Archive for September, 2010
Monday, September 27th, 2010
You may have seen reports in the newspapers last week revealing that carrying extra inches around the waist may increase the risk of developing bowel cancer, even in people who are close to normal weight.
A new review from World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and Imperial College London, supports the current consensus that being overweight increases the risk of bowel cancer, but has also found that where we carry this weight is an key factor. Excess abdominal fat, extra fat carried around the waist, is a particularly important factor in the risk of developing bowel cancers.
On average, 38,500 cases of bowel cancer are diagnosed each year across the UK, and the WCRF estimates that over 2,700 cases of bowel cancer could be prevented by people maintaining a healthy weight and waist measurement. Maintaining a healthy weight is the second most important factor in reducing bowel cancer risk (after not smoking).
The recommendations for a healthy waist are dependant on gender and ethnicity. Women should aim to have a waist measuring less than 80cm (31.5 inches), white and black men should aim for less than 94cm (37 inches) and less than 90cm (35 inches) for Asian men.
Maintaining a healthy weight doesn’t have to be difficult; a balanced diet and active lifestyle is generally all that is needed.
What is a healthy balanced diet?
A healthy diet is based on starchy foods, with plenty of fruits and vegetables and is low in fat, sugar and salt. Below are some easy tips to start enjoying a balanced diet:
- Base your meals on starchy foods (potatoes, rice, pasta, cereals, pitta bread etc), choosing wholegrain options where ever possible.
- Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables. Aim for at least five portions a day, fresh, frozen, tinned, canned and dried can all contribute.
- Chose lower fat dairy options such as semi-skimmed milk and low fat yogurt.
- Chose lean cuts of meat and remove visible fat.
- Steam, grill and bake foods rather than frying or roasting.
- Chose food products that are lower in salt.
- Flavour foods with spices, herbs, garlic or lemon instead of salt.
- Limit foods that are high in fat and sugar (such as sweets, chips, cakes or biscuits), eating them only as an occasional treat.
- Keep well hydrated; drink 6-8 glasses of fluid a day and keep alcohol intake to a minimum (no more than 2-3 units/day for women and 3-4 units/day for men)
- Keep active; aim to do at least 30 minutes of activity 5 times a week. This doesn’t have to be in a gym; cycling, walking, gardening and even doing household chores can all contribute.
Visit our Getting Gut Healthy page for more information and for delicious recipe ideas
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Friday, September 17th, 2010
Now, if you’re eating your lunch you might want to come back to this blog in half an hour – because today’s subject isn’t exactly glamourous! It is, however, important – because did you know that looking into the toilet pan can help you identify the health of your digestive system?
The chart to the right is called the Bristol Scale – and it identifies the most common types of stools. Stool consistency relates to transit time – the time food takes to pass completely through the gut.
Type 1 as shown on the Bristol Scale has spent the longest time in the colon; stools at this end of the scale are hard to pass and often require a lot of straining. In contrast, type 7 has spent the least time in the colon; stools at this end of the scale often need to be passed urgently to prevent an accident.
The ideal stools are types 3 and 4, especially type 4; these are the easiest to pass, and indicate the optimal functioning of the digestive system.
To download or order a copy of the Bristol Scale for yourself, simply visit the Advice Packs page.
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Monday, September 13th, 2010
Most of us have surely from time to time thought about what goes on inside our stomachs – but how well do you actually know your digestive system?
The digestive system runs right throughout the core of our body and comprises of a very complex set of organs. It is a bit like a miniature factory, with each organ specifically designed to carry out its function so that the whole system continues to run like clockwork.
But just like a factory, if part of the equipment isn’t quite right, the entire production chain can be affected. So for example if your food doesn’t contain sufficient fibre, the ‘production line’ of your digestive system has to work overtime to pass the waste out of the body, and may sometimes give up for a while, which can result in constipation.
But problems like this are easy to fix once you understand exactly how the digestive system works and how to take better care of it. And one of the best ways to do this, is to familiarise yourself with the individual parts of your digestive system; to understand their specific roles and how they interact with each other. Do you know, for example, where your gall bladder is? Or what, exactly, your small intestine does?
Well if not, simply visit the Digestive System page of the Love Your Gut site – and prepare to discover just how incredible your digestive system is!
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Monday, September 6th, 2010
Would you believe research has revealed almost half (44%) of UK adults believe they are suffering from a food allergy or intolerance – yet 65% have not actually visited a GP or health professional to confirm this?
Over a third of people surveyed admitted to simply ‘guessing’ that they have a food allergy. And as a result, a staggering 87% of adults who believe they have a food allergy have cut down on certain foods, with almost half (45%) eliminating them out of their diet completely.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most common complaints which led people to ‘diagnose’ a food allergy or intolerance were almost exclusively digestive-related, with abdominal pain & discomfort, bloating, diarrhoea and indigestion topping the list.
However, many people do not know that these can also be common symptoms of IBS. In fact, over 80% of the population have never approached their GP regarding IBS and subsequently those who believe they have a food intolerance could be eliminating foods unnecessarily, without properly having addressed their gut health.
Consultant gastroenterologist and medical adviser to The Gut Trust, Dr Nick Read offers some words of advice:
“Chronic, unexplained gut symptoms are more likely to be caused by the situations and events that cause stress in our lives, rather than food allergy. Stress can cause the bowel to become more sensitive and intolerant to food in general. Make sure you consult your GP before eliminating foods from your diet. And if you have ‘red flag’ symptoms, such as passage of blood, fever or weight loss, seek medical advice immediately.”
Research by OnePoll for Yakult, May 2010
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Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
For those of you who may have missed last week’s Gut Week (although we have had coverage across the country so where have you been?) you may have seen that we have somewhat been overindulging ourselves. 
In fact it would seem that as a nation we are 23 million stone overweight – on average we all seem to be carrying an extra stone in weight, so it’s probably a little more than overindulging!
But of course the big problem is where we are carrying this excess weight, and with many of us confessing it’s around our middles, we could be in line for some additional problems – a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and acid reflux and other digestive problems.
But now it seems that summer is on its way out, in fact the summer sun has appeared! And so with September arriving with a pleasant weathered bang, perhaps it’s time to take advantage and get our plans together?
How about taking some post work walks? Or even lunchtime walks? Taking a walk after a meal is good for the digestive system and will help to move towards taking more exercise.
Do you have a garden? How is it looking ahead of the Autumn and Winter frosts? Not only is it good to make sure you’re starting to weed or dig up some of the dead plants but it’s good exercise too! It might seem like a chore but it provides fresh air and exercise and of course – a beautiful garden! I proudly looked at my freshly weeded garden on my return from work yesterday and remembered the hard work but the pleasure to look at it now!
But if we can take just one of Dr Christian Jessen’s tips for getting fitter over the next season then lets think about reducing. It’s hard to give up some of our favourite foods completely and more often we’re doomed to fail, so why don’t we think about reducing instead? If what you like is high in fat or salt or sugar could we find a version that has less? What about some of the baked rather than fried varieties of crisps? Or limiting the amount of packs you have a week? Do you need bar snacks when you’re out socialising? Those lost calories will soon add up – in a positive way.
So whatever you’re going to reduce why not share it here and we can try and encourage each other?
Tags: acid reflux, digestion, Dr Christian Jessen, good digestion, heart disease, low fat
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You may have seen reports in the newspapers last week revealing that carrying extra inches around the waist may increase the risk of developing bowel cancer, even in people who are close to normal weight.
