While there is no one specific diet catered to alleviating the debilitating symptoms of Crohn’s disease, there are a number of foods that can help.
1. Oats
This gut-friendly whole grain contains two very important prebiotics: B-Glucan and polyphenols. These prebiotics are beneficial for those suffering from Crohn’s disease. Oats also contain anti-inflammatory antioxidants – 1 cup of cooked oats contains 4 grams of gut-friendly fibers, as well as a number of minerals and vitamins such a magnesium and thiamine.
2. Blueberries
These are full of antioxidants known as phytonutrients, which include the flavonoids anthocyanin and quercetin. A study published in the journal Nutrients found that flavonoids might have anti-inflammatory effects in the intestine, making them excellent snacks for those suffering from Crohn’s.
3. Oily Fish
Healthy fats known as omega-3s are found in abundance in oily fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, and mackerel. These omega-3s aren’t only great for your heart and digestive system, but they also have an anti-inflammatory effect that can be extremely beneficial to those suffering from Crohn’s.
4. Eggs
Eggs are one of the best superfoods available to everyone – especially those who are battling Crohn’s flare-ups. They’re an excellent source of iron, folate, zinc, vitamin D, choline, selenium, & lutein.
5. Fresh Vegetable Juice
The insoluble fiber found in vegetables is not usually well-tolerated by people suffering from Crohn’s, but there’s no need to give up vegetables entirely. A great alternative to eating vegetables is to make a fresh juice drink out of them. Juicing eradicates the insoluble fiber while retaining the antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. Just be sure to use a juicer and not a blender.
6. Apples
While the fiber-rich skin of apples can be harsh on the digestive system, the inside of apples is extremely beneficial to those with Crohn’s. Apples contain a wide range of minerals, vitamins, & antioxidants.
It might not feel like it sometimes, but the adult bladder is designed to hold as much as half a liter (two cups) of urine before you’ll feel the need to relieve yourself.
Your body knows just how much is in there due to the fact that your bladder wall is filled with tiny receptors that send a message to your brain when your bladder has reached its capacity. Fortunately, the majority of us have full control over our bladder function, so when we receive this message, we can choose to relieve ourselves straight away, or hold it in because we’re not close to a bathroom.
But what are we doing to our bodies when we hold all this urine in?
Well, once you have made your mind up not to pee, the cylindrical sphincters in your bladder close up tightly in order to keep all that urine from leaking into your underwear. These tiny muscles are great at what they do, until you force them to do it consistently for a really long time, say if you’re a trucker and you’re holding your pee in on long journeys several times a week.
If you make it a habit of holding urine in for ages, you’re subjecting yourself to some pretty serious long-term effects, including a higher risk of infection. Constantly holding your pee in can weaken your bladder muscles, which could eventually lead to urinary retention – the dreaded condition that prevents you from being able to fully empty your bladder, meaning you’ll feel like you need to use the bathroom a lot more.
Holding in large volumes of urine for an extended period of time also exposes your body to some potentially harmful bacteria, which can increase your risk of getting a urinary tract or bladder infection.
All this sounds pretty bad, but it’s not exactly life-threatening, right? Well, that’s because you’re just not trying hard enough.
If erectile dysfunction has you down, and you don't want to rely on drugs, these five natural solutions, as found in the Harvard Special Health Report Erectile Dysfunction: How medication, lifestyle changes, and other therapies can help you conquer this vexing problem, may reverse your ED and improve your sex life. They are easy to adopt and enrich your health in other ways, too.
1. Begin walking. Just 30 minutes of walking a day was linked with a 41% drop in risk for ED, according to one Harvard study, while a separate trial reported that moderate exercise can help restore sexual performance in obese, middle-aged men with ED.
2. Eat right. Go bullish on fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and fish—a diet that lessened the likelihood of ED in the Massachusetts Male Aging Study—while downplaying red and processed meat and refined grains.
Multivitamins and fortified foods are the best bets for those who absorb B12 poorly, including many older adults and anyone with atrophic gastritis, a condition that may affect nearly one in three people ages 50 and older.
Also, make sure you get enough vitamin D, which is found in fortified milk or yogurt, eggs, cheese, and canned tuna. A 2016 study in the journal Atherosclerosis found that men with vitamin D deficiency have a 30% greater risk for ED.
3. Slim down. Obesity raises risks for vascular disease and diabetes, two major causes of ED. And excess fat tinkers with several hormones that may feed into the problem, too. The smaller your waist, the better—a man with a 42-inch waist is 50% more likely to have ED than one with a 32-inch waist.
4. See your dentist. A 2013 study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine found an association between gum disease and risk for ED. Gum disease causes chronic inflammation, which is believed to damage the endothelial cells that line blood vessels, including those in your penis.
The relationship with a doctor is a very personal one, built on communication and trust. In choosing a doctor, the "chemistry" between the two of you must work. You must be able to trust, confide in and tell your doctor about your health problems, including all symptoms. Your doctor, in turn, should listen to you, give you options and feedback and have your best interest in mind.
Here are some things you can do to help build an effective partnership:
Be Organized
Doctors are busy, so you need to know how to get the most from their limited time with you. This means that you must be organized and focused on the issues you want to address.
Think in advance about the questions you want answered. Write down and prioritize those questions, highlighting the main three or four you want to discuss. Send a list of the questions to your doctor in advance, if you think that would be helpful.
Keep Good Records
Provide your doctor with good, accurate information about your symptoms and medications so he or she has the necessary tools to accurately diagnose your condition and prescribe appropriate treatment. A list of medications and supplements you are taking, recent symptoms and the dates at which they occurred, any recent tests and names of other doctors you are seeing can be useful information to share with your doctor.
The better you are able to communicate your needs and concerns, the better your doctor can respond.
Set the Tone
Let your doctor know how much or how little you want to participate in the decision-making process and whether you want very detailed information about all treatment options or just general information. Inform your doctor of any cultural beliefs that may affect your treatment choices or preferences.
Be Assertive
There is virtually nothing more important than your health. Just as you would not buy a car without asking questions, don't be afraid to ask your doctor questions. If your concerns are not addressed to your satisfaction, be assertive.
Although cardiovascular disease remains the number one cause of death and disability in the world, there are a number of things you can do to keep your heart healthy and reduce your risk of heart disease.
Healthy food habits can help you reduce three of the major risk factors for heart attack: high cholesterol, high blood pressure and excess body weight. The best way to help lower your blood cholesterol level is to eat less saturated fat, avoid cholesterol and control your weight. Here are some other nutrition tips:
-Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables and grain products, especially whole grains.
-Consume fat-free and low-fat dairy products, fish, beans, skinless poultry and lean meats.
-Limit foods high in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol.
-Eat less than 6 grams of salt a day.
-Have no more than one alcoholic drink (no more than 1/2 ounce of pure alcohol) per day if you're a woman and no more than two drinks if you're a man.
Physical activity is good for your entire body, especially your heart. While getting into a regular exercise routine is great, there are a number of quick ways to easily add more physical activity into your days:
Take the stairs — Get in the habit of taking the stairs instead of the elevator. If you are going to a high floor, take the elevator part of the way — either walk up a few flights and then catch the elevator, or get off early and walk the rest of the way.
Go for a walk — Even a short walk around the block or through your office can help get your heart rate up and invigorate your body.
Clean the house — Vacuuming, dusting and even doing laundry gets you up and moving around.
Garden — Raking leaves, mowing the lawn and pruning plants all get you outside and active.
Talk on the phone — Stand up while talking on the phone or, better yet, walk around when using a cordless or cellular phone.
Play — Play and recreation are important for good health. Look for opportunities to be active.