Nuts, Seeds, Corn, Oh MY! Challenging a Common Diverticulitis Myth
Bonus Article: Navigating Midlife, BIG Questions, and Change - Part 2
Welcome!
New subscribers: Welcome! I’m so happy to have you in this space.
It’s another two-fer this week! First up, a short article on some research about diverticulitis in women and the consumption of nuts, seeds, and corn. Second, is Part 2 of the navigating change article – long, but, hopefully, helpful.
At 44 years old, I consider myself lucky to still be open to both adventure and experiencing new things. Sometimes I feel like we lose the sense of wonder that children experience so easily. This past week, I was reminded that it’s entirely possible as grown-ass adults to still find wonder and awe in the world. I hope you have opportunity to find those, too.
In good health,
Dr. F
News & Events
I’ll be teaching young dancers (and their parents) about eating to fuel their bodies for rehearsal/performance and for maintaining their mental health at Benicia Ballet’s Summer Dance Intensive in July. Most dance summer programs don’t address this critical aspect of dancer health. If you’re local to the Bay Area, check out this 3-week program.
Also, keep your eyes and ears tuned for something special ahead allll about Sleep!
What I’m Reading
This article that examines how changes to the gut microbiome can change behavior. Like, drastically. Researchers completely swapped the gut microbiome of mice conditioned to specific behavior phenotypes via fecal microbiota transplant. They found the mice took on the behaviors of the mice whose gut microbes they received, which demonstrates both the power of the gut-brain connection and how important the relative health the gut microbiome has on behavior-based actions.
Podcast: A Coach, a Nutritionist, and an Expert Walk Into a Podcast
🎧 Episode 75: Employee Wellbeing and Organizational Risk with Dr. Diane Dye, EdD, MCM`
New episodes every Thursday; available wherever you get your podcasts.
Article 1: Nuts, Seeds, Corn, Oh MY! Challenging a Common Diverticulitis Myth
Ladies! Great news if you’ve been flagged as high-risk for developing diverticulitis: Nuts, seeds and corn are completely fine for you to eat. They don’t actually trigger diverticulitis.
This may come as a surprise to many of you. Perhaps you’ve been given the guidance to stay away from these things with reasons cited as increased risks of developing diverticulitis or the potential of causing a flare. And, surely, for some of you, these foods may be trigger foods.
However, there’s a fantastic study released that looked specifically at the incidence of diverticulitis in nearly 30,000 women between the ages of 35-74 years old over the course of a six-year period; all of these women were free from diverticulitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancer at baseline. Researchers found no associations of increased risk with the consumption of peanuts, nuts, and seeds; further, intake of corn was inversely associated with risk (meaning there was lower risk).
Women who consumed a plant-forward, inflammation-reducing diet (like the DASH Diet and Mediterranean Diet) had nearly a 25% lower risk of developing diverticulitis.
Who is at Higher Risk?
Diverticulitis was diagnosed within 14 years of the study period in women who were: Older, overweight, and had a history of smoking and heavy alcohol use (which can be defined as having 8+ drinks per week). That’s not to say those are the only risk factors, but they are certainly the most critical.
Smoking status, heavy alcohol intake (which, for women, is just above a drink per day), overweight or obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle are the four critical risk factors that increase the risk of developing a chronic disease, shortening your lifespan, and decreasing your healthspan. So, it is not surprising that three of these four risk factors are also associated with the risk and development of diverticulitis.
Impact to Women, Specifically
So, what happened to change the recommendation for consuming nuts, seeds and corn? The simplest answer? Men and women are different. Previous research had been conducted on men, only, with the findings applied to women. How many times must we say it: Women are NOT small men. Men who are at risk should adhere to the previous findings and still avoid nuts, seeds and corn.
This is a highly relevant research study that looked specifically at women with findings that apply specifically to women. And, it’s great that we know this because women have a particularly more challenging time consuming enough protein than men do; nuts and seeds are a great source of protein.
They’re also critical resources for healthy saturated fatty acids that can actually help decrease the risk of many of the diseases we have a higher risk of developing than men – heart disease, diabetes, dementia and Alzheimer's, and osteoporosis, to name a few. In fact, for osteoporosis, this where the added protein really can help make a difference … along with specific types of physical activity, like strength training, body weight training, and sprint intervals.
Nuts and seeds are also great sources of phytoestrogens that can help balance hormone levels, which becomes critical during perimenopause and menopause (and, honestly, so many other times in life).
Not to get Political, but …
Women are half the population. We’re not a market – let alone a “niche market.” We’re half – 51%, actually – of the population (according to the Census Bureau and Statista). Yet, research that focuses on women has been deemed DEI and has, therefore, been slashed.
Grants that fund research studies directly or that fund research institutions (hospitals, universities, non-profit organizations, etc.) have been cancelled or, otherwise, pulled in the name of DEI. Research, like the study above, that directly impacts the health and wellbeing of women. Research that demonstrates, yet, again, why we can not simply apply the findings of homogeneous studies on men to women.
None of the above is a political statement, it’s simple fact and consequence. Without studies like the above – and others that have resulted in extraordinarily important findings that we now simply take as common knowledge – we will know less and less about 51% of our population. Women outlive men and have worse quality of life in our remaining years; less information will not help us improve our healthspan in our remaining lifespan.
Article 2: Navigating Midlife, BIG Questions, and Change - Part 2
This is Part 2 of the Navigating Midlife, BIG Questions, and Change article. If you missed Part 1, check it out here.
Here’s a quick recap of the first three considerations for navigating potentially big shifts. I’m keeping this super-brief for consideration of article length.
1: Intentionality. Intentionality = Specificity of energy + action
2: Influence vs Control. Identify what you can control versus what you can influence.
3: Let It Go. You can choose to let go. That doesn’t make it easy or instant. It’s simply a step in getting out of your own way.
4: Boundaries
The section on Intentionality skirted the boundaries subject, but I feel it’s important enough to merit its own section. Healthy, positive, constructive boundaries create guardrails for our interactions with others. They help set expectations for our relationships and help reinforce what we’re willing to accept and what we’re not.
I will caution you, though, establishing and maintaining boundaries is not for the faint of heart. There will be many times – especially for new boundaries – when it’ll feel easier to cave to the old, familiar and comfortable ways of doing things. It can be particularly challenging when the people around you don’t understand or outright disagree with your choices.
Establishing boundaries may mean a temporary (or long-term, in some cases) pause, shift or adjustment to a behavior or relationship. This can be interpreted as avoidance … and maybe it is, for a while. But, the point of boundaries isn’t to avoid and evade. It’s to create space. To give yourself time, space and perspective. And, maybe to help re-energize after emotion-fatigue.
Boundaries we actively maintain should help us, in the long run, be more resilient in handling challenging situations. Constantly having to proactively manage our mental and emotional state can be stressful and draining. Boundaries help us avoid getting to a place of relationship burnout … whether that relationship is with a friend, loved one, work/career, colleague, hobby, or yourself.
If you’ve been feeling like you want to burn it all down and start over – regardless of what “it” is – you can probably use some boundaries somewhere.
I, personally, have been very intentional this year in wanting to spend more time with people that energize me and less time with people who deplete me. This meant establishing and maintaining some boundaries I didn’t have before and removing others I didn’t realize I’d been maintaining. Some include: Not being as available to people who leave me feeling stressed and drained; not feeling the need to respond ASAP to texts, messages and emails; being more open to connect with practitioners in person in my community; proactively reaching out to people I care about to connect more regularly.
Ask Yourself
What boundaries am I enforcing? Are these serving me well or well enough? What are the things in my life that contribute to the greatest feeling of disruption or disharmony? What causes me the greatest amount of stress? How might I decrease participating in the things that cause disruption, disharmony or stress? If I can’t decrease my participation in those things, what actions can I take to reduce the impact of those things on my body, mind or spirit? What activities might I need to engage in that cause discomfort but are necessary?
5: Tradeoffs
The choices and decisions we make and actions we take all have tradeoffs – we just don’t often look at it that way or fully consider what they are. When we choose to have junk food, the tradeoff we’re making are the micronutrients we’re not getting from nutrient-dense foods (most junk foods are macronutrient-rich (carbs, fat and protein) and micronutrient poor (vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients)). When we choose to doom scroll, the tradeoff we’re making may be a hit to our mental health and anxiety. When we choose to ignore hunger cues, the tradeoff we make is sitting in a state of self-imposed hangry-ness which may mean irritability, brain fog, and more.
The exact tradeoffs may be very personal to you.
When I work with clients and we talk about adding something new to their life – establishing a new behavior or habit, as an example – I ask them to consider the tradeoff of what they can stop doing (it may not look like completely stopping something, it may look like doing less, delegating, or asking for a partner to take something on). It’s difficult to make room for something new when you’re already tapped out or full-up.
If you’re operating at 100%, adding something else on top just begins to feel like something else on your long to-do list. The last thing you want when embarking on something new is for it to feel like a chore.
Ask Yourself
Think of a recent decision you made, then ask: What are the intended and unintended tradeoffs? What is one thing that annoys me that I can stop doing, decrease doing, delegate or get support on that would allow me to do more of something else I enjoy (or add something new to my life)? By choosing to prioritize _____, what am I intentionally or inadvertently deprioritizing? Be careful not to place judgement on something that may get inadvertently deprioritized; the fact of the matter is that by placing attention and energy in one direction, we are not placing attention and energy in another direction, and that is absolutely okay. If you don’t like that something is getting deprioritized, it may be time to re-examine things and set a new boundary. And, that’s exactly the point of asking yourself these questions.
6: Energy vs Time
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been someone who does a lot (I wrote about this a couple weeks ago) and who has a lot going on. Even when I was a kid, I danced 6 days a week with two classes a day on many days, while going to school and getting good grades. In college, I went to school full-time, had a part-time job, danced, taught dance and choreographed, and had a very active social life. One of the questions I’ve often gotten (and still regularly get) is: Where do you find the time?
I learned a couple important things a long time ago: 1) I mentioned above, balance looks very different for me and 2) It’s often not about how much time I have, it’s about how much energy I have.
In general, we’ll run out of energy before we run out of time (otherwise, the world wouldn’t run on coffee). We can replenish/deplete our energy several times through the course of a single day, but we won’t get more than 24 hours in the day to do it all. When I do things that energize and fuel my body, mind and spirit, I can find a flow state and all the things I’m involved in feel exciting, fulfilling and fun, even if challenging. On the flip side, when my body, mind or spirit become depleted, I’m ultra-aware of the lack of time and feel the overwhelm.
Ask Yourself
What/Who gives me energy? What/Who depletes me? What are the things in my day that must be done? How much of my day is spent doing things that give me energy? How much of my day is spent doing things that deplete me?
7: Take Action - Do Something, Hold Yourself Accountable
Something is almost always better than nothing, when we’re talking about positive action steps in our life. Five minutes of exercise is better than zero minutes. One day “on plan” for nutrition is better than none. When we make changes, we often try to “rip and replace”.
Instead of changing one thing, we try to change it all … all at once. And, then we bash on ourselves when we falter. We expect perfection, don’t set ourselves up for success, and then go down a spiral when we fail or run into challenges.
Instead, expect that it will not be perfect. Give yourself permission for it to be messy. That doesn’t mean you try for one day, then shrug your shoulders and say, “Well, I tried.” Nor does it mean only giving it 5 minutes every day but expecting the results of 45 minutes a day.
Change, and the transformation that results from it, requires consistent action over time. Ironically, it’s the same recipe that creates chronic disease. The BIG difference being the types and quality of the consistent action.
What do I mean by that? You don’t develop clogged arteries, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, etc. overnight. You don't develop those things after one nutrient-lacking meal or even 20. It takes years of consistent repetition as your body becomes imbalanced. The need for metformin today, likely began a decade ago.
So, why would you expect the change to address that state of imbalance to occur in a couple weeks or months?
Take action, hold yourself accountable, and give yourself grace. Rewiring your brain (and gut and hormones, etc.) takes time. This is not a sprint.
8: Take Action - Do Something or Don’t Complain
I have a friend who is very discontent with life. They don’t like their job, they resent their spouse, they don’t like how they look, they don’t like how they feel, everything is terrible all the time – this is not me being judgy, this is truly how they view their circumstances. And, they make zero efforts to change any of it, even efforts entirely within their control. They are simply content to complain about it. I’ve had several frank conversations with this friend and they have been very blunt about not being willing to make changes to their life. Their relative comfort and unwillingness to rock the boat are two of their tradeoffs. (YES! Tradeoffs can apply to any decision, action, and behavior – even those related to our relationships).
I am going to say this in a point-blank way that will likely rub some people the wrong way: If there is something about your life that you don’t like, do something to change it. If you refuse to do anything to change your circumstances, and it’s within your power to do so, you release the right to complain about it.
It should be obvious here that this sentiment does not apply to individuals who are being abused and/or systemically lack the structure or access to resources for support – they may not have the power or resources to make changes to their circumstances. That is a very different situation and conversation.
No, this is for anyone who expresses discontent, has the power, ability and resources to change said discontent, and, instead, chooses to remain in their discontent. Again, to be clear, this is not about venting. We all need to vent. And, we should have someone we can trust to vent to … a good vent session can feel soothing to the soul. However, the act of venting does not equal action that contributes to change.
I am aware I have incredible bias; I am a person of action, it’s how I’m geared (the extent of my “do-er”-ness has already been established), so I know some of this is a projection of my own do-er neuroses. I also acknowledge I have privilege of access in a number of ways. I am not saying that taking action to change your circumstances will be instant. I’m not saying it’s that easy or simple to do; I get that there may be fear, uncertainty, instability, security, and other factors of life that may make it feel impossible. I am saying: Nothing changes if nothing changes.
I’m not even railing about someone wanting to maintain the status quo. It’s not for me to say what’s right for your life.
If you chafe at your current circumstances, if you feel stuck, if you don’t like who you are or how you respond to something, I encourage you to …
Sit Down and Try the Following:
Ask yourself: What evidence supports your current belief(s)?
What does different/change look like to you?
Create a list with at least 10 things you can do or try right now
From that list, identify which things represent the smallest increment of change
Choose 1 of those things to start doing today
Identify 1 thing of equal size/significance that you can stop doing (maybe it’s doing less of it, delegating it, or stopping completely, if possible) to make space for the new thing
Stop the 1, start the other. Don’t over-complicate it. It’s your smallest increment of change, it shouldn’t be something complex or cosmic.
9: Compassionate Self-Confrontation
The last thing I’ll address is what I call Compassionate Self-Confrontation. Most simply stated: This is our ability to exercise self-inquiry with compassion and curiosity, not judgement, shame, guilt, etc. If you’ve been asking yourself the questions in the “Ask Yourself” sections and answering them honestly along the way, you’ve started down the path of Compassionate Self-Confrontation. When we ask ourselves questions with curiosity and apply the compassion we have for our best friends and dearest loved ones to ourselves, we can ask questions and seek answers with grace.
The deepest, BIGGEST questions – those we hesitate to ask that may have answers we may be afraid to uncover – may need the guidance and support of a qualified professional, someone who knows the human psyche well and can give us tools that can help us cope with whatever we find that may concern us. Seeking guidance or support is a signal of wisdom. It shows that though we know we may be strong enough to go it alone, some hero quests need a guide and some battles need reinforcements. A great general isn’t criticized for strategically deploying their resources … Why should anyone be made to feel weak or less-than for seeking professional counsel?
References
Diet and Risk for Incident Diverticulitis in Women: A Prospective Cohort Study.
Let’s Connect
Website: drfowlerdcn.com
Schedule a free 15-minute Discovery Call