Health and Fitness, July 2020

[Harriet]

"Healthy" takes on new meanings these days! Several of us mentioned "staying healthy" as an achievement recently in PWYC, but the meaning is different from other years. As much as nutrition and activity, it has to do with checking local info, learning about handwashing, and determining what 6 feet looks like!



In a year without much normality, does it seem reasonable to say anything about where we are at the halfway point?

Still, we want to have specific goals, not vague ideas. That will help us avoid the emotional unhealthiness that goes along with disappointment in ourselves over a lack of progress during these ... .. um... .. stagnant(?) days! (Or, days of overwhelm.) We are remarkable, outstanding folks. We certainly don't deserve to feel bad!

What are your thoughts on goaling in 2020?
What about making half-year resolutions during disorienting times?

[Ramblinrose]

Well My eating ha it’s have become sort of restrictive recently, not that it’s a bad thing. No gassy veggies for one, limit on dairy, same with beef, but that’s not a problem for me since I only eat it once a week at best. No rye, wheat or any type of bread, same for cereal except oatmeal, which I happen to love.

There’s a list of others stuff but I can’t think of them of the top of my head.

I am taking very strong probiotics, 450 billion units!!! Preserving. Was told to mix it in apple sauce or yogurt but I’m not suppose to eat either, especially apples, but be found I can mix the probiotics in just an 1/8 of a cup of unsweetened apple sauce. I am also taking peppermint oil capsules 3 times a day. It’s suppose to coat my intestine and help to keep them calm. I am also taking 2 heaping teaspoons of benefiber each morning and I can put that in my coffee.

No cheese, but cantaloupe and berries, some tomatoes, but absolutely no garlic or onions, however I can have red peppers... go figure.

I can’t have any herbal tea which I love, by can have decaf tea or coffee. No other tea of any kind. No sodas diet or other wise, but Some carbonated Water is ok.

Interestingly enough it’s been suggested that either peppermint or ginger tea should settle my stomach. I know from the past that ginger really uPeet’s my stomach so I was very hesitant to try the peppermint. Much to my surprise it works so I am drinking it several times a day.

I have suffered with IBS my entire life but never knew it. Some people have IBS-C which means they are constipated all the time. Some have IBS-D which is for diarrhea. And some like me have ISB-M which stands for mixed... I also have ISB urgent which means sometimes my bowels let loose and I have very little time to find a restroom.

I’ve been known to stop on the side of the road when this happens and carry xtra every thing ncluding plastic sheeting in my car just In case I can’t get out of the car.

There is no real treatment for IBS. The theory is your bowel stimulation is connected to your nerves system which s connected to your brain. Many people, especially with IBS-D, find that stress causes their problems, so some taken anti anxiety meds.

All my life I thought I was the only person who’s bowels seemed to have a mind of their own. Compared to others I have met, through a FB IBS support group, have it much much worse than me with some installing portable toilets in their vans. There are many stories of accidents and such that are just like myself.

My hiatal hernia doesn’t help matters. Sometimes if I get sever cramps while using the bathroom I puke as well which of course set off my hernia. Then it takes me a week to get that calmed down.

Anyway the new way of eating seems to help. Unknowingly I was eating many of the wrong foods that I need to stay away from.

There is a diet, for lack of a better word that lists all the good and bad foods. It’s called the Fodmap and I am eating from it. My hope is I can feel better in time and also drop some weight, although I am only up 10 lbs from where I’d like to be.

I ate all the wrong foods just to keep my hernia happy... white rice, crackers, bread... and while being stuck ate home and not feeling well I haven’t been very actives. Now given time my goal is to eat accordingly. It’s not hard to do because if I “cheat” and get off track, my body lets me know.

[Harmony]

RRose, I'm sorry you've had all these problems. It's a lot to juggle, isn't it? Interesting that you note the brain / bowel connection. That's my problem. The med I take to 'quiet' my brain also 'quiets' my intestines, so they just get lazy and don't want to move. Having that all my adult life is the reason for my pockets and chronic c. People on pain killers get the same effect.

Is Benefiber psyllium? My Dr. told me to take Metamucil which is psyllium. I started out at 1/3 the recommended amount of my generic powder and my tummy and belly got crampy. When that stopped I tried 2/3 and that was worse. So I went back to the 1/3. At least it's something, and seems to be helping and at 1/3 don't get the cramps. Mine's an old bottle and it sure doesn't dissolve very well. I wish it would. If I could find one that dissolved I'd put it in my coffee, then I wouldn't need that extra glass of water.

Besides this, I'm really limiting my carbs as much as I can and most days do pretty well and I'm certainly not as bingey as I used to be. My weight is down so this is a good start. I want my lab numbers to be better and I want the clothes in another bin in the closet to fit!

[Ramblinrose]

Yes Benefiber is like what you’re taking but for all I’ve read it works better. You jar sounds old. Mine mixes with my coffee and dissolves without a problem

And yes painkillers effect the bowels. Had to take some yesterday for my migraines and I am feeling the effects today.

[Ramblinrose]

Btw... I use two heaping teaspoons of benefiber in mine and it’s not cramping me. I’ve already been through one jar and this time I Bought the Walgreens off brand. Seems to be working just like the other.

I am also eating my skinny muffin every other day which is made wi ground flax seed... I make it in a coffee cup. It helps as well and doesn’t upset my system or stomach.

I am doing low carbs as well, but can’t eat any gassy veggies including g aspargras or broccoli ... my two favorites

[Ramblinrose]

Harmony... I also that 1000 mg of magnesium With 99 of potassium most nights to help keep things moving along. However if you decide to try this you might want to start with 500-600 mgs. I have a friend with Graves’ disease who takes 1200 mg daily, but my system wouldn’t hand it.

[Harriet]

At breakfast, I've been pleased with my switch to having non-starchy vegetables. That probably puts half of what I'd normally want to have during the rest of the day into the "already eaten" column early. Even if I might be a person who normally eats a lot of them, now my percentage by the end of each day is high in them, which is good all around. And I never get to the end of a day saying oops, forgot to get those in.

Ramblin', HRH has spent a lifetime trying to figure out why this kind of thing has bothered him at times. He's had doctors muse about whether he has this or that syndrome, never resulting in a diagnosis. The fact that he had one first cousin die of Crohns only complicates the question. Also having to have his gallbladder out probably made things worse, but that certainly wasn't the start. His brother experiences something similar at times. Neither of them have consistent symptoms. Interestingly, he does very well with cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and broccoli. I will say that he is suspicious of too much fiber in a day, thoughtful about what he's eaten so far, and very conscious of how fibrous it would have been. At times, he thrives on beans as an everyday meal and can't bear to think there are none in the house, yet later, he'll avoid them. I suppose he's learned to keep a balance.

[Nancy]

I mowed also walked the dog after dinner for exercise yesterday.
I try to have some of my veg. mix for breakfast at least a couple of times a week calif. broccilli, and carrots is in the mix I use.
I have gauc. I have with lunch nearly daily.

Goals fresh start for me at half year.
Considering that post but it will be long put it in card file central.

Walked the ddog early today.

[Twins' Mom]

I had 15K steps yesterday, between the walk w dfriend M and then WHB. I should be okay making my goal on Saturday - I'll be in the car for 6+ hrs so it would have been hard to get a lot in.

[Harriet]

I didn't answer my own question about specific goals.

I'd like to lose 3 pounds this month. There's one.

And I want to remedy my problem with doing my floor exercises. In decluttering, I've ended up with a sorting situation encroaching on my bedroom again. I want that done and done : cleaned, finished and out-of-here so that I can lay my mat out again with a big enough floor space around it for any arm and leg extension and stretches - think snow angels, but rrrrrreaching directly above the head, too!

An ongoing habit-goal that is going well for warmer weather is drinking a second full pint of water sometime before lunch.