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Cutting-edge information and tips for creating health in all areas of life – wellness, nutrition, fitness, attitude, and relationships

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January 16, 2025

Managing IBS: When Almost Everything You Eat Gives You Gas or Stomach Pain

There’s so much confusion and misinformation about irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Most of it comes from the fact that symptoms vary from one person to the next and doctors don’t really know what causes it. IBS is a painful condition that affects the large intestine causing what seems like constant abdominal pain, gas and diarrhea. While most people have mild to moderate symptoms, for some it’s a debilitating condition. It affects nearly 20 percent of the population and is the second most common reason why people miss work and school (the number one excuse is the common cold). IBS has no visible signs like inflammation, polyps or tumors, so it’s diagnosed by a process of elimination. And while the symptoms can be treated with diarrhea medication, laxatives, nerve pain medication and antibiotics, they can also be managed with dietary and lifestyle changes. Figure Out Your Triggers Tracking your diet and keeping a food journal is the easiest way to figure out which foods give you stomach pain or gas. Most “attacks” happen right after meals, so it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out what’s causing your symptoms. Keep in mind that there are also non-food triggers, the most common is stress. If you think some of your symptoms are caused by stress, it’s time to explore stress reduction methods like counseling and exercise. Eat a Low FODMAP Diet Research has shown that a low FODMAP diet provides relief for more than half of IBS patients. FODMAP refers to Fermented…

Americans spend one billion dollars every week on work-related musculoskeletal injuries because many of us spend our workdays straining to accommodate our workstations when it should be the other way around. Having a workstation that isn’t suited for your body forces you to hold your wrists, neck, shoulders and back in strange positions for hours…

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Let’s talk about poop. The average adult should expect to have between three to twenty-one bowel movements per week. Everyone is different, so the exact number of bathroom visits isn’t set in stone. Medically speaking, constipation is defined as having fewer than three bowel movements per week.  While it isn’t unusual to get constipated from…

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Many kids are anxious about going to the doctor, and a routine visit can turn into a major meltdown. A big part of that fear is that kids don’t know what to expect. They’re afraid of shots (who isn’t?), and their imagination runs wild thinking everything is going to hurt. According to child psychologists, parents…

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A Mental Health Month is coming up, and while we’ve come a long way in how we view mental illness, there is still much work to be done. Having a friend or family member with a mental illness like anxiety, depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, or PTSD can be challenging. Separating the person from the illness and…

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Teens go through so many intense changes all at once that it can be a bit overwhelming. Without a strong support system and a healthy outlet for their stress, they can quickly slip into a depressive state. Recognizing Teen Depression Most teenagers are moody and predictable, which makes it difficult for parents to tell whether…

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Snoring is a common problem. About 90 million men and women of all ages suffer from this very annoying condition. Many people don’t know that snoring can be a sign of a more serious condition known as obstructive sleep apnea. The word “apnea” is literally translated “without breath.” When you sleep, the muscles at the…

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One thing that concerns people who are considering a vegetarian diet is a nutritional deficiency. They worry that they won’t get enough vitamins and minerals such as zinc. The Standard American Diet contains lots of zinc from animal sources like meat and dairy. A vegetarian diet, on the other hand, commonly has lots of fiber…

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Intermittent fasting is all the rage in the fitness industry. However, it’s just a fancy term for a certain kind of dieting where you eat all your meals within a time-restricted window. For example, you can fast for 16 hours and eat normally for the remaining 8 hours. The proponents of Intermittent Fasting claim that…

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Raising Fit Kids & Teens Physical activity is such an important part of a child’s development. Sadly, less than 25% of American children get the recommended 60 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity a day. Most kids and teens have too much screen time and too little physical activity. As a result, one-third of…

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Do You Suffer from Sinus Infections? Here’s what You Can Do Sinus infections can be very uncomfortable. They can make your eyes, nose, cheeks and forehead feel swollen for several days or even weeks. But first things first; what exactly are the sinuses?  Well, they are small cavities in the skull that are connected to…

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So, your workout has been going great and you’ve not skipped a day in a while. In fact, you’re killing it! But then you catch a cold or stomach bug and get sick, and can’t decide whether to work out or take a break to give your body a chance to heal. On one hand,…

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Human brains are moldable. They are constantly breaking and forming new neural connections between brain cells, and can shrink or expand as you learn new things. Just a few years ago, this was thought to be impossible. This isn’t just another cool fact that’s good to know. Knowing how your brain works can actually help…

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