Parastomal Hernias Question: My doctor says I have a hernia around my stoma. What do I need to know about this? Answer: Simply, a hernia is an abnormal protrusion, or out-pouching, of bowel through a weakened area in the abdominal wall (the abdominal wall being the muscle and fat layers). In the case of a [...]
Customized Diet Advice Our diets have a large impact on our overall health, and individuals experiencing digestive diseases and disorders need to be particularly thoughtful in making food choices. Registered dietitians are an extremely useful resource for those who want to learn more about how certain eating habits and choices can affect their disease experience. [...]
Cranberry and H. pylori The cranberry, native to North America, long-known to be a remedy for urinary tract infections, now shows promise against Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), the bacteria that cause stomach ulcers. In the first clinical study of its kind, recent research shows that people who drink a cup of cranberry juice cocktail twice [...]
Nutrition and Lifestyle Tips to Help Reduce Bloating and Gas 1. Eat mindfully in a calm and relaxed environment Eating when stressed can hamper digestion and trigger gut symptoms. Consider taking a break from digital devices and practice paying attention to what you’re eating and thoroughly enjoy each bite of food. 2. Chew your food [...]
Click here to download a PDF of this information. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) Gastroesophageal reflux disease occurs when the upper portion of the digestive tract is not functioning properly, causing stomach contents to flow back into the esophagus. The esophagus is a muscular tube linking the mouth to the stomach. In normal digestion, a specialized [...]
Counterfeit Medicine Where Do You Get Your Medication? If you are purchasing your medication from anywhere but a Canadian pharmacy, then you could be at risk. Counterfeit medicines are a serious worldwide health threat. Fake medications can give patients a false sense of security, (particularly in the case of counterfeit vaccines, birth control pills, [...]
Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Diet: The Foods You Can Eat Individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can use nutrition and lifestyle strategies to help control and manage gut symptoms, improve quality of life, and optimize digestive health. It is common for people with IBS to experience gut symptoms after eating certain kinds of foods, and [...]
Where Business Meets Philanthropy Humble Hair Salon Pair Raises more than $30,700 VANCOUVER, BC - OCTOBER 14, 2010 - The GI Society was thrilled to learn that Iveta Markova and Anna Mihalik, of Marine Hairstyling for Men in Vancouver, were planning to take on more than great hairstyling this past summer. When they heard that the [...]
A Hepatitis C Success Story “I’m cured!” Rick Starr has a very special document framed and mounted on his wall. It’s the official letter indicating that, just six months after completing a challenging and life-altering eleven-month treatment program, his blood contains no detectable levels of the hepatitis C virus. Specialists call this a sustained virologic [...]
Oral Nutritional Supplements Oral nutritional supplements can be a powerful tool in the struggle against malnutrition. They provide an easy and concentrated energy source with plenty of much-needed nutrition during the best of times, and the worst of times, when it can be very difficult to consume enough nutrition to maintain a healthy immune system [...]
Mindfulness A Cornerstone of Wellbeing Every moment there is a continuously changing stream of thoughts, feelings, and reactions happening within each of us. The practice of seeing that stream of activity more objectively, without being carried away, is called mindfulness. Essentially, mindfulness is the ability to be aware of what we are doing while we [...]
Frequently Asked Questions About Inflammatory Bowel Disease Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a term that primarily refers to two diseases of the intestines: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. These diseases have a few similarities, but differ significantly in two key ways: the area of the digestive tract affected and the extent of the inflammation. Ulcerative [...]
GI Society Participates in Best Medicines Coalition Conference On November 17 and 18, 2014, the GI Society senior team participated in the latest Best Medicines Coalition (BMC) conference. The BMC consists of health charities from across the country. The GI Society’s CEO, Gail Attara, is in her fifth year as BMC’s Chair. The BMC holds [...]
Less Stress In Your Gut Most people think of stress as something that results from circumstances and events occurring in and around them. Having a digestive disease or disorder can often trigger feelings of helplessness, fear, and self-blame. However, believing that circumstance causes our distress means that circumstances (or events or people around you) must [...]
Christine Nesbitt: Olympians Live with Celiac Disease Too Photo ©: Mathew Stockman As an elite athlete, pushing my body through pain is what I have learned to do. It is never easy to push through pain. You will always hurt, but as your pain threshold rises, you can push further. With years [...]
Do you need to worry about gluten in Skin Care Products? Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and other foods. In individuals who have celiac disease, a grain protein in gluten called gliadin triggers an unusual immune response that leads to flattening and altering of the millions of microscopic finger-like projections (villi) [...]
Relief of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Symptoms with a Low FODMAP Diet Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common gastrointestinal condition worldwide, affecting an estimated 13-20% of Canadians. This often-debilitating functional disorder presents with symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating, and constipation and/or diarrhea. Patients’ symptoms can vary widely and there is no one-size-fits-all management [...]
Top 10 Nutrition and Lifestyle Recommendations for Constipation High fibre: Increase your fibre intake gradually and aim for a high fibre diet of at least 25 g per day for women and 38 g per day for men. High fibre foods include whole vegetables and fruits with the skin, nuts and seeds, legumes (chickpeas, lentils, [...]
Click here to download a PDF of this information. Pancreatitis The pancreas is a flat glandular organ located behind the stomach. It has two main functions: producing digestive enzymes and secreting hormones, such as insulin and glucagon, to regulate blood sugar levels. The pancreas releases digestive enzymes into the duodenum to help digest proteins, fats, [...]
Motivational Interviewing for Behaviour Modification Obesity is a complex, chronic disease and there is so much more to addressing it than simply eating less or following a diet. If you are tired of focusing on restrictive eating patterns, consider trying behavioural modification techniques for weight management. Two methods a person can use to create effective [...]
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