Tag Archives: digestion

Probiotics for Pets?

Doggie digestion is a subject near and dear to my heart — thanks to my dog Moose and his very sensitive stomach. According to a recent article in Scientific American, GI issues are one of the top problems dog owners bring to the vet’s office (skin issues are tops on the list, according to a professor from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesville). I can believe it! There’s a wide range of stuff that can cause gastrointestinal distress — everything from “garbage gut” (getting sick after eating stuff they shouldn’t) to parasites to infection and more. … Continue reading →

Ginger: Not Just for Ale and Snaps!

Ginger has a long history in the kitchen AND in health care. Throughout Asia and Europe, the “root” has been a popular ingredient in cooking and a popular remedy for more than one ailment. Ginger isn’t actually a root, as it turns out — although we call it ginger root. The lumpy, bumpy “root” is actually a rhizome. What’s a rhizome, you ask? A rhizome is an underground stem from which plants grow. Shoots can form at the joints of the root as it grows horizontally. What can ginger do for your health? Settle your stomach. Ginger is great for … Continue reading →

Healthy Yogurt

Yogurt has a good reputation — and for a lot of good reasons. It is full of healthy calcium, stomach-friendly probiotics, and can taste as good as a sinful snack! Here are some tips to help you pick the healthiest yogurt: Choose yogurt that has 200 calories or less per serving. Yogurt is mostly milk, and one cup of fat-free milk has less than 90 calories. Don’t let the other ingredients overload you on calories! Choose yogurt that has four grams of fat or less. The total fat contact can often indicate what kind of milk was used in making … Continue reading →

Ask a Pets Blogger: Mucus in Stool

First off, I’m sorry that this is such a gross question! I’ve noticed lately that there seems to be a lot of mucus in my dog’s stool. He doesn’t seem sick otherwise. Should I be worried? No need to apologize — owning pets often means you deal with a lot of gross things. (So says the woman with the dog who eats cat poop and barfs green grass in the living room.) Your problem is one that I’m actually familiar with. Moose (he who eats “kitty roca”) has experienced this in the past. Mucus in the stool can be a … Continue reading →

The Poop Problem I Never Expected

Warning: I’m going to talk about poop. Okay, this is nothing new. Courtney and I talk about poop all the time in the Pets Blog. It’s just part of being a pet owner. Now that you’ve been fairly warned… on to the poop! My dog Moose is usually quite the pooper. That dog can squat a good four times per day, if not more. (He’s not quite the level of pooper that my dog Miko used to be — that dog had an uncanny ability to poop one more time than I had bags with me. If I had one, … Continue reading →

Could You Be Suffering From Celiac Disease And Not Know It?

Did you know that October is National Celiac Disease Awareness Month? Studies show that an estimated 1 out of 100 Americans suffers from the disease and many don’t even know it. I first learned about the disease from Aimee’s blog earlier this year and just a couple of weeks ago I met a woman who shared a startling celiac disease-related story with me. She said her doctor believes her recent miscarriage may have been caused by undiagnosed celiac disease. Isn’t that frightening? For those of you who are unfamiliar with the disease, celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that damages … Continue reading →

Acidophilus

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Health confession time: I have trouble with dairy products. When I was a baby, I was seriously lactose intolerant; though I’ve grown out of it to some extent, I still have trouble from time to time. My aunt — who is a nurse — came to my rescue one day when she recommended I take acidophilus. Now when I do have a lactose problem, the acidophilus makes a HUGE difference in the duration and severity of the reaction. Acidophilus is one type of good bacteria in the human digestive system. There are more than four hundred different good bacteria; they … Continue reading →

Viscofiber: A Fiber Supplement

There are two types of fiber, insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fiber mostly stays intact as it passes through the intestines. It helps with regularity, reduces constipation, and removes waste. Soluble fiber attracts water. It forms a gel when it dissolves which collects fats, cholesterol, sugars, and bile. Absorption by the body is slowed. Waste forms and it is excreted from the body. Viscofiber is an all natural, soluble, dietary fiber made from oats, barley, and beta-glucan concentrates. Beta-glucan is found in oats. It is known to decrease: blood glucose, insulin concentration, and LDL-C levels. Viscofiber helps with maintenance of normal … Continue reading →

Stress and Digestion

Stress affects most organs of the body and the stomach is no exception. Stress can cause those familiar knots in the stomach, some types of ulcers, constipation, diarrhea, poor absorption of nutrients leading to further ill health, and oversecretion of stomach acids. If all this sounds like a pain in the gut, it is! Of course, not all these conditions are caused by stress alone, but a person who is subjected to chronic stressors in their life will almost always suffer some form of digestional difficulty. It may be a sore stomach, frequent burping, heartburn or gastric reflux, or bouts … Continue reading →

What Foods Your Baby Can’t Have And Why

A baby’s digestive system isn’t as developed as older children’s. What is completely fine for a child to eat further on down the line, can have enormous negative effects if introduced too early. So it isn’t always a matter of the substance, it’s a matter of timing. Most fruits and vegetables are fine for a 7-8 month old baby, but keep in mind that citrus fruits can cause a painful diaper rash. Also beets and spinach, although other wise a good choice of vegetable, should be avoided until the toddler stage. These veggies have a high concentration of nitrates that … Continue reading →