Helping others, Helping yourself

I mentioned before in my posts about my daughter who is facing some serious eating issues. She is intolerant to gluten, lactose and dairy products. Although she has tested negative for any known disorders, her health continues to concern our family. Recently, her doctor suggested she try an elimination diet to determine the foods that are really causing her the most problems.

I am proud she has taken this step and hope she will discover what is causing her stomach issues. As part of the diet she has decided to blog about the experience. Her blog "galvanizedintoaction" is a daily accounting of her struggles to maintain an ordinary life while experiencing an elimination diet. Take a few minutes to read her blog. Hopefully this diet will help her and maybe even help others who might be experiencing similar eating/health issues.

Did I mention she is a senior in college majoring in Interactive Design, a catcher on the softball team and holds two jobs?

Health Studies Can Pay Out Too!

There are tons of options out there to take surveys. Sometimes you might even be asked to be a part of a health study. Recently, I participated in one for fiber. The whole process took about five weeks. 

The first week I had to refrain from using any and all fiber related products including pills, special fiber bars, cereals, etc. Within the week I received a package with a white plastic bottle filled with an orange powder. I was instructed to begin on a specific day and take a teaspoon of the powder mixed in 8 ounces a water once a day. When I reached the end of the first week, I took a short survey to ask me about the average time of day I took the product. The second I did the same thing except to increase drinking the product twice a day and finally on the third week, I was asked to take it three times a day. Each time I filled out a short survey requesting time times I took the product. A few days ago, I received an email informing me I had successfully completed the trial and would be awarded $40.00 for my time. I am still waiting for the check, but they said it would arrive in 4-6 weeks.

It turned out I was taking Metamucil. Initially, I didn't like the taste of the powder and found it hard to swallow. However, as I kept going it was pretty easy to complete this task. All systems worked well (if you know what I mean) and I actually lost about three pounds.

The survey did question me about my health, my age, weight, over the counter medications and prescription medications as well. I wasn't initially told if I actually got a real product or a placebo. For me it was very little effort to get $40 and I would do it again.