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Herbal
Medicine
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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
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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
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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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