Mill Creek Retirement Community Happy Living by COGIR 101 Lacey

Peppermint Is a Cool Solution for IBS

...by Suzy Cohen

Many people have lost their joy in eating because they have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, which includes many symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain, fatigue, sleep problems and suppressed immunity. One hallmark symptom is how IBS affects your ability to eliminate (diarrhea or constipation or alternating between the two).

An actual diagnosis of IBS is based upon your duration of symptoms, which must be six months or more. If you’re tired of the problem, and sad because you have to toilet-map every trip to the mall, then maybe peppermint is something you should try.

Peppermint is a beautiful plant that has been medicinally treasured for centuries. Known botanically as Mentha piperita, peppermint is

actually a hybrid—it’s the hybrid baby of its parents watermint and spearmint.

Many people know that applying peppermint essential oil to your temples can help with a headache, and that peppermint gum and candies freshen your breath. Mint leaves can be infused into a pitcher of ice water for instant freshness, not to mention antibacterial and anti-fungal effects. I think that’s where mint excels for people: it has been proven to help with Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) and IBS.

Peppermint is available at any health food store (soft gels and liquid extracts) and supermarkets (usually as a tea). You can also buy it in the produce section of some supermarkets as fresh whole leaf. Enteric coated peppermint oil supplements are considered a relatively safe, effective traditional holistic remedy. I’m not referring to essential oil, I’m referring to a dietary supplement of peppermint oil which acts as a smooth muscle relaxant inside your intestines, as well as an antispasmodic herb. It is also known to help with gas, bloating and minor cramping.

The latest study published in the August 27, 2019 issue of Gastroenterology was conducted, in part, to evaluate the safety and efficacy for peppermint in people with IBS. They used two different formulations that would go to certain parts of the intestine. The enteric coated (small intestine release) preparation of peppermint did in fact prove to help reduce abdominal pain, discomfort and general IBS severity. Here are a few words of caution. The enteric coated form is ideal because plain peppermint oil can irritate the stomach lining and make heartburn and ulcers worse. The enteric coating protects the peppermint oil so that it can get down lower to your intestines (rather than breaking down in your stomach). Avoid peppermint if you have GERD, which is a disorder of the lower part of your esophagus. My rationale is because peppermint relaxes your esophageal sphincter and will allow acid to reflux upwards and that’s what you are trying to avoid. So antacids and peppermint supplements should not be combined. There are other warnings, so please ask your doctor or pharmacist if this type of herbal remedy may be good for you. ❖

Try Peppermint Water

Take 3 to 4 sprigs of fresh peppermint (the freshest you can find), depending on taste. Remove any damaged or brown leaves and wash the sprigs very well. Put them into a pitcher of water, making sure to cover the mint completely. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to steep for at least one hour. The water will now have taken on the aroma of the mint. Keep the mint water in the fridge and add more water as you use it. The mint will keep flavoring the water for up to three days.

Courtesy www.cookforyourlife.org

Tacoma Peace Prize Honors Local Peacemakers ...continued from page 4 interview with CNN and met with members of peace organizations in Oslo. The first GTPP laureate, granted in 2005, was George F. Russell who was a peace educator both locally and globally. Among many other projects, Russell piloted high school curriculum on promoting peace and understanding. His “handsTacoma’s first Peace Prize Laureate, George F. Russell “Peace Queen” Melannie Denise Cunningham, 2018 Peace Prize Laureate on” efforts in the arena of peace work have touched lives in our own neighborhoods and in countries around the world.

The 2018 laureate was Melannie Denise Cunningham, or as she is known locally, ‘Peace Queen.’ Cunningham was awarded the GTPP for The Peoples’ Gathering, a series of workshops where she equips professionals to prevent discrimination in the workplace. Baffled about the lack of celebration for Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the 1980s, Cunningham began organizing Tacoma’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. The first celebration she put together took place at Tacoma City Hall. It was such a success that it was moved to the Tacoma Dome and is now the biggest indoor Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration in the United States, Cunningham said. The GTPP is the only local peace prize in the United States, according to an article by Pacific Lutheran University.

Nominations Open for the 2020 Peace Laureate

Do you know someone who is dedicated to peace and justice in the greater Tacoma area? Nominations for the 2020 GTPP laureate will be open until March 31. Cast your nomination today at www.tacomapeaceprize.org/ get-involved/nominate/ or print out a nomination form and mail or email it to the GTPP committee. ❖

Send your nomination to: Greater Tacoma Peace Prize 2661 N. Pearl St. PMB #291 Tacoma, WA 98406 commitee@tacomapeaceprize.org

Franciscan Hospice & Palliative Care celebrates our volunteers

Surrounding patients and their families with comfort, compassion and a positive spirit.

Interested in becoming a Franciscan Hospice volunteer? Learn more at chifranciscan.org/ hospicevolunteers.