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Denialism on veganism: a systemic blind spot among doctors regarding the health benefits of plant-based diets

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“So, where do you get your protein?”

A fellow doctor asked this question after finding out I became a vegan. Imagine my surprise, considering that doctors should know that a person’s daily protein requirement was less than one gram per kilogram of body weight.

While avoiding meat, dairy, and poultry altogether may mean the rejection of an entire food source that has all the essential amino acids a person needs, this abstinence leads to a trade-off that is pretty much worth it. Instead of consuming cholesterol-laden meat, vegans can opt for a balanced diet that provides all the protein they need without any of the artery-clogging fat.

It seems that doctors, being the health experts that we are supposed to be, have a blind spot when it comes to veganism’s role in health. You might think the above anecdote is an isolated incident, but it isn’t. How many local medical societies have boldly released statements about the benefits of a vegan way of life? How many doctors have openly endorsed — and are also following — plant-based diets?

Medical practice as a whole still speaks of a general passivity, if not ignorance, regarding the major contribution of plant-based nutrition in the prevention of non-communicable diseases. These diseases, by the way, happen to be the top causes of mortality worldwide.

Denial in systemic addiction

Ask a person who eats bacon if they can live without it forever and their reaction runs the gamut from mild anxiety to violent refusal. However, barely any bacon-eating person will admit the unhealthy, almost-addictive nature of their food choices — even if that person was a doctor.

While not quite meeting the criteria for addiction, man’s obsession with meat and compulsion to consume it hint at an unhealthy dependence almost akin to addiction. After all, we have been warned against the negative impact of animal agriculture on health and ecology. In fact, eating meat comes with many defense mechanisms common in addiction, such as denial.

“Mmm, bacon.” These two words have become the most common retort to ward off vegan advocates. They also reveal how a barbaric way of life — one we are barely even aware of — has become widely accepted despite it being harmful not only to our health, but to our planet and the many animals with which we share it. Once addicted, the brain will deny that it is on the path to self-destruction.

“Meat bias”

Even a medical education does not necessarily spare a person from the pro-meat propaganda. I, for one, have eaten meat for almost 40 years. Despite doctors lobbying against cow’s milk for babies, we have somehow forgotten to lobby against it for adults.

This “meat bias” can be found across all medical fields. Even as rheumatologists are now aware that gout is not caused by legumes, they still forget to conclude that foregoing meat is a great way for the human body to heal. Even as the American Medical Association adopts a resolution asking hospitals to exclude processed meat from their meals, many cardiologists neglect to recommend plant-based diets to all their patients, especially those with heart and weight problems.

No; just because we benefit from cow’s milk does not mean it is okay to have male cows masturbated, female cows raped, and baby cows killed for it. We can get the exact same benefits through more compassionate, more sustainable means that do not involve the unnecessary mass murder of animals and exploitation of natural resources.

No; it does not make sense for rational human beings, especially doctors, to continue to passively support the meat industry. We should know better about how animal agriculture is one of the leading drivers of deforestation, air pollution, and water degradation.

Passive denialism in the health industry

The passive refusal of many health professionals to acknowledge veganism as the key to better health may be evident in the relative absence of lectures in some medical schools about the pros and cons of veganism; the traditional focus on curative instead of preventive medicine, especially in terms of nutrition; and the lack of active recommendations by other medical societies about plant-based diets being superior to meat-based ones.

In essence, our low-key denial becomes a systemic practice that reflects our blind acceptance of the cruel, unhealthy way we eat — and our collective refusal to actively espouse veganism becomes a form of denialism. When denial becomes ridiculously widespread that it clouds even the judgment of specialists and health experts, it becomes more than an isolated defense mechanism and deserves its own suffix.

Veganism as a health recommendation

Doctors have every reason to encourage patients to shift to plant-based diets. According to the American Dietetics Association, “The results of an evidence-based review showed that a vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease. Vegetarians also appear to have lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension and type 2 diabetes than nonvegetarians. Furthermore, vegetarians tend to have a lower body mass index and lower overall cancer rates.”

Veganism prevents not only disease but also climate change. As health professionals, the health of the only planet we live in should also be every doctor’s concern.

According to the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), raising cattle produces more greenhouse gases than transportation. Henning Steifeld of FAO said in a report that livestock turned out to be “one of the most significant contributors to today’s most serious environmental problems”, which included water pollution and deforestation.

It is in everyone’s best interest for all doctors to learn more about veganism. Neutrality regarding veganism isn’t a courtesy to people who eat meat; it is a form of denialism that endorses a cruel, unsustainable way of life despite its negative impact on our health, our fellow sentient creatures, and our planet.

*Conflicts of interest: I am a vegan doctor and the founder of Pangasinan Vegans.

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How multiple sclerosis (MS) makes you feel

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MS Awareness Week
Today’s video from MS Trust for #MSAwarenessWeek approaches the very difficult topic of how being diagnosed and living with MS makes you feel. In today’s video, we are joined by 17-year-old Chloe, 16-year-old Deon and Matthew and Haley, who are all either living with MS or one of their closed loved ones are affected by the condition.

Every day this week, MS trust have released a video around the subject, in a bid to help raise awareness of the condition, especially to a younger audience. As over 70% of those living with MS experience symptoms before they are 20, it’s extremely important to raise the profile of this condition to a younger audience. Talkhealth are working with the MS Trust to help these videos get as much views as possible to help raise awareness of the condition. You can view the whole video below:

If you want to take a look at all the videos from this week, head to the talkhealth blog, where we have an article for each video, or go to the MS trust’s YouTube page.

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Explaining MS symptoms

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MS Awareness Week

Trying to explain MS to someone who doesn’t have the condition can be extremely difficult; multiple sclerosis can have a huge impact of people in a variety of different ways, so convey this to someone with no experience of the condition can be tricky.

To help with this, MS Trust have enlisted some scouts and two MS scientists to help explain and demonstrate some of the more common MS symptoms. This is all part of the MS Trust’s #MSAwarenessWeek campaign; every day the charity has released a new video exploring different aspects of MS, and trying to raise awareness of the condition, especially to younger people. talkhealth are working with MS Trust to try and get as many people to see the videos as possible, and you can view today’s video below:

If you want to keep up to date on all of the MS Trust’s videos this week, keep an eye on our blog or head to their YouTube page.

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The A to Z of Multiple Sclerosis

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MS Awareness Week

We’ve now reached the mid-way point of #MSAwarenessWeek, and the MS trust have released another video around the condition, in a bid to help raise awareness about the disease. Over 70% of those living with MS experience symptoms before the age of 20 and, as such, MS Trust are releasing a new video every day aimed at younger people to help demystify the condition.

talkhealth are working with MS Trust throughout this week, by supporting their new video releases, and today’s video will give you an A to Z rundown to help you understanding more about MS.

You can view the video below:

With a new video out every day this week, be sure to keep up to date on every new video as they appear with our blog posts, or head to the MS Trust’s YouTube page.

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This week in health – 20/04/2018

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Hello and welcome to this week’s round-up on the biggest news stories in the world of health. From medical breakthroughs to scorching weather conditions, this week’s round-up certainly has a wide breadth of topics to take on. So, without further ado, let’s begin.

New breakthroughs in research

This week has been great for research breakthroughs. Just today, researchers from Cambridge and Toronto have announced that there has been new progress in understanding the causes motor neuron disease and a rare form of dementia. They have found a protein that cause brain cells to die in both conditions and are cautiously optimistic about how this breakthrough can help further research and improve treatments.

In addition to this, scientists have begun work on a skin implant which could help aid the detection of cancer. The implant reacts when elevated levels of calcium are present in the body, which is linked to some cancers. The research is still in its infancy, however scientists are hopeful that the technology will be successful and help in the fight against cancer.

Finally, a new drug, named Erenumab, has been developed which has been seen to help combat migraines. It has managed to work where other drugs have failed and takes the form of a monthly injection. Early signs of the drugs success are promising and, if the costs a justified, could be offered as a treatment plan for patients on the NHS.

Dealing with the weather

Now, April really is turning the heat up. You’d be forgiven for forgetting that it was snowing only about a month ago. With the new weather comes new problems; for starters, how is anyone expected to get any sleep in this heatwave? Well, if you’re struggling to get some z’s, take a look at these helpful tips and get that well needed sleep!

We all know exercise is good for the mind and body, but in this weather the thought of exercise can definitely be daunting. If you need some tips and tricks for getting the most out of your exercise in this heat, then this guide is exactly what you’re looking for. Let’s not forget that the London Marathon is also taking place this weekend, with many runners taking part to raise money for all manner of charities. With runners and spectators from across the world attending the event, staying safe keeping hydrated should be at the top of your list. If you’re running the marathon, we wish you all the best of luck!

Finally, with the hot weather comes hay fever. As the sunnier weather brings with it the risk of higher pollen counts, hay fever is a real concern for many people across the UK. If you suffer with hay fever, there are things you can do to help minimise the problems you face in this heat and enjoy the sun just like the rest.

Being prepared or pregnancy

Before, during and after pregnancy, how you look after your body is extremely important. The latest research that has found many UK women are not “nutritionally prepared for pregnancy” should be alarming news.

The research found the health of both parents before conception plays a key role in healthy pregnancies as well as the child’s long-term health. However, the research found that many women were not in a healthy place because of their diet. And the problem didn’t just sit with women; it was also found in a related review that linked male obesity with adverse effects to a child’s development.

If you are worried about your diet or have any health tips you would like to share, head to talkweight.

The truth behind being a patient

Being a patient can be tough, but it appears that it’s becoming more difficult. This is down to the fact that there are unprecedented numbers of patients living with multiple conditions at once, leading many to label being a patient as a full-time job, due to the amount of appointments and screenings they have to go through.

The researchers behind the study have stated that the NHS and other health systems are not prepared to take on these new developments – with many doctors and nurses all too often focussed on a single condition. This is turn leads patients to a prolonged time in the system, with multiple appointments with different specialists, adding additional strain not only to the patients but the NHS system as well.

And that’s it for this week’s round-up. If you want to continue to conversation, head over to the talkhealth forums!

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Sodium healthy or unhealthy?

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Salt has been valued highly for as long as mankind can remember, to the point in which people used to use it for trading with others around the globe. Salt was a significant factor as to why early humans settled around the coastlines. As Mark Kurlansky explains in his book, A World History of Salt, “salt is so common, so easy to obtain, and so inexpensive that we have forgotten that from the beginning of civilization until about 100 years ago, salt was one of the most sought-after commodities in human history.”

 

Salt has kind of been put into the same bracket of saturated fat in which its been deemed unhealthy for so long that we believe it to simply be true, but like saturated fat we’re finding out that there is more to it than just the blanket term that it’s unhealthy. Just like the controversy saturated fat has stirred up, sodium seems to have been solely blamed for hypertension, heart disease and strokes often being referred to as the single most harmful substance in the food supply. Yes, the average American consumes on average 10 grams of salt a day of which 75% comes from processed foods meaning its table salt-sodium chloride which lacks all the other elements that a sea salt or Himalayan salt would provide us with like potassium, sodium’s synergistic electrolyte.

 

I’ll share later how in otherwise healthy individuals low salt intake actually causes an increase in all causes of mortality when in fact salt intake reasonably higher than the RDA proves to be health promoting.

 

Sodium for athletes and how athletes need for salt is higher

 

Sodium is an electrolyte and the body needs an adequate amount of electrolytes in a balance to work optimally. When we exercise we tend to lose a tremendous amount of salt via our sweat ducts and only replacing our sweat with neat water isn’t optimizing our potential for performance.

 

Electrolytes are chemical substances that become ions in solution and acquire the capacity to conduct electricity. Electrolytes are present in the human body, and the balance of the electrolytes in our bodies is essential for normal function of our cells and our organs. Most commonly known electrolytes are sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride, and magnesium

 

“Studies in Canada at McGill and McMaster Universities have concluded that unless one has a specific and serious condition that would preclude them from taking in salt, then salt intake will produce no negative health problems, and could actually be health promoting. As a matter of fact, only 10% of hypertension cases have a known cause, and in almost all of these cases, the cause was either genetic or stress related” See the list below for potential causes of high blood pressure, which are easily modifiable lifestyle factors.

 

When athletes or even health-conscious people begin to train hard and for prolonged periods of time or even for twice a day sessions we begin to sweat a lot more losing vast amounts of water and sodium along the way. Couple this with cleaning up our diets and moving towards a much healthier diet with a lot less processed foods which is a good thing, but as we begin to drastically lower our salt intake we may notice a drop in performance, increase in fatigue levels as a result of table salt being put into most processed foods.

 

So why is sodium so important for athletes?

 

Sodium and potassium work in synergy with each other to keep the integrity of the cell intact, sodium being outside the cell and potassium inside the cell. We use a method called the sodium-potassium pump to transfer the electrolytes to the cell membrane when needed. This process directly impacts on blood volume and therefore blood pressure as well as many other functions within the body. But blood volume and pressure is important for athletes during exercise because they help supply the muscles with adequate amounts of oxygen, and nutrients when under pressure to keep performance high as well as remove waste products away from the area that is likely to prolonging fatigue. Hence if we have lower than optimal levels of sodium we would have less oxygen and nutrients getting to the muscles and a higher accumulation of waste products than optimal.

 

Potassium has some very crucial roles within the body and relies on sodium to become effective and vise versa, hence the need to maintain an electrolyte balance between these two synergetic electrolytes. When we have the correct balance of potassium and sodium water balance is regulated, which prevents from water retention within the cells, the acid-base balance in blood and tissue is maintained. In nerve cells, sodium potassium influx aids the electrical potential, which results in the conduction of a nerve impulse and finally movement including regulation of the heartbeat.

Potassium also plays roles within energy metabolism such as synthesis of protein from amino acids, plays a role within carbohydrate metabolism playing an active part in converting glucose to glycogen for energy to be stored in the liver for future energy. Our kidneys continuously excrete potassium regardless of how much we have within our body, hence the importance of striving to keep this electrolyte within the diet if you want a healthy body.

 

For athletes who want a rapid exchange of nutrients/electrolytes to keep performance high due to the high demand, it’s essential to have adequate levels ingested. Active transport of potassium into the cells is shuttled in by sodium via active transport, but this is a metabolically expensive process so if we’re lacking the needed nutrients the thyroid has the ability to slow down our resting caloric expenditure and BMR because we can’t process this metabolic pathway at the rate needed to sustain the level of output desired creating fatigue and decreased performance, as an athlete this is terrible news but easily fixed with correct nutrition planning both acutely and long-term.

 

The bodies main loss of sodium is via sweat glands, athletes with high outputs will find they lose high amounts of sodium everyday especially athletes who train twice a day and use sauna’s and steam rooms for recovery. Having large losses of sodium signals the release of the hormone aldosterone to be released, which is a stress hormone, released by the adrenal glands. It aims to conserve sodium loss and promote potassium excretion to balance homeostatic regulation of electrolytes through the kidneys, saliva and sweat glands. This is the hormone responsible for water retention or loss, bodybuilders or athletes doing water cuts want to influence this hormone to dehydrate or make weight for shows or competitions, it also plays a huge role on blood pressure as aldosterone effects blood volume by controlling sodium and potassium levels. Aldosterone is part of the rennin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system, which directly affects blood pressure, antihypertensive drugs work by inhibiting aldosterone’s secretion, the net result being increased sodium excretion and potassium retention. The case of the athletes with high outputs and low sodium intakes drinking neat water tends to exacerbate the problem. The persistent loss of sodium eventually becomes chronic and potassium ends up leaving the cell to replace sodium producing a dysfunctional cell ultimately causing muscle weakness, cramp, flat looking physique and lethargy.

 

The way in which water retention works is water follows sodium because sodium is positively charged and water is negatively charged. In the presence of aldosterone, sodium is held onto by the body and not secreted; the water follows the sodium into the cell causing water retention as a result.

 

It can be the case that the fatigue from dieting and intense training can be improved by introducing sodium into your protocol. If you’ve been dieting for weeks it can be expected that fatigue will accumulate due to the hypo-caloric intake but ensuring sodium levels will be a good precaution. If you’ve been dieting for a long period of time and sodium is at a favorable level and you’re no longer losing weight it could be time to introduce a diet break to give the body a break and rebalance hormones such as leptin, ghrelin, and thyroid etc.

 

Water and sodium needs for an athlete should consist of your body weight in KG x 0.033 = water in liters you should drink each day and 2 grams of sodium per day per liter of water that you drink.

 

Athletes new to taking sodium may experience some initial water retention but if the sodium and water intake levels are consistent this will dissipate over time and the benefits in physique and performance will be noticed. There is a small percentage of the population that has a hypersensitivity to salt and will have a dramatic change to blood pressure with a variation of sodium within the diet, these people are no different to individuals with nut allergies or lactose intolerance and should not be the rule regarding sodium intake but the exception. This being said you must pay attention to your blood pressure when you begin to increase sodium within the diet to ensure you’re not one of these hypersensitive types and that you’re not using table salt as your chosen source to get sodium in, remembering that these guidelines are for athletes performing at high intensities potentially multiple times per day.

 

Sodium and blood pressure

 

Sodium has been related to high blood pressure for a long time now, and high blood pressure is extremely dangerous increasing the risk of heart failure, coronary heart disease and stroke with 1 in 4 people suffering from hypertension. Sodium and blood pressure levels have been increasing worldwide along with the increase in processed foods that carries the salt. Some additional changes were also noticed that play a role in hypertension is body mass index, stress, lack of physical exercise, decrease potassium consumption, lack of sleep and smoking rates. All of these factors contribute to hypertension, not just salt intake, even though the Paleolithic man consumed very little sodium we’re finding that higher sodium intakes are correlated to higher life expectancy as seen in the Intersalt study.

It clear to see here also that a low sodium intake even puts you at a higher risk of mortality as our body works extremely hard to conserve sodium when intakes are low as many important metabolic functions won’t work in the absence of sodium and here is were aldosterone comes in to conserve sodium and stop it from being passed through the urine.

 

Aldosterone is not something you want consistently high levels of either, as it’s associated with increased inflammation, kidney disease, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.

 

Low sodium = Increases in aldosterone = Blood vessel constriction via nitric oxide = Increase blood pressure

 

The traditional route is to use ACE inhibitors to block RAAS pathway and bring blood pressure down, but adequate sodium levels could do this for you in the correct dosage balanced with the correct cofactors, so I’m promoting that we use diet and lifestyle factors as well as what your doctor suggestions to keep you healthy.

 

The exact amount of sodium that you actually need is hard to say as we all have different rates of sweat and lifestyle factors that cause us to lose sodium. Some sodium wasting effects are exercise, coffee, low insulin level (keto), temperature, medications or diuretics or illness that causes vomiting or diarrhea. In these circumstances, you may need to autoregulate your intake, as normal doses may be inadequate for your needs but be sure to use a mineral dense salt not table salt.

 

High blood pressure from salt increase can usually be explained by a potassium deficiency, as you can see below in the table from Sodium intake and prevalence of hypertension, coronary heart disease, and stroke in Korean adults study as sodium levels increased so did potassium levels with no ill effects. Likely due to most of their salt intake coming from salting vegetables.

 

 

Here is a list of tips to help support you if you suffer with hypertension:

 

Potential causes of high blood pressure

1)   Dehydration

2)   No/low salt (mineral salt i.e. Celtic or Himalayan salt)

3)   Too much table salt i.e. sodium chloride

4)   No green leafy vegetables and fruit for potassium

5)   Low vitamin D

6)   No/low exercise

7)   Highly refined carbohydrate diet

Easy fixes to high blood pressure

1)   Increase water intake to 2-4 liters a day depending on size, exercise, and climate

2)   Have adequate levels of mineral salt (we lose most of our sodium via sweat so pay attention to our activity levels)

3)   Increase fruit and vegetables in the diet

4)   Exercise

5)   Supplement vitamin D if exposure to sunlight is low

6)   Increase omega 3’s from fish, algae oil, walnuts and chia seeds

7)   Cayenne pepper, garlic, and ginger have all shown to have positive impacts on hypertension

 

 

There are people out there who are hypersensitive to salt and see an increase blood pressure as sodium increases within in diet. These people should consider monitoring their intakes much more closely and check blood pressure regularly to monitor what their upper limit of sodium per day actually is. These people are just a small group of the population similar to people who are lactose intolerant or have a peanut allergy, they just have to identify themselves as being hypersensitive and take practical steps around their diet to compensate for this sensitivity. This information is not to replace that of your doctor but to support diet and lifestyle factors that you may implement, always consult your doctor before taking drastic action.

 

References

 

1)   https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/abcs-of-nutrition/salt-and-our-health/

2)   http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1311889

3)   https://academic.oup.com/ajh/article/25/1/1/238666

4)   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14497326

5)   https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352618115000475

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Have your say in the future of local NHS dermatology services

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Skin Care

The NHS Commissioning Alliance for Brighton and Hove, Crawley, East Surrey, High Weald Lewes Havens and Horsham and Mid Sussex are looking in to change how their local dermatology services operate, and they need your help.

If you, a member of your family or someone you care for has recently seen a dermatologist in any of these locations, they want to hear from you. They will be running a range of events to help them gather valuable information on how they can develop their dermatology offering.

In particular, they want to hear what works well, what could be done better and what would you change. This is your opportunity to have an important impact on the new developments the NHS Commissioning Alliance put in place. So, if you would like to have your say, sign-up to one of the events below:

  • Monday 23rd April 2 – 4pm: Crawley Baptist Church, Crabtree Rd, RH11 7HJ
  • Tuesday 24th April, 10 – 12pm: Clair Hall, Perrymount Rd, Haywards Heath, RH16 3DN.

To book a place for the above events call 01293 600300 x 3804 and ask for the Planned Care Team Or email: HSCCG.ContactUs-PlannedCare@nhs.net

  • Wednesday 25th April 2.30- 4pm: Diablo Room – Council Offices, 8 Station Rd East, Oxted, RH8 0BT. To book a place call 01883 772810 or email: emma.vince@nhs.net or Victoria.hill12@nhs.net
  • Friday 27th April from 2 – 4pm: Uckfield Civic Centre, Green Room, TN22 1AE (next to Tesco). To book a place call 01273 403582, register online or email: hwlhccg.dermquestions@nhs.net

If you can’t make it to these events, you can share your views in an online survey from the website below at the beginning of May either for Horsham or Crawley.

To keep up to date with all the goings on, make sure to follow the NHS Commissioning Group for Horsham and Mid Sussex on Twitter and Facebook.

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Exercise of The Week

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Add this Week’s Exercise of the Week into your routine!

The Fish.

A simple yet very effective exercise.

  • Stretching the chest, torso, intercostals, hip flexor, and the throat.
  • Strengthening the upper back muscle, the muscles at the back of the neck of which there are many!

The Fish is also a Heart Chakra exercise, associated physical dysfunction associations include hypertension, heart disease and cancer!

Done almost anywhere with just a comfortable placing of the elbows it easy to integrate The Fish into your daily or gym Workout routine. 👌☯

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This Week in Health – 13/04/2018

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Every week, talkhealth round up the top news stories on the world of health from across the web and condense them into one bitesize read. This week, we’re looking at some new advancements in the understanding of cancer, diet and alcohol research and we take a look at whether “Night Owls” really are at risk of an early death.

Cancer Research

New research about cancer

A recent report from male cancer charity, Orchid, has found that 4 out of 10 prostate cancers in the UK are diagnosed late.

The research found that a worrying 37% of all prostate cancers were identified at stages 3 and 4. As with all cancers, the earlier a diagnosis is made the more treatable it is. These statistics shine an alarming light on the current state of prostate cancer awareness in the UK. In comparison, in the US where prostate cancer has a higher profile, only 8% of diagnoses are made at these later stages. On the day this report was released, the government announced a £75-million five-year funding pack for research into prostate cancer, to help combat the condition. As prostate cancer has now overtaken breast cancer, in terms of death figures, more research into the condition is extremely important.

In further cancer news, there has been ground-breaking news around cancer severity and why some cancers are deadlier than others. The study centred around kidney cancer and tracked the development and mutation of cancers through sophisticated genetic work. As more work is done, it is hoped that eventually it will be possible to predict the development of a cancer and treat it quickly and more effectively by providing personalised treatment.

Health news on alcohol and processed food

In the world of food and drink, a new study has found that excessive drinking is not only harmful to your overall health, it can also take years off your life. The study of over 600,000 drinkers concluded that those who regularly drunk between 10 to 15 alcoholic drinks a week could see their lives cut short by as much as two years.

Alongside this, there was some insight into some of the UK’s most popular processed foods, with some rather shocking findings. Eating well and drinking in moderation are extremely important to an individual’s health, so ensuring that you know what you are putting into your body should always be of the upmost importance.

If you have any hints or tips of healthy eating, and drinking in moderation, head to our forums on men’s health, women’s health or weight.

Are night owls at risk?

Finally, there were worrying reports about the link between being a “night owl” and an earlier death, when compared to “early birds”. However, when the research was examined from Behind the Headlines (NHS Choices), it was found that the study doesn’t show a causation factor between the two. “Night Owls” had a tendency to have a less healthy diet and take more risks, which obviously would have an impact on life expectancy.

Sleep

As the explanation from Behind the Headlines notes, if you’re a “Night owl” there’s no need to worry. As long as you maintain a healthy diet and get sufficient sleep, you should be fine. And, if you do struggle to get a good night’s sleep, here’s some tips to improve your sleep.

That’s it for this week. If you want to continue the conversation about any of these subjects, head over to our forums and get involved!

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Coming To Terms With A Stoma

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Some people get a day. Some may get a week, a month, a year. Others may get no warning, simply waking up with a new life.

From IBD and cancer, to colonic inertia, pelvic floor dysfunction and bowel trauma, stoma surgery is undertaken for various reasons. It may be temporary, with the hopes of being reversed at a later date, or it may be permanent.

One thing remains constant: having a stoma is a big deal, though the experience of life with a stoma is as different as every individual is unique.

Pre-Op : Ignorance Is Bliss?

Although I had forewarning and agreed to the surgery, even as I was being rolled in to the operating room my brain hadn’t quite absorbed what was happening. I talked to my parents about it as though it were a clinical rather than personal issue, as though it were happening to someone else. While my parents were upset, I was busy preparing for surgery and focusing on the practical things I could do. It was my third operation but it didn’t feel any easier to get my head around.

In some ways, there was an element of ‘ignorance is bliss’. I didn’t want to know too much; just enough to prepare myself, not too much to scare myself.

Immediate Post-Op : The Aftermath

Post-op

Fast forward to that day, and I woke up with a clear bag attached, rather than the opaque ones you tend to use normally. This is to allow nurses and doctors to see what’s happening in there. For me, it was a horrifying shock. Nurses came to empty the bag while I was in bed, too exhausted to move. IV morphine held back most of the pain but I was unable to leave the bed and sick from the meds, so I was pretty out of it for the first day and most of the second, too. When the bag was emptied and poked and prodded, I looked the other way. The sounds and smells of that ward made me want to go home to take a hot shower and sniff a vanilla candle for an hour. The next day the doctors said things were looking good with the stoma and I could try a little bland, low-residue food and liquid later that night. The bag was emptied. I looked away. I got out of bed tentatively and held onto the bag for fear it would fall off because it felt so alien. After the second night, while still feeling awful, I wanted to go home. My head hurt. I wanted fresh air. I think I was there for four nights but it’s all quite a haze and a lot has evaporated from my memory.

I think it was day 3 that I made myself watch while a stoma nurse changed the bag. I listened as she explained a few of the basics and how she would leave a package of supplies for me. A starter kit, for my new life. She said she’d be back the next morning to teach me to change the bag, as I could go home soon. The next day there was no stoma nurse, and when nobody turned up the morning after that I was getting restless. Gone was the girl who couldn’t face looking at the bag, who didn’t want to accept having it. I wanted out of there. It wasn’t me and this ‘thing’ I had on my stomach anymore. It was “me and my bag are busting out of here and going home”!

Everyone copes with what life throws at us in different ways. I tend to keep myself busy and focus on the things I can affect and control. So when I got home, I focused on the practical things. I sorted through my stoma supplies and visited my friend Google for tips and information. I put my energy into trying to de-stress, to get into a routine with checking, emptying and changing the bag, and into eating small amounts regularly throughout the day. I made it through the first day, and then the day after, by focusing on these small, manageable steps.

And these small steps carried me through the first week and beyond. I survived, I coped, I started to get used to having a stoma. It wasn’t a miracle realisation. It wasn’t something I accepted, but it was something that wasn’t as alien to me any more.

Getting Into The Swing Of Things : Slow Steps

You get used to it, bit by bit, in your own time. But just when I was getting into the swing of taking care of the small, practical steps, the stoma life throws you a curve ball. Leaks in the night. Skin irritation. High output. Low output. Pain. Discomfort.

And somehow you deal with these things, too.

Then there’s the first trip outside and the panic of what to do when the bags needs emptying or if you think there may be a leak. Wanting to cover it up and finding your clothes aren’t comfortable or suitable for your new addition. Worrying others can hear those odd sounds it makes at the most inopportune of times. Wanting to travel but not knowing where to start now you have so much to consider with supplies. Needing to expand your diet and fearing food that could cause a problem. Not knowing whether to tell others about your stoma, or what you should say, worrying about how they would react.

Fast forward and I’m shockingly nearly at the two year anniversary of having a stoma. Since then I’ve been through a colectomy to have my large bowel removed. I’m now waiting on stoma revision surgery as my small bowel kinks (causing agony, and an obstruction which has led me to A&E various times) and consultations for another surgery on top. I’ve been dealing with other worsening health conditions. I’ve been on my first holiday abroad, I’ve worn my first bikini, all with a stoma. I’ve lost my job, but I’ve found fulfilment through blogging. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve been grateful and I’ve struggled.

Getting Used To Life With A Stoma : A Continual Journey

Living with a stoma

Adjusting to life with a stoma happened without too much thought. When you have to deal with something, you may just surprise yourself with how resilient you can be. I focused on small, practical steps. But I neglected to appreciate the emotional impact. I had a few occasions early on where I would suddenly break down, sat on my bedroom floor in a mess of tears, pain and heartache. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I felt like a monster because I didn’t know how to talk to myself with compassion. I lacked reassurance that I was still the same person, that everything would be okay. I didn’t have a social life to buoy my spirits. I had to learn to do that for myself. I also had to learn that it was okay to experience whatever I was feeling and that a good cry can be cathartic.

Some days I feel ugly, useless, awful. Other days I feel a sense of resolve and a greater appreciation for my body.

You ride out the tough days and hope to have less as time goes on. You come to see the lessons you’ve learned and the things you’ve gained, rather than the struggles and sense of loss, even though it’s important to acknowledge all of those things rather than pretend you don’t feel them.

I’m not a woman with a stoma. I’m a daughter, a friend, a writer, a woman with a life that includes a stoma. It’s a part of who I am, but it doesn’t define me, nor do my other ‘invisible illnesses’. I’ve not fully made peace with the reasons behind why I ended up being an ostomate. But I’m living, I’m learning and I’m managing each day. It’s a continual adjustment to a new life, and I wouldn’t be here without the stoma. It’s not a competition and there’s no rush to adjust. Just one foot in front of the other, at your own pace.

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