Identify your Food Allergies

Many foods are known to cause allergic reactions in people. If you can identify the foods that affect you and remove them from your diet, you’ll be much more likely to live a longer, healthier life.

Food allergies come in several forms. A clinical allergy is one you just can’t ignore, an obvious cause-and-effect relationship of a food you’ve just eaten to your body’s response: Each time you eat a tomato, you break out in hives. Another form of allergy is a sub-clinical allergy. Sub-clinical allergies are not so obvious, which is why they can be more dangerous. You eat a tomato, and a while later you feel jittery or fatigued, or you come down with a headache, or your blood pressure rises. You might or might not notice the symptoms, and you’re unlikely to make a direct cause-and-effect connection. Sub-clinical allergies can go on for a long time unnoticed; meanwhile, your health suffers.

Food allergies can manifest in many ways. Headaches, fatigue, muscle and joint pains, stomach problems, attention-deficit disorder, panic attacks, insomnia, depression, chest pain, nausea, rashes, dry mouth, increasing or decreasing blood pressure, and blurred vision—all of these can be symptoms of allergic reactions to foods. If you constantly eat foods you’re allergic to, your body remains in a state of alarm, focused on fighting your food.

This is only a partial list of possible allergic reactions. Because such symptoms are often mild, continuous, or caused by other health problems, food allergies are often overlooked because many of these symptoms are treated with drugs to alleviate the symptom itself; the cause is not explored. Identification of food allergies and elimination of the offending foods from the diet can sometimes save you from the ill effects of drug treatment for symptoms attributed to other health problems.

Take a close look at your diet. If you’re tired, don’t feel as well as you’d like to, or have health problems that you’ve never fully resolved, food allergies may be the cause. A skilled allergist can assist you in assessing your diet, as can a nutritionist. Many alternative healthcare practitioners are experienced in working with food allergies. The route you take to discover which foods you are allergic to will depend on what type of practitioner you go to. An MD may use skin-sensitivity or blood tests; a nutritionist is more likely to use a diet diary and an elimination-diet protocol. Alternative practitioners may use both. Choose the approach you’re most comfortable with.

Knowing your family history may help you determine if you have food allergies, and, if so, to identify which food or foods you’re allergic to. In many cases, your relatives may not know they suffered from food allergies, but they may be able to tell you what foods “didn’t sit right with them.” If you recall that Uncle Leroy suffered from hives whenever he ate strawberries, then there’s a chance you might be allergic to them as well, though your symptoms might not be as obvious. In your case, the allergy might manifest not as hives, but as increased blood pressure.

But once you find out what you’re allergic to, you must eliminate it from your diet. This can be a challenge. For instance, wheat is a very common allergen. If you’re allergic to wheat, you must avoid anything with wheat flour in it. Obviously, this means bread, cakes, cookies, pancakes, pasta, wheat cereals, and the like. But things get more complicated when you realize that many processed foods also contain wheat. You have to learn how to read labels and identify what is in your food. Wheat can be found in products ranging from hotdogs to gravy to beer.

Once you eliminate from your diet the foods you’re allergic to, you must give your body time to adapt. Symptoms such as fatigue may take some time to dissipate. In many cases, a person is allergic to more than one food, and a series of tests or food eliminations must be done before the person can regain their health—if you don’t see immediate results, don’t be discouraged. Check to be sure that you’ve identified all the foods you’re allergic to, that you’re no longer eating any of those foods in hard-to-identify forms (read the labels!), and hang in there. Elimination of offending foods can make a huge difference in your health. Congratulations for being strong enough to make a change that matters.

Eating is Not a Sport

           For most of us, food is something we take for granted. It entertains, occupies, or even sedates us. Eating takes the place of social interaction for some people; for others, it is a replacement for love. Eating can even be an addiction.

But if we in the United States want to remain healthy, we must change such attitudes about food. We must recognize food for what it is: fuel for the body. I’m not saying that food can never be anything but fuel for the body, but a healthy attitude about food recognizes that, first and foremost, food is fuel. Food can occasionally serve other purposes—as in celebrations or rituals—but only secondarily.

I know a woman who is married to a diplomat and who travels around the world. She told me one day how amazing it is that Americans have such easy access to food, day or night. The US is a nation used to 24-hour convenience. She felt that this was the reason that so many people here are obese—it’s just so easy to get food. She told me that, in many countries she had lived in, there are no convenience stores—there is no “quick stop” for food, snacks, and sodas. Restaurants open twenty-four hours a day are rare or nonexistent, and stores don’t carry the abundance of foods we expect and get here. But while we are blessed with so many choices, we may be taking this abundance for granted, and endangering our health at the same time.

It’s thought that eating less increases life expectancy, and in most cases decreases the chances of disease. I’m not talking about eating so little that you qualify as having an eating disorder, but about eating fewer calories at each meal than you probably do now—about paying attention to the size of the portions you eat, eating balanced meals, and cutting out snacking.

I’m also talking about being conscious of what and how much you eat. When you get the urge to snack, ask yourself: Why? Are you really hungry, or are you filling some other need? An urge to eat can be caused by a low level of certain brain chemicals or an imbalance in blood chemicals. If you find yourself eating all the time, talk to your doctor about looking at possible biochemical reasons for your overeating.

If you crave certain foods, have a nutritionist check up on what your diet may be lacking. I find that people who crave fast foods often lack Omega 3 fatty acids in their diet; by taking an essential fatty acid supplement, they get rid of the cravings. If you eat to fill an emotional need, counseling may be of help. If you eat because you’re bored (many people do), get a hobby or do volunteer work. If you eat merely because the food is there, don’t bring junk food home.

Don’t eat on the run—set aside time to eat. I know that this can be a challenge in today’s busy world, but begin with at least one meal a day and work your way up to more, as you can. Taking time out for a meal doesn’t mean you have to sit at the table for hours. It does mean sitting down and taking enough time to taste your food and chew it thoroughly—in short, it means eating in a relaxed manner. And when you do, turn off the TV—look at what you’re eating.

Give fueling your body the respect it deserves—after all, everything you eat is going to be transformed into you. That amazing fact deserves some attention. As you become more aware of this transformation and truly acknowledge it, you may find yourself becoming a little more choosy about what you eat.

If you appreciate your food as fuel first, it will have even more meaning when you use food to celebrate. Food is entertainment when you cook a gourmet meal and share it with friends. Food is celebration when you observe holidays with traditional foods, such as a big turkey dinner for Thanksgiving. There’s nothing wrong with occasionally using food for entertainment or celebration or even comfort, as long as it’s the exception, not the rule.

The next time you’re tempted to overindulge in a meal or to buy and consume junk food, consider giving to your local food bank instead. Rather than filling your stomach with unnecessary food, fill your heart with the spirit of giving. It will add to your chances of living a healthier life.

Crisis Intervention or Prevention- Which do you choose?

Changing your perspective on healthcare is essential to living a longer, healthier life. In the United States, we are programmed to care for our health only after it has become a problem. But you’ll benefit most if you can start to look at healthcare as a lifelong process of prevention.

The crisis-intervention model of healthcare—for many years the most common way to address health—encourages you to take drastic steps to regain your health only after your symptoms have been made fully manifest. Most people wait till their symptoms have been with them for some time, probably getting worse, before they decide to have the problem identified and treated. But hoping it will go away is not an appropriate way to deal with your health problems.

Admittedly, nowadays the medical arts can do amazing things. Procedures have been developed to bring humans back from the brink of death. Trauma procedures save countless lives, miracle drugs change body chemistry, and skilled surgeons replace body parts with incredible ease. All of these skills allow medical doctors to fight the battle of crisis care. If you’re truly in crisis, such as a life or death health situation, there’s nothing

better than medical care. Many people seem to ignore their health problems because of their faith in medical science’s seemingly limitless ability to stitch them back together.

In the preventive model of healthcare, you don’t wait to get sick before you take measures to ensure good health. Daily habits that help prevent health problems are stressed. But even when preventive measures are taken, there are times when ill health manifests. When it does, early intervention is a key to prevent further problems. Symptoms—the body’s warning signals of ill health—can be recognized and addressed immediately.

In the crisis-intervention model, the first heart attack motivates the patient to stop smoking, start exercising, eat healthier foods, and use supplements known to be good for heart function. Unfortunately, the damage has already been done. Regaining health and preventing future problems is much more difficult after your body has suffered from disease. In the preventive model, patients don’t smoke because they know it causes problems. Exercise is a regular part of the weekly schedule because it’s good for cardiovascular health. Low-fat foods and heart supplements are emphasized because they are known to help keep the heart healthy.

Those who depend solely on crisis intervention may be aware that they have a family history of disease and are at risk, yet they refuse to care for their health. For instance, you may know someone who has a family history of diabetes, yet insists on eating sugar-laden foods. In the preventive model, this person would admit the possibility of susceptibility to diabetes and take steps to reduce his or her chances of contracting the disease. This person would eliminate most or all sweets from their diet.

In crisis intervention, patients rely heavily on insurance coverage, which usually covers acute care quite well. Some patients even admit to avoiding early intervention because they’re waiting for their problem to become serious enough that their insurance will cover the surgery or other emergency care. They thus avoid any out-of-pocket expense. In the preventive model, patients admit responsibility for their healthcare and budget for the costs of preventive care, which is less often covered by insurance. The costs of preventive care may include paying out-of-pocket for such things as supplements or a gym membership as well as visits to a masseuse, chiropractor, homeopath, or other provider of preventive care.

The fact that you’re reading this book indicates that you have an interest in taking preventive measures to ensure your good health. Congratulations! That’s the first step outside the crisis-management model of healthcare. For more suggestions, read chapters 17, 36, and 39.

Alcohol is the most underrated drug in the US today.

Alcohol, with its connections to disease, violence, and death, is the most underrated drug in the US today. It’s dangerous not only because of its negative effects on the user, but also for the negative effects the user then has on his or her community. Domestic violence, auto accidents, random violence perpetrated by those under the influence—all affect the community and society as a whole. All this from a drug that is legal.

The dictionary says a drug is: n. 1.a substance used in medicine. 2. a substance that acts on the nervous system, such as a narcotic or stimulant, especially one causing addiction.  Most people use alcohol to change their state of mind, just as one would use marijuana or heroin. Alcohol is addictive and interestingly enough, much more acceptable than those controlled substances. I suppose because it’s legal. People want to change their state of mind, and alcohol is our drug of choice for doing so.

If a person drinks to excess on a regular basis, they are overindulging. If a person’s relationship with alcohol interferes with work, school, relationships, or a normal lifestyle, they are overindulging. A drink with a friend once in a while, or to celebrate a special occasion or a religious observance, is not.

Take a look at your alcohol consumption habits. This chapter is not meant to address the habits of alcoholics. Only professional counseling by someone skilled in the dynamics of alcoholism can do that. Remember, it’s now generally recognized that alcoholism is a disease. If you have a serious alcohol habit, you need serious help. Check your phone book for information on alcoholism and treatment programs.

Some medical authorities encourage healthy people to have a glass of wine with a meal once a day for even greater health benefits. I have often told patients that an evening out dancing and having a drink can be good for their health. Alcohol used in this manner may be healthy, but beware if you take any medications at all, if you are carbohydrate sensitive, if you are on a diet, or diabetic you will want to eliminate alcohol all together.

If you have a family history of alcoholism it’s probably wise to eliminate alcohol from your life. Maybe you have religious reasons to forego all alcohol. If you occasionally have a drink and would like to eliminate all alcohol from your life, keep reading, the rest of this chapter may be of assistance.

Alcohol affects the human body in many ways; when abused over time, it can cause serious health problems, and no wonder: a diet high in alcohol is high in carbohydrates and low in nutritional value. Even light drinkers are depriving their bodies of water and adding unnecessary calories when they satisfy the thirst mechanism with an alcoholic beverage. Each time you drink alcohol, you hand your body more toxins to process and put more stress on your system. If you drink to reduce stress, that pretty much defeats your purpose.

 Here are some ideas to help keep you alcohol consumption to a minimum. If you’re thirsty and crave a carbonated beverage, try some sparkling water. If you use a drink as a way to unwind at the end of the day, try some herbal tea instead. You can still take that break from the day and sit and enjoy your drink—it’s just not alcohol. The “If you don’t buy it you can’t use it” rule applies here. If you want to cut down on your alcohol intake, don’t keep alcohol in the house. If you find yourself drinking in social situations and want to eliminate that drink as well, you can order a “virgin cocktail”—one without alcohol.

If you do purchase alcohol, don’t get the economy-size package. Rather than a case, buy a bottle of wine or a six-pack of beer. There probably is no good reason to have a full bar in your home. How often do you need it, and how often does it tempt you? If it tempts you more often than you use it for valid entertaining purposes, close it down.

Limit your day-to-day intake of alcohol. Then, when the occasion to celebrate with a drink arrives, you’ll be able to have one without doing too much damage to your body or your health.