It’s happened to all of us, at one time or another: Embarrassment. Your face gets flushed, your heart races, you might even cry when it happens. It’s something we hope will never happen. We take great care in making sure it doesn’t. Well, most of us. I tend to be that person who will do or say just about anything to make someone laugh. That is, if it’s on my own terms. Making a joke is fine; being the joke is a different ballgame. In addition, while I may make light of colonoscopy and its prep, colon cancer is no laughing matter. Discussing colon screenings with your doctor should never bring embarrassment.

As a youth director at my church, I have done some crazy things. I put on a giant chicken suit and attempted to ice skate, died my hair green and even dressed up like Grandma Snooki for Halloween, making myself the “butt of the joke,” so to speak. But walking out of the bathroom with my skirt tucked in my pantyhose would turn me four shades of red like anyone else. (more…)

Have you ever wondered why I promote colon cancer screenings so strongly? Because colon cancer kills – and colonoscopies are the best way to prevent this deadly disease. But did you know that Stage IV colon cancer only has a 6 percent 5-year survival rate? Thankfully, for those in the future who don’t catch their colon cancer early enough, there is research being done that could lead to powerful new treatments.

“Genetic Aberrations Seen as Path to Stop Colon Cancer” is the title of a recent New York Times article. What does that mean? It means that amazing people, who are way smarter than me, have been able to identify gene pathways/changes that make colon cancer grow and thrive. By knowing these exact gene pathways, new medications can be created to treat colon cancer and existing medications can also hopefully be used as treatment. (more…)

Eating a high-fiber diet is linked with a reduced risk of colon cancer, especially if the fiber is from cereal and whole grains. Whole wheat flour has 12-14 grams of fiber per cup, so we get to use the good ole “F” word again – yep it’s FIBER! According to WebMD, fiber helps rid the body of toxins, and bacteria living in the gut feeds on it – producing beneficial byproducts to keep the body healthy. In this post we will take a look at an easy recipe using whole wheat flour to get a good dose of fiber. (more…)

Celebrities and dieting have always been close friends, but it seems that healthy eating is trending these days.

Thanks to celebrities like Kim Kardashian sharing their diet secrets, the current buzz word of the health and diet world is gluten-free. But what exactly is gluten-free? Is it a diet fad? Is it a lifestyle change for a condition? Will it help with weight loss or prevent colon cancer?

I don’t blame anyone for wanting to know more about gluten-free. Trust me, I am the first to go Internet surfing when I hear about a new product or diet that can not only help me lose weight but is also considered healthy. Plus with Domino’s and Kellogg’s Rice Krispies in the news talking about their latest gluten-free products, who wouldn’t want to know more about gluten? (more…)