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News

Gut bacteria and being “10 percent human”

June 10, 2011 by amanda Leave a Comment

E. Coli - Photo credit: balder2111

I just finished reading this article on NPR about gut bacteria, and I thought it was worth sharing. I find it reassuring that our particular kinds of bacteria are attracted to us and will find us even after they’ve been killed off. I shared a similar story a year or two ago, but back then I didn’t realize just how important bacteria would become in my life.

Gut bacteria has been on my mind a lot because of my mom. As I mentioned in my last post, my mom was diagnosed with leukemia earlier this year, and one of the big side effects of chemo and bone marrow transplant is that they have to do everything that they can to destroy your immune system. Your good bacteria is wiped out during that process, thanks to the mega-doses of antibiotics that are given to protect you while you are immune compromised from the chemo and transplant.

As a double-whammy, my mom is also unable to eat fermented and raw foods — including even many raw fruit/veggies — while she is in treatment. So, your good gut colonies are killed and you have no way to replenish them. Gut bacteria are so important for fighting infection (which is the number 1 cause of death during treatment), and yet they have to destroy them to keep the cancer away. It sucks!

Thinking that her good bacteria will find her and replenish is nice. It is scary to think of what we would do without our good bacteria. As the article says,

Right now, in your mouth, in your gut, on your skin, you are carrying about 10 times more bacteria cells than human cells. If you swallow antibiotics and kill a lot of them, a few weeks later, the same bacteria come bounding back. They’re staying.

“We are, in essence, only 10 percent human,” Dr. Roy Sleator, lecturer at Cork Institute of Technology in Ireland, told The Daily Telegraph. “The rest is pure microbe.”

On a side note:

As my mom has gone through her treatment, the stress (and eating out, due to not being home nearly as much) has led me into a nasty cycle of inflammation (plus antibiotics) and has thrown my good bacteria all out of whack too. The bad guys have been trying to take over. 😛 During her first 2 months of treatment, I had several cases of mastitis and bursitis. The suffix “-itis” means inflammation, so you can see the trend. Many things can increase inflammation in our body: stress, sugar and refined foods are especially big culprits. So, I’ve been trying to go on more hikes (to help me chill out), go to the gym (same), and to prepare healthy food ahead of time (foods that are also consistent with an anti-inflammatory diet) so we aren’t as tempted to eat out. It is amazing what a difference it can make.

In the end, this whole experience has already been a huge lesson on just how fragile our bodies are, and how important it is to give our bodies the right fuel and de-stress as much as it is possible. One common theme that I’ve noticed is that the overwhelming majority of cancer survivors that we’ve met were also people who transitioned away from the standard American diet and did things to nourish themselves, both inside and out. Research backs this up. Healthy diets and lifestyles give you the best chance of living cancer-free. It certainly isn’t a guarantee, but if I can make changes that will lead to greater health, then I want to do what I can. It sounds like my basic gut bacteria make-up will be here to stay, and that is fine by me 😉 I just need to get them healthy again!

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America’s Most Literate Cities

December 28, 2006 by amanda Leave a Comment

America’s Most Literate Cities

Way to go, Denver!
Not only are we one of the healthiest states, but we’re quite literate as well.  I’m telling you… this is my kind of place  🙂

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FOXNews.com – Vegetarian Diet Melts Fat Away

November 19, 2006 by amanda Leave a Comment

FOXNews.com – Vegetarian Diet Melts Fat Away – Health News | Current Health News | Medical News

Researchers have found that people who stuck to a vegetarian diet for at least one year lost more weight than those on a standard low-fat diet. And they shed considerably more excess flab than those who didn’t stick with the meatless plan.

There’s been a lot of good press recently for vegetarian diets. The biggies last week were that a vegetarian diet reduces your risk of chronic heart disease and lowers your risk of breast cancer. Another study spoke in favor of soy, which is a big deal because soy consumption is something that a lot of non-vegetarians are worried about.

Its hip to be vegetarian 😉

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FOXNews.com – Massachusetts Judge Settles Dispute by Ruling Burrito is Not a Sandwich

November 12, 2006 by amanda Leave a Comment

FOXNews.com – Massachusetts Judge Settles Dispute by Ruling Burrito is Not a Sandwich – Local News | News Articles | National News | US News

“A sandwich is not commonly understood to include burritos, tacos and quesadillas, which are typically made with a single tortilla and stuffed with a choice filling of meat, rice, and beans,” Locke wrote in a decision released last week.

Thank goodness that we have judges around so that such matters can be resolved!

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FOXNews.com – Global Sex Survey: Marrieds Do It More Than Teens – Health News

October 31, 2006 by amanda Leave a Comment

FOXNews.com – Global Sex Survey: Marrieds Do It More Than Teens – Health News | Current Health News | Medical News

LONDON — In the first comprehensive global study of sexual behavior, British researchers found that people aren’t losing their virginity at ever younger ages, married people have the most sex, and there is no firm link between promiscuity and sexually transmitted diseases.

I’m not exactly sure why it is surprising that married people have sex more often than teens. Lets think about this – pretty much every married person has someone to have sex with… the same is not true for teens.

Its interesting to see the myths that were proved false in this study. Contrary to popular belief, sexual activity is not starting earlier, women tend to lose their virginity earlier than men, people in more developed countries (not Africa or other countries with high STD rates) are more likely to have multiple partners, and married women are more at risk for STDs, because they are less likely to have safe sex.

Interesting.

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MetroWestDailyNews.com – Police say Myspace tiff led to biting

October 25, 2006 by amanda Leave a Comment

MetroWestDailyNews.com – Local / Regional News: Police say Myspace tiff led to biting

A Framingham man angry that his ex-girlfriend removed him as a friend from her Myspace.com Web page, repeatedly bit, punched and then choked her on the weekend, police said. 

Hmmm, I can’t imagine why she would possible remove him from her friends list.  He seems like such a great guy  :/

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