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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 2022)
General Council Meeting Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022 • 1 p.m. • Siletz, Oregon Call to Order Invocation Flag Salute Roll Call Approval of Agenda Approval of Minutes Consent Decree Agreement Clinic Services Update Tribal Member Concerns Chairman’s Report Announcements Adjourn Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to continue to keep the membership safe/healthy, the Aug. 6, 2022, General Council Meeting will be on the Zoom platform. For access to the meeting link, please email generalcouncil@ctsi.nsn.us and include your name and roll number in the email. The link to the meeting will be sent to your email address on Aug. 5, 2022, prior to 4:30 p.m. To discuss Tribal member concerns, please indicate so in your email or by using the “raise hand” option in Zoom. The Tribal chairman will call upon Tribal members in the order they are received. Tribal members who plan to speak, please ensure there is audio on your device. The deadline to request the meeting link is Aug. 4, 2022. Courtesy photo by Jacob Reid The Amanda Trail hike was the first of many Youth Prevention summer activi- ties to get some fresh air and exercise. To sign up for these outdoor adventures, please contact Behavioral Health and speak with a Youth Prevention coordinator. Left to right: James Pearson, Jordyn Ramsey (Prevention intern), Jordan Taylor, Elizabeth Madden (Prevention coordinator) and Isaiah Brandt. Hunter Pearson is off camera to the left. When the going gets tough, learn to use detective work to solve constipation 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. Last month we introduced the foundational diet and approach to achieving regular daily bowel movements to avoid constipation. This time our focus is on short-term interven- tions as we seek to find the root cause or the possible medical cause(s) for constipation. The foundation of what we eat and drink continues to be essential. It is important to remember that we need to remove toxins and the bad stuff by excret- ing our stool via bowel movements. If there are long delays before we poop, some of that bad stuff can be re-absorbed into our bodies. This can have a serious negative impact on our health. This means that sometimes we need short-term solutions to eliminate or remove our waste. I refer to this as Level 2, Intervention. When you or your child are experienc- ing constipation, there are many options. Sometimes tummy massage is useful to help support bowel movements for all ages. People should not need laxatives every day. It is important to see a doctor for an exam if you or your child are at this point. When you see a doctor, it is impor- tant to be equipped with knowledge to advocate for yourself or your child. Furthermore, don’t wait to take actions to eliminate waste while seeking help. In my experience and professional opinion, constipation is wholly underserved! Laxatives fall into different categories depending on how they work. The impor- tant thing about most laxatives is that one should drink a lot of liquid. In some cases, if too little water is consumed, it is possible to cause the opposite and result in impac- tion (blockage), which can be serious. Laxative categories include bulk, osmotic, stimulant, softener and lubri- 4 • Siletz News • cant. These can be over-the-counter or prescription. Bulk-forming laxatives absorb liquid from within the intestine to swell and form a soft, bulky stool. Ideally the bowel is then stimulated by the presence of the bulky mass. Examples include psyllium, methylcellulose and polycarbophil. Osmotic laxatives are medications that draw water from the surrounding tis- sues into the stool, allowing the intestine to hold more fluid. This results in softer stools and more frequent, easier-to-pass bowel movements with the benefit of increasing colonic peristalsis (involuntary constriction and relaxation of the muscles of the intestine or another canal, creating wave-like movements that push the con- tents of the canal forward). Commonly used osmotic laxatives include polyethylene glycol (PEG), milk of magnesia and lactulose. Saline laxa- tives are sometimes considered osmotic because they work similarly. Stimulant laxatives act on the intes- tinal mucosa, increasing water and elec- trolyte secretion. They also stimulate peristaltic action. Examples of stimulant laxatives include aloe, cascara, senna, bisacodyl and castor oil. Stool softeners are thought to be gentle and are often recommended after surgery when it is important not to strain. They work by adding liquid to the stool without stimulating peristalsis. Docusate sodium is an example. Lubricant laxatives make a coating around the stools, which makes them easier to pass. Some supplements that support bowel movements do not fall into the laxative categories. These include magnesium, vitamin C and triphala. For constipation relief with magne- sium, it is best to take the “less absorbable” forms such as magnesium oxide at the does right for you (often starting at 400 mg and working up to 800-1200 and sometimes more). Don’t start at a high dose because the body’s response is not immediate and August 2022 you may cause diarrhea. Personally, I find magnesium very effective. Vitamin C at a very high level is another approach to cleaning out the bowels. Take a dose of powdered (and buffered) Vitamin C every hour until you reach bowel tolerance and your stool loosens. Then reduce your dose to move your bowels at a comfortable rate. Triphala is an Ayurvadic remedy of “three fruits” – amalaki, bibhataki and haritaki trees – ground into powder and blended for a body tonic to cleanse and detoxify. The third level is to find the root cause or the medical reason for constipation. Some- times the diagnosis of functional childhood constipation is used when no underlying cause is identified. I encourage everyone along the journey to look for a reason. Constipation is a symptom, not a dis- ease. It is associated with many different medical conditions and underlying meta- bolic, neurologic or colonic conditions, and pelvic floor dysfunction. Possible causes include GI infec- tions, toxicity, sluggish liver, heavy metal exposure, nerve damage, leaky gut, leaky brain, inadequate stomach acid or enzymes, malnutrition, allergy, food sensitivity, adhesions, bowel obstruction, thyroid or adrenal dysfunction, and gut neurotransmitter imbalances (such as serotonin and dopamine). Specific diseases or conditions may include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inf lammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis (UC), post- infectious IBS, intestinal methanogen over- growth (IMO), Lyme disease, colon cancer, lupus, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s, scleroderma, spinal cord injury, stroke, and Hirschsprung’s disease (congenital). Trauma and chronic stress can keep your nervous system in sympathetic vs. parasympathetic mode (also known as “fight or flight” with hormones diverting blood from the digestive tract). Medications can cause constipation. Examples include opioid painkillers, muscle relaxants, PPIs (proton pump inhibitors), antacids, antidepressants, NSAIDs, antihistamines and diuretics. When diuretics remove water from the body, it is important to realize they also remove water from our stool, making it harder to poop. Supplementation of iron, calcium and zinc may slow bowel move- ments, especially at high levels. Of course, you will want to review these with a health care practitioner if constipation is a concern. Anesthesia may also cause constipation, which can last for weeks. Our bodies communicate with us via our symptoms. It is our job to listen to the messages. Sometimes we need help inter- preting and understanding these messages. When fine tuning the foundational diet and making note of your body’s response to various interventions, you may find important clues for deeper root causes. For example, the common health recommendations for fiber, pre- and pro- biotics can have the opposite effect when you have small intestinal bacterial over- growth (SIBO) or intestinal methanogen overgrowth (IMO). Prebiotics and many forms of fiber feed the gut bacteria and some of them are in the small intestine producing methane gas, which slows bowel function, causing constipation, as well as severe gas pain. Specific probiotics such as Bifidus enfan- tis, Bifidus lactis, Lactobacillus plantara (without prebiotics) may be beneficial for these conditions. The information you gather about how your body responds may provide the nec- essary clues to be tested, diagnosed and treated for what caused the constipation. 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.
