medium swede, diced
Ground black pepper
2 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
Sprig of parsley
450g (1lb) potatoes in their skins, diced
1 small cabbage, chopped
1 leek, chopped
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
400g (14oz) tin of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
4 tablespoons snipped chives
1 Place the ham in a saucepan and cover with stock. Bring to the boil, skim any scum, then add the pearl barley and lentils.
2 Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, parsnips, swede, pepper, thyme, bay leaves and parsley. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for a further 15 minutes.
3 Add the potatoes and cabbage and return to the boil. Simmer until they are just tender (about 15 minutes).
4 Add the chopped leek and parsley and cook for a further
5 minutes or until the leek is just tender.
5 Add the beans and warm through. Ladle into soup bowls and serve sprinkled with chives.
Per portion: 264 kcal, 3g fat, 0.8g sat fat, 0.97g sodium
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Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
Win a signed Love Your Gut t-shirt
From across the country, the 11th annual Gut Week has seen people not only Loving their guts, but encouraging others to do the same!
The Gut Week team were busy across the country in hospitals, work places and gyms helping people understand the importance of good digestive health but not only that many of you set up your own displays and held events too! And that really is the spirit of Gut Week - helping others to speak out and take action if they have a digestive problem and for those who don’t - to understand better how to avoid a problem.
But for the really keen Gut Lovers out there we have two Love Your Gut t-shirts to giveaway. And not only that, but they’re signed by ex England cricketer and forthcoming Strictly Come Dancer Phil Tufnell.
You may have seen Phil in the national press, and of course on this website, supporting Gut Week. Phil was encouraging people to seek help if they are needing to spend large amounts of time on the toilet as it might indicate underlying health problems. But not afraid to speak out and address any bowel problems he was more than happy to model, and of course sign, Love Your Gut t-shirts.
To get your hands on one of these two t-shirts just send an email to info@yakult.co.uk marked Gut Week competition with your name, address and contact telephone number. And who knows, you could be spreading the Love Your Gut message too!
Terms and conditions: Competition open to all UK residents excepting employees of Yakult UK Ltd, Core, The Gut Trust or St Mark’s Hospital Foundation.; 2. No purchase necessary;
3. Closing date for receipt of entries is 31st October 2009; 4. The prize consists of 2 x Phil Tufnell signed Love Your gut t-shirts as specified above; 5. The promoter reserves the right to substitute the prize for another prize of equal value without notice; 6. Prizes are non-transferable, non-negotiable and no cash alternatives will be offered; 7. The winner will be drawn randomly on 4th November 2009 and notified by 19th November2009; 8. The promoter’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into; 9. By entering, competitors agree to be bound by these terms and conditions. Promoter: Yakult UK Ltd., Artemis, Odyssey Business Park, West End Road, South Ruislip, Middlesex HA4 6QE.
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