Suffering from gastroenteritis? This article will discuss 12 smart ways on how to protect yourself from experiencing this dreaded stomach and intestine disease.

What is Gastroenteritis?

An inflammation of the lining of the stomach and intestines, gastroenteritis is commonly caused by dirty hands, filthy surroundings, and contaminated food and water. Also known as stomach flu or intestinal flu, its main symptoms include watery diarrhea, vomiting, headache, fever, and stomach ache.

Outbreaks of gastroenteritis have been recorded all over the globe. It is threatening because it may lead to dehydration, as well as the disruption of important body chemistry. Moreover, it can be contagious when caused by viruses and bacteria.

Prevention of Gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis can be prevented by following easy-to-do health tips. Remember, it is always better to be safe than sorry. Here are 12 tips to help fight gastroenteritis.

1. Always keep your home, office, and surroundings clean and free from dusts and germs. Disinfect dirty surfaces using chlorine bleach-based cleaning solutions.

2. As much as possible, do not buy and eat food being sold by street vendors because you do not know how it was prepared and how clean it is. It is always better and safer to eat meals that are prepared at home.

3. Take a bath regularly to lessen the risk of contracting the disease

4. Wash hands well with soap and water before eating or handling food, and after using the bathroom.

5. Avoid drinking water you’re not sure how it was prepared. Instead, drink water that has been boiled or properly treated with iodine or chlorine.

6. Avoid eating undercooked or raw fish.

7. Do not share eating or drinking utensils. This increases the risk of transferring germs from one person to another.

8. Eat only food that has been thoroughly cooked and still hot. Eat only fruits that you yourself peeled.

9. Avoid consuming meat and dairy products such as milk and eggs that have been left unrefrigerated. Chances are, these foods have already been contaminated and may cause a serious case of stomach flu.

10. After preparing uncooked meat and poultry, thoroughly clean all kitchen utensils and work surfaces before preparing other food.

11. Make it a habit to exercise your body regularly. A physically fit and healthy body is the best shield against all forms of diseases.

12. There are some types of gastroenteritis that are caused by emotional problems. To prevent these, try to relax and reduce stress in life.

Keep your stomach safe and healthy. Prevent gastroenteritis by following the preventive ways discussed above.

 

Do you constantly feel an itchy and irritated throat? Does your voice sound weird? You may be suffering from laryngitis. Find out more about this disease and how to deal with it.

What is Laryngitis?

Laryngitis occur when your vocal cords become swollen and your voice become hoarse. Its most common cause is excessive screaming or yelling. Amazingly, it may also be caused by your stomach. Sometimes the stomach acid in your stomach may rise up to your swallowing tube and thus irritate the vocal cords. Aside from these smoking may also contribute to the development of laryngitis.

Symptoms of Laryngitis

You may be suffering from laryngitis when your voice becomes hoarse and raspy and may also feel a tickle in your throat. It can even be that you will have no voice at all or may need to cough or clear your throat. Usually, these may just last a few days but if it becomes longer, see a doctor immediately before it escalates.

Treatment for Laryngitis

Your doctors, before treating you, will administer some tests on you so don’t be surprised when he asks you to open up your mouth for his inspection. He will need to see the condition of your throat in his process of diagnosis.

You will also discover that the treatment will depend on the cause of your laryngitis. If it is caused by a viral infection, what your doctor will be prescribing is ingestion of fluids and the resting of your voice. If the cause of your laryngitis, on the other hand, is excessive yelling, then the treatment would be mild and your doctor may simply prescribe a little voice rest. Sometimes, complete silence is needed and this surely is one instance that it is.

If it is your stomach acid that caused your laryngitis, your doctor will discuss with you the possible medications that you can avail of and he may even go as far as prescribe an appropriate diet for you. This may mean, of course, that you may have to change some of the types of food that you eat and the quantity of your food intakes.

How to Prevent Laryngitis?

Fortunately, laryngitis can be prevented.

The simplest and easiest way of preventing it is to minimize yelling and excessive talking. Your body has its way of reminding you of your limits, heed it. Normally, when you are overstretching your vocal cords capacity it will be reflected by the sound of your voice, be sensitive to the changes and adjust accordingly.

You may also use humidifiers that can increase the water content in the air and will prevent the drying up of your throat. Finally, do try to avoid smoking and being around people who do so for this could only irritate your vocal cords.

 

When the diet is deficient in iron, the patient suffers from anemia. This means thinning of the blood, a condition in which the red blood cells are greatly reduced in number, or else do not carry a sufficient quantity of hemoglobin. Such condition interferes with the normal transmission of oxygen to the cells, as well as the elimination of carbon dioxide from the tissues of the body.

Causes of Anemia

Anemia can arise from a number of different causes, one of the most common being lack of sufficient iron in diet. Sometimes, there may be plenty of iron in the diet, but for different reasons it may not be absorbed. Conditions may not be favorable for this in the stomach or bowel. For instance, a lack of vitamin C in the diet may retard the absorption of iron, especially if there is also deficiency of hydrochloric acid as well.

Effects in the Body

When there is insufficient iron in the diet, the most blood count gradually drops down from the normal five red cells to perhaps two million. In very severe cases, it may drop to below one million. Even with mild anemia’s, a person may feel tired and weak for no reason at all. His skin may appear pale, and he may suffer from headaches, nervousness, and shortness of breath. In the more severe cases, the symptoms are much more marked.

Cure and Treatment

The person with anemia should never attempt to treat himself. He should consult his doctor. His problem may be due to some deficiency. The treatment of anemia is not a hit-or-miss affair. It takes the skill of a competent physician to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe the right treatment in most cases.

Anemia arising from blood loss is more likely to affect women, due to periodic menstrual flow, as well as extra demands made upon the body during pregnancy and lactation. Men may also suffer from chronic loss of blood because of hemorrhoids or various types of ulcers. But in either sex a diet low in iron will bring on anemia. This is sometimes seen in people who are finicky and try to live on restricted diets.

What are the best sources of iron then?  Whole grain cereals, eggs, raisins, apricots, oatmeal, potatoes, vegetable greens lean liver, and meat are just some of the foods that are rich in iron. Milk, on the other hand, does not have any large amount of iron. But the iron it does contain is absorbed properly by the body. It is surprising that there are so many anemias, inasmuch as iron is so plentiful in our foods.  The difficulty comes from following a restricted diet or failing to eat sensible meals.  A well-chosen diet will usually provide all the iron any person needs, provided he is able to consume and absorb it.

 

You get regular exercise, eat lots of fiber, and drink plenty of water. So why are you still having trouble with constipation? You will not have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out this mystery. Follow these clues to see if they can help you put constipation away for good:

1. Check your vitamins and supplements. Getting more nutrition is great, but some supplements may trip up your efforts to end constipation. Consider these suspects:

• Iron: If you take a daily multi-vitamin tablet, choose one without iron. Not only is this mineral a main cause of constipation, it may also increase your risk of colorectal cancer. If you are a woman who has reached menopause, or a man, you probably do not need extra iron.

• Calcium: If you take calcium carbonate supplements, try taking them in two smaller doses rather than one large one – and take them with meals. Not only will they be less likely to cause constipation, your body will also absorb the calcium better.

2. Raid the medicine cabinet. Talk to your doctor about any medications you are taking. Many common ones – such as sedatives, aluminum or calcium antacids, diuretics, anti-de-pressants, and cough syrup with codeine – can make your constipation worse. He may be able to recommend a non-constipating alternative. Just do not stop taking medicine without his approval.

3. Consider your condition. You may find constipation a concern if you have certain health problems – like lupus, Parkinson’s disease, or multiple sclerosis. Ask your doctor for help, and follow his advice.

4. Count on common sense – not laxatives. If you suffer from irregularity because of your digestive problems, do not reach for a laxative. Overusing them could cause chronic constipation. When you suffer the ups and downs of constipation, you may be tempted to reach for an over-the-counter laxative or other medicine for a quick fix. However, you could end up depending on laxatives, which would weaken your intestines in the long run.

The primary solutions for most constipation are as simple as getting more exercise, responding promptly when nature calls, and changing your diet. So, stop wondering why you have irregular bowel movements. Simply make the abovementioned dietary changes and lifestyle changes and you will back to a regular pooping schedule.

 

Wastes and food residues move through our intestines by involuntary rhythmic movements of our intestinal muscles. Those with generally healthy digestive systems have at least one bowel movement in a day, with stools that can be smoothly excreted. If you have irregular bowel movement, you may be constipated.

What Happens during Constipation?

Constipation, characterized by largely irregular and infrequent bowel movements, with stools that are generally painful or difficult to excrete, can be irritating and could make one feel uncomfortably heavy, tired, and sluggish. It can trigger headaches and it has been known to cause bad breath. Worse, it can lead to hemorrhoids.

This is usually caused by a diet that is poor in fiber and low in fluids, as this generally slows down our body’s digestive process. For some people, the lack of movement and exercise, stress, as well as the intake of certain medications including painkillers, antibiotics, and contraceptive pills may cause constipation.

How to Prevent and Cure Constipation?

While constipation can be irritating, the good news is it can easily be avoided. With a few nutrition adjustments and lifestyle changes, you can one again have a regular pooping schedule. Here are some smart solutions in dealing with constipation:

1. Make it a habit to eat high-fiber diet by including more oats or rice in your meals. Vegetables and fruits which are high in fiber can also help your digestive tract excrete wastes with ease.

2. Keep your body hydrated. Make sure that you consume the recommended six to eight glasses of water per day.

3. When constipated, it is advised to consume juices that stimulate the intestines such as apple, grape, or spinach juice, and increase your intake of fibrous food. Food rich in magnesium such as prawns, beans, seeds, and nuts can also help.

4. Taking in yoghurt with lactobacilli and other healthy microorganisms can also help in restoring balance in our intestines which may have been upset by medication or improper diet.

5. Eating prunes – whether fresh or dried – and extracting their juice by boiling prunes in water are also good remedies for constipation. Lemon or honey can be added as a sweetener to the juice and remember to drink more than the regular recommended amount of fluids.

6. Exercise is also recommended for those who are constipated. Inactive people who sit the entire day at work are prone to constipation. So, move around and shake that body.

7. When at work, take a few minutes to stand and walk around during the middle of the day. Practice exercises that work your abdominal muscles, thus stimulating the intestines.

Chiropractic Care for Constipation

You may have heard that chiropractic care or the science of muscle and nerve adjustment focuses on realigning the spine and restoring nerve functions. It may then be difficult to imagine how chiropractic care can ease up constipation symptoms.

While chiropractic treatment does not directly affect the digestive system of an individual, it is its healing potential that can rid of the stomach and intestinal pain and unhealthy condition of the patient. Many cases of constipation have been reported to be healed by chiropractic care. And as surprising as it may sound, the treatment works on the dysfunctions known as subluxation complexes. Technically, these are energy blockages that may add to the difficulty of moving bowels.

Chiropractic care, on a higher level is involves optimizing the neurological functions of the body and removes these subluxation complexes.

 

You hate the doctor’s office and like drugs even less. Here are seven great ways to beat constipation without them.

1. Exercise for leisure. Engaging in a regular exercising can keep your digestive system healthy and your bowels in normal function and movement. A simple workout often stimulates the movement of the bowels and gets rid of any discomfort. Dance, garden, walk briskly around the block, play with your grandkids – exercise any way you want and as often as possible. Besides all the other ways it makes you healthy, breaking a sweat also helps you get regular.

2. Schedule a home appointment. Establish a pattern for your bowels by sitting on the toilet at the same time every day. Bowels work best in the morning and after a meal, so pick a time 10 minutes to one hour after breakfast. Spend several minutes in the bathroom, but don’t strain. Propping your feet on a small step stool may ease bowel movements.

3. Don’t miss a chance. A history of ignoring your bowels’ urges may contribute to constipation. This is one interruption you should welcome. It’s a chance to feel better.

4. Drink six to eight glasses of liquids a day. Water will help keep your stools soft. And remember, caffeine and alcohol will cause you to lose water, so they will make you more constipated instead of less.

5. Massage your belly. Some natural healers recommend massaging your lower stomach in a clockwise motion.

6. Fight constipation with relaxation. Remember to meditate or do something relaxing each day. If you’re not sure what to do, try this. Sit in a quiet, comfortable room and focus only on your breathing. Repeat one word of your choice, “peace” for example, every time you breathe. Do this for 15 minutes, and you’ll flush out stress and worries. That may be enough relaxation to unwind your cranky insides, too.

7. Put yourself over the top. Drink one or two more glasses of water each day and replace a couple of servings of meat or cheese with a serving of fiber-rich food such as fruits. You may be just shy of getting enough fiber and water to end constipation. If that’s the case, this small change may be all you need.

8. Finally, visit your chiropractor. A chiropractic treatment can restore the overall function of your nervous system which promotes general health and well-being.

Don’t give up on these measures too early. Give yourself several weeks of making all these changes before you call yourself a hopeless case. Very, very rarely does someone need surgery for constipation.

 

Mother Nature has given you a wide variety of healthy ways to add fiber to your diet. If you can tolerate fructose well, why not start with fruits?

Eating lots of raw fruits, including the skin and pulp, is a delicious way to keep your body healthy. Remember that cooked foods such as applesauce, and dried foods like apricots, prunes, and raisins, are also full of natural fiber. These natural laxatives often work better than the drugstore kind. Plus there’s no risk of dependence or dangerous side effects.

Go to the peach bowl.

Peaches are more than 80 percent water and are a good source of dietary fiber. This combination makes them a perfect remedy for constipation. One medium-size peach has 7 percent of the dietary fiber you need each day. Adding fruits like peaches to your diet can keep you regular and prevent straining during bowel movements.

Taste an inside-out strawberry.

Because they contain tiny edible seeds in the middle, figs are sometimes called “inside-out strawberries.” But figs are more than just a sweet treat. Pound for pound, figs pack more fiber than any other fruit or vegetable. Five figs, fresh or dried, give you a whopping 9 grams of fiber, more than a third of the recommended dietary allowance. You can find figs in a variety of forms, including the popular Fig Newton cookie – a healthy alternative to most desserts. This may be the treat that defeats constipation, but you may want to savor this flavor long after you start feeling better.

Prune constipation with dried plums.

You can rack up antioxidants and get regular at the same time if you eat dried plums. The name may not sound familiar, but you’d recognize one the moment you saw it. Like the star it hopes to become, the fruit formerly known as “prune” has changed its name and is now the “dried plum.” The California Prune Board recommended this change, and the Food and Drug Administration approved it.

But whatever you call it, this wrinkled fruit is still one of the best natural laxatives around. In addition to being a super source of fiber, it also contains a natural laxative ingredient. The combination is perfect if you don’t get a lot of exercise or tend to have constipation.

Eat dried plums plain out of the box, or put chopped prunes on hot or cold cereals. Use them instead of raisins in oatmeal cookies, or stir them into pancake batter. If you want to replace ground beef with ground turkey in your meatball recipe but find it’s too dry, prunes can help out there, too. Just mix in a couple of teaspoons of prunes – pureed with a little hot water in a blender or food processor – per pound of ground turkey. If solid prunes aren’t for you, you can also try prune juice

Treat it with a tropical treat.

Research has discovered that bromelain, an enzyme found in fresh, canned, or frozen pineapple, helps with regular bowel movement. Although most of the bromelain can be found in the stem of the pineapple, some nutritionists recommend that eating just four ounces of pineapple a day will help relieve constipation.

Stick with carrots.

Just one medium-sized carrot can give you a quick 2 grams of fiber that also tastes good. According to a study from Germany, the fiber in carrots works as well as cereal grains at adding bulk to your stools. This makes them softer and easier to pass – a great way to keep regular with less straining and no harmful laxatives. To get the most fiber out of your carrots, stick with fresh or frozen ones. Canned carrots lose some of their fiber in the canning process.

For even more healing power, try a fruit salad with either apples or carrots or one with carrots and pears. Not only will you get lots of fiber, but the burst of fructose from apples or pears could also help end constipation.

 

Your digestive system, like most systems in your body is quite efficient. Within hours after your food intake, the nutrients in the food you eat is extracted and processed into the bloodstream. The waste byproduct material is prepared for disposal. This material is stored in the colon where water is removed. Within a period of one to two days, the waste is excreted through the bowels.

The regularity of your bowel movement depends on your diet, age and your daily activity. In terms of frequency of bowel movement, this regularity could be three in a day to one every three days. The longer the fecal material is stored in the colon, the harder the stool becomes and it becomes more difficult to pass. Normal stool should neither be unusually hard nor soft. Nor should it  cause you to strain to pass it.

What is Constipation?

To different people, the definition of constipation varies. To many, it simply means infrequent stools. For others, it is having hard stools and difficulty with bowel movement or straining. Still, for others, it means having a sense of incomplete emptying after defecating.

In medical terms, constipation is usually defined as having fewer than three bowel movements in a week. A severe constipation happens when the bowel movement is less than one per week. It is not an abnormality not to have bowel movement every day. There usually is no physical discomfort in not having bowel movement for two to three days. Some people just suffer from mental distress in these situations.

Constipation may be caused by the slow passage of food under digestion process through the intestine, but in most cases the slowing happens in the colon.

The popular belief that toxins accumulate in the body when bowel movement is infrequent has no medical basis. Also, the notion that constipation leads to cancer is a myth.

Symptoms of Constipation

Some symptoms of constipation are:

• Hard, compacted or small stools that are painful or difficult to pass
• Straining or difficulty during bowel movement
• No bowel movement for three consecutive days
• Lower abdominal discomfort that get relieved by bowel movements
• Wet, diarrhea-like stool between regular bowel movements
• Rectal bleeding or anal fissures caused by hard stools
• Mental distress or obsession with having bowel movements

Causes of Constipation

What causes constipation?

Our active modern lifestyle is a major factor in most constipation cases. Our preoccupation with getting work done often results in the following:

• Not enough fiber intake in foods
• Not drinking enough water
• Not getting enough physical exercise
• Ignoring the urge to go to the toilet
• Emotional and psychological stress that can contribute to the problem

Chronic constipation may also be an indication or symptoms or other health conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, depression, multiple sclerosis and an underactive thyroid.

Older people, especially those with sedentary lifestyles or habits tend to have constipation more often.

Certain medications can cause constipation, such as iron supplements, narcotic-type pain killers and some blood pressure control medicines. Abuse of laxatives can also lead to constipation.

Hormonal changes, particularly high levels of estrogen and progesterone during pregnancy may cause constipation as well.

Treatment for Constipation    

The goal of the treatment for constipation is the return of bowel movement to regularity, which is one bowel movement every two to three days and without straining. The treatment or therapy may include:

• Dietary fiber
• Non-stimulant laxatives
• Suppositories
• Enemas
• Biofeedback training
• Prescription medications and
• Surgery

Laxatives, both stimulant and herbal types, should only be used as a last resort as they may cause permanent damage to the colon and may even worsen constipation.

Do not take constipation for granted. It is another important indicator that something anomalous may be happening in your body and systems. Do not just treat it when it occurs but find its underlying cause to prevent it from recurring and have a normal healthy life.

 

Not all the so-called “healthy” foods are healthy. Some contain fat and calories that are invisible to the eye. Know which fattening food are disguising and tempting you to eat them!

For people on a diet or wanting to build their body, reducing fat consumption and calories are very important. No diet program can succeed with poor eating habits. Moreover, with lack of exercise, it is not possible to sculpt a better body. Hence, it is essential for these people to watch what they eat and exercise regularly.

However, there are bad foods that are disguising as having good contents. These are some foods to watch out for, since they might not be as helpful as they look. Nevertheless, a sensible diet does not mean a Spartan, very disciplined way of eating. The most important thing is to be aware of the nutritional values of different food and combine them to get your daily requirements.

 

Avoid alcohol.

While alcohol does not contain fat, it is loaded with lots of calories. Regular drinking can cause you to develop that flabby midsection. Alcohol also interferes with metabolism, especially protein. It is recommended to keep alcohol consumption to a minimum, especially with bodybuilders.

 

Avoid too much rice.

While rice is an integral component of a healthy diet, too much rice can contain considerable amounts of carbs that stimulate unwanted fat storage. The best way to go around this is to vary your carbohydrate consumption by including plain oatmeal and brown bread among others.

 

Go easy on the salad dressing.

You might think that salads are very healthy. However, with the wrong dressing or improper amount, you might be consuming more fat and calories. Choose a low-fat dressing or make your own vinaigrette.

 

Say no to sodas.

A 16-ounce serving of soda contains over 200 calories. Drink soda as an occasional treat not as an integral component of meals.

 

Minimize fruit juices

Fruit juice contains sugar. Too much fruit juice, especially commercial brands, can fill you up with many calories. Better stick to natural blended juice for added fiber, and try varying your liquids by drinking water.

 

Keep away from breaded chicken or fish.

While these may give you adequate protein, they also contain much fat. Try cooking your chicken and fish more healthily by steaming or boiling them, instead of covering them with caloric ingredients.

 

Avoid deli and processed meats.

 

These foods contain much sodium and fat. Try sticking to healthier options like turkey or chicken.

 

Don’t give in to flavored oatmeal.

 

Plain oatmeal should do the trick. Flavored oatmeal contains additional sugar. If you want to have flavored oatmeal, just add fruits that contain more fiber.

 

The best way to be successful in any diet and exercise program is to enjoy eating and exercising. So, live healthy and be happy with it!