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Thursday, September 11, 2014

NYC Freedom Tower Being Built At Ground Zero- Time-Lapse Video

In honor of all those tragic lives lost on September 11, 2001, here's a time-lapse video of the Freedom Tower being built at Ground Zero.

God Bless them all.

Let us never forget!

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Natural Ways To Help With Stomach Problems

Dailymeal.com has a great list of things you can do to help with tummy issues, and they're all natural. From gas, to diarrhea, to heartburn, to the other myriad of digestive troubles people can get, including those of us with Ulcerative Colitis, there are natural, preferably food derived ways, to deal with them. So before you pick up that Tums or Prilosec, why not try one of these things.

1. ALOE VERA:

Aloe vera juice is a wonderful product to use with stomach issues, including Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Though you need to make sure it's pure, and try and stay away from ones that have preservatives.  I used to use George's Roadrunner during some past Ulcerative colitis flares, it was expensive, but it was distilled, pure and tasted like water.


2. The BRAT Diet:  

Short for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast- so it's easy to remember- this diet is great for those who are having problems with indigestion, stomach upset, and diarrhea.

3. CHAMOMILE:

A nice cup of  Chamomile tea can help with nausea, GERD/Acid reflux, sometimes gas, and definitely helps calm your nerves.

4. DANDELION GREENS:

This I had never heard of, but according to Daily Meal, Dandelion greens are great for heartburn and upset stomach. They have recipes for great side dishes. Who would have thought.

5. GINGER:

Ginger is an amazing herb. Not only is it wonderful to cook with, it's a powerful anti-inflammatory (for arthritic conditions), but is also wonderful to combat gas, indigestion and nausea. You can use it fresh to make a tea, just peel, chop and boil, or you can eat some candied ginger or buy some ginger tea. People on blood thinners, like Coumadin, should stay away from it.

6. MINT:

Any kind of mint will do. Peppermint, spearmint will both help with digestion, nausea and gas. It relaxes the muscles.  It is also said to help curb one's appetite. Steep fresh cut leaves or dried peppermint leaves in a cup of boiling water from 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how strong you want your tea.  Although some say it is good for Acid Reflux, and heartburn.

7. PAPAYA:

Papaya is a great fruit, not only is it yummy in smoothies in salads, it's wonderful for digestion, upset stomachs and gas. The papain in papaya, can also be taken as a supplement as a digestive enzyme.

8. PROBIOTICS:

Probiotics aka good bacteria are a must for stomach health, especially after a dose of antibiotics. The best are the refrigerated ones. You can try yogurt or kefir, but I doubt they are that helpful. Do your research, though, because every probiotic strain is different, and depending on your tummy issue some will be better than others.

9. PREBIOTICS

Prebiotics help the good bacteria grow. Try asparagus, garlic, onions and Jerusalem artichokes, though those foods will cause gas.

Besides these, I'd like to add another one of my own:

FENNEL SEED:

Fennel seed is great for digestion and bad breath. If you've ever been to an Indian restaurant, you might have noticed a bowl of fennel seed, sometimes candied. The candy part is probably not so great, considering they're usually brightly colored, which means they are chockfull of food dyes, but they make them tastier.  Grab a very small teaspoon of these little seeds and chew on them after a meal. IMPORTANT NOTE. Do not eat these by the handful, like candy. My sister ate almost a whole bag and became very dehydrated. Just a tiny spoonful is enough to help with digesting your meal.



In case you decide to buy George's Road Runner juice, I get a pittance from Amazon.