What Causes Nut Allergies? January 26, 2009
Posted by David Chenault in 1.Tags: allergic reaction, allergic to nuts and peanuts, allergy, allergy testing, anaphylaxis, food allergy, nut allergies, nut allergy, nut intolerance, nuts, peanuts
2 comments
Nut allergies are fairly common and at times, they may even be life threatening. The fact of the matter is, not all of us that are allergic to nuts and peanuts are going to have a life-threatening reaction because of it. This is because there is a difference between a nut allergy and nut intolerance.
Let’s take a look at the two of these and see what causes them to happen in an individual. This will help you to determine which you are dealing with, and what kind of caution you should take in order to avoid this type of food.
The fact of the matter is, nut allergies happen for the same reason, whether we have an intolerance to them or if we are allergic. The body reacts to things that we ingest and at times, it may consider them to be a foreign body that needs to be attacked and destroyed.
There are proteins that are present in nuts and peanuts that will trigger a release of histamine in order to counteract their effect. Even though the protein is not necessarily bad for us, the body considers it to be bad and what we are actually having is a reaction because of the histamine that is being released.
This histamine can cause a number of different problems in our bodies which include respiratory problems, difficulties with the G.I. tract, our skin breaking out and even cardiovascular problems. If you have a severe allergy to nuts, you may end up with something that is known as anaphylaxis. This is a severe reaction to nuts where the airways will swell and blood pressures will drop. You may end up passing out or being unable to breathe and it certainly can be life-threatening if it is not taking care of immediately.
You should discuss these things with your doctor if you have a suspicion that you are dealing with nut allergies. Through a series of allergy testing, they will be able to determine your degree of allergic reaction and what should be done about it. You may just have to carry some histamine with you or perhaps take a little bit of salt under your tongue if you have a minor reaction. If your reaction is major, however, you may be told to carry an autoinjector which will quickly give you the medicine that you need in order to save your life.
Did you find
these tips on Nut Allergies useful? You can learn a lot more about how “Dealing With Nut Allergies” can help you control Nut Allergies: Click Here!
Learning About Carbohydrates January 10, 2009
Posted by David Chenault in 1.Tags: Carbohydrates, carbs, complex, diet, fruit, nutrition, simple, sugar
add a comment
Normally carbohydrates are found in all foods except meat products. Recently, some diets have recommended stripping out all carbohydrates from what you eat. Many companies have bought into this and among other things, have introduced low-carb breads.
Limiting bad carbohydrates such as sugar from your diet is a positive step but going further and refusing to eat fruits and whole grains can potentially deprive you of cancer fighting foods.
Carbohydrates can be broken down into two main categories; simple and complex. Sodas, candy and even fruits contain simple sugars while whole grains, fruits and cereals contain complex carbs. The main difference between the two groups are their chemical structures.
Simple sugars are made up of a few sugar molecules while complex carbs are made up of hundreds and even thousands of these molecules put together. In you body, the end product of both is glucose.
Another difference between the two is the time needed to digest. If you consume 100 calories of simple sugars, your body can digest it a lot faster than if you eat the same amount of calories that are made of complex carbs. This is because simple sugars are closer to the end product than complex carbs which need more time to digest.
Therefore if you take the meal of simple sugars, you will be hungrier sooner than if you ate the meal made of complex carbs. Making a habit of drinking soda and eating candy can add up to a lot of calories at the end of the day.
Studies have shown that simple sugars contribute to obesity and diabetes, especially in children. It has also been shown that eating the good carbs can shield you from many types of cancers. So next time you pick up the magazine about the newest low carb claim, throw it away and grab an apple.
Learn more 
benefits about good carbs. Click Here!
The Obesity Epidemic January 9, 2009
Posted by David Chenault in 1.Tags: fat loss, nutrition, obesity
add a comment
It’s well accepted that reduced physical activity and fast food are linked to obesity. But the evidence that these are the main causes of obesity is largely circumstantial. To stimulate debate, experts suggest 10 other possible causes of obesity, outlined in the International Journal of Obesity.
1. Sleep debt. Getting too little sleep can increase body weight. Today, many get less shut-eye than ever.
2. Pollution. Hormones control body weight. And many of today’s pollutants affect our hormones.
3. Air conditioning. You have to burn calories if your environment is too hot or too cold for comfort. But more people than ever live and work in temperature-controlled homes and offices.
4. Decreased smoking. Smoking reduces weight. People smoke much less than they used to.
5. Medicine. Many different drugs including contraceptives, steroid hormones, diabetes drugs, some antidepressants, and blood pressure drugs can cause weight gain. Use of these drugs is on the upswing.
6. Population age, ethnicity. Middle-aged people and Hispanic-Americans tend to be more obese than young European-Americans. Americans are getting older and more Hispanic.
7. Older moms. There’s some evidence that the older a woman is when she gives birth, the higher her child’s risk of obesity. Women are giving birth at older and older ages.
8. Ancestors’ environment. Some influences may go back two generations. Environmental changes that made a grandparent obese may “through a fetally driven positive feedback loop” visit obesity on the grandchildren.
9. Obesity linked to fertility. There’s some evidence obese people are more fertile than lean ones. If obesity has a genetic component, the percentage of obese people in the population should increase.
10. Unions of obese spouses. Obese women tend to marry obese men, and if obesity has a genetic component, there will be still more obese people in the next generation.
These other contributing factors deserve more attention and study. Even more explanations include: a fat-inducing virus; increases in childhood depression; less consumption of dairy products; and hormones used in agriculture.
For more on the benefits of healthy 
living: Click Here!
Weight Loss And Diet Rules You Can Break January 7, 2009
Posted by David Chenault in 1.Tags: diet, diet rules, diet tips, dieting, eating, eating healthy, weight, weight loss
add a comment
There are actually diet rules out there that are meant to be broken? Yes, recently many dated diet guidelines and myths are up for speculation. You’ve probably heard all these silly rules before, but experts weigh-in on the worthiness of these supposed truisms – most of which won’t help you lose weight or make dieting any easier.
10 Food Rules You Can Ignore:
1. Eating at night will pile on the pounds. The total calories you consume over a 24-hour period or over a week is what causes you to gain weight, and when you eat these calories doesn’t matter.
2. It’s best to eat at the same times every day. Eat when you’re hungry, not when the clock says it’s time to eat.
3. Dieting with a buddy always makes weight loss easier. Common goals may pay off but weight loss is a personal journey.
4. Dietary fat keeps you feeling full longer, so you’ll eat less. Fat does take longer to digest, but it will not help you control your appetite. Foods likely to fight off hunger the longest are protein foods, followed by carbohydrates, then fats.
5. When you blow your diet, you might as well wait until the next day to get back on track. Nothing could be farther from the truth- always try to get right back on track with your next meal.
6. Refusing food at a party or when visiting is rude. Turning down food that you know will blow your diet is socially acceptable.
7. Skipping a meal every now and then will help you lose. Skipping a meal means you will be so hungry at the next meal that you are likely to overeat. This can also help lead to a slowdown of your metabolism.
8. Bread is fattening, nuts are fattening, pasta is fattening. Whole-wheat bread/pasta is a great source of nutrients, and it won’t make you gain weight more than any other food with the same number of calories.
9. All calories are equal. This is somewhat true, however; you’ll get more nutrients from a 100-calorie apple than from a 100-calorie portion of white bread. Choose healthier items if you are losing weight, or controlling your hunger.
10. If you don’t clean your plate, you’re wasting food. If you just don’t feel right leaving the table until you’ve cleaned your plate, underestimate your hunger and put less food on your plate to begin with, or you may overeat.
Don’t believe everything you hear! Much of it is just superstition. Now you can tell your friends the real truth. In the end, nutrition experts say, many of the food and dieting rules we hold dear are meant to be broken – without guilt!
Learn more health, diet, and
David Chenault
nutrition benefits: Click Here!
Dealing With Nut Allergies And Peanut Allergies January 5, 2009
Posted by David Chenault in 1.Tags: allergic reactions, anaphylaxis, antihistamine, asthmatic reactions, epinephrine, food allergies, nut allergies, peanut allergies
add a comment
I had often heard about nut allergies and peanut allergies, but had rarely ever seen the effects of them until I had my first son. Everything seemed fairly normal whenever he was young but as he grew older, I began to notice that he was having some reactions to the foods that he was eating.
Thinking that it was perfectly normal, I really didn’t do much about it. I did tend to watch what he was eating in order to find out what he was allergic to. These allergic reactions that he was having were fairly mild. His symptoms included such things as additional mucus in his throat and on occasion, diarrhea.
I was surprised and terrified whenever he had his first major attack and was rushed to the hospital. He was having difficulty breathing, and had asthmatic reactions. That ER visit is when I realized that it was necessary to be prepared at all times for nut allergies and peanut allergies.
Fortunately, modern medical science was able to take care of my son. Now we are totally prepared for any other problems that may occur in the future. If you recognize problems in your children with food allergies, don’t wait like I did to go have it checked out.
Unfortunately, there are very few things that can be done for an individual that has nut and peanut allergies. For the most part, there are two things that you’re going to need to carry with you at all times.
First of all, you should have an antihistamine with you in case of a mild allergy. Mild to severe allergy reactions can sometimes take place, if you or a loved one happen to ingest some kind of nut without knowing it.
In order to avoid a more severe form of peanut allergy, known as anaphylaxis, you’re going to need to carry an epinephrine autoinjector. If you have a severe enough allergy that you need the injector in order to overcome the symptoms, don’t even bother taking the antihistamine. The injector is going to save your life. The antihistamine is going to help take the edge off of the symptoms, and will only be helpful, in a milder allergic reaction.
It also always helps to be prepared by watching the types of foods that you or an allergic loved one are eating. Never eat anything with nuts, and if you know you or your loved one have a problem, pay attention to the ingredients on the label. You would be surprised with how many of the foods that we eat, that have nuts or peanuts hidden somewhere in the ingredients.
You can never be too careful or too watchful if you or somone you know have nut allergies or peanut allergies.You must always be diligent and watchful.
Learn 
more benefits of knowing how to deal with nut allergies by visiting: Here!
Peanut Allergies And Nut Allergies Pose Hidden Dangers January 4, 2009
Posted by David Chenault in 1.add a comment
There are plenty of people who have food allergies. As a matter of fact, it is difficult to find anybody that never has a reaction to something that they eat. This is often evident whenever they are clearing their throats after a meal, and whether they realize it or not, what they are having is an allergic reaction.
There are times, however, whenever we may have a more severe form of food allergy. One of the most common types of severe food allergies is one to nuts and peanuts.
The reason why I separate the two of these is because the peanut is a legume while the tree nut is actually a dried fruit. Many people that are allergic to peanuts are not allergic to tree nuts and vice versa. That being said, you need to make sure that you are well informed ahead of time in order to avoid ingesting any nuts that may be hidden underneath the surface.
Eventually, you will become very efficient at being able to identify these things but if you are just realizing that you or someone you love has a nut allergy, you may be caught unaware.
The first thing that you’re going to need to avoid is any food that is prepared at the same place where nuts are in existence. For example, a scoop of ice cream may seem like something that is perfectly harmless, but the same scoop may also be used in to dish out the pistachio ice cream. The same is also true of candies that are made at a candy shop and also in many factories. This is what is known as cross contamination and it presents a real danger for those of us that have a problem with nut allergies.
If you are dealing with an extremely severe nut allergy, you may also have to go much further than that in order to avoid it altogether. For example, if you are on an airplane, you should inform the stewardess as soon as you go on board that you have a problem with nut allergies. If it is severe, they may be required to not pass out nuts on that particular flight.
You should also be careful of food that you are feeding any pets that you may have, and even watch out for dog saliva, as it may contain some of the proteins that trigger an allergic reaction.
To learn more: Click Here!
