BT Calgary Blogs

I had no idea Irritable Bowel Syndrome was so prolific. One in ten Calgarians are suffering from this disorder. But thankfully there is research underway at the U of C that could help. And it might only be 5 to 10 years away. 

Here’s the story.

Katharine Mccombe has lived with irritable bowel syndrome for 18 years. It leaves her unable to work, unable to eat during the day, and in an incredible amount of pain.

“The pain is beyond anything -beyond any other symptoms  – it’s absolutely excruciating.”

And those symptoms are embarassing. Mccombe says they make her socially unacceptable.

“It’s not appropriate for an adult not to be able to make it to the washroom on time, or not be able to control their gas.”

But research underway at the University of Calgary could one day help people like Mccombe. Doctor Keith Sharkey is looking into molecules called “endogenous cannabinoids.”

“These are chemically similar to cannabis, but they act on the same receptor as the cannabis plant in your body.”

And historically cannabis has been very effective in treating gastrointestinal problems.

Doctor Sharkey says “we know the cannabis plant has been used medicinally for centuries and one of the things it’s used for medically are GI disorders.”

Doctor Sharkey and his team are working on 3 or 4 approaches with these cannabinoids that could help people with IBS.

Sharkey says,”endogenous cannabinoids appear to play a role in moderating inflammation in the gut and we know inflammation is associated with IBS and other bowel disorders.”

What’s most promising about this research is these cannabinoids are made by the body itself – so there are likely to be few side effects.

“Endogenous cannabinoids are safe because they’re made by our bodies and if we can find a way of harnessing them for example harnessing their action, it’s unlikely to have any side effects and maybe some benefits.”

And that’s exactly what Mccombe is hoping for. Some kind of medication that would actually work so she could get her life back.

“It would be absolutely fantastic, and I always have hope but to be honest I can’t imagine it.”

For more information on IBS and other gastrointestinal problems visit the website:

www.digestivedistress.com

Hey !!!

Tune in to BT  this morning for your chance to win a HUGE….Prize-pack….

How would you like to win a TON of high-quality “Kellogg’s” product this morning???

Why do you deserve to win 1 year’s worth of Breakfast from “BT” ????

Drop me a line, and let me know — winner by the end of the show!

-A

So this explains why my daughter’s favourite thing to do, apart from reading her books, is talking on her cel phone! Teehee. (Did I mention she’s just one.)

Here’s the story.

Thomas Lee brings his three year old daughter Cameron to this play area regularly.

“It’s important for them to socialize, they have to learn how to compete and they learn different skills from each other.”

Skills that will benefit them in the long run, says child development expert Doctor Kathleen Alfano.

“It’s so important for kids to play because that’s how they learn about the world, that’s how they learn about themselves, it’s also how they learn how to get along with other children and other people.”

And babies start playing as early as 2 months of age, but parents may not know it. It starts with discovery.

Dr. Alfano says, “the first thing they do when they play is find out how things work- what happens when I push this button, what happens when I put this block inside something?”

And then imagination.

“They start out by imitating – imitating what they see mom and dad doing,” says Alfano.

And as children become more dextrous, playing is about thinking and manipulation.

“Starting to build – when they may put things on top of each other, shape sorting comes with this, building with blocks comes with this,” explains Alfano.

Then when the children are two or three they just want to learn, says Alfano.

“They’re interested in learning what letter their name begins with, interested what colour the apple is.”

This is why Alfano recommends you have the right kind of toy for your child.

“Making sure it’s an age appropriate toy, that it’s made by a good reputable toy company, that it has all the regulations -you’ll see that on the package- and that it’s kept in good repair.”

Cameron has lots of toys. But she still loves coming to “Coffee and Scream.”

Howdy Folks !!!

Yep….Friday – or – as I call it “Prizeday” – so, right to it….

This week ROSANGELA D. is our lucky winner !!!

Rosangela, you have picked up a MONOPOLY Board Game, courtesy of HASBRO !!  Imagine the hours of family fun.  Congrats Rosangela !!

Now, you may be asking yourself – how can I be a winner??

Well, I’m glad you asked.  To be part of the “Most Winningest Blog” on “Breakfast Television” – it’s really quite simple:

On this website (btcalgary.ca) – click on “Connect with BT” — then, send an email – and in the subject line put “ABC” – that’s for Andrew’s Blog Club.  Please include your name, address and phone number – and you will be automatically entered for future draws !!!

Oh - something exciting coming down the line !!  Starting next week, I will be part of the “Empty Bowl” Benefit in support of the Calgary Food Bank….details will follow….but, “in a nutshell” — I’ve painted a piece of pottery which will be up for “auction” with all proceeds going to the Foodbank.  Yep – highest bidder will take it.  Now, from what I understand, Jill Belland will be attaching a “bonus prize” to her bowl to “entice” bidders — while I don’t know what her ‘prize’ will be — I do know, that I will commit to have 2-times the dollar value attached to any ‘prizing’ I combine with my bowl.  So, keep it locked !

Have a great weekend!

-A

These stats blow my mind. Female athletes are up to 8 times more likely to injury their knees than male athletes. And these types of knee injuries cost the health care system 2 billion (with a b) dollars each year!!

That said, this new research out of the U of C’s faculty of medicine could help prevent some of these injuries. Researchers found that depending on a certain time in a woman’s menstrual cycle, they’re more prone to injury. It has to do with a connection between how lax their knee joint is and the time of their cycle. Fifty percent of female athletes are most prone to injury during ovulation. The others are split, before and after ovulation. When women have their period, they’re actually most stable.

So what’s most promising is now researchers can predict when a woman is most likely to injure her knee. They can do simple tests to find out when the athlete is most flexible and warn them, this is not the best time to be doing more aggressive training.

For more information on this new study, visit the website

http://www.ucalgary.ca/news/april2009/kneelaxity

This I didn’t know. Ninety percent of people with Tourette syndrome have another disorder. Fifty to sixty percent of them have ADHD. It’s the combination that is most diabiling particularly in children. So, Dr. Tamara Pringsheim, a neurologist from the U of C looked into what puts these kids at risk of having both. She and her team looked at nearly 400 children with Tourette syndrome. They discovered if the child was born premature, or had a low birth weight or who’s mother smoked during pregnancy, the child was two to three times at risk of having Tourette and ADHD.

There’s also a genetic component. Dr. Pringsheim says 75 percent of her patients with Tourette have a family history of a tic disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder. So, if you have this family history it’s very important to have a healthy pregnancy in order to reduce the risk to your child.

For more information on this story you can visit the U of C’s media room at

http://medicine.ucalgary.ca/mediaroom/tourette/pringsheim

Oh yes…you heard me right.  Sure, there may be other bloggers doing their “thang” on this website – but seriously – no need to waste your time….

WHY?!?  

This is where the winners are.   So, ask yourself – am I a winner?  I am hoping you answered “Yes” — because I have some prime prizing I have to “unload” on a winner…..I’ve got a fever…..and the only cure is to give away a swanky prize….like:

Everybody’s favourite – a true classic – the world famous MONOPOLY board game.

The good folks from HASBRO happen to share my love of giving. 

Sooooo….here it is.   Send an email to us – on this website click on “Connect with BT” – and in your email subject line, put “ABC” for Andrew’s Blog Club — include your name, address and telephone number and you’ll be entered to win.

Get on it right now, and tell a friend – you winner, you.

-A

Win Brinno’s GardenWatchCam! All you have to do is leave a comment! The winner will contacted later today! Contest closes at noon Wednesday April 15th. Good luck and thanks for watching!

Correction: The camera is weather “resistant” so it can withstand some poor weather!

CONGRATULATIONS Dan Leung! You are the winner of the Brinno GardenWatchCam! Thank you for all your comments and keep watching as I’ll be giving more gadgets away very soon!

Brown fat? Never heard of it. At least until last week. Then I had to find out what it was all about. Turns out brown fat, is actually brown! Eww. That’s because the cells in brown fat are rich in iron, hence the colour. Now the big breakthrough is there’s brown fat in adults. Previously, it was thought brown fat just existed in babies. It served to keep them warm. Brown fat is what doctors call “metabolically active.” That means it burns energy and releases heat, keeping baby warm. Now, researchers have discovered it exists in adults too. It’s generally found between the shoulder blades and in the neck area. And it pretty much functions the same way.

Not all adults have brown fat, it’s more common in people who are lean – which is why there’s likely some connection there. It’s less common in people who are overweight. But whether you have brown fat is basically genetic. However, researchers are looking into whether they can make white fat cells act like brown fat cells.

U of C medical professor Dr. David Lau says, “there are means and ways to convert white fat into brown fat, at least we know this in animals and in the lab. We have ways to fool cells and get white fat cells to become brown fat cells in function. But this is quite a few years away.”

This discovery could help treat obesity some day in the future. In the meantime, Dr. Lau says eat less and exercise more. It’s a proven formula that works.

Three studies have been published on brown fat in the prestigious medical journal the New England Journal of Medicine. For more info you can check out the website and at least read the abstracts.

www.nejm.org