Life Blog
Cutting-edge information and tips for creating health in all areas of life – wellness, nutrition, fitness, attitude, and relationships
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…
Go Vegetarian & Live Longer (A Lot Longer…)
There are many reasons to become a vegetarian. Although some people choose to do so for religious or ethical reasons, more and more Americans are choosing the vegetarian lifestyle for health reasons. The Benefits Vegetarians have a huge advantage over meat eaters in the long term. They live longer and are generally 30 pounds lighter….
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Ways to Survive Allergy Season
Many people are looking forward to spring when they can finally put away their bulky coats and enjoy warmer temperatures. Sadly, the beginning of spring is also the beginning of allergy season when plants release pollen and people start to sneeze, itch and experience sinus pain. When is Allergy Season? Although the term allergy season…
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Are Your Teeth and Bones Getting Enough Calcium?
Calcium is a tricky mineral. It’s the most abundant mineral in the human body and is present in many different foods. However, people still suffer from calcium deficiency, low bone mass and osteoporosis. Insufficient calcium intake doesn’t produce symptoms in the short term, making it really difficult to know when you’re not getting enough. Also,…
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Smell Your Way to Better Health
The sense of smell is our most sensitive sense. It is the first to develop and it influences our emotions, mood, memory and behavior. This is where aromatherapy comes in. Aromatherapy, derived from the French word “aromatherapie”, is the use of fragrant essential oils extracted from plants to promote physical and psychological health and wellness….
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Break Any Bad Lifestyle Habit in 30 Days
We are creatures of habit. We happily eat the same foods and generally do the same things every day. Without these habits and routines our lives would have little structure and too much uncertainty. When you’re trying to break a bad lifestyle habit, routine can be your friend and your enemy. Eating healthy foods and…
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Body Pump – The Closest Thing to a Magic Workout!
When it comes to workouts, we all want quick results, a magic formula to get lean and fit fast. Although no such magic formula exists, the Body Pump workout comes pretty close! Body Pump is a workout that combines aerobics and strength training with lots of repetition. It involves lifting, thrusting and squatting with light…
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Get a Massage to Improve Your Health
Physical relaxation is one the main benefits of massage therapy, so, naturally, most people only get massages when they need to relax. However, the health benefits of massages go far beyond this. There has been a lot of scientific research in this area and most of it shows that massage therapy is effective for back…
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Teach Your Kids to Love Healthy Foods
Living a healthy lifestyle is much easier when the whole family is on board. But kids don’t always get why they need to eat healthy foods or exercise regularly. They’re happy to eat junk food and sit on the couch all day. Here are some tips on how to teach your kids to embrace healthy…
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