UNews - diarrhea

Horns forced to postpone series

trevor.kenney — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:46:44 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan athletics departments have jointly announced that the upcoming Canada West women's hockey series scheduled for October 30th and 31st has been postponed because more than one quarter of the U of L team is currently experiencing flu-like symptoms.

"It was very important to postpone this series to ensure that our team members and our visitors were not further exposed to the flu-like symptoms that have been spreading through the community," said assistant coach Deb Marek. "We currently have 6 players and coach Chandy Kaip away ill, and their health and well-being is critical."

The Pronghorns will face the Huskies January 2 and 3, 2010 instead of October 30 and 31, 2009.

U of L Health Centre manager Lori Weber, RN, said the team illness is unfortunate, but not a surprise considering that there are currently more than 300 students, staff and faculty listed as ill on the U of L's flu registry – about three percent of the school's student and employee population.

"The teams are doing the right thing in postponing their games and asking their players to self-isolate if they exhibit flu-like symptoms," Weber said. "This reinforces the fact that this illness, whether it is the seasonal flu or H1N1, is to be taken seriously."

Weber said that symptoms may include fever over 100 degrees, sore throat, cough, fatigue, headache, body aches, runny or stuffy nose, vomiting and diarrhea.

"You can be contagious for one day before symptoms begin and possibly seven or more days after. A person is more contagious on days with fever," she said.
"I applaud the actions taken to protect the health of the sports teams involved. As a reminder, all those involved in any sport should be taking extra vigilance with cleaning sports equipment, not sharing water bottles, mouth guards or other equipment and notifying their coach/team when they are ill."

Weber added that staying at home and resting aids the ill person in their recovery and protects their teammates from exposure to influenza.

"Vaccination clinics are being held in Lethbridge, so please consider getting vaccinated."

To view complete information on flu-like illness and steps to take if ill please visit the U of L website at http://www.uleth.ca and click on the "Be Fluless, Not Clueless!" icon.

Energy in a can: the real story on energy drinks

trevor.kenney — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:37:16 +0000

Energy drinks claim to boost your energy and improve performance but they are different from sport drinks such as Gatorade or PowerAde, which have small amounts of carbohydrate and electrolytes.

Here's a look at what energy drinks contain.

Caffeine. Energy drinks have caffeine listed as Guarana, yerba mate or caffeine. They usually have about 80 mg in a 250 ml can, double the amount found in pop and about half the amount found in coffee.

Taurine. Most energy drinks contain one gram of taurine, an amino acid that is easily obtained in the diet from meat and dairy products. Although the claim is that taurine increases alertness, there is no research to support it.

Herbs. Ginkgo biloba and ginseng are listed ingredients in many energy drinks. These can interfere with medications affecting blood clotting. There is no research to support that these herbs improve sports performance.

Sugar. These beverages contain about twice the amount of sugar (carbohydrate) as a sport drink and so will interfere with performance. If drank just before or during exercise they may cause nausea, cramps and diarrhea. High doses of sugar may have a short term energy burst, but the body will quickly get the sugar out of the blood stream, causing a big drop in blood sugar about 70 to 80 minutes later. According to research this may slow reaction time both physically and mentally.

Health Canada regulates energy drinks as supplements. It recommends not consuming more than 500 ml per day and cautions not to mix with alcohol.

For anyone in vigorous exercise situations, sport drinks or water are the best choices during exercise. A 20-minute nap, regular meals and snacks throughout the day or a quick power walk are natural ways to boost your energy and alertness.

Diane Britton is the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's On-campus Registered Dietitian

Probiotics - power foods for your health

trevor.kenney — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:28:00 +0000

The human digestive system contains up to 100 trillion bacteria. The good news is some of these bacteria are actually good for you.

The delicate balance between good and bad bacteria in your digestive tract can be easily upset by stress, diarrhea, antibiotic treatment or disease. Probiotics are "friendly bacteria" that are added to foods to restore the good bacteria in your intestine. They can protect us from harmful bacteria, aid digestion, boost our immune system, prevent and treat diarrhea; and some may even relieve constipation.

Probiotics are added to yogurt, some cheese, some milk, kefir (fermented milk) and some drinkable yogurts. Read the ingredient list to see if probiotics are present. Look for three categories of probiotics:

• Lactobacillus (L.) – L. acidophilus, L. casei, L. bulgaricus
• Bifidobacterium – bifidum, B. lactis
• Streptococcus (S.) – S. thermophillus

Yogurt containers may also state "Live and Active Cultures" or "Live Active Bacteria (LAB)", which indicates probiotics are present.

Since 70 per cent of the body's immune system cells are found in the digestive tract, it's a good place to target when trying to boost our immune system.

Although there is no recommended amount for probiotics, probiotics act in the intestine but do not stay in the intestine. To gain their health benefits, probiotics must be eaten daily.

To discuss your individual nutrition needs, call the Health Centre (SU 020) at 403-329-2484 to book an appointment with dietitian Diane Britton.

UNews - diarrhea

Horns forced to postpone series

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Energy in a can: the real story on energy drinks

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