The BRAT Diet

There are several ways to combat and ultimately remedy your IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and diarrhea, I’ll be discussing IBS and diarrhea in a couple of my next up and coming posts, this is the first.

I’m constantly scouring over the latest findings about all things that relate to the brat diet and related ailments that may cause one to seek out the eating regimen for relief, thus IBS is certainly often in that conversation.  Here’s some of the latest thinking from experts and researchers in their field and an accumulation of things read or notes taken that have made it to my desk.

What To Do About Your IBS And Diarrhea

Since no specific cure exists for anyone, the best solution to problems related to IBS is lifestyle management, according to Locke. Stress management, having exercises on a regular basis, avoiding large amount of foods and choosing to eat small regular amounts instead, can help solve the difficulty. Once this is accomplished, other interventions should base on what the patient is experiencing regularly; constipation or diarrhea. If diarrhea is the main occurrence, one can take nonprescription Imodium, which is also referred to as loperamide, or take milk of magnesia where constipation is the predominant occurrence. This applies for light symptoms, and of the symptoms persist, patients can do one of the following:

Avoid foods which cause the symptoms or the triggers. The likely triggers in this case are milk, chocolate, and alcohol. Patients can also avoid taking beverages with caffeine and greased foods. This is important because many associate IBS with particular foods, according to Chang.

Both diarrhea and constipation-related cases can be settled by use of fiber foods. These foods help accumulate stools because they can hold water. They can also help patients to avoid constipation by bringing fluid in the bowels.  Supplements such as FiberCon can assist according to professor Galier. Another solution is the Detoxifiber. This is manufactured and sold by the Garden of Life and has no gluten. It comprises of fiber, both in soluble and insoluble forms in a balanced quotient. It also does not have harsh laxative or psyllium.  However, it is recommended that people should avoid taking too much fiber to avoid bloating, but establish the workable dosage as directed on the package.

Use of Probiotics: they add good bacteria in the intestines, hence improves the condition therein. A number of studies during a yearly scientific meeting argued at the America College of Gastroenterology that probiotics can return to normal the bowel conditions. This happens in 28 days of use. However, these studies do not explain whether treatment is achieved by use of combined strains or single strains of probiotics.

Use of Lactobacillus acidophilus can reduce IBS symptoms after four weeks as would use of Bifidobacterium infantis (both are influential types of bacteria). In addition to having no side effects, these types increase the patient’s quality of life. Vegetarians may use the American Health Priobiotics CD option. It has the two types of bacteria mentioned.

Consider using Ginger: it is an herb that is argued to help in digestion. It can also help reduce stomach problems, as well as a solution for diarrhea. The forms and dosage to be taken include powdered root of the herb (2-4g/day), as well as tincture (1 and half-3 mls/day) and fresh root (a quarter gram to 1 gram/day). This is just the start of some of the material I’ll be writing about related specifically to IBS and diarrhea, but don’t fret, more posts are around the corner.

Sandy

Probiotics: The Discussion Begins:

Probiotics are very important in prevention and managing of digestion of ailment. The supplement is also important in boosting of body immunity. Probiotics are found in both the supplement and also from fermented food like yoghurt and miso. Individuals’ bodies contain billions of both harmful and good bacteria. Most of the bacteria are found in the intestines. Beneficial bacteria aid in digestion of food and synthesize of nutrients like vitamin K, B and fatty acids.

Antibiotics, stress and gastrointestinal ailment interfere with good-bad bacteria ratio in the intestines. They contribute in the reduction of beneficial bacteria, leaving one exposed to infections from the action of harmful bacteria. Adding of probiotics supplement helps beneficial bacteria to thrive in the intestine. This is important in solving of the intestine ailment. Probiotics are helpful in boosting of body’s immune system. They boost the effectiveness of the white blood cells, which act to safeguard the body immunity. People who take three capsules of supplement daily are able to boost their immunity.

Some Precautions Before Taking Probiotics And Adding Them To Your Diet

Before buying probiotic supplements, it is necessary to ensure that the product is fresh and not expired. You should make sure that expiry dates are well checked and shown. Expired probiotic are not effective and can be harmful to your health. The fresher the probiotic, the better it is. Effectiveness of probiotic is very high when it is fresh.
Liquid probiotics should always be stored in the refrigerator section. Chilling keeps bacteria alive. Live bacteria are more effective than dead ones. So, to get good results, one should make sure that fresh probiotics are picked from refrigerators.

Choosing Probiotics For You And those You Care For

Different probiotics can be obtained for different ailment. It is important that the right probiotic is purchased to ensure desirable results are obtained. Visit natural food stores to buy the right probiotic to tackle your problem.
There are different probiotic brands available. Some additional common ailments causing a need for using or buying probiotics are as follows, why take probiotics – other than what we have already discussed elsewhere on this Brat Diet website are:

Traveler’s diarrhea: This kind of complication can be avoided by taking some strains of good bacteria in the form of OTC – over the counter probiotics, including the saccharomyces boulardii and lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. These kinds of probiotics are normally taken by individuals who are intending to travel to places. The product is taken two days before traveling, and stopped two days after returning home. Such probiotics help in prevention of diarrhea for persons who are traveling, avoiding the horror stories of bad water, poor hygiene, etc.  That said, just because you are taking probiotics, does not mean you through caution at the wind; you must be smart about the foods you eat and stay in the mind set of prevention.

Antibiotic caused diarrhea: This complication is common in people who are taking antibiotics. Probiotics used to prevent this kind of complication include lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and saccharomyces boulardii.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): This kind of complication is common in persons who are in medications. Some medicine taken react with the body, causing such complications. This probiotics are normally taken to prevent such kinds of complication from occurring and include lactobacillus plantarum and bifidobacterium infantis. This probiotic should always be taken as long one is taking treatment. This probiotic helps in preventing this kind of complication.

Vaginal yeast infection: A common type of yeast infection, vaginal yeast infections can be prevented by taking probiotic lactobacillus acidophilus. Make note of the previously discussed myths about “yeast infections” on this site, for further reading.

This last example, lactobacillus acidophilus is an example of the type of good bacteria strain you will commonly find on the back of a bottle of probiotics.  When I listed each strain, specifically above, it was to arm you with the very specific information needed when comparing labels, and yes, I do realize that unless you are a licensed medical doctor or practitioner or lab tech studying biomedicine regularly, pronouncing such words may be a mouthful.

Taking of Food or Supplements

Many of the researchers are of the view that food sources don’t produce the required number of bacteria to handle some illness. Food sources should be supplemented with probiotics to produce the required number of bacteria in the intestines. Taking of fermented food helps in improving of individual health. Fermented food contains both beneficial and harmful bacteria, so it’s important to take probiotic supplement to boost thriving of the beneficial bacteria. By using probiotics, you will be able to obtain more health benefits.

Some of the food that produces beneficial bacteria includes sauerkraut and miso. These are natural source of beneficial bacteria in the intestines and can always be obtained in the natural food stores.

When one is experiencing intestine ailments or wants to boost immune system, there are many probiotic supplements which he/she can choose from. Some of the common probiotic available includes lactobacillus, bifidocaterium, entrecoccus and saccharomyces. Probiotics will have different results for different people – because when it comes down to fine-tuning one’s health, individualized answers are the key – specific fixes and solutions specific to your body and the trouble that needs to be fixed.

Effectiveness of beneficial bacteria can be enhanced by taking probiotic supplements. This supplement helps in the generation of massive bifidobacterium in the colon, intestines and digestive tracts and system. Some of the natural sources of the probiotics includes barley, chicory and also dandelion. These can be taken to boost the immune system and solve of gut ailments, but I’ll be certain to cover this is more detail in an upcoming post, as I have gotten some questions about it. A common ingredient to bring to your diet, with regulation (I’m not suggesting you have an excuse to eat entire loaves of breadd, fortified with whole grains or not!) food which has helped some in the thriving of beneficial bacteria includes whole grains in one’s meal.

Sandy

Hey there,

A few days ago, I did a post about flu symptoms, the brat diet and how viral infections spread.  Typical of my usual style, as I went off on a slight tangent, I failed to mention a key part of the discussion.  Specifically, related to how the cold and the flu spreads and the timing related to the window when you are most contagious.

So to clarify my original point, and because I received a handful of emails asking additional health related questions (some on topic the spreading of influenza viruses as they relate to 2011 flu symptoms, and a couple slightly off topic which I’ll expand on in future posts), here’s one of the trickiest parts of diagnosing, curing, stopping the spread of such contagious viruses and getting over the cold or flu, to date:

Let’s use YOU as an example here.  Suppose you are just minding your business, doing all the things you normally do in, say, a typical work day.  Get up, maybe kiss your spouse, significant other, parents, or kids.  Maybe eat breakfast, grab a cup from the cupboard, utensils from the drawer, cereal box, fresh juice, and eat it while reading the paper or surfing the latest news online, or maybe a bit of channel flipping with remote in hand, before opening the door and heading to your car.

Now, you feel just fine.  No cold or flu symptoms to speak of.  Feeling good and healthy.  Not even a suspicion of being ill, or feeling sickness coming on.

You’re not sick today.  But tomorrow flu symptoms pop-up and you start feeling sick.  So naturally, you might react a bit different, knowing you are NOW coming down with something.  Right?  You might avoid people, or be more conscious about staying extra healthy, or doing more preventative acts, because those cold symptoms are making you feel less than normal, and red-flagging you to something being a bit off.  Maybe you have a runny nose, or a sore throat, or a headache coupled with a fever.

Well here’s the real kicker of that scenario: the time when you are most contagious, is the day before your symptoms appeared!  Yes, the day when you were touching things and behaving as if you were not sick, is the time you are most contagious and spreading your cold pretty much wherever you go, depending in your lifestyle, routine and habits.

Sure, you can remain contagious for about a week while you are sick and feeling sick, but it’s that twenty four hour period (24 hours) right before you actually feel sick that the influenza virus as spreading from you in rapid force.

Pretty tough to combat, eh?  Even with the best intentions, most don’t even know they are doing more harm than good…

Conventional, licensed, mainstream doctors will be the first to tell you of their expertise, savvy and authority, but it still amazes me how, despite so much research and money spent, millions continue to be tricked and baffled by viruses and viral infections, such as colds and flus (not flues) and how they spread from one person to another.

You can get contagious flu, cold and influenza germs by touch and breathing it in which if you think about the process in the same amount of detail as I had to do for this health post, you may very well be a bit disgusted, but worse, will become even more aware of your immediate environment: the good, the bad and the ugly.

Someone who is already sick, and before they even know it (most contagious flu 2011 symptoms happen a day BEFORE one even knows they are in his or her body! – making detection and remedy that much tougher to find a permanent cure for the flu) touches or simply breaths (exhaling), yawns, coughs, sneezes (explosive, rapid projection of germs in force) near you, on you, or in the environment you are now in, or have visited, and you could already be infected!

Just breathe in the microscopic respiratory droplets hanging in the air that are invisible to the naked eye.  Or touch any surface that has been infected by someone who is sick (and remember they may not even know they are sick, yet).  Influenza viruses are everywhere.

Thinking about the possibilities of multiple contacts, with humans, or where humans have been, multiplied by the mind-boggling number of ways that “contact” or “infection” can happen (mouth, nose, breath, hands, saliva, mucus, tissues, door handles, a sneeze, trash cans, bathrooms, public areas, crowds of people, handling money, etc.) is difficult for the average person not to become a “germ-a-phobe” (mysophobia is the clinical term of having a fear of germs or unhealthy contamination or cross-contamination or an even greater scale than the examples above, believe it or not).  You and cover lots of ground about being healthy on this website; the dangers are clearly evident, but even with easy prevention, few others bother to try to keep themselves from being sick, and worse, haphazardly spread their sick germs, cold and flu and all things viral and in between to the rest of us.

It’s a sick cycle that’s gotta stop.  Being smarter about how to stay healthy, but most importantly acting on and applying that knowledge into your life and those you care for, is how to ultimately win, build a near bullet proof immunity and like yours truly, not get sick.  More on that, on another day…

Sandy

Flu and cold symptoms can be deceptive.  Simple in nature, but deceiving both in the final, real diagnosis (it may not be just the cold!) – even if you have all the flu symptoms and because, it’s sometimes tough to determine if a “defined symptom” is for real.

For example, when have you ever felt fatigue, tired, exhausted?  Do you presume you are sick when you do?

What about minor aches and pains in your body, or a headache?  When you have such occurrences in your life and body, is it “nothing”, or should it red-flag you to pay attention and become more alarmed about a potential fatal health condition?

We might snicker and mumble under our breath about flu and cold symptoms, but the very factual part of the matter is that simple, common colds and the flu KILL people.  They can can kill you, your loved ones and permanently change your life forever, if you dismiss your body’s warning signs at the wrong time.

I hope I’m not beating a dead horse here, but if the risk is that you are a bit annoyed and you really GET this point, I think the risk is worth it, if you or the NEXT reader of this diet and health blog heeds the repeated warnings and doesn’t get sick or worse.

See, you are talking with somebody who has watched and witnessed fast deteriorations of people’s health that rapidly led to their ultimate death, in not years but just weeks.  And yes, for clarification, I mean exactly and directly, going from “feeling fine” standing and walking around, to ignoring the warnings and being in a coma or dead in less than a month, just weeks.

A lot of the stuff I write about is indeed absolutely simple to practice and apply.  This website is about a really simple diet, the brat diet, but still there was so much misinformation, or confusion, or unknown answers to health questions, that I had enough, and put this resource together to fix some of that.  The brat diet is easy to do, but people who are sick and vomiting or experiencing diarrhea still don’t know about the brat diet that could make them feel so much better and put them back on the road feeling better and getting healthier.

The most notable, CDC findings and research regarding the flu symptoms for 2011 also are pretty easy to note, and pay attention to, but that said, with such easily available information today, it gets lost.  Access to information, especially in the literal billions and billions of pages on just Google alone, makes the problem of putting your hands on factual, scientifically proven, correct to date, fast information a growing, out-of-control, even bigger problem.

The CDC, Center for Disease (Control and Prevention) is a well funded, United States (U.S.) government entity with extreme reach, but because it is “government” there’s often a negative stigma attached (think the food pyramid scandal that led to a nation of heart disease, diabetes and the tipping the scale obese).  And it’s free to access.  “Free information” has always had a negative stigma attached to it, because the regular argument is that if it is so valuable, why is it free?

See, it is more complicated than first meets the eye.  The bottom line is simple and easy.  Finding it, for most people is the more difficult part.

The Biggest Risk Regarding Cold and Flu Symptoms: 2011 / 2012:

As addressed in one of the health videos I recently made for you, I think the biggest risk even when you are fully aware of and recognized that you indeed have 2011 flu symptoms, is false diagnosis.

We live in an information rich society.  Just here in the United States, access to health sites (online), health magazines, free medical advice, expertise, books, podcasts, radio, television, news, etc. can be quite overwhelming.  Although high in quantity, weeding the fact from the fiction, myth or contradicting information can be a challenge to anyone who is a patient, sick or suffering.

Self diagnosing your ailment, cold, flu or any string of rhinovirus or influenza, while with good intent, can lead to false conclusions, even when you know and actively possess the flu symptoms pointing to what seems like the obvious choice.

Do you have a simple viral infection?  Will it run it’s course in a number of days?  Is it only the beginning of something much, much more severe?  Are you at higher risk and don’t even know it?

Although, we tend to seek and love “cure-all”, one size fits all, “magic bullet”, just take one of these pills and everything will be alright solutions and medical, doctor-approved answers, the danger of being armed with the right information regarding flu and cold symptoms, is you may be one hundred percent wrong.

Yes, even sicker than the known symptoms suggest.  We live for blanket answers.  Access to easy, quick, free medical and health information is a great resource to have at your fingertips for certain, but so much more goes into correctly diagnosing your condition, even when symptoms are demonstrated.  Your age, gender, health status, prescription drugs, lifestyle, geographic location, family history, environment, etc., etc., all play major roles in determining what’s really going on with you.

You are a unique individual; what’s true for you, may not be the same assumption or cold and flu diagnosis as say your Mother, or child, or husband.  Please, don’t assume you know, seek medical attention when you feel something is not right about you.