Dr. Mehmet Oz of Oprah fame recently tweeted about healthy poop.

Which of the following illustrations most closely matches yours?

http://twitpic.com/6vp20

What can our poop tell us about our health?

Your poop can tell you:

1. How well you’re chewing your food. If you can see whole pieces of your last meal, then you’re not chewing your food properly.
2. Your fiber and water intake.  (See Illust. #1)
3. Your iron levels. Light or blond colored poop indicates an iron deficiency.
4. Bacterial Infections
5. How long it takes you to poop (Illust. #1 is an indication that you’re as regular as you should be.)

The general idea of pooping is that if you eat x many times a day, then you should be pooping those same x times a day. This assumption will vary from source to source, and a few medical health professionals will go so far as to tell you that it’s perfectly OK if you don’t poop everyday.

I’m not an expert, but I disagree.

What I will agree with is the suggestion that drinking enough water and consuming a wide variety of fiber rich fruits and vegetables, like apples, prunes, cherries, and leafy green vegetables can help you keep a regular poop schedule.

And remember, always wipe from front to back!

(and wash your hands thoroughly.)

A lot, apparently.

But do you know about it?

I live and work in Bedford-Stuyvesant, but find it extremely difficult to stay in the loop when it comes to social events, restaurant openings, and such.

Bed-Stuy is home to a number of great events, but they’re poorly attended, like the “Recession Survival Fair” held last Saturday.

Did YOU see a flyer, get an e-mail?

No?

Neither did I.

The only reason I did hear about it is because a colleague mentioned it, as a side note, in a follow-up e-mail to a meeting I attended.

That’s terrible advertising.

Yeah, it costs money to print flyers, and a lot more money to advertise, but we have to do better with getting the word out, getting Bed-Stuy’s residents interested in participating in Bed-Stuy events beyond block parties and gun violence.

There are two reliable neighborhood resources, this listserve (which has a calendar) and this blog, but they can only do so much as many residents are still not online (Brooklyn Public Library, anyone?).

So I’ve decided that I would take the Direct Action road and do my part to keep everyone in the loop.

I’ve created two calendars, one for the neighborhood in general, and one for health-related events in the neighborhood and in the larger Central/North Brooklyn area.

You can find them in the links bar at the right.

And oh yeah, come out to a Community Council or Community Board Meeting some time.

I’m tired of seeing the same faces.

I cannot even begin to describe the experience that is Institute for Integrative Nutrition, but what I can say is, is you’ve been struggling with a lifelong health concern, or you feel you’ve been called to work in holistic health and wellness, then consider Integrative Nutrition.

It was amazing to be there, to not really know what to expect, but to find yourself surrounded by 1000s of people just like you. The sense of community and validation is beyond measure.

Here’s the message:

Looking for a Career Change? Start a New Career in Nutrition

Hi, I’m Joshua Rosenthal, founder of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Our students learn from guest faculty including Andrew Weil and Deepak Chopra.

But the main reason our students, including your friend who sent you this note, join our school is not just to hear lectures from famous health experts.

It’s because they want to make a difference. And more than that, they want to make a living making a difference.

• Have you ever dreamed of making a living following your passion for health and wellness?

• Are you in a time of career transition, searching for something better, different, more fulfilling and more in line with your values?

• Do you find yourself in a job that doesn’t inspire you?

• Do you feel you’re “going through the motions” in work and your career?

• Do you know, deep down in your heart, that you can get compensated to give your gift of creativity, caring and personal change to the world?

• Are you sick of having a boss tell you what you need to do, how you need to do it and when?

• Have you been thinking about starting a home-based business lately, but you don’t know where to begin?

• Could you imagine how great it would feel to help others get healthy at the same time as you learn to feel more healthy, vibrant and alive yourself?

• Do you have a burning passion to make a difference in your community, and do you just *know* that food, eating and nutrition is the way to do it?

If you answered YES to any of these questions-even just one of them-then I encourage you to join us for a complimentary webinar entitled “Looking for a Career Change? Start a New Career in Nutrition.” This webinar could literally change your life.

Did you know that many of our students earn back their tuition and even more before they graduate from our school?

And that’s just the beginning. One of our graduates recently spoke to our school about how she currently makes $350 an hour helping her private clients reach their ideal body weight!

All of this adds up to exceptional compensation for many of our graduates, starting right after graduation.

What’s more, this income comes:

• Without having to work in an office, if you don’t want to.

• While working for yourself, with no boss.

• Setting your own hours-even working in your pajamas coaching over the phone (perfect if you are a mom or dad who want more time with your children.)

• While helping make a profound difference in people’s lives-helping them feel more healthy, overcome chronic health problems, reach their ideal body weight and feel more energetic and alive.

This all may sound too good to be true, but it is the reality for thousands of our graduates. And it all began for them by finding out more about Integrative Nutrition, just like I encourage you to do with this webinar.

So, if anything in this email intrigued you or spoke to you personally, I warmly welcome you to attend our webinar, “Looking for a Career Change? Start a New Career in Nutrition.” This single hour could change your life forever.

Space on the bridge line is limited, and this invitation is going out to tens of thousands of people, many more than can fit on the call, so if you’re interested I suggest you sign up within the next 24 hours to reserve your space.

Are you onboard?
Sign-up

Warmly,

Joshua Rosenthal
Founder & Director
Institute for Integrative Nutrition

P.S. If you’re not happy with your current work situation, if you would like to work from home, or you just want some extra income, and if you’re passionate about making a difference in people’s lives, then you owe it to yourself and your career to join us for this webinar while there is still space available.

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LEAVNG BROOKLYN TO FIND GREAT VEGETARIAN FARE? FUHGEDDABOUDIT!

The 2^nd Annual BKLYN Goes Veg! Vegetarian Restaurant Week is Back!

Brooklyn, NY (September 19, 2008) – From October 19 to the 25^th, vegetarians in Brooklyn and beyond can finally get down with their own Restaurant Week. October is Vegetarian Awareness Month, and as restaurants, vegetarian organizations, and activists gear up around the country to promote awareness of plant-based diets, Brooklyn is offering 7 days to find out why eating “veg” now has never been so good.

Created by Melissa Danielle, founder of Hol-Life Industries, LLC, an holistic lifestyle umbrella, BKLYN Goes Veg! aims to dispel the myths that vegetarian food is unappealing to both the palate and the eye. This year’s restaurant lineup includes Bushbaby Coffee & Tea, Ft. Greene Supper Club, Jill’s Café, Mighty Diamond, Papacitos Brooklyn – Mexican Street Food and Beer Garden, Red Bamboo Brooklyn, and VeggieBrothers.com. These restaurants offer a diverse mix of plant-based fare, from American comfort food to Soul food to traditional Mexican fare to health-supportive raw vegan cuisine.

Everyone, from the “I’ll eat anything as long as it looks good” omnivore to the “I don’t eat anything that had a mother” vegan is encouraged to check out Brooklyn’s vegetarian dining scene. “You don’t have to be vegetarian to eat vegetarian food,” says BKLYN Goes Veg! creator Melissa Danielle. “While there are plenty of health, spiritual, environmental, and ethical reasons to maintain a plant-based diet, BKLYN Goes Veg! is about highlighting the best of vegetarian food – in Brooklyn. But, there’s always room to learn about the benefits of being vegetarian and I encourage everyone to discover for themselves if plant-based diets and ethical living is right for them.”

Additions to BKLYN Goes Veg! this year is a new logo and a newly designed website, complete with an interactive Google™ Map that plots the locations of participating restaurants. A restaurant week guide is also in the works, and, along with restaurant profiles will offer tips on sustaining plant-based diets in Brooklyn. Participating restaurants will unveil their prix fixe menu specials in a couple of weeks. View the new website by visiting http://BKLYNGoesVeg.com. Interested restaurants can still sign up for free by visiting the BKLYN Goes Veg! website. Advertising on the website and in the print guide is also available.

Hol-Life Industries, LLC creates experiential event and information products around plant-based nutrition, Kundalini Yoga, and holistic living. Information about Hol-Life Industries, LLC can be found by visiting http://www.Hol-Life.com.

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For more information on BKLYN Goes Veg! including advertising opportunities, restaurant sign-up, and interviews, please contact Melissa Danielle at 347 241 5058 or email her at bklyngoesveg@melissamail.net.