GASTROINTESTINAL DISEASE AND DIET

I regularly review scientific papers including ones on diet and the gastrointestinal tract and have seen various patients where the diet is an important factor.

The diets vary greatly from simple low residue ones to others which require very complex management when all or most of the small intestine has been removed.

I am looking forward to attending this conference. 

HAPPINESS

With yesterday being the saddest day of the year I thought it is interesting to see this calendar from  Action for Happiness 

SUSTAINABILITY FOOD AND FARMING

I have decided to widen my blog and include all sorts of other items --so this is one relating to my farming interests. We have always farmed our land without adding chemicals and encouraging wildlife.

It was good to go to a farmers conference yesterday and then later to hear announcements about future farming

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• In the future farmers will be paid for “public goods” such as protecting water and air quality, boosting wildlife and tackling climate change under new laws for agriculture.

The Government has introduced its Agriculture Bill which will govern farming in England after Brexit, with a shift away from the current EU subsidy system of paying farmers mostly for the amount of land they farm.

Instead, payments will reward farmers for measures to protect land, water, and air, support thriving plants and wildlife, tackle climate change, maintain beautiful landscapes, improve public access and boost animal health and welfare.

There is also this network which people may like to join --a fantastic presentation on it yesterday. 

BEZOARS

Bezoars are accumulations of undigested material in the gastrointestinal tact. This undigested material can cause sypmtoms and be difficult to pass.

What are they made of ?

• Most commonly  they are made of  vegetable fibres whic are indgestible and become entangled 

There are others including ones from undisolved medicines plus others from items like paper

• Symptoms of bezoars

Most bezoars cause no symptoms because they don’t completely block the digestive tract. Where symptoms do appear, these may include:

• feeling full after eating very little food
• a lack of appetite
• nausea
• vomiting
• abdominal pain
• weight loss

Diagnosing bezoars

Your doctor may diagnose you with a bezoar by any of the following tests:

• X-rays
• CT scan
• abdominal ultrasound
• endoscopy

Bezoars are typically observed as a single mass, but they can comprise multiple masses. They may range in color from brown, green, yellow, or even black.

Doctors sometimes try to remove a piece of the bezoar during the endoscopy and examine it under a microscope to look for hair or plant material.


there are some pictures on various websites

OPTIMAL NUTRITIONAL CARE FOR ALL

https://european-nutrition.org/






The Optimal Nutritional Care for All (ONCA) campaign is a multi-stakeholder initiative led by European Nutrition Health Alliance (ENHA) to facilitate improved screening for risk of disease-related malnutrition and to promote nutritional care implementation at national level across Europe.

At present there  are $ Campaign aims -

Measure te prevalence of economics of malnutrition
Educate medical and health care professionsl and students
Implements nutritional care in hospitals and  community
Infuence public awareness and policy making

So felt very inspired by a confenece and will try and do some public awareness on this

DIET AND THE HEART

Really good information in Heart Matters on diet https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgxwGBmsmGqPgGLMzGXWZNnPnBsGb

On exercise

Salt

Diabetes

getting your 5 a day

PLUS lots of other items  --worrth signing up for

DIABETES CONFERENCE

Last Saturday I attended the IDDT annual meeting in Kettering. People came from all over the country and there were a number of workshops which were well attended. The day is a really good opportunity for peopel to talk about issues with ach other plus experts.

Really good information about the Freestyle Libre which had revolutionised control for many people.

The IDDT is a small charity which has no major sponsors  so is completeely independent. They produce excellent information on all sorts of topicas related to diabetes.





The IDDT has lots of useful infoprmation as well as advice to individuals. This year they have produced a helpful diary