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Health Concerns
Herbal Medicine
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 4 billion people, 80 percent of the world population, presently use herbal medicine for some aspect of primary health care. Herbal medicine is a major component in all indigenous people's traditional medicine and a common element in Ayurvedic, homeopathic, naturopathic, traditional oriental and Native American Indian medicine.
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Symptoms Of Food Allergy
New parents who are looking to understand their baby's behavior and reactions may wonder about the food she consumes. Is a baby's fussiness a milk allergy or colic? Is it something she will outgrow or is it something that requires action? Is the baby's diarrhea or rash a reaction to food sensitivity or a symptom of something else? If you are concerned, ask your pediatrician.
The symptoms of an allergic reaction to food include:
Tingling, swelling, and itching of the lips, mouth and throat beginning within seconds of eating the food. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Itching and a skin rash. In severe reactions, shortness of breath and wheezing as well as dizziness and fainting that develop quickly can be signs of anaphylactic shock. Anaphylactic shock, although rare, can be fatal if not treated immediately. Sometimes, a severe allergic reaction to food can cause breathing difficulties as the upper airways become obstructed. However, this is not that same as asthma, which involves inflammation and bronchoconstriction. You may need to talk to your child's pediatrician to determine if she has asthma, food allergies, or both. More often than not, it is a protein in the food that initiates an allergic reaction. Doctors believe that younger children are more sensitive to these proteins because their intestines are immature. As a child gets older, his digestive system can better digest new foods.
Most children naturally develop a greater tolerance for foods that previously caused allergic reactions. Allergies to milk, wheat, soy, and egg disappear by age five in nearly 70% of food-allergic children. Allergies to peanuts, nuts, and fish, however, are often life-long. These allergies can be severe and minute amounts of the offending food can cause a serious reaction.If a child has a food allergy, the offending food must be avoided in all forms. For example, if a child has a milk allergy, all milk products must be avoided; even the smallest amount found in a baked good can cause an allergic reaction. Children with food allergies should be periodically re-evaluated as they may outgrow allergies and no longer need restricted diets.
Recent research has shed some light on the process by which children outgrow their allergies. About half the infants who are diagnosed with food allergies actually have food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome, an inflammation of the small intestine. These infants develop severe diarrhea and vomiting several hours after consuming foods such as milk or soy. Although their response may be serious, tests show that they do not have allergic (IgE) antibodies. Nor do these children suffer anaphylaxis. Once the offending food is eliminated, the symptoms disappear and most children outgrow the sensitivity within 6 to 24 months of diagnosis. Those who do not outgrow the symptoms usually have developed a measurable allergy to the offending food.
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Transitional Feeding
At about 5 months of age, the infant enters a transitional period characterized by a decreased rate of growth and an increased level of caloric expenditure for physical activity, developmental readiness and physiologic capacity. While total nutrient requirements continue to increase as a result of growth, the decreasing need for energy and protein per unit of body weight reflects the progressive decrease in rate of growth. You'll probably start your baby on solid food at about 4 to 6 months, when the child can swallow and digest food offered on a spoon. Babies differ in size, appetite and readiness to eat solid foods. When your baby is ready, try one new food at a time so you can quickly rule out any specific food allergies. Your pediatrician will review feedings with you, but generally you'll begin with iron-fortified rice cereal and follow with other cereals such as barley and oatmeal.
After a month or so, try strained vegetables, such as carrots, peas, sweet potatoes and green beans, then fruits like applesauce, pears, peaches and bananas. Six month old infants have reached a stage of developmental readiness that permits them to convey a sense of interest in and desire for certain foods that should be respected when possible. With the increased intake of transitional and solid food, milk intake will gradually decline. For mothers continuing to breast-feed beyond 6 months, there is a continuing decline in the volume of milk. Food, at this point, should be a source of enjoyment and contribute to family bonding. By 8 or 9 months, solid foods provide a significant source of energy and other nutrients to supplement the basic intake from human milk or formula. The maturing gastrointestinal and renal systems enable the infant to digest a variety of foods, to metabolize their components, and to excrete unneeded metabolites. Attention should be paid to the types and amounts of food being consumed by the older infant to ensure that nutritional needs are being met.
At around 8 months, a baby is ready for protein foods such as cheese, yogurt, cooked beans, strained meat, chicken and tofu. By 9 months babies can chew, so you can offer them finely chopped fresh meats, vegetables and fruits, even pasta, from the dinner table. It's not necessary to add sugar, salt or other seasoning to baby food. As more and more solid foods are introduced, your baby will probably drink less milk or formula. Caution: Babies may start to get teeth by the age of 6 months, but that doesn't mean they can handle all sorts of solid foods. Avoid small, hard foods such as popcorn, nuts, hot dogs, grapes or small chunks of fruit that could cause a baby to choke.
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The Best Cancer "Phyters"
All fruits and vegetables contribute something valuable to your overall health. But some studies show a relationship between eating particular types of produce and a reduced risk of cancer.
- Cruciferous Vegetables
Like broccoli, cruciferous vegetables contain sulforaphane, as well as other phytochemicals such as dithiolthiones. These compounds can work by triggering enzymes that may act to block carcinogenic damage to your cells' DNA. Along with broccoli, cruciferous vegetables include cauliflower, kale, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, bak choy, collards, kohlrabi, mustard greens and turnip greens.
- Garlic And Onions
The sulfur compounds in garlic and onions (ally sulfides) are the active, possibly cancer-preventing component. They trigger enzymes that may act to excrete carcinogens from the body.
- Orange And Grapefruit Juice
Along with vitamin C and other nutrients, oranges and grapefruits (especially concentrated in juice form) contain flavonoids, which act as antioxidants and can inhibit cancer cell growth.
- Soy
Soy foods are high in isoflavones, which block some hormonal activity in cells. Diets high in soy products have been associated with lower rates of cancers of the breast, endometrium and prostate. Soy can be found in soy beans, soy milk, tofu, miso, and some meat-substitute products like "vegetable burgers."
-Tomatoes And Tomato Sauce
Tomatoes are high in the phytochemical lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. One study found that lycopene had an even more potent ability to stop cancer cells from proliferating than beta-carotene. A diet high in tomatoes, especially when cooked, and tomato sauce has been associated with decreased risk of cancers of the stomach, colon, and prostate.
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How To Avoid Food Poisoning
The bacteria that cause poisoning are everywhere in the environment, but you can take steps to help avoid infection. When Shopping: Buy meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, eggs and freshly prepared foods from clean, reliable sources, and check the expiration date on packaged goods. Buy clean, uncracked eggs that have been held under refrigeration. (For more about eggs, see "Egg Safety" below.) Avoid foods with damaged packaging, such as dented or bulging cans. Don't buy any packaged food that is leaking or spilling its contents.
Put frozen foods into your cart last. Check packaging: Frozen food should feel solid, and the package should be clean. A discolored package may have been thawed and refrozen. From market to home. Pack frozen and refrigerated items together in the same shopping bag to keep them cool on the way home. Take all groceries home immediately, especially during warmer months. Unpack and store groceries as soon as you get them home, especially refrigerated and frozen foods. Store refrigerated and frozen food in original packaging, unless the wrapping is torn. Be sure your refrigerator temperature is set between 34° and 40° and the freezer at 0° or less.
In your kitchen, wash your hands before and after preparing food. Keep all appliances, utensils, work surfaces, dish towels, cloths and sponges clean. Avoid cross-contamination from raw food, such as meat or eggs, to cooked foods by using separate cutting boards, knives, bowls and other tools. If you don't have separate tools, be sure to wash thoroughly any items that touch raw animal products before using them with other foods.
Thaw meat, poultry and fish in the refrigerator, not at room temperature. Marinate meat in the refrigerator, not at room temperature. If you use the marinade to baste the meat during cooking, boil the marinade first for a few minutes to kill any bacteria introduced by the raw meat. Never put cooked meat back on a platter that held raw meat, unless the platter is thoroughly cleaned first. Cook meat thoroughly. The internal temperature of veal, pork and lamb should be at least 160° Beef should be cooked to about 170° and chicken until its internal temperature reaches 185°.
Avoid raw eggs and foods made with raw eggs, such as fresh mayonnaise and Caesar salad dressing. Don't lick the beaters or bowl of a cake or cookie batter that contains raw egg. (The kids will protest, but better safe than sorry.) If you find a cracked egg in a carton, discard it. Keep cold foods at temperatures below 40° and hot foods above 140°. Most bacteria thrive at temperatures between these two extremes. Divide leftover food into small portions for quick cooling, and refrigerate or freeze as soon as possible after a meal.
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Seafood And Meat Safety
Fish is a healthy food because it's a low fat source of high-quality protein. But contaminants, such as parasites, bacteria and chemical pollutants, are often associated with different types of seafood. Handling fish and shellfish, therefore, calls for a little extra know-how. As many as 4,000 people die and 5 million people become sick each year from eating meat and poultry contaminated by bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella. Since April 1994, all meat and poultry products sold in the United States have carried a label with safe handling instructions. Follow these instructions and you'll greatly reduce your risk of exposure to food-borne bacteria and other pathogens.
Many cases of seafood-related illness stem from eating raw shellfish such as oysters, clams and mussels. Occasionally, however, contaminants such as mercury and industrial pollutants are found in other fish. Most problems occur in fish from inland or coastal waters. Fish from deep ocean waters are generally very safe.
Here's how to minimize your risk of eating meat or fish:
Shopping
- Buy your seafood and meat from a store you know and trust.
- Choose fish that are displayed in a single layer over ice.
- Check fish for firmness and a fresh, clean smell; fresh fish shouldn't smell like dead fish.
- The fish's eyes should be bright and clear; gills should be bright pink or red.
- When choosing mollusks in the shell, pick only those that are still alive.
- Pinch the shells between your thumb and forefinger.
- If the shells don't move, it's safe.
In the kitchen
- Take meat and fish home immediately from the market, and store it in its original wrapper in the coldest part of the refrigerator (usually the lower shelves). Cook it within 2 days of purchase.
- Keep live mollusks in a container covered with a moist cloth, rather than an airtight seal. Don't store in water.
- Trim away dark or gray areas from fatty fish or meat, where toxins tend to collect.
- Thaw frozen seafood or meat in the refrigerator on a plate to catch the juices.
- Wash plates and cutting boards used to prepare raw meat and seafood immediately with soap and hot water to avoid cross-contamination.
- Cook shellfish thoroughly before eating.
- Discard any clam, mussel or oyster if the shell doesn't open during cooking.
At the table
If you wish to eat sushi or other raw seafood, stick to reputable restaurants. Don't prepare raw-fish dishes at home.
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