ITB Nutrition
18 Mowat Street K1J 6R2 Ottawa, ON, Canada

Another article in The Phoenix Magazine. This publication is an amazing resource for Ostomates (and not just cuz I am one of their writers). Here you will find articles written by doctors, ET nurses, appliance designers, and ostomates. Oh, and one particularly cheeky holistic nutritionists and personal trainer. Check them out thru the United Ostomates Association of America group. Find them here: https://www.ostomy.org/home/ or search UOAA on Facebook.

Friday FrolicHow do you survive winter? In the 1990’s I was diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), aka winter depression. Every year the cycle is the sameweight gain, lethargy, apathy, and sometimes, bone-crushing depression. The cycle starts in November with waning energy and gets worse through ‘til March. Then, as though someone has flipped a light switch, April rolls around and I feel energetic, the extra pounds fall off, and I am my normal self. ... Since being diagnosed I’ve tried everythingmeds, melatonin supplementation, light therapy, talk therapy, you name it. Over the course of all these years, and with some solid education, I have learned that THREE things stand above all else: 1. a good SAD-proof diet; 2. safe sun exposure via outdoor exercise; and 3. quality time with friends (4 legged and 2 legged). So what does my SAD-proof diet look like? 1. Foods with quality fats, specifically omega 3s (salmon, flax seeds, walnuts, etc); 2. Lean proteins in the appropriate measure (chicken and turkey are high in tryptophan the amino acid upon which serotonin and melatonin are built); 3. Loads of colourful berries (blue-, straw-, and raspberries) for the vitamins and antioxidants, but mostly because of their role in moderating cortisol (stress hormone) production; 4. Dark chocolate with all its polyphenols, which research has shown, improves mood; and 5. Staying away from sugar! 6. I am also a fan of supplementation with B12, Folic Acid, Mg, and of course the uber important Vitamin D. But, all of these should be advised by your health care practitioner AFTER a blood test has proven a deficiency. Nutrient absorption is tricky for Ostomates and those with resected GIs. There is a s/t of research emerging on the health of our guts and how that impacts our mental wellbeing, so eat up! Want guidance on your own SAD-proof strategies? Let me know below or by DM. #ostomy #ostomylife #ostomycoach #fuckcancer #coloncancersurvivor #ibd #ostomynutrition #bowelresection @ Denholm, Quebec

Interesting studies on Vitamin D and IBD. Definitely worth a read and check out his video. Intrigued? As your MD or ND to test your Vitamin D values, then supplement accordingly.

Gloves Over Masks This Corona Virus has everyone freaking right the f-ck out. I’m not going to say for no reason. Obviously the CDC and other such organizations are alerting us so that we are not caught off guard if this gets really out of hand. *... But, as has been clearly stated, this does not mean its time for us to panic. And this certainly doesn’t mean its time for opportunistic twats to hoard and artificially inflate the costs of N95 masks. Not that there is ever a good time for that. * And frankly, if some form of protective barrier is what will bring you peace of mind, sterile gloves are the way to go, IMHO. * First, some of those masks I see ppl wearing/hoarding are for the individual who is already sick, i.e. you go to the doctor’s office you gotta put on a mask to protect other patients. It won’t do shit for a healthy person to wear it. * Next, corona is spread via contact with droplets. So, unless you are sneezed on directly (i.e. a care-giver or medical staff), the most likely way you will get it is by touch. You touch a contaminated surface, then touch your face (specifically nose, mouth, eyes). Bingo! You got the virus. * So now, having learned that, which body part are you gonna cover? Personally, I’m reaching for the gloves. (And washing my hands and staying away from crowded spaces and all those other smart tips). * Let the jerks hoard the masks. * For more info visit these guys: https://foreignpolicy.com//25/wuhan-coronavirus-safety-ch/ * #adjust #ostomy #ostomylife #ostomycoach #coloncancersurvivor #ibdawareness #ostomynutrition #coronasafety

Happy Left Overs! I love soup. I particularly love the bounty following big holiday meals. I’m talking turkey. Turkey soup, specifically. ... Soups are an excellent way for Ostomates to pack in the goodness. When done right, they are a balanced meal in a bowl. And of course, from scratch is best. Making soup from scratch is way easier than you may think. This, from that gal who never EVER used her oven til after graduating from nutrition school in 2015! So, you know its easy AF. What I like most is that there are virtually no rules to soup making. Some important guidelines, but otherwise its a no-rules experience. Guideline #1. Let your stock simmer for several hours (I typically let my go for 6+ hrs). After Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner, liberate the bird carcass of any remaining meat and then put everything in a deep pot. Add enough clean, filtered, water to cover. Then add any veg off-cuts that you’ve set aside (I put mine in the freezer rather than throw them out so I always have a stash on-hand), plenty of garlic, onion, salt n pepper, and then let ‘er simmer. Guideline #2. Sauté onions, garlic, and any root veggies you may be using first (until softened). Then, after you have cooled and strained the stock, drop that into the soup pot. Add other veg such as mushrooms, corn, peas, etc. to the pot after the liquids are added. Season to your tastes. Guideline #2. Prepare your carbs separately, i.e. pasta, rice, barley, etc. I will cook my carb separate from the soup just to keep the broth clear and to maintain the soup liquid. This particular soup has everything but the kitchen sink! Carrots, celery, onion, garlic, mushrooms, peas, corn, and barley. Oh! And of course turkey. Perfect for a snowy day. Visit my blog for more recipes. Www.ITBNutrition.com #adjust #ostomy #ostomylife #ostomycoach #fuckcancer #coloncancersurvivor #ibd #ibdawareness #ostomynutrition #bowelresection #shortenedbowel

A great video discussing cancer and how it affects ppl from every walk of life. Great production from Tumor with Humor @ https://www.facebook.com/tumorwithhumor/ https://youtu.be/_JFBytBUjS4

Stop Making Resolutions Back in my first few years as a personal trainer, my peers and I would secretly take bets on which of the new gym members would bail out on their New Year’s resolution first. .... Its a classic tale that is repeated in fitness centres the world over. On Jan 2nd gym membership sales skyrocket and then by Valentine’s Day nearly 80% of those new members are doomed to never return. . Why do we do this to ourselves? A resolution puts way too much pressure on a person. I’m not saying don’t change. Change can be good. But thinking that flipping the page on a calendar is going to do the trick is really only setting yourself up for failure, and ultimately, disappointment. . Personally, I don’t make resolutions. I set goals. Or not. Some times NYE rolls around and I think I am doing pretty darn good at this adulting thing. But, sometimes, like this year, I set a new goal for myself. And like any other goal its gotta be SMART. Go ahead and Google that mnemonic if its new to you. It’s a handy one to know. . Ideally your goal should be simple, but if it is lofty, try breaking it down into manageable chunks, eating the elephant one bite at a time, as it were. Not the best metaphor as my personal goal is to switch to a predominately vegan diet. I’ll start by expanding my meatless Mondays to 3 or 4 meatless days per week. And then, by June 1, 2020, meat consumption will be reserved for only those rare treats. I have already begun to collect easy-to-prepare vegan recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner so that I don’t have to over-think meals (read here: no excuses!). Further, I am going to commit to meal-planning so that I can more easily and accurately track my progress toward my June 1st deadline. . What are your goals for 2020? . #adjust #ostomy #ostomylife #ostomycoach #fuckcancer #coloncancersurvivor #ibd #ibdawareness #ostomynutrition #bowelresection #shortenedbowel

Merry Christmas friends!

Happy to report the fibre increase is working.

It is a beta-glucan kinda morning! . I love these chilly winter mornings, especially after a fresh snow fall. First tracks in the snow, with my pooch bounding ahead of me, its all positively dreamy. ... . Winter weather and a hot bowl of oatmeal fit together, well, like hands in warm gloves. But for me, this morning my bowl of oatmeal has a different objectiveslowing down my GI. . I’ve had a rather stressful few months and if you are anything like me stress+shortened bowel=very loose stool. I’ve been battling to stay on top of my stress and resultant finicky GI with all the usual self-care. I’ve been meditating, exercising, watching my diet, just letting shit go (not that kinda shit, the stressful kind of shit), and I’ve even made a few visits to my (amazing) counsellor. Yet, I am still struggling. . So, now it is time for the big guns. I’m talking about adding bulking fibre to my daily nutrition. For Ostomates and ppl with a semi-colon, too much fibre in the wrong form can be problematic. But I am talking about the beta-glucan found in oats (barley, wheat, and certain mushrooms, too), which can actually be very beneficial. . Beta-glucan has been reported to offer many health benefits, including lowering cholesterol, improving blood sugar management, and boosting the immune system. Although there is scant research available to substantiate some of the health claims, it is well proven as an excellent source of fibre. As a soluble fiber, beta-glucan itself is not digested, however, it slows food transit in the intestines, which is exactly what I want. As a result of this, so the thinking goes, carbohydrates are absorbed slower, resulting in more steady blood sugar. In addition, it moves slowly through the digestive tract, taking cholesterol with it. . Beta-glucan can be minimized / altered thru processing or cooking, so try to consume it in as natural a state as possible. In the case of oatmeal, stick with steel-cut oats. Frankly, I far prefer the chewy texture of steel-cut oats. . In this morning’s breakfast I amped up the fibre, fat, and protein by adding chopped walnuts, half an apple (skins should come off if you have an ileostomy), yogurt

Appliance change-day, even when scheduled/planned, can be fraught with stress and anxiety. I’ve talked about making this a routine, even rehearsed, exercise (see post from Aug 29). But today I want to talk about how to alleviate a big stressoractivity from your stoma. Its SO much easier to make this change with an empty GI. # First, the evening before you plan to make your appliance change eat a lighter-than-usual dinner and be sure to finish eating (anything) by 6pm. ... # Next, lay out your work area before you climb into bed for the night. # Plan to make the change as soon as you roll out of bed in the morning. Do not have breakfast, do not sip coffee. Even with sleepy eyes you’ll come to breeze through these changes. If you custom cut your flange opening and/or use any sort of paste build-up, do this first. Then, get your work surface ready to go. # Personally, I chose to take this opportunity to have a shower sans bag. It was a brief few moments where I could feel like a normal girl. And, because my GI tract was mostly empty, I could actually take my time. # Do you have any bag-change tips to share? What advice would you give to the newby Ostomate? #adjust #ostomy #ostomylife #ostomycoach #fuckcancer #coloncancersurvivor #ibd #ibdawareness #ostomynutrition #semicolon #bowelresection

Today is World Ostomy Awareness Day. This is a twenty minute documentary that everyone should see. Please share it to help ppl understand the lifesaving procedure that is ostomy. https://iasupport.org/mybagandi/

Friday FrolicI haven’t posted one of these in a while. I figured y’all were getting tired of me cycling all over town. # This past Friday I was lucky enough to hang out with my good friend Maggie of @redgatelivery. Maggie is a horse whisperer and own/operator of the Red Gate Livery (think horse-drawn sleigh or carriage). ... # I am not a religious person, but I do believe emphatically in the spiritual healing that comes from time spent with animals, horses in particular. # You see, there is no faking it with horses. As prey animals, they have a finely tuned sensitively to the energy you radiate and they will match whatever you bring to them. Anxious human, nets an anxious horse. Angry human, you guessed it, angry horse (or they will simply avoid you). # The horse is both a mirror and a healer. Observe what you get from the horse. Are they nervous, anxious, angry? That’s because of the energy YOU are bringing. There is no hiding it. The horse will reflect back to you even if you think you’ve got it all together. And so, in order to truly be embraced by our hoofed friends we must confront our emotions and resolve ‘em. Or what I like to call deal with your shit. # An excellent resource for just how in-tune these giants are is Linda Kohanov’s Tao of Equus. If you love animals in general, but specifically horses, you’ll love this read. If you think you could benefit from equine therapy search for a qualified therapist and get started right away. Time with animals is never wasted. # Thanks Maggie for letting me get my fur-loving from the beautiful Duke, Suzie, Shannon, and the super-sleepy, Silver. # #adjust #ostomy #ostomylife #ostomycoach #fuckcancer #coloncancersurvivor #ibd #ibdawareness #ostomynutrition #semicolon #bowelresection #shortenedbowel #healinghorses #lindakohanov

Introspection. It seems to be missing in so many ppl’s lives. Avoidance has taken its place. To me, in order to truly, deeply, passionately grow into the best version of ourselves we must look back at the steps taken in order to chart the route ahead. ... I’m not talking about regret. I’m talking about learning. And sometimes that means dissecting the rough times to really understand where we went right and where we went wrong. All those lessons are part of our story, they make us who we are. Love all of them. Don’t shy away from your own story. #adjust #ostomy #ostomylife #ostomycoach #fuckcancer #coloncancersurvivor #ibd #ibdawareness #ostomynutrition #semicolon #bowelresection #shortenedbowel

Friday Frolicactually took place on Saturday. Team #youarenotalone raised more than $15,000 for @ottawahospital as part of 2019’s @dotheride. We had a great (albeit chilly) day with plenty of laughter and a few tears. And of course we remembered our dear son/brother/nephew/husband/friend, Alex, who sadly lost his battle with CRC in 2018. I miss him, but am thankful for having had the chance to know him and for being able to call his family my friends. See you all again in 2020.

We are so programmed in our eating habits. Three squares a day, cereal for breakfast, pot roast on Sundays, meatless Monday, etc, etc, etc. It's time to shake it up. * Many of my clients have found that by flipping their meals upside down they are better able to sleep through the night and they find they have more energy during the day. Some also find they are better able to time bathroom trips throughout the day.... * It's really quite easy. Try to make your biggest meal of the day the first one after you wake up. Then, have a good-sized lunch and then a smallish dinner. And breakfast doesn't have to be the typical breakfast meal. Go ahead and have that pot roast with peas and carrots as your first meal of the day. * Sure, it takes some getting used to. And if you are anything like me, i.e. not a morning person, prepare your meal the night before for easy reheat. You may also find that the evening meal leaves you feeling hungry. Don't worry, you will adapt. * If your last meal of the day is done by 7:00pm, that leaves plenty of time for it to clear your system before bed (for ileostomates) at 10pm or 11pm. In a matter of days you will suddenly find you’ve slept through the night without having to empty. Imagine! A full 7 to 9 hrs of uninterrupted sleep! * Wanna try this with a little extra guidance? Just DM me. I’ll talk you through how to make a couple of small adjustments to flip your meals upside down. * #adjust #ostomy #ostomylife #ostomycoach #fuckcancer #coloncancersurvivor #ibd #ibdawareness #ostomynutrition #semicolon #bowelresection #shortenedbowel #qualitysleep

Ready for tomorrow's @dotheride -- rain or shine. Let's go raise some $$ for @ottawahospital researchers. #fuckcancer

Tell me if this sounds familiar: you’ve been feeling pretty darn good the last couple of weeks so you say yes to a pizza dinner, have a few beers, stay up late partying, and repeat it all again the next day. You find yourself saying yes to foods that you know are going to be a problem way more than you should. Next thing you know you feel like sh^t. Again. # I am not sure why this is, and we are all guilty of it (myself included), but it seems to me that when we are feeling w...ell we let our healthy lifestyle lapse, when we should in fact double-down on the good stuff. If we aren't careful this lapse can (and often does) trigger a downward spiral. And then *boom!* we are back in another health crisis. # So often clients come to me in this crisis state. They suspect a blockage, BMs have been terrible, they have a cold, they are in an active flair, or they are tired, run-down, fed-up. Sure, I can coach ’em through, but the time to really get on top of nutrition and fitness is when we are feeling well. # You already know this. It's hard AF to make nutrition changes when you're trapped in the bathroom. And who wants to trek to the gym when hiding under the covers is your go-to strategy right now? # When we are feeling well we have the energy and motivation to try new foods and recipes. We are able to cook for ourselves, no packaged food required. We have the energy to prepare easy to reheat meals (for those days when we don't feel great ). We have the energy to get in our daily exercise. When we string together a few of these days momentum builds and we feel empowered to keep going. So do. Keep going. One day at a time, keep fixing the roof, or in our case, the plumbing. # #adjust #ostomy #ostomylife #ostomycoach #fuckcancer #coloncancersurvivor #ibd #ibdawareness #ostomynutrition #semicolon #bowelresection #shortenedbowel #selfcare

Friday FrolicFREE EXERCISE! I am often told by clients that affording exercise is a challenge. I agree! Gym memberships can be expense AF! And, trying to build your own in-house gym can certainly cost an arm and leg, not to mention space. # But, with a bit of ingenuity and solid research you can always find ways to incorporate exercise that wont break the budget. ... # For instance, here in my home of Ottawa, I discovered that I can yoga and Zumba for free (or for a food donation) 6 out of 7 days of the week during the summer. Further, many yoga studios have a program whereby a handful of volunteer hours per week net you unlimited yoga classes. # Arnold Schwarzenegger famously talked about lifting milk jugs in his youth, before he could afford his Gold’s Gym membership. In fact, in my personal training practice I always start beginning athletes with isometric exercises where their own body weight is used to build strength and stability. These exercises can be done at home or on a play structure in a public park. Of course YouTube is a great resource for exercise how-to videos. # And lets not forget the value of nature. Hiking on forrest trails or swimming in pristine lakes make for some of the best fitness trainingcertainly better than a stuffy gym. # The point is, when a tight budget is a factor in your fitness, don’t let it be a deterrent. Do your research and look for the freebies. There are sure to be plenty. # #adjust #ostomy #ostomylife #ostomycoach #fuckcancer #coloncancersurvivor #ibd #ibdawareness #ostomynutrition #sbs #shortenbowelsyndrome #bowelresection

Hmmmm... Anyone else use CBD for IBD? Would love to hear from you.

When training for triathlon, many amateurs focus on the swim, bike, & run, forgetting just how much time can be lost in the transition zones between each element. # I learned pretty quickly that I could shave significant time by actually training my transitions. I developed a set routine or pattern of what came off/went on within each transition zone. For example, from swim to bike I packed my transition bag in the reverse-order I required each item. So, helmet, then race nu...mber, then sunglasses, then gloves, then shoes, then sunscreen, then towel. When I entered the T-zone (or T1 for you IM aficionados) I would open my bag, towel off, spritz sunscreen, put on my cycling shoes, gloves, sunglasses, race number, and finally, my helmet. All my fluids and gels would have been put on my bike the morning before the start of the race. I rehearsed this routine over and over and over til it became automatic and fluidlike second nature. # So, it should come as no surprise that I found myself using a similar tactic when changing my ostomy appliance. On change day, first thing in the morning (before any food or water) I would layout my work area like an Ironman transition zone, placing items required in order of use. I would place one of those blue absorbent pads on my bed and then line up, within easy reach, adhesive remover, a disposal bag, warm cloth or skin wipes, cotton balls (soaked with Milk of Magnesia), powder (just in case), a fan (I used for drying my skin), my pre-cut fully-pasted ready-to-go flange, and a new bag. # Within a few weeks I had this down to a finely tuned routine. Badda boom, badda bing! Change done. # You may think this is overly anal retentive but what I liked about being so routine is that not only was I super efficient and quick, I wasted zero product, and I became very confident in my abilities, which made handling surprises way less stressful. # So, figure out the routine that works for you and stick to it. Pretty soon appliance changes will be automatic and fluidlike second nature. # #adjust #ostomy #ostomylife #ostomycoach #fuckcancer #coloncancersurvivor #ibd #ibdawareness #ostomynutrition

We have a concept in holistic nutrition that centres around protecting the liver (and other organs involved in detoxifying the body) from undue burden or unnecessary toxic load. # The liver is a remarkable organ, playing so many different roles in the human body. Chief among these functions however is the critical role it plays in detoxifying the blood. ... # There are a million ways we ingest unwanted anti-nutrients. The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the lotions we put onto our skin, the medicines we take. I’m assuming you already know where recreational drugs, alcohol, and caffeine fall in this topic. # For the healthy person, the liver does a bang-up job of cleaning up after our messes (within reason). But for those of us with a chronic illness or a disease that requires heavy medications, we need to pay extra attention so that we do not over burden our hard-working livers. We need to take extra care to mind our toxic load. # The list is long, but for today I want to talk about our home environmentthe indoor air we breathe specifically. According to the EPA our indoor air quality can be 2 to 5 times WORSE than a crowded city. Think about that! We spend, in some cases, up to 75% of our days INSIDE breathing that sh_t in. And its our lungs and livers that have to deal. # What to do? Well to start, buy a quality air filtration system, or a S/T of house plants (Mother Nature’s air filters). # Next, purge your house of all commercial cleaning products. Seriously. Have you read the ingredient lists on those things? You are spraying, shaking, wiping, Bouncing, & coating your home in a plethora of 100% unnecessary toxins. And for what? A nice lemony scent? Fake lavender smelling laundry? Cut that crap out. # I make most of my own house cleaning products starting with good ole fashioned baking soda, vinegar, & lemon. A quick Google search will get you an endless list of recipes. Prefer a nice just cleaned smell? Use essential oils. I add a citrus EO to my glass cleaner and I dab lavender EO on wool dryer balls. Same heavenly smell, without the poison.