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August 31, 2004
Hello to everyone -
It's time for a seasonal breakfast treat! Fresh dill (a high anti-oxidant herb - see the news story below) is abundant at the end of summer, and if you live anywhere near water fresh crabs are at their best right now as well. When you combine these two luscious foods with the wild mushrooms that are just starting to appear in markets, you end up with one of the world's most irresistible omelets. Using just egg whites (no yolks!) keeps this breakfast IBS-safe without sacrificing any of the terrific flavor.
As we welcome in September, we have changes to note if you're a regular customer at Heather's Tummy Store. We also have an update on the fabulous IBS Fall Sprawl in Vegas (do you have your flight booked yet? I do!), plus the usual wealth of new digestive health research findings. Enjoy!
Best Wishes,
Heather Van Vorous
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Mushroom, Crab and Dill Omelet
Makes 1 Serving, easily doubled or tripled
2 organic egg whites
1/4 t. dried dill, or 1 t. fresh dill
2/3 C. finely chopped fresh mushrooms (wild if available)
1 T. finely chopped fresh onion
2 T. crab meat
In a small bowl combine egg whites with dill, whisking until lightly frothy. In a small nonstick skillet lightly sprayed with cooking oil saute the mushrooms and onions until tender and liquid from mushrooms evaporates. Transfer mushrooms and onions to a small bowl and mix with crab meat. Wipe clean the skillet with a paper towel, spray lightly with cooking oil, and heat over medium. Add egg mixture and immediately top with filling ingredients, forming a narrow line of filling across the center of the omelet. When edges of the omelette are slightly crisp, carefully roll omelet up from one side with a rubber spatula to completely enclose filling, turn omelet over, and cook on other side for an additional 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately.
For oodles of other delicious recipes, come visit the IBS Recipe Exchange board!
Are you just learning how to eat for IBS? A little intimidated at the thought of special IBS recipes? Not quite sure just what makes these recipes special in the first place? Don't worry! Come see
the IBS Diet pages, and find the answers to all your questions.
Changes to Heather's Tummy Store
I regret to say that I have to announce a price increase for Heather's Tummy Fiber ~ Organic Acacia. For the past two years Acacia crops have fallen far below their normal levels. Two years ago, harvests were half of what they normally are, and last year the Acacia harvest was only one third of what it should have been. This has caused a serious, worldwide shortage and as a result the Acacia prices from our supplier have increased significantly. Some of you have already seen various news articles about the global Acacia crisis and the wide range of companies that have been affected.
For the past several years, the summer temperatures in the African regions that harvest Acacia (the only place in the world where Acacia orchards grow) have simply not been hot enough. Temperatures have to climb to 120 degrees Fahrenheit before Acacia trees start to exude their sap. This sap forms golden balls of pure soluble fiber on the trunks of the trees, and the balls are then harvested by hand, and naturally processed into Acacia powder.
If harvests do not improve over the next several years, prices will undoubtedly continue to rise. I really hope that doesn't happen. Prices from our supplier had actually risen some time ago, but I had been trying to avoid making this change. Unfortunately, I can't avoid it any longer, and I have had to make a price adjustment from $10.95 to $13.95 for a one pound bag of Heather's Tummy Fiber.
At the same time, I've also had to adjust the price for the Peppermint Caps from $17.95 for two bottles to $18.95 for two bottles. I had known for a while that I'd priced my margins too low from the get-go with this product, but as with the Acacia I'd been trying to avoid the inevitable for as long as possible. I do think this price is still one of the best values on the market for enteric coated peppermint oil capsules.
My goal from the start of founding my business has been to provide the best possible information, services, and products for IBS at the best possible value. So, to extend as much consideration as possible and to say thank you for your support, I have a special sale price for the Acacia and the Peppermint Caps in effect for the next two weeks. The sale is only available to you who are a part of our IBS community, and you can only reach the sale pages through this newsletter: Heather's Tummy Fiber is 10% off, and the Peppermint Caps are at the old price of $17.95 for two bottles.
New Views - and Some Respect - for IBS
Long disparaged as a "wastebasket disease," irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) appears to be gaining newfound respect among researchers, drug makers and gastroenterologists. The question now: Will other physicians begin to recognize IBS as a treatable condition, or will they continue to view it as a largely psychosomatic illness?
Researchers have made major strides in detecting the physiologic underpinnings of IBS as well as the nature of patients' "gut-brain" interactions. At the same time, drug makers now offer treatments that specifically target a broad range of IBS symptoms. And gastroenterologists have identified the signs of IBS that can lead to a definitive diagnosis, crafting guidelines to help physicians distinguish IBS from other conditions.
But as many gastroenterologists are quick to point out, much of the progress being made on IBS has been lost on general practitioners. Rapid advances have created a "very big gap between primary care and gastroenterology," said Douglas A. Drossman, FACP, co-director of the University of North Carolina Center for Functional Gastrointestinal and Motility Disorders at Chapel Hill. "Primary care doctors are not up to speed." To help close that gap, here is an overview of the latest developments in IBS research and treatment...
Check here for more
information...
High-Fiber, Low-Fat Diet Helps Calcium Prevent Colon Cancer
Calcium supplements could cut colon polyp risk -- especially advanced polyps that lead to colon cancer, new research suggests. The report appears in the latest issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The researchers analyzed data from patients involved in the large Calcium Polyp Prevention Study. The analysis involved 913 patients whose average age was 61 and who were followed for at least four years.
They had been randomly assigned to take either 1,200 mg calcium supplements or a placebo. Each volunteer was asked about the calcium, fat, and fiber they typically got in their diet. Each participant had a history of having a polyp removed at least three years prior to the start of the study. They also had a colonoscopy at the beginning of the study to document no remaining polyps in the colon.
After four years: The calcium group had 18% fewer noncancerous polyps and 35% fewer advanced polyps -- those with features that have a higher potential to become colorectal cancer -- compared with the placebo group. There was another interesting pattern: Those with fewest polyps ate a high-calcium, high-fiber, low-fat diet.
Check here for more
information...
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth & IBS
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which affects 11% to 14% of the population, is a puzzling condition with multiple models of pathophysiology including altered motility, visceral hypersensitivity, abnormal brain-gut interaction, autonomic dysfunction, and immune activation. Although no conceptual framework accounts for all the symptoms and observations in IBS, a unifying explanation may exist since 92% of these patients share the symptom of bloating regardless of their predominant complaint.
The possibility that small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) may explain bloating in IBS is supported by greater total hydrogen excretion after lactulose ingestion, a correlation between the pattern of bowel movement and the type of excreted gas, a prevalence of abnormal lactulose breath test in 84% of IBS patients, and a 75% improvement of IBS symptoms after eradication of SIBO. Altered gastrointestinal motility and sensation, changed activity of the central nervous system, and increased sympathetic drive and immune activation may be understood as consequences of the host response to SIBO.
Conclusions: The gastrointestinal and immune effects of SIBO provide a possible unifying framework for understanding frequent observations in IBS, including postprandial bloating and distension, altered motility, visceral hypersensitivity, abnormal brain-gut interaction, autonomic dysfunction, and immune activation.
Check here for more
information...
Herbs are an Abundant Source of Antioxidants
Researchers from the US Department of Agriculture have found that herbs are an abundant source of antioxidants and could provide potential anticancer benefits when supplementing a balanced diet.
The research, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Chemical Society, showed that herbs have higher antioxidant activity than fruits, vegetables and some spices, including garlic.
"Some herbs should be considered as regular vegetables," said Shiow Y. Wang, Ph.D., the study's lead researcher and a biochemist with the USDA's Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville, Md. "People should use more herbs for flavouring instead of salt and artificial chemicals." The herbs with the highest antioxidant activity belonged to the oregano family, the research showed. Other herbs were also found to be high in antioxidants, including dill, garden thyme, rosemary and peppermint.
Check here for more
information...
Probiotics, Dead or Alive, Can Relieve Gut Disease
Probiotics, the bacteria thought to help gut health disorders, allergies and even some forms of cancer, contain immune system-stimulating DNA, which makes them just as effective when inactivated as when consumed as live microorganisms in dairy products, say US researchers. The findings, reported in Gastroenterology, offer considerable potential for food makers previously restricted to adding bacteria to fermented foods like yoghurt. The study, by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel, also reveals a mechanism that can be used to determine and to select which probiotic bacteria are best for patients with IBD.
The addition of probiotic bacteria has until now been limited to dairy products such as yoghurt because it was thought that they needed to be live to have any effect. Adding live bacteria to other foods would result in fermentation, changing the taste, texture and freshness on an hourly basis. But the new research suggests that the metabolic activity of probiotics is not in fact key to their protective effect. The researchers used gamma radiation to reduce the metabolic activity of probiotic bacteria to a minimum. Previous studies, using heat to inactivate the bacteria, destroyed the cellular structure and beneficial aspects.
The irradiated probiotics were given to mice with experimentally induced colitis, which is similar to human IBD. The irradiated probiotics effectively improved the colitis symptoms, as did the administration of viable, 'live' bacteria to another group of mice with colitis. This indicated that inactivated probiotics were as effective as live probiotics. The scientists say that the beneficial, anti-inflammatory activities seen with the inactivated probiotics could be the product of the innate immune system, the body's instant response to invasion by pathogens.
Check here for more
information...
Looking for the latest IBS research and news?
Check out the IBS Research Library!
What's this I hear about an IBS get-together in Vegas?
"Is there really some type of IBS meeting planned in Las Vegas? Is this just a social event or are there seminars and classes?"
Yes, the rumors are true! We're less than 2 months away from our first annual IBS Fall Sprawl in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 15-18, 2004. Now's the time to ensure that you have all the current information about the Sprawl, and to help the delirious Vegas planners and divas (Jennifer, Mags, Kandee, and Shelly) come up with ideas for a fun, entertaining weekend with your IBS peers.
I'll be joining everyone in Vegas, and we'll have an informal question and answer session (along with IBS-safe goodies and herbal teas) at the social Meet & Greet at 10:00am Saturday, at the Imperial Palace. So far, this is the extent of officially planned events - the Vegas sprawl is really meant to be a social gathering for IBS folks and their families, so there are no lectures, classes, or speeches planned. The whole purpose of the trip is to simply meet the people on the IBS Message boards you may have grown close to (and new people you'll grow close to in the future), and to share an understanding of what you're going through with your IBS with others who know exactly where you're coming from. And, of course - to have fun!
For all of the current info about the Fall Sprawl, check out the new Vegas pages for updates, travel tips, hotel prices, and lots of great ideas for your trip. Be sure to drop by the Las Vegas Message Board as well, to make plans for joining other folks for shows, buffets, free Vegas spectacles, and more. We can't wait to see you there!
Please note that the fabulous Vegas divas are doing all of the coordinating for this event. Though I'll definitely be there, I'm not directly involved in any of the planning, and I'm not sponsoring the event, so please direct all questions and comments to the Vegas board; I won't be able to personally answer any concerns about this subject.
Disclaimer: Though I'm delighted to announce the Vegas get-together, and to host the Vegas message board forum, the IBS Fall Sprawl is being organized and run by members of the IBS message board community completely independently of HelpForIBS.com and Heather & Company for IBS, LLC. I cannot warranty or guarantee any outcome or success of this event, nor can the Vegas divas. Please direct all inquiries about the event to members of the Las Vegas forum.
One of the most popular previous IBS Newsletter columns was the Seven Sneaky Deadly Sins of the IBS Diet. Wondering what they all are? Check here...
1. Coffee (yes, decaf counts)
2. Yogurt (it's the safest dairy product for IBS...isn't it?)
3. Alcohol (just one glass of wine is okay, right?)
4. Vitamin supplements (they're good for you, aren't they?)
5. No insoluble fiber foods (they're triggers, so you just don't eat them, right?)
6. Too low a dosage of soluble fiber supplements
7. Not drinking enough water (doesn't soda pop count?)
Heather & Company for IBS, LLC is dedicated to serving people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Our mission is to provide education, support, and products that allow people with IBS to successfully manage their symptoms through lifestyle modifications.
We offer extensive information and tangible help for IBS, including the world's best-selling and best-reviewed books for the disorder. We provide the internet's top IBS web site resources; a twice-monthly IBS Newsletter; seminars and classes; dietary brochures for patient distribution by health care professionals; an IBS Research Library; and Heather Cooks!, a healthy cooking show on Seattle television. Much of our work is based on Heather's development of the first and only comprehensive IBS dietary guidelines and recipes, an achievement which has earned numerous awards and accolades as well as thousands of thank you letters from IBS sufferers.
Heather & Company also provides the only patient-expert moderated IBS Message Boards on the internet with forums for diet, recipes, hypnotherapy, yoga, plus Crohn's and Colitis. In addition, we support and coordinate the formation and continuation of local in-person IBS support groups across the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. We will soon have other IBS services and products available.
Our website receives over 2.5 million visits each year, and our newsletter is sent to over 25,000 people. We are regular exhibitors at the Digestive Disease Week and American Dietetic Association conferences.
Sponsorship opportunities are available for the message boards and this newsletter for companies and/or products that have been legitimately established as helpful for digestive disorders.
Please contact us for information.
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LEGAL DISCLAIMER - This email is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a doctor-patient relationship. Any application of the recommendations in this email is at the reader's discretion. Heather Van Vorous and Heather & Company for IBS, LLC are not liable for any direct or indirect claim, loss or damage resulting from use of this email and/or any web site(s) linked to/from it. Readers should consult their own physicians concerning the recommendations in this email.
Heather & Company for IBS, LLC
80 S. Washington St., Suite 304
Seattle, WA 98104 USA
© 2004 Heather & Company for IBS, LLC. All rights reserved.
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