Don’t Let Your Butt Kill You, Let a Doctor Check You Out
Get your mind out of the gutter.
Your butt, aka your colon, can kill you.
As a certified personal trainer and weight management specialist, a lot of people come to me for exercise, diet and lifestyle advice.
As I am now solidly in the middle-aged category, many of my peers are starting to ask questions about the overall health of their body.
These days, I get many more questions about longevity, gut health and flexibility than I ever have.
It makes sense since quite a few of these folks are in the 40 plus age group.
A topic that has come up lately in the circle of 40 and up men and women is colorectal health.
Many of my friends and colleagues chat about their recent colorectal screenings around the water cooler.
It makes me chuckle to think that 15 years ago we were talking about how much we bench press, squat and deadlift.
Now the conversations focus on digestive and colon health.
These recent talks prompted me to do some research and put together an informational article on how your diet impacts your colon health.
Read on, especially if you’re “of a certain age”, to learn how to eat right and get your butt healthy.
Food Choices and Your Butt’s Health
Just like how your food choices can affect your heart or brain, they can also have a big impact on the health of your colon, which is an important part of your digestive system.
There are different conditions that can mess with how your colon works, like inflammatory bowel diseases, diverticular disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and colorectal cancer.
Treating these conditions often means making changes to your diet, lifestyle, taking medication, or even having surgery.
Colorectal cancer is a serious issue, and there are many things that can increase your risk of getting it, like getting older, your race, family history, previous polyps, inflammatory bowel disease, smoking, not being active enough, and drinking too much alcohol.
Keep Your Weight In Check
It’s been shown that being overweight can increase your odds of getting colon cancer.
Being obese can lead to having too much insulin in your blood, which might make tumors grow in your colon.
Lower Your Colon Cancer Risk by Eating Wisely
Even if you’re predisposed to or have a history of colon-related conditions, there’s a lot you can do to lower your risk of getting colon cancer.
Eating healthy foods like veggies, fruits, and whole grains, and cutting back on red and processed meats can help.
Eat Some Plants
Try to make at least half of what you eat come from plants like veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, and lentils. These foods have lots of good stuff like fiber and vitamins that can help fight cancer.
Eat Fewer Cows
Eating too much red meat can bump up your risk of colon cancer, so try to eat more chicken, turkey, and fish instead.
Be Careful with Sugary Foods
Eating or drinking too much sugar isn’t great for your colon, so it’s important to keep it under control.
Check food labels and look for the amount of total and added sugars are in your food.
Fiber is King
Fiber is good for your gut, so aim for around 30 grams a day from foods like whole grains, fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and beans.
Eat Whole Grains
Whole grains are generally more nutritious than refined grains, so try to eat them instead.
Foods like barley, quinoa, and brown rice are good options.
Keep Your Butt’s Bugs Healthy
Eating a variety of foods and trying probiotic sources like yogurt or kimchi can help keep your gut bacteria healthy.
Get Off Your Tail and Get Your Butt Screened
But even if you’re eating right, it’s still important for folks over age 45 to get screened for colon cancer.
Colonoscopies can spot and allow doctors to remove precancerous growths, which can help prevent the occurrence of colon cancer.
So, my middle-aged friends, eat well, get screened and keep your butt healthy and cancer-free.
I’ve Written Much More to Help Get Your Butt In Shape
Thank you for reading!
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