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Archives for April 2015

April 21, 2015 By Vrushali Athavle 1 Comment

Body goes Nuts over Nuts

Nuts

Here is your guide to Nut allergy: Dos and don’t’s

Nuts! Oh…they sure can cause trouble if you are allergic to them and growing number of adults and kids alike are allergic to them. I became more attentive to this problem when my 3 year old daughter experienced allergic reactions. The doctor identified the red rashes all over her body, as an allergic reaction to some food.

The doctor asked me to cut down on 8 foods namely eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shell fish, wheat and soy which accounts for about 90% of all the reactions.

So what type of food allergies are we talking about? It could be peanuts for one or tree nuts. (almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashew, Pistachios, hazelnuts).

Nut allergy is one of the most common types of food allergy in both children and adults. This allergy tends to last an entire lifetime, although about nine percent of children with a tree nut allergy and 20 percent of children with a peanut allergy eventually outgrow their allergy. On stopping the consumption of peanuts, the rashes never turned up, thus confirmed the nut allergy in case of my daughter.

The first thing that comes to one’s mind about having an allergy is, you picture non-stop  sneezing , running nose etc. But, unlike an allergic dust or spring flower that many have, a nut allergy can cause difficulty in breathing and other serious issues including skin rashes etc.   and could prove fatal at times.

Before we proceed towards, the symptoms, precautionary measures to take and substitutes, let’s quickly check out what exactly is a food allergy.

What is food allergy?

It is very important to know what is food allergy? People are seldom aware that one could be allergic to some food and that dust and flower allergies are not the only allergies that people may have.

The job of our body’s immune system is to identify and destroy the germs (such as bacteria or viruses) that make you sick. A food allergy occurs when this immune system wrongly identifies a harmless food as an allergen i.e a threat and attacks it.

When you come into contact with something that you are allergic to (an allergen), a group of cells in your body, called mast cells, release a substance called histamine. Histamine causes the tiny blood vessels in the tissues of your body to leak fluid which causes the tissues to swell. This results in a number of different symptoms.

The Symptoms may vary for person to person. Here is a list for you to go through. Basically the symptoms are divided into two categories-:

  1. Mild symptoms which can be cured by medication

Rashes, swelling of the extremities, redness and tenderness, hivesm nausea, stomach cramps, vomitting, diarrheo and breathing difficulty.

Quick action: Antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) or loratidine (Claritin) can help relieve rashes and hives. Cold, wet compresses can also help soothe irritated skin.

  1. Anaphylaxis: Life threatening

Constriction and tightening of airways, a swollen throat or the sensation of a lump in your throat that makes it difficult to breathe, Shock with a severe drop in blood pressure, Rapid pulse, Dizziness, lightheadedness or loss of consciousness

Quick Action: Emergency treatment is critical for anaphylaxis. Untreated, anaphylaxis can cause a coma or even death.

KEEP YOURSELF ALERT !!

A person with an allergy to one type of tree nut has a higher chance of being allergic to other types. Therefore, many experts advise patients with allergy to tree nuts to avoid all nuts. Here are few precautionary actions to need to take care of:

  1. Avoid peanuts and tree nuts. This means we also need to avoid foods containing them like cookies, candies, ice creams, yogurts, sauces, Thai, Chinese and Indian dishes that often contain peanut and tree nut. One can have these without the nuts in them.
  2. Read labels while you purchase foods from market. Keep at bay all the food products which say “may contain nuts” or “produced on shared equipment with nuts or peanuts”
  3. Be very cautious in the kitchen while using the equipments. Knife, spoon or any vessel in which peanut or nut food preparation was used should be properly washed before using it again.
  4. Inform about your allergy to everyone with whom you enjoy your food like your family, friends and colleagues so that they are careful while serving you food. When you visit a restaurant, be very careful to check the ingredient list or ask the manager about the foods served. Don’t feel shy and if they are not willing to share, better opt for some other restaurant. (Abroad restaurant menus do specify dishes that have nuts and warn anyone with nut allergy. But, in India we do have to ask and let the person know about your allergies)
  5. Keep rescue medicines on you at all times — not in your locker, but in a pocket, purse, or bag that’s with you.
  6. If your child is suffering from nuts allergy, inform this in their school.

Take care of your loved ones, by being extra careful of what they are eating. Make them happy by suggesting these alternatives such as sunflower seed butter or soy nut butter, hummus and nut free granola bars over peanuts and tree nuts.

Disclaimer: This blog is based on examples we have come across of people with Nut Allergy. To know if you’re allergic Please consult a doctor and do not go by your own judgement. An allergy test will confirm the allergies you have if any.

April 20, 2015 By Nilakhi Nath 3 Comments

What do you know about doing crunches?

crunch

PRO’S AND CON’S OF CRUNCHES

Summer is here, and it’s the time to flaunt your perfect physique. Some of them have that perfect beach body already and many of them dream to have one all the time.

To have that perfect body, the one most common thing that a person resorts to is an exercise called ‘Crunches’. But, before one does hundreds of Crunches, is it not necessary to know its pro’s & con’s?

The answer is ‘Yes’, it is indeed extremely important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of an exercise.

Let’s have a look at some of them here,

Pro’s

  • It is an exercise which can be done anytime. You don’t have to go to a gym to perform crunches. You can do these at home.
  • Crunches help you tone and strengthen the muscles in the abdomen.
  • Helps build the core muscles. Hence, improves the stability of your body
  • Gives you a perfect ripped midsection.

Con’s

  • While regular crunches helps to build the abdominal muscles and strengthen our core, performing the same exercise in a wrong way or too many repetitions at once may potentially increase the risk of a back or a neck injury.
  • To have a perfect beach body, it is necessary to maintain a balance between the structures. This balance is disrupted when we over work or build only a section of our abdominal muscles. We tend to focus on our front abdominals more than our oblique’s and the back muscles, which are also a part of our core. This imbalance results in faulty posture and loss of balance.
  • Larger muscles burn more fat. Crunches use only a specific muscle group and don’t involve the larger group of muscles. Hence, the amount of fat burnt is less.

So, should we continue to do the Crunches or stop it completely? Well, I suggest that we do this exercise by following the proper technique and minimizing the repetitions to protect our spine.

 

April 17, 2015 By Amrozia Sayyed 2 Comments

For your eyes only!

Eyes

As fitness personnel, our focus is on one muscle of our body daily. Having said that I would say let’s   not neglect the very sensitive part of our body which is our beautiful eyes.

I remember as a kid attending yoga sessions in school during our physical training class. Our teachers took so much effort and tried bringing awareness of exercise among us at a very young age. Talking about school, the eye yoga session, I remember was something very funny we did and at the same time enjoyable and less time consuming. It was an easy exercise and we were sure to get some spare time in the end to play some outdoor games on our own.

As it is said eye is the Lamp of our body and it sure deserves some special attention and care. Few exercises will surely help to improve flexibility, strengthen the muscle and improve for better and sharper vision. Today, both children and adults are exposed a lot to television, computer, tab, mobile etc. Even our break time is all about browsing through internet, reading, whatsapping, etc.

A small 5 to 10 minutes break is all that is needed for your eyes!

Following are some exercises that you can try at your desk, before bed, during office break or anytime you want.

Right and left movement: Select a centre point as you sit and slowly move your eyes left, stretch, hold and back to center point. Do the same for the right side. Repeat the movement 4-5 times. Slowly close your eyes and relax.

Up and down movement: Keep your centre point and slowly move your eyes up , stretch and hold and back to center point. Now slowly move your sight downwards, stretch and hold and back to center point. Repeat the movement 4-5 times. Slowly close your eyes and relax.

Upper right & lower left and upper left & lower right: This is slant movement. From your center point to upper right hold and stretch. Back to center point and then slowly to the lower left. Hold and stretch. Repeat 4-5 times. Do the same for the other side that is upper left and lower right. Hold and stretch and repeat 4-5 times. At the end of it close your eyes and relax.

Circular motion : This movement is two types clockwise and anti clock direction. Make a big circle as big as possible. Repeat 4-5 times.

Near and far: keep your right hand straight at your eye level with thumbs up and make it as a center point. Now the movement is look at your nose, thumb. somewhere far, back to thumb, nose and repeat the same. At the end it close your eyes and relax.

Heat: Rub your palms slowly till little heat is generated. Place it over your eyes like a cup without touching the eye lids. Open your eyes slowly while your palms are still over your face. Feel the heat moving inside.

Pamper more if you have some extra time: Dip some cotton in sterilize rose water (if required put cold rose water) and place it over your eyes for some time. Eye pack can also be used at the end of the exercise as a treat.

April 16, 2015 By Jyoti Sawant 3 Comments

Herbs and Spices – Key to reducing your Sodium Intake

Healing-Herbs

 

Most Americans eat too much sodium, and, as a result, more people are being diagnosed with high blood pressure. The average intake of sodium is 3,400 milligrams per day – more than double the 1,500 milligrams that the American Heart Association recommends!

By following a heart-healthy, low-sodium diet you can decrease your chance of developing high blood pressure and other harmful effects.

But, reducing salt doesn’t have to mean reducing flavor! Herbs and spices are great salt substitutes and add intense flavor to all kinds of dishes. Here are five common herbs and spices and quick ways to incorporate them into your meals.

*Basil

-It’s highly fragrant leaves and are used in a variety of foods, but basil is most commonly used as the main ingredient in pesto. Whenever you can, try to use fresh basil over the dried form for more intense flavor. Blend with garlic, olive oil, parmesan cheese and pine nuts for a quick pesto sauce.

-Layer fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and basil leaves for a colorful salad. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

-Freeze in an ice cube tray covered in water to use in soups later on.

*Oregano

-The warm, aromatic flavor of oregano makes it a perfect addition to Mediterranean and Mexican dishes.

-Garnish your pizza with fresh oregano.

-Sautee with mushrooms and onions. ( if you have an allergic to Mushrooms you can use Bell Peppers)

-Sprinkle chopped fresh oregano onto homemade garlic bread.

*Rosemary

-The wonderful fragrance and flavor of rosemary goes a long way to flavor chicken, lamb, pork and fish dishes, as well as soups and sauces. Before using rosemary, give it a quick rinse under cool water and pat dry. Most recipes call for rosemary leaves, which can easily be removed from the stem. You can also add whole sprigs to season roasts and soups.

-Seasoned chicken and lamb dishes.

-Add to your favorite soups or stews.

-Puree rosemary with olive oil for a dipping sauce for bread.

*Turmeric

-Turmeric has a peppery, warm flavor similar to orange and ginger. It’s used most commonly in curry dishes and to color mustard.

-Add to egg salad to bring out the yellow color.

-Sprinkle on steamed green beans or cauliflower.

Use 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder in your smoothies to increase the antioxidant power.

*Ginger

-This spicy, aromatic spice adds great flavor to Asian stir fries and veggie dishes. You can buy fresh ginger in the vegetable markets.

-Add to lemonade for spicy kick.

-Mince fresh ginger and add to sauteed veggies or salads.

-Grate fresh ginger into hot water and a splash of lemon for an invigorating hot drink.

The more herbs and spices you add, the less salt you will need for flavor. By lowering your sodium intake,  you can decrease your chance of developing high blood pressure and other harmful effects. Take care of your heart!

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