Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2022)
IS YOUR ADDRESS UPDATED WITH ENROLLMENT? CTSI Jobs Tribal employment information is available at ctsi.nsn.us. Note: “Open Until Filled” vacancies may close at any time. The Tribe’s Indian Prefeence pol- icy will apply. Tribal government will not discriminate in selec- tion because of race, creed, age, sex, color, national origin, physical handicap, marital status, politics, membership or non-membership in an employee orgnization. CTSI constantly is looking for temporary employees to cover vacancy, vacations, maternity leave and extended sick leave. If you are looking for temporary work that can last from 2-12 weeks, please submit an application for the temp pool. Friday, July 15, 2022, is the last day to have your address updated to receive your per capita check. If you have recently moved, the last day to get your mailing address updated in time for your per capita check to be mailed to a new address is Friday, July 15, 2022, by 4:30 p.m. Any address changes after that date will affect the mailing of the per capita check, causing a delay in receiving it. Tribal offices remain closed to the public; how can I obtain Enrollment forms? For information about the Siletz Tribe, visit ctsi.nsn.us. Specifically for the Address Update Form, go online to the Siletz Tribal website – ctsi.nsn.us, under Tribal Government > Enrollment > Address Update, also view the instructions on how to update for other departments. For any other Enrollment forms on the Tribal website, click on Tribal Government > Enrollment > Forms > and you can choose from 10 different forms. If you do not have access to a computer or printer, call the Enrollment Department @ 541-444-8258 and we will mail to you through USPS. Request by email @ EnrollmentDepartment@ctsi.nsn.us For the full policy regarding per capita checks, please see the Tribal Member Distribution Ordinance on the Tribal website – ctsi.nsn.us – under Government Listing > Tribal Ordinances >Distribution of Net Revenues Ordinance. When the going gets tough, learn to get regular through a variety of methods By Nancy Ludwig, MS, RDN, LD, Head Start Consulting Nutritionist In my role as consultant nutritionist to Siletz Tribal Head Start, I offer nutri- tion information for families. Usually constipation is a tough topic to address, but not nearly as tough as what happens when it is not talked about enough to find the necessary support. There are many reasons why constipa- tion can occur. It isn’t always as simple as “drink enough water, eat fiber and move your body.” Unfortunately, when this topic is shunned or made as simple as the previ- ous sentence, many people with chronic constipation live with miserable pain, as well as additional health problems. Constipation can sometimes be worse than diarrhea, yet often it isn’t taken as seriously. How do you know if you or your child is constipated? Here are four questions to ask yourself and to observe or discuss with your child: What does it look like? How often do you go? How easy is it to poop? Does it feel like you got it all out (full evacuation)? The ideal is 1-3 painless bowel move- ments (BM) per day. Daily bowel move- ments are important. Less than one per day is a problem. There is a guide called the Bristol Stool chart categorizing the shape and consistency of feces or poop from hardest to loosest on a seven-point scale. The low numbers represent stool that is hard to pass and may point to constipation. The high numbers represent loose stool and indicate diarrhea. An ideal stool would be described as sausage-shaped or snake-like; smooth and soft. Furthermore, it would be easy to get out and it would feel complete (not like you still need to go). 4 • Siletz News • July 2022 Other key factors to observe about your poop may include color (not too light or too dark), whether there is visible undigested food and whether it floats or sinks. If it floats, it may be greasy or a sign of trouble digesting fat. It is a good idea to be willing to look at your poop because it provides important information about your health and your digestion. If bowel movements are difficult to pass regularly, this is often accompanied by pain, gas and bloating. Straining to poop is not a good idea as it might lead to hemorrhoids. It is important to look at habits and nutrition to keep bowel move- ments regular. There are medical condi- tions that may cause constipation. Keep in mind that chronic constipation is a sign of a problem that needs to be addressed. I like to address constipation at three levels. First are foundational habits, including diet, exercise, managing stress/ wellbeing, sleep and responding to the urge to use the toilet. If these habits don’t relieve your constipation, short-term interventions are needed. As you apply these strategies, clues will develop to help you work with a practitioner to find the root cause. Habits include what we eat and drink. A foundational diet of nutrient-dense anti- inflammatory foods with healthy meats, fats, fruits and vegetables is key. Hydration is also critical. Water is essential for life and for good bowel movements. Beyond the foundational healthy diet, it is important to observe our individual responses to foods and hydration. If addi- tional tips are needed (below), it may be most effective to try them one at a time because it will be easier to assess what is working. Hydration isn’t always as simple as drinking adequate clean water. If water runs right through, without hydration, it may be necessary to add good quality salt to your water or food. Signs of improper hydration may include dry skin and hard poop that is difficult to pass. Grains and legumes are frequently suggested as fiber sources to support bowel movements. Sometimes this works, yet for many of us this is not effective and may cause pain, bloating and slow bowel function. Furthermore, grains and legumes are not generally considered traditional foods. There is good reason to pay attention and honor the foods that work best for us. Always make note of what works and does not work as you look deeper at the cause of your constipation. Often prunes, rich in insoluble fiber and sorbitol, work well as a natural laxa- tive. Sometimes additional fat is needed for good digestive motility. Personally, my bowel movements function better with fewer grains and additional fat. Please be aware of the need to choose healthy fats, such as organic, that are not rancid, not highly processed and do not contain toxins. Some ways to add more fat include fatter cuts of meat, adding spoonfuls of healthy oils like coconut oil to your meals or eating an avocado daily. Try additional fat for at least a week to observe before deciding. For some, the addition of pre- and probiotics helps, yet others may need to avoid specific ones. The probiotic Bifidus regularis may be effective for regularity. Bodily responses are individual and are important to note in your detective work for optimum health and ultimately finding the root causes for sluggish bowels. Inflammatory diets of grains, indus- trial seed oils or dairy can be problematic. GMO foods (genetically engineered) can lead to leaky gut and this can create a long cascade of issues, including constipation. Any additional foods to which you or your children are sensitive should be avoided and can result in constipation. Dairy products, especially cheese, are common problem foods. Additional habits include: daily move- ment (activity or exercise), managing stress, sleep (hours and quality) and toilet habits. Often gentle movement is more effective than heavy exercise to relieve constipation. Focusing on stress isn’t easy, yet stress and trauma can really increase constipa- tion. Getting enough high-quality sleep is also a critical factor to health, which improves bowel movements. Toilet habits are often overlooked. It is essential to honor body cues by respond- ing to the urge to poop. Often, in our busy days, we learn to delay or postpone the urge and this can set us up for constipation. Our bodies communicate to us through feedback, urges and symptoms. For health, we must pay attention and respond. Teaching and fostering this attitude for children is important but at any age, it is never too late to start paying closer attention and responding in kind. Next month, I will continue with the next two levels of intervention and find- ing the root cause. Intervention is best looked at as short-term and used when the foundational diet is no longer enough. The third level is to find the root cause or the medical reason for the constipation to ideally eliminate the symptom. Too many people experience chronic constipation and either stay in the laxative cycle or struggle in silence. Please know that Siletz Tribal Head Start offers nutritional support at no cost to Head Start families. This usually occurs over the telephone. If you have nutrition concerns about your Head Start child or want to discuss family nutrition concerns, please contact your teacher or the director and ask to speak to the nutritionist.