Health and Diet Blog

Kimberly Buchanan asked:




What is Food Intolerance?

Food intolerance is discussed quite often these days – so what exactly does it mean?  Well, sometimes our bodies cannot tolerate the foods we eat. This is known as food intolerance. When people consume foods that they’re sensitive to, such as dairy products for lactose intolerant individuals, their bodies have a negative physical reaction. The effects show up every time the food is consumed, although not always right away. If large quantities of the food are ingested, symptoms can be severe.

Food intolerance is sometimes mistaken for food allergy.  Food allergies cause a person’s immune system to sit up and take notice, while food intolerances don’t involve the immune system.  Neither are they linked to contaminated or spoiled foods; those cause food poisoning, not intolerance.

Food intolerance describes the adverse physical reaction to the ingestion of certain foods; it is something that affects the digestive system.

The Causes of Food Intolerance

As mentioned earlier, food intolerance is caused by the inability to digest certain types of food, usually due to insufficient amounts of the chemicals or enzymes needed to digest a particular food.

Lactose intolerance is very common. People who suffer from this condition don’t have enough of the enzyme called ‘lactase’. Therefore, their bodies can’t break down the lactose, or milk sugar, in dairy products.

Common symptoms of lactose intolerance include intestinal distress, gas, bloating, and bowel irregularities.

Other people can’t process alcohol because they don’t have enough of the enzyme ‘alcohol dehydrogenase’. They can become ill if they consume even a single alcoholic beverage.

The additives, flavor enhancers, and preservatives in processed foods are another common source of food intolerance. MSGs, caffeine, benzoates, and aspartame cause pain and fatigue in sensitive individuals.

Who Suffers from Food Intolerance?

Anyone can!  Food intolerance is not limited to any particular group of people, however there are some factors that play a role in the likelihood that a person is affected by intolerance.

Food intolerance can be hereditary; therefore if your parents have food intolerances, chances are good that you’ll have some too. Ethnicity plays a role, too. Only 10% of northern and western Europeans suffer from lactose intolerance whereas persons of Asian, African, Greek, and Native American descent are much more susceptible.  Lactose intolerance affects 70-90% of the latter populations.

Newborns tend to produce more lactase, so they can digest lactose more easily than adults and older children. The symptoms of lactose intolerance can appear in children as young as two, but many people develop it later in life. Gastroenteritis sometimes causes a dip in lactase levels, bringing on a temporary intolerance to dairy products. Children face a high risk of lactose intolerance following gastroenteritis.

And half of all Asians are affected by alcohol intolerance!

What are the Symptoms of Food Intolerance?

The symptoms of food intolerance center around the digestive system.  Sufferers may experience stomach pain, bloating, nausea, loose stools, or the opposite (constipation.) These symptoms are seldom life-threatening, but they can make a person miserable on a daily basis. They can manifest anywhere from a few hours to a few days after the food is consumed, making it difficult to identify exactly what the problem food is.

Alcohol intolerance causes redness of the face, nausea, irregular heartbeat, headaches, and dizziness.

Symptoms can also feel similar to allergy symptoms, such as a runny nose or itchy throat.

Food intolerance symptoms can become quite severe if a large quantity of the food has been consumed. People with a slight enzyme deficiency typically don’t experience symptoms as acutely as people with a larger deficit.

How is a Diagnosis Made?

Trial and error is the simplest way to test for food intolerance. This is done by removing one food from the diet for a while and monitoring symptoms for improvement. If symptoms decrease, the food is then reintroduced. A return of symptoms will reveal whether or not that food was the culprit.

This method works best for those who have intolerance to one or two foods.

For those people (like me!) who have intolerance to several foods, the elimination method could take months…years…and an answer still might not be found.  There are home tests on the market, that can identify your problem foods for you.  Check out http://www.foodintolerancenews.com to see one.

Specific tests are used to diagnose lactose intolerance. For example, your physician might recommend a test to measure the amount of hydrogen in your breath; a stool acidity test; or a blood glucose test to determine how well the patient digests milk sugar.

How is Food Intolerance Treated?

Food intolerance is usually controlled by removing the troublesome food(s) from the person’s diet. For instance, lactose intolerant individuals can replace regular milk with soy milk.

If the intolerance is mild to moderate, the affected person can try eating only very limited amounts of the food in question. Mild lactose intolerance can be managed through the use of lactase enzyme supplements.

If foods are removed from one’s diet, they should be replaced with nutritious alternatives. It’s crucial to avoid malnutrition, especially in growing children. If you have questions about suitable food replacements, speak with your nutrition specialist.

Sanjeevani asked:




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It could be said without any doubt that from the pure Moringa Tree Leaf we can get very good benefits for the health, which are very much reported in studies of the leaf. It is the organic, natural, endurance and energy supplement of health. In other words, it’s the ultimate thing. And the post beneficial and purest part of the plant is the powdered Moringa leaf.

According to the annals of the ayurveda, India’s old tradition of medicines, the leaves of the Moringa Tree could treat at least 300 diseases.

Moringa leaf has no proven bad effects and is absolutely safe and organic. Because of its tolerant properties, it has been given to malnourished little babies in Africa. Athletes all over the world boost their performance abilities by taking huge quantities of the leaf to keep them fit both mentally and physically. It is their secret weapon. Even for senior citizens who are loosing their sharpness of mind, the Moringa tree leaf could be a great help. In fact the powder is suitable for people from any age group.

Benefits of the Moringa Leaf:

1.Increases the Natural Defenses of the body

2.Provides nourishment to the eyes and the brain.

3.Promotes metabolism with bio-available ingredients

4.Promotes the Cell structure of the body

5.Promotes natural Serum cholesterol.

6.Lowers the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.

7.Promotes the normal functioning of the liver and the kidney.

8.Beautifies the skin

9.Promotes energy

10.Promotes proper digestion

11.Acts as an antioxidant

12.Takes care of the immune system of the body

13.Promotes healthy circulatory system

14.It is an anti-inflammatory

15.Gives a feeling of general wellness

16.Supports the normal sugar levels of the body.

Moringa leaf boosts your energy in a natural manner, and is a remarkable source of nutrition. This energy promotion does not happen because of sugar, so it is lasts for a long time. Individuals ingesting it say that their ulcers are healed, tumors restricted, there are reduction in the arthritis pains and inflammations, controlled blood pressure, the skin problems are restored, and finally they have stronger defenses against diseases.

Another property of the Moringa leaf is its soothing ability, because of which it can lower the blood pressure and promotes good sleep. It can also purify water since it has a detoxifying effect. Also a coagulant agent, Moringa can attach itself to hazardous bacteria and other materials, a process that is surmised to occur in the body too. The happy outcome is more sustained energy without any over-activity, balanced hormone and gland system, controlled blood pressure, and a rested nervous system.

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Brenda Skidmore asked:




Many medical health care professionals claim antibiotics to be ‘the lifesaving drugs’ of the twentieth century. No doubt, antibiotics are the most widely used and the most talked about class of drugs ever used, on the vast majority of people and animals, across the globe. What does the term antibiotics actually mean though?

Here is Wikipedia’s definition of the word term meaning for antibiotic. An antibiotic is a chemotherapeutic agent that inhibits or abolishes the growth of micro-organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, or protozoans. Antibiotic is now used to refer to substances with anti-bacterial, anti-fungi, or anti-parasitical activity.

Antibiotic’s widespread overuse has recently been questioned over the last decade, by many concerned health care experts, due to their apparent, and oftentimes, ineffectiveness. And, many health care scientists are also beginning to recognize the fact that, unfortunately, not all the bacteria that dwells inside our bodies aim to harm us.

Antibiotics do perform a sometimes useful function in killing off large numbers of harmful bacteria in our bodies that can lead to life threatening infections. It is a self sacrificing trade-off, however, as there is no discrimination between the chemotherapeutic killing off of all bacteria, whether it be good or bad germs, in the gastrointestinal tract.

Since the 1940′s, modern medicine has mainly focused on the killing off of harmful disease causing bacteria via newly discovered antibiotics. This practice came about with not much understanding of the role, in the advantages, that good micro-organisms (bacteria) played in maintaining good health.

Good bacteria (probiotics), is a modern new term used to describe live, beneficial organisms (bacteria) which, when taken in adequate and consistent amounts, offers many different health benefits to the host. Two very subtle improvements are often noticed right away, in a stronger immune system and a healthier digestive tract.

“Probiotics is not a fad,” says Gary Huffnagle, an immunologist at the University of Michigan and author of “The Probiotics Revolution.” It is really is a new scientific understanding about how the body works.”

Do an internet search on the word term ‘probiotics’ and you will find that there has definitely been a shift, now days, in the way medical scientists think about bacteria (germs). It is finally getting a much deserved, more focused awareness and attention than ever before.

Probiotics have been found to aid with the absorption of nutrients, production of vitamin K, and helps with the necessary and balanced maintenance of good bacteria in the intestines. They are also believed to inhibit the overgrowth of disease causing harmful bacteria, by crowding them out. Probiotics can be the most helpful to those who have just recently taken antibiotics, by re-establishing colonies of good bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract which, sometimes, can be quite difficult to do.

The best sources of good bacteria (probiotics) comes from fermented foods, beverages, or supplements. Probiotic supplements are available in many health food stores either in capsules, powders, or liquid forms. And, while many nutritional experts agree that most of us would benefit in some way from a daily dose of probiotics, learning how to ferment your own foods or beverages at home is a more superior source of good bacteria nutrition. Not all probiotic supplements can necessarily be trusted to deliver what they say they can.

Besides, learning to ferment your own food and beverages at home can be a healthy, fun, and nutritious hobby. Most experts on this subject will agree, that anything you can easily make at home is far better for you than any commercialized product that you could buy. The reasoning behind this idea, is that you will have more control over the whole process in what you are ingesting, and you also have the option of buying the most natural ingredients to use for the end product.

Here is a small list (there are many more that are not listed) of different types of fermented foods and beverages:

1.yogurt

2.aged cheeses

3.kefir

4.kombucha

5.pickles and olives

6.sauerkraut

7.sourdough bread

8.soy sauce

9.vinegar

Studies have shown that good bacteria can help protect us from diarrhea, colitis, urinary tract infections, irritable bowel syndrome, and Chron’s disease. Probiotics may also help treat kidney infections and stones, ulcers, and allergies. Some even argue that good bacteria can help protect us from cancer, colds and flu, and help lower cholesterol.

All-in-all, probiotics have been reported to help many different health conditions, from diabetes to migraine headaches. And to think, that as a culture, we have been overly obsessed with killing germs all around us by bleaching and soap washing everything in sight.

We are just now beginning to understand that there are certain types of germs, or bacteria, that are actually good for us, and they are our friends. Will our awareness of this knowledge benefit human health in the long term, I believe so.

Anne Gilbang asked:


Do you feel that your belly is tight and full and causing you so much discomfort? Are you experiencing symptoms such as flatulence and wind? Most people that have a stubborn belly fat may have abdominal bloating problems without realizing it.

Bloating is mainly a result of intestinal gas and from fluid retention. It is caused by poor digestion, swallowing too much air, lactose and fructose intolerance, food allergies, constipation or eating in a hurry.

The good news is that you can relieve yourself from bloating by avoiding certain foods and drinks and changing some of your eating habits.

What are the foods to avoid?

Gassy Foods: Try to avoid cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, beans and legumes, cabbage, onions, peppers and citrus fruits.

Salt: Water is attracted to sodium, so when you take in higher than usual amounts of sodium in the form of salty foods like potato chips and most fast food, you will temporarily retain more fluid. This contributes to a puffy appearance, sluggish feeling, and water retention.

Fried and Spicy Foods: Fried foods are digested slowly, making you feel heavy. Also food seasoned with chilli powder, hot sauces, black pepper, fresh chillies, barbecue sauce, or vinegar can stimulate the release of stomach acid, which can cause gut irritation and bloating.

Other Food & Drinks: Carbonated or Fizzy Drinks , Alcohol (Dark beer and Red wine), Acidic Fruit Juices, Sorbitol (sweetener in sugar-free gum, candies, and other diet products)

What Eating Habits do you need to change?



- Eat slowly, make sure to chew well

- Eat small meals and snacks throughout the day

- Drink plenty of water and have a stroll or walk after every meal

Now you know what food to avoid to cure your bloating, so the next question would be – What type of food can you eat?

You can kickstart your weight loss by following a very simple diet plan that is scientifically proven to be effective and help you flatten your belly by avoiding foods that caused bloating.

Dr. Jonny Bowden, Ph.d., Cns asked:




Lately it seems I can’t pick up a health magazine without reading about the benefits of coconut. Coconut oil is everywhere. And it’s about time. I gave coconut and coconut oil a “star” in the new book, “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth,” meaning even among that stellar group of foods it’s a standout.

How did this formally forbidden food (it contains a fair amount of saturated fat) redeem its reputation and become the latest darling of the superfood set?

Coconut actually contains a very healthy form of fat called medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). Although MCTs are indeed a form of saturated fat, they have some very unique properties. For example, MCTs are very digestible, which makes them ideal for people with digestive problems such as ulcerative colitis or irritable bowel syndrome.

MCTs also have antiviral and antimicrobal properties. Specifically, coconut and coconut oil contain a fatty acid called lauric acid, which has been found to be quite effective in fighting a number of bacteria. This makes coconut and coconut oil very effective for supporting the immune system.

Coconut has a reputation for fat burning, which, truth be told, is probably a bit exaggerated. There have been research studies showing that people who regularly incorporate coconut oil in their diets lose weight, but some of the studies suggest you have to eat practically 40 percent of your calories from MCTs to get the effect. But many people find that smaller amounts of MCTs, from coconut or from supplements, are very effective, if for no other reason than they help keep you full and thus less likely to overeat.

The other thing about coconut is that it’s incredibly stable. You can heat it to high temperatures and it doesn’t break down its chemical composition and create trans fats or other undesirable compounds.

As far as the supposed “dangers” of coconut fat, it’s worth pointing out that research has shown that populations such as the Polynesian Puka Puka and Tokelau islanders, who consume a very large percentage of their calories from coconut and coconut oil, have vanishingly low levels of heart disease.

And better still, not only is coconut amazingly healthy, but it is beyond delicious.

Coconut oil is now available in health food stores everywhere, but make sure to get a 100% cold-pressed organic brand. My favorite: Barlean’s.