Hunterdon Gastroenterology Winter 2018 Healthy Bites Digest
Avoiding heartburn, upset stomach, and diarrhea or constipation around the holidays
The holidays can be cruel to our stomachs. Between October and January, our stomachs endure a lot — Halloween candy, ladle after ladle of gravy, one-too-many flutes of champagne. We pay for that overeating, ending many holiday nights with bloated, stomach roiling and a nightcap of antacid.
This year, break that holiday tradition! Enjoy the holidays, and the food, without the heartburn, upset stomach, and diarrhea or constipation. Here are some suggestions for avoiding stomach issues:
- Make tradeoffs. Have seconds of your favorite foods; but skip seconds on everything else
- Compensate. If you know that you’ll be eating a lot of fatty foods at the holiday parties this week, compensate by healthy eating at lunch. High-fiber vegetables and grains will help keep your GI tract working normally.
- Eat slowly. It’s good advice year-round, but it’s especially important now. Eating slowly can really make a difference. It will help the stomach empty better and suppress the appetite. You won’t want to overeat as much if you eat slowly.
- Move. After the pumpkin pie, don’t stretch out on the couch. You’re bound to get heartburn and acid reflux if you do. Instead, go out for a short walk.
For most people, the occasional stomachache, a bout of diarrhea, or some holiday heartburn is nothing to worry about. However, if you’re having ongoing symptoms, contact the doctors at Hunterdon Gastroenterology Associates.
Holiday Nostalgia
As we get closer to the holiday season, our staff and physicians are getting excited too! We asked a few of them what they like best about the holidays…
“Spending time with my immediate and extended family.” – Dr. Cardoso
“My favorite part of the Holidays is knowing I will spend time with family members I may not have seen enough throughout the year. In addition, it’s a time of year where people seem happier, easier to laugh and smile. Finally, coming together with traditions and really good food and desserts!” – Dr. Arrigo
“Remembering family traditions from my home country (Iceland).” – Dr. Georgsson
“I enjoy the traditions of lighting the candles every night with my family for Hanukkah and eating lots of fried potato pancakes and jelly doughnuts!” – Dr Goldstein
Team Spotlight: Gilbert Cardoso, D.O.
Dr. Cardoso’s education began at Genesys Regional Medical Center in Grand Blanc, MI. He is a member of American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association, American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Hunterdon Medical Center Charity Care Committee. Dr. Cardoso has won Physician of the Year at Hunterdon Medical Center and has also been voted Top Doc. He speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
We asked Dr. Cardoso what he finds compelling about Gastroenterology and why he chose GI medicine. He replied “I saw a gastroenterologist when I had a digestive health problem during college. He inspired me with the way he was able to take care of my problem and improve my health. “I became a doctor so I could help other people the way that doctor had helped me. The hands-on side of gastroenterology holds strong appeal for me. Great technical skill is necessary to perform a safe, effective endoscopic procedure or colonoscopy. I enjoy performing procedures, whether it is a simple diagnostic test to assess acid reflux or a more complex test like an ERCP to examine the bile ducts and pancreas. The wide variety of problems I treat—and the many ways I’m able to help my patients—makes every day interesting and rewarding.”
Learn more about our physicians by visiting, www.HunterdonGastro.com.
GI Friendly Holiday Drink: Low Fat Eggnog
Getting into the holiday spirit doesn’t have to mean imbibing in calorie-laden eggnog. The traditional drink can be made skinnier by swapping skim milk for cream, reducing the egg count, and cutting down on sugar. Our gift to you this holiday season: a healthier, high-protein, low-fat, low-carb eggnog that’s still rich, creamy and as festive as ever.
Low-Fat Eggnog Recipe –Serves 4 Active time: 20 minutes (plus 4 hours chill time)
Ingredients
- 2 cups skim milk
- 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 vanilla bean split and scraped
- 1/4 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated whole nutmeg (plus more for garnish)
- 1/4 cup white rum or bourbon (optional)
Directions
- In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups of the milk and the vanilla bean pod and seeds to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, egg yolk, condensed milk, cornstarch, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl until light yellow.
- Gradually pour the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, then pour it back into the pan. Stir constantly over low heat with a wooden spoon until the eggnog begins to thicken, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of milk. Transfer the eggnog to a pitcher; cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight).
- Remove the vanilla pod. Spike the eggnog with alcohol if desired, and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg. Enjoy!
We at HGA and HEC would like to take a moment and thank all of our patients and referring physicians for choosing us as your GI specialist! We appreciate each and everyone of you!
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy Holiday season!
Warmest Regards,
Physicians and Staff of HGA and HEC
