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to your Address Book or Safe List. Learn how here. | June 12, 2011 | |  |  | The Soup You Need When Diarrhea Persists | | | Blood Pressure "Switch" Found on Human Body... | | | Could Couples’ Counseling Do More Harm than Good? | | | No Plunger? No Problem. Secret to Unplugging Your Toilet | | | Fascinating Facts | | | |  |  | |  | |
 | | The Soup You Need When Diarrhea Persists
Q: My doctor and I are working to resolve my chronic diarrhea. In the meantime, should I be taking any particular supplements to prevent nutritional deficiencies?
A: No, but you may want to have two or three bowls of egg drop soup per day. The eggs it is made with are rich in albumin, a protein that is easily digested and absorbed into the bloodstream. Albumin helps maintain the balance of water in the bloodstream and body tissues. Also, egg drop soup’s chicken broth base is a good source of sodium. Though you may think of sodium as "bad" due to its link to high blood pressure, it is an important electrolyte (a substance that helps control the body’s fluid balance) that is necessary to sustain life. Since both albumin and sodium get excreted and depleted during bouts of chronic diarrhea, it is vital that these—as well as lost fluids—be replaced. If you are not a fan of egg drop soup, an alternative is to eat at least one egg per day and to have several bowls of plain chicken soup. Or you can ask your doctor about drinking an oral rehydration solution, such as Pedialyte—but while such products are a convenient way to quickly replace fluids and electrolytes lost due to diarrhea, they don’t compare to what you can cook up on your own. Also, talk to your doctor about whether you need frequent, simple blood tests to check your blood levels of albumin and sodium until a solution to your diarrhea problem is found. Source: Andrew L. Rubman, ND, is a licensed naturopathic physician and medical director of the Southbury Clinic for Traditional Medicines in Southbury, Connecticut. He has served as a consultant to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a research associate at Harvard’s Center for Alternative Medicine Research and an associate professor of medicine at the University of Bridgeport. www.SouthburyClinic.com
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 | | Could Couples’ Counseling Do More Harm than Good? Judy Kuriansky, PhD Teachers College, Columbia University | "We started seeing a marriage counselor because we wanted to improve our relationship, but now our problems seem bigger than ever!" Surprising as it may seem, this is a fairly common lament among couples who seek professional help in repairing their relationships. | Reason: Conflicts can escalate as secrets are revealed and unexamined emotions are brought to light. However, this does not mean that couples’ counseling hurts more than it helps—because the only way to get past problems is to deal with them honestly. Are you worried about your relationship and wondering whether to see a couples’ counselor? My recommendations... Tally the signs of trouble. The more of the following that apply, the more advisable couples’ counseling is. You and/or your partner frequently... - Feel as though you have fallen out of love or scarcely know each other anymore.
- Openly or inwardly criticize each other.
- Argue or maintain icy silences.
- Feel tense, frustrated, depressed, angry or afraid.
- Refuse or dread sex.
- Feel that marital problems interfere with the ability to enjoy other areas of life.
- Think about having, or actually do have, an affair.
- Contemplate ending the relationship.
Set a deadline for seeking help. Talk with your partner about your concerns and work together to resolve those problems—but if there is no improvement in three months, consult a professional. Suggest counseling in a way that invites cooperation. Issuing threats ("Come to counseling or we’re through!") or blaming your partner ("A counselor would make you see how rude you are to me") drives a bigger wedge between you. Better: Explain that your intention is to make the marriage better with the help of an impartial third party who can mediate conflicts and facilitate communication, not to get an "accomplice" to gang up on your partner. If he refuses, go alone. Changing your own behavior can help you respond to your partner in a more positive way. This can bring about desirable change—and may even encourage him to join you in counseling. Look for a counselor with appropriate credentials. Get referrals from your friends, doctor or insurance company... or from the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (www.aamft.org) or the American Psychological Association (www.apa.org). Choose a counselor who focuses on couples and who has experience with your most troublesome issues (finances, sexuality, parenting, etc.). Interview three candidates by phone to see with whom you feel comfortable and compatible. Ask about the counselor’s approach. In my opinion, the most effective one is an "integrative behavioral/analytic" style that focuses on feelings and actions in the present but also takes past experiences into account. I also advise working with a counselor who meets with both partners together as well as with each of you individually. Ask about session length and frequency, fees and insurance accepted. Once you’ve begun seeing a counselor, evaluate him or her based on the REASSURE model I developed. The counselor should Reassure you that there is hope for resolving problems... Empathize by being a good listener... Ask about each partner’s feelings, behaviors, needs and goals... Support each partner emotionally... Suggest problem-solving techniques... Understand the significance of each partner’s previous experiences... Refer you to other resources or health-care professionals if necessary (for instance, if a medical problem might be contributing to sexual dysfunction)... and Encourage you to keep trying. Also consider the amount of feedback you have been getting. The counselor shouldn’t just listen while you do all the talking, nor simply tell you what to do, but rather make some suggestions and facilitate your coming to solutions with your partner. Commit to riding the roller coaster. Remember that marital woes may seem to worsen when you start counseling... and that the deeper the problems, the more tumultuous the emotional roller-coaster ride to resolution may be. Don’t give up too soon! As problems get addressed and solutions are tried, calmer times and closer ties will come. Of course, some couples in counseling do ultimately decide to separate, in which case, a counselor can make that transition less traumatic. More often, however, counseling helps couples build better partnerships based on cooperation, compromise and commitment. Source: Judy Kuriansky, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and sex therapist on the adjunct faculty of Teachers College, Columbia University in New York City. She is the author of five books, including The Complete Idiot’s Guide to a Healthy Relationship (Alpha), and is a columnist and advisory board member for HealthyWoman from Bottom Line. www.DrJudy.com
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 | | No Plunger? No Problem. Secret to Unplugging Your Toilet My toilet was stopped up. My guests were on their way. And I couldn’t find a plunger! Lucky for me, I’d learned the secret: Just squirt some liquid dish detergent, wait 15 minutes, and my home and guests were good to go. How often have you been caught in a situation like this—or any of thousands of other household mishaps? Spills, breaks, lost items—family heirlooms nearly ruined. Too often, right? Joan and Lydia Wilen, better known to TV viewers as "The Wilen Sisters," have the secret to saving the day on these and thousands of other potentially disastrous mishaps. | |
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| | | Fascinating Facts 5% to 10%... Americans who have hypochondriacal tendencies—an excessive preoccupation with their health. Source: Columbia University 22% to 25%... Decreased risk for stroke among women who drank more than one cup of coffee per day, as compared with women who drank less coffee. Source: The journal Stroke 30% to 40%... Cancer cases in the US—we’re talking 340,000 cases per year!—that could be prevented with a healthy diet, regular exercise and limitations on alcohol intake. Source: World Cancer Research Fund
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 |  | |  Tamara Eberlein, the editor of HealthyWoman from Bottom Line, has been a health journalist for nearly three decades. An award-winning author or coauthor of four books, she is committed to helping other women in midlife and beyond live healthy, fulfilling lives. Her latest book is the updated, third edition of When You’re Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads (HarperCollins). She is also the "chief health adviser" to her husband of 26 years and three college-age children. | |  | | Bottom Line Publications | 281 Tresser Boulevard, 8th Floor | Stamford, CT 06901
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