Health Matters Articles | Granite Peaks Gastroenterology

An Introduction to the Mediterranean Diet

Posted on April 13, 2022December 27, 2024 by fuelmarketing

The health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet are real. Physicians and dietitians suggest it for many patients to improve their health and lower their risk of chronic health conditions.

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What is the Mediterranean Diet

Health benefits

7 helpful tips to get started

If you’ve considered making changes to your diet in order to live a healthier life, you’ve probably looked at many different options. It makes sense that fueling your body with healthful, natural foods will produce higher levels of energy and healthy results for your entire body. The Mediterranean style of eating can help you do just that.

What is the Mediterranean Diet

The “Mediterranean Diet” is a style of eating based on traditional foods found in the areas surrounding the Mediterranean Sea like Italy, France, Spain, and Greece. Research shows people who ate the types of foods found here were generally healthy and had a lowered risk of many chronic health conditions. The general guidelines include eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, nuts, legumes, seeds, and healthy fats. Refined grains, processed foods, and added sugars are generally restricted, however, you can still have well-chosen snacks and desserts!

The Health Benefits

What does this sort of eating style offer you? Reported benefits include promoting heart health, supporting healthy blood sugar levels, and protecting brain function. The foods commonly consumed as a part of the Mediterranean diet provide a variety of nutrients that are essential to good health. These include vitamins, minerals, water, fiber, and healthy fats. We suggest this diet to many patients to support good digestive and overall health.

7 Helpful Tips to Get Started

As with any diet, especially if you have digestive health issues, check with your doctor or dietitian before making big changes. Small changes are a good way to begin incorporating healthy choices into your diet over time.

Meal plan! Search online for recipes and ingredient lists.
Try including more produce in your diet.
Choose fish, seafood, and poultry. Reduce amount of red and processed meats.
Nuts, seeds and legumes make delicious, satisfying snacks.
Experiment with herbs and spices in food and beverages.
You can still have grains! Choose whole grains and fats over refined versions.
Avoid drinking your calories. Make water your go-to beverage. You’ll be surprised how quickly this becomes a new preference for you!

When you eat Mediterranean-style, you quickly realize that you are not dieting at all. You are living your life fully by fueling your body with nutritious, delicious foods that bring you more energy and better health. Not a bad deal!

Talk to your doctor and discuss how to incorporate the Mediterranean diet into your health plan.

Do you have concerns about your gastroenterological health? Granite Peaks Gastroenterology can help! Click here to request your appointment with one of our gastroenterologists today!

What Is the Western Diet and What Does It Mean for Your Health?

Posted on March 30, 2022December 27, 2024 by fuelmarketing

You have heard of different popular diets. However, the “Western Diet” is a generalization regarding the poor diet many Americans are thought to eat on a regular basis and what it might mean for your health, overall.

The Western Diet

The Western diet is a modern diet where prepackaged foods, refined grains, fried foods, high-fat dairy products, processed meats, conventionally raised animal products, red meat, eggs, potatoes, corn, high-sugar drinks, and candy and sweets are common and consumed in large quantities (think “super-size”). Healthy foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, fish, and pasture-raised animal products are high in fiber, complex carbohydrates, protein and important nutrients.

The Impact on Digestive Health

Everyone likes something a little fatty, sweet or fried every so often. However, a regular diet high in those types of foods is considered unhealthy. These food choices tend to be low in fiber and high in fats and refined sugars. High fat diets harm your gut microbiome and can increase inflammation markers, making your body more prone to obesity and subsequent chronic diseases. The low fiber content in processed foods makes them less filling and satisfying, and can lead to constipation, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, and stomach pain among other digestive ailments.

The Health Implications of the Western Diet

The overall health implications of eating poorly can be alarming. It has been linked to conditions such as obesity, cancer, and diabetes. It can also lead to liver disease and cardiovascular disease.

What about nutrition? The foods common to the Western diet tend to be very calorie dense and low in nutrients. Over time, which can cause a person to suffer from being under-nourished, which is distinct from being underfed, in this case. Poor nutrition negatively impacts your health and quality of life.

Change Your Diet to Change Your Health

Learn as much as you can about food and the impact it has on your health. Use what you learn to make smart decisions that will benefit your health and well-being, and help you get the most nutritional value out of the foods you put in your body.

Your Granite Peaks gastroenterologist can help you determine whether your diet is helping or hurting you, and what you can do to improve your digestive health conditions.

Stress Management Techniques to Support Digestive Health

Posted on February 15, 2022December 27, 2024 by Granite Peaks

Keeping your digestive system on track can be a delicate balance of several factors. What you eat and drink, how much exercise you get, and how stressed you feel are all parts of the equation that totals good gut health.

As part of the fight-or-flight body response to stress, cortisol is produced when the body is under stress. Cortisol helps your body respond to threats by increasing heart rate, blood pressure and glucose. It also slows other body functions, including digestion, so it makes sense that prolonged stress produces excessive cortisol and can negatively impact your digestive system.

Move

Most people know that taking a break to walk, run, swim, dance or get any form of exercise is a good way to de-stress. Not only does it help you burn off excess cortisol and calm your mind, but it gets all your muscles moving, including your heart, lungs and your digestive tract muscles. Your digestive system needs a bit of a workout too!

Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises are a great way to stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system and take control over the functions of your body. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the fight-or-flight response. The parasympathetic nervous system handles the activities that take place when the body isn’t on high-alert, helping you feel less stressed.

Here’s a breathing exercise to try:

Choose a number to count to (at least up to three)
Inhale while counting to that number
Hold your lungs full of air for that long
Take that long to exhale
Hold your breath with your lungs empty for that long

Mindfulness

Practicing mindfulness helps you build awareness of your body and can help relieve stress and protect your digestive health. Practices such as yoga, meditation or body scanning can empower you to notice stress sooner and take steps to reduce it.

Not everything works for everybody but you can find the best way to help your body help itself, relieve stress, and allow your digestive system to function well.

Want to learn more about how stress affects your digestive system? Learn more here: Stress and Your Digestive System.

If you are experiencing prolonged digestive problems, talk to your Granite Peaks gastroenterology specialist. They can help you find the solutions to your digestive issues.

Tasty Ways to Add More Fiber to Your Diet

Posted on July 7, 2021December 27, 2024 by Granite Peaks

Tasty Ways to Add More Fiber to Your Diet

Eating a healthy diet rich in high fiber whole foods can help avoid some digestive health problems. Constipation, diarrhea, and hemorrhoid irritation can all be improved by eating more fiber. It also lowers cholesterol! Yet most of us don’t consume nearly enough fiber in our diets, certainly not the recommended 25-35 grams per day, and miss out on all the benefits that fiber offers. A common problem is that foods that are easily accessible and quick to put together for a meal are often very low in fiber, and high in fat, calories, and salt. The good news is that there are some easy, tasty ways to increase your fiber intake.

Smoothies

Who doesn’t love smoothies? When you make your own, you can customize it to suit your exact tastes. This is the perfect way to add fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber and added liquids and nutrients to your diet. Spinach and carrots are both high-fiber vegetables that can work well in smoothies. Strawberries, bananas, blueberries, and raspberries all have a healthy helping of fiber as well. Mix and match different fruits and vegetables to find your favorites for amazing custom-blend smoothies.

Soups and Salads

Soups and salads are a delicious way to add high fiber fruits and vegetables to your diet. For soups, add vegetables that hold up well to heat. Kale can be great in soups, and adding carrots, celery, broccoli, peas, beans, and lentils are also excellent ways to increase fiber. Salads naturally lend themselves towards being a high-fiber dish. Aside from vegetables, pieces of fruit and berries can be a tasty, fibrous addition. Add some nuts and seeds for a healthy crunch that tastes good and adds some extra fiber.

Snacks

Snacking may be one of the easiest places to lose out on fiber, or to sneak it in. Apple slices (with the peel on them) can be a great snack. Try dipping them in peanut butter for some extra protein. A small handful of nuts provides both protein and fiber. You might also try snacking on whole grain crackers or raw vegetables dipped in hummus or mashed avocado. Since part of what makes less fibrous snacks so appealing is how convenient they are, give yourself a hand and do some food prep ahead of time so that the healthier snacks are at least as convenient as the less healthy options.

Eating more fiber doesn’t have to be a chore. It doesn’t have to be bland or unpleasant either. In fact, smoothies, soups, salads, and snacks can be the perfect way to add more fiber to your diet without compromising taste at all. Enjoy all the benefits of consuming more fiber in addition to the other nutrients that come along with it.

Water

Along with adding fiber to your diet, adding liquids is essential, and water is the healthiest drink you can have. Adding too much fiber without increasing your fluid intake could spell trouble. When adding fiber to your diet, start slowly, increase your water intake and MOVE! Fiber, water, and exercise are the trifecta of promoting good digestive health and helping avoid problems like hemorrhoids.

Remember, eating more fiber can reduce your risk of developing hemorrhoids. If you have hemorrhoids or are concerned about developing them, check out our list of Symptoms of Hemorrhoids to learn how they can be treated, or avoided.

Leaky Gut Syndrome

Posted on February 9, 2021December 27, 2024 by fuelmarketing

By Chrissy Weaver, PA-C

If you, like many Americans, suffer from diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain or gas and bloating, it’s likely you have begun some of your own research in an attempt to explain your chronic symptoms. A simple google search may yield a result that poses the question “Do YOU Have Leaky Gut Syndrome”? It only takes one click to lead you to a list of symptoms that seems to perfectly describe your situation. A list of supplements and dietary changes is recommended to treat the ailments associated with possible “Leaky Gut.” It’s easy to become overwhelmed. It’s next to impossible to determine which sources are credible and to differentiate between reality and pseudo-science.

What the Medical Community Says About Leaky Gut Syndrome

It’s important to look to credible sources backed with evidence-based claims. Here’s what the medical community largely agrees upon: At this point, the term “intestinal-permeability” is gaining recognition in the medical world, but the correlation of increased intestinal permeability and the manifestation of chronic systemic diseases, including chronic fatigue syndrome, autism, arthritis and other autoimmune diseases has not been proven. In simpler terms, the idea the lining of your gut can be damaged, subsequently causing “leaking,” is credible. However, no studies have demonstrated this finding is causative in the manifestation of other systemic diseases.

Treating Leaky Gut Syndrome

So, what is there to do if you’re still suffering from chronic GI symptoms? It is reasonable to seek care from a healthcare professional specializing in the field of gastroenterology. Tests will help rule out diseases such as Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s disease, Celiac disease and Peptic Ulcer disease, amongst others. If you continue to suspect a “Leaky Gut,” you should speak with your health care provider. There is no test that is routinely used in a clinical setting to diagnose “Leaky Gut,” but if your suspicions continue, it is reasonable to take steps to improve your overall gut health.

Recommendations to Support Overall Gut Health

– Consider a diet that eliminates high amounts of carbohydrates, fats and processed foods. A Western Diet has been associated with development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and may be a source of chronic GI symptoms even in those without IBD. Evidence is emerging that the Mediterranean Diet can help improve subjective GI symptoms.

– Avoid heavy use of medications like NSAIDs (after a discussion with your doctor).

– Limit alcohol intake.

– If diarrhea is a large component of your symptoms, a supplement called l-glutamine has been shown to improve symptoms of chronic diarrhea and can improve gut permeability. Talk with your health care provider before starting any supplement.

– Make efforts to control chronic stress. Yoga and meditation can help manage stress in an effective and healthy manner.

Obviously, those with continuing symptoms should plan to see their gastroenterology specialist for an accurate diagnosis and help improving digestive health with advice from the experts. Granite Peaks Gastroenterology has nine providers able to help with symptoms and treatment for this frustrating syndrome. Talk with one of them today to start feeling better soon.

Diet and Heart Health

Posted on February 3, 2021December 27, 2024 by James Stewart

By Dr. James M Stewart

The heart is at the center of the vasculature system which includes all of the arteries and veins through which blood flows. The heart is the most dependable muscle in your body. Over the average person’s lifespan, it will beat around 100,000 times per day, which amounts to around 2.5 billion heartbeats. That’s a lot of work—and the heart needs as much help as it can get.

There are several things you can do to improve your heart health. Diet and obesity are clearly linked to heart disease. Over the last 100 years, with changes to how we grow and distribute our food, the American diet has changed greatly. For the most part, this has led to greater access to food at a lower cost, but has led to eating in a way that can damage our hearts. All of those extra calories create fat and cholesterol deposits in our arteries, leading to heart disease. As gastroenterologists, we encourage people to make wise decisions about the foods they eat to improve their heart health and increase their quality of life. Here are some suggestions to help improve your heart health through good dietary choices:

–Eat enough calories to manage body weight

–Make a goal to eat least 4.5 cups of fruits and vegetables a day, including a variety of dark-green, red, and orange vegetables, beans, and peas

–Reduce fatty meats by substituting seafood (including oily fish) in place of some meat and poultry

–Choose whole grains (brown rice, oats, quinoa, etc.) in place of white flour and white rice to increase fiber

–Use oils to replace solid fats like butter

–Use fat-free or low-fat versions of milk and cheese products

–Additionally, we recommend against smoking tobacco and seeing your doctors if there is history of heart disease in your family

For more information as well as some recipe suggestions, please see the following link:

Smart Eating from the American Heart Association

Has your health plan deductible been met?

Posted on October 26, 2020December 27, 2024 by Granite Peaks

BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAVE MONEY AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH CARE NEEDS

At the beginning of every calendar year, many health insurance plan deductibles reset to $0. With most medical coverage, before your insurance company will start paying healthcare bills, your deductible must be met. You are responsible to pay the deductible amount to your health care provider.

This year, many people may have had additional costs if they became ill or had to have testing done. With the end of this deductible year approaching, plan ahead to maximize your health plan benefits. Whether you have an individual or a group health insurance plan, now is the time to consider needed tests, screenings, medications and doctor visits to help save money on healthcare if you have met, or almost met, your deductible for the year.

Before the end of the year, here are some examples of services to consider:

—Colonoscopy or Upper Endoscopy (EGD)
–Lab work
–Diagnostic testing
–Surgery
–Outpatient procedures
–Doctor Visits
–Prescription refills

If something has been troubling you and you’ve been putting it off, scheduling these types of appointments or procedures with your healthcare provider or specialists is a good idea.

Take the initiative now to make the most of your health plan.

Eating Healthy for Your GI Condition

Posted on May 21, 2019December 27, 2024 by fuelmarketing

By Granite Peaks Gastroenterology

Eating a healthy diet is one of the best ways to give your body the right kind of fuel for good health and healthy weight management. In general, maintaining a healthy weight puts less pressure on the gastrointestinal (GI) system, decreasing symptoms for many GI conditions.

However, some healthy foods can cause increased symptoms for individuals suffering with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Celiac disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Raw vegetables, whole wheat or grains, and high-fructose fruits can aggravate the gut, increasing unpleasant symptoms because the body may have a harder time digesting such foods.

The goal is to eat the healthiest diet that agrees with your system to obtain the best nutrition while avoiding uncomfortable symptoms. Good nutrition supports the entire body and balancing a nutritious diet within the limits of your body’s digestive tolerance levels will achieve good health and a good GI state.

If you, or someone you know, has gastrointestinal issues, consult one of the gastroenterology specialists at Granite Peaks Gastroenterology in Sandy or Lehi. If you have a condition that may require adjustment to your diet, they can help you make the right choices to live a healthy life without the discomfort of GI symptoms.

Patient Safety and Quality of Care

Posted on March 14, 2018December 27, 2024 by

Granite Peaks GI is focused on delivering the highest quality of care for our patients and providing a safe, positive experience, whether our patients are having a procedure or being seen in our clinic for an office visit. Part of having a good experience means being an active member of your health care team.

Get More Out of Your Health Care Visit

One of the ways you can make your appointment productive and be sure to receive the information you need from your provider is to ask questions.

1. Bring someone with you – they’ll help remember answers to your questions
2. Know your family and personal health history, including dates of illnesses and surgeries
3. Either bring your medications with you, or bring a list that includes everything you take – prescription and over-the-counter products

Before your appointment, write down a few questions you have for your health care provider. Your provider will not go through 20 separate health concerns at one appointment, so focus on the questions you would like answered about symptoms, medication, treatment options, tests or procedures.

During your appointment, let the medical assistant or nurse know you would like to ask your medical provider some questions. When you’re with your provider, ask the questions you prepared starting with those most important to you. Then listen to the answers and take notes. If you don’t understand something, let your provider know. If you are having tests done, ask when you might expect results and how you will receive them – by phone, mail or online patient portal.

It is important for you to understand if you have been given a diagnosis and what treatment options are available to you. If medication is prescribed, be sure you understand what it will do. Before prescribing for you, your health care provider will check for interactions. This is why your provider having your complete list of medications is so important. If a procedure or surgery is recommended, be sure you understand the risks and other options for treatment and how it could affect your daily life.

After your appointment, follow your health care provider’s’ instructions. If you are to start a medication, ask the pharmacist questions about it if it’s a new medication to you. Read all of the side effects and possibilities for altering your state of health and your ability to continue daily functions. If you notice a problem or if you are having unexpected side effects, contact your doctor’s office. It is possible a different medication may be a better choice for you.

If you are going to call your physician after your visit, prepare for a phone call the same way you did for your appointment. Write down what you need to ask them because it is possible you will need to leave a message or contact them electronically. Let your medical provider know if you are having side effects or other difficulty with your medication or if your symptoms worsen. If you are waiting for test results, be sure you understand any results you are given. You are entitled to receive the full report of any tests results.

You play an important role in providing your doctors with accurate, complete information about your health history and your current condition. Your doctor uses this information to decide the safest, most effective treatment options to help you feel your best. Get involved, get informed and get healthy!

Mindful Eating

Posted on May 13, 2015December 27, 2024 by fuelmarketing

We all live hectic lives. The pace of modern life, with all of its technical distractions, can sometimes take away from the joy of eating. We gulp down our food while watching TV, texting, or tweeting, and don’t really take the time to eat our meals with mindfulness and savor our food. Thich Nhat Hanh, a well-known Vietnamese Buddhist, teaches there is nothing more precious than the present moment, so even eating becomes an activity worthy of our undivided attention. Eating with mindfulness will allow us to avoid ingesting all the stress of a distracted mind. The calmness and presence gained from eating mindfully will bring each of us greater health and happiness and allow us to enjoy life more fully.

Below is an excerpt from Thich Nhat Hanh’s book, Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life

Take an apple out of your refrigerator. Any apple will do. Wash it. Dry it. Before taking a bite, pause for a moment. Look at the apple in your palm and ask yourself: When I eat an apple, am I really enjoying eating it? Or, am I so pre-occupied with other thoughts that I miss the delights that the apple offers me?

If you are like most of us, you answer “yes” to the second question much more often than the first. For most of our lives, we have eaten apple after apple without giving it a second thought. Yet in this mindless way of eating, we have denied ourselves the many delights present in the simple act of eating an apple. Why do that, especially when it is so easy to truly enjoy the apple?

The first thing is to give your undivided attention to eating the apple. When you eat the apple, just concentrate on eating the apple. Don’t think of anything else. And most important, be still. Don’t eat the apple while you are driving. Don’t eat it while you are walking. Don’t eat it while you are reading. Just be still. Being focused and slowing down will allow you to truly savor all the qualities the apple offers: its sweetness, aroma, freshness, juiciness, and crispness.

Next, pick up the apple from the palm of your hand and take a moment to look at it again. Breathe in awareness a few times to help you focus and become more in touch with how you feel about the apple. Most of the time, we barely look at the apple we are eating. We grab it, take a bite, chew it quickly and then swallow. This time, take note: What kind of apple is it? What color is it? How does it feel in your hand? What does it smell like? Going through these thoughts, you will begin to realize the apple is not simply a quick snack to quiet a grumbling stomach. It is something more complex, something part of a greater whole.

Then, give the apple a smile and slowly,mindfully take a bite, and chew it. Be aware of your in-breath and out-breath a few times to help you concentrate solely on eating the apple: what it feels like in your mouth, what it tastes like, what it’s like to chew and swallow it. There is nothing else filling your mind as you chew – no projects, no deadlines, no worries, no “to do” list, no fears, no sorrow, no anger, no past, and no future. There is just the apple.

When you chew, know what you are chewing. Chew slowly and completely. Chew consciously, savoring the taste of the apple and its nourishment, immersing yourself in the process one hundred percent. This way, you really appreciate the apple as it is. Ans as you become fully aware of eating the apple, you also become fully aware of the present moment. You become fully engaged in the here and now. Living in the moment, you can really experience what the apple offers you, and you become more alive.

www.savorthebook.com

The physicians at Granite Peaks Gastroenterology are dedicated to helping you achieve your best health possible. Each of us would welcome the opportunity to sit down with you to discuss mindful eating and other ways to support your optimal well-being.