Posts Tagged ‘food allergies’

The incidence of food allergies is on the rise. Mostly likely you or someone close to you suffers from some level of food sensitivities. Many of my patients come in for this very problem. Many of them don’t realize allergies might be causing or contributing to other health issues. (See list below.)

Why is this increase occurring?

I’ve found through research and clinical experience different reasons. A few of them include:

1- Over-consumption of or too early exposure (under 6) to high allergen foods.
2- Genetically modified foods.

3- Side effects of certain vaccines.

4- Weakened immunity, if not breast-fed or exposed to high allergen foods through breast milk.

5- Overuse of antibiotics- either as medication or in non-organic animal products.

Eight foods or groups of foods cause about 90% of all food allergies.

* Dairy products

* Eggs

* Shellfish (shrimp, crab, lobster)

* Fish (tuna, salmon, cod, halibut)

* Tree nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts)

* Peanuts

* Soy

* Wheat

One of the tricky things about food allergies is that they don’t always show up how you’d expect. Not everyone responds with an upset stomach, digestive complaints, or fatigue after eating. This is not something many doctors know, unfortunately and they may be slow to diagnose.

Food allergy symptoms

• Digestive: Diarrhea, Gas, Abdominal Pain, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Ulcers, Gallstones, Leaky Gut Syndrome, Celiac Disease, Weight Gain

• Emotional: Depression, ADD/ADHD, Autism, Panic Attacks, Anxiety

• Skin: Eczema, Psoriasis, Rosacea,

• Immunity: Ear Infections, Asthma, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Frequent Flus & Colds

• Other: Infertility, Migraines & Headaches, Multiple Sclerosis, Epilepsy

If you have any of the above health concerns, please consult a qualified physician for diagnosis and treatment. There is hope! Healing or minimizes food allergies is now possible. Abstaining from those foods, acupuncture/acupressure, detoxification, proper nutrition, and appropriate supplementation are a part of the protocol. Boosting your immune system, cleansing your body of toxins, and healing any damage done to your digestive tract from the exposure to allergen foods will bring you optimal wellness. The result will most likely be at minimum a reduction in allergy symptoms, and at best a complete elimination of your allergies.

Live natural. Live well.

Heather

Do you get headaches or migraines? Is there anything worse? Headaches can ruin your quality of life. Not only do they suck, but the medications that ‘fix’ them don’t always work and can have drastic side effects.

Has your doctor still not figured out why you have them? “Take a pill” is probably their response.

Have they ruled out all these potential causes?

* Dehydration- most people are dehydrated
* Hormonal imbalances
* Food allergies
* Stress
* Neck tension & misalignment
* Mercury/heavy metal poisoning
* Adverse reaction to medications
* Tumors
* Head colds and sinus infections
* High blood pressure

How Chinese medicine can help

Acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and proper diet can all relieve or fix any of the above causes. How? Chinese medicine is able to regulate hormonal imbalances, detoxify the body, relieve stress, lower blood pressure, improve the immune system, reduce pain & inflammation, and minimize tumor size & growth. Pretty amazing, right?

Have you been living with headaches or migraines for years? It’s time to give Chinese medicine a try.

Live natural. Live well.

Heather

But he should have eaten fresh spinach instead of canned. It’s a great source of iron, which increases the health of your blood, especially red blood cells. Red blood cells in turn feed your muscles, among many other things, and in turn, gives you energy and strength.

The absorbed iron is transported as plasma ferritin and stored in liver, spleen, bone marrow and kidney. When red cells are broken down, the liberated iron is reutilized in the formation of new red cells. Iron is necessary for oxygen transport and cell growth by helping the blood transport oxygen from the lungs to the tissue cells where it is needed.

Are you getting enough iron?

Iron deficiency symptoms include: Pale skin & nail beds, fatigue, irritability, dizziness, weakness, shortness of breath, sore tongue and mouth, light headed, brittle nails, decreased appetite (especially in children), headache, weakness. Other symptoms include heartburn, gas, vague abdominal pains, numbness and tingling in the extremities, heart palpitation, and sores at the corners of the mouth.

What causes the malabsorption of iron?

Deficiency Vitamin C, because Vitamin C aides in iron absorption. In men and postmenopausal women, anemia is usually due to blood loss associated with ulcers, the use of aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS), or colon cancer.

Iron is mostly absorbed from duodenum (part of the intestines) and upper small intestine. So if you have any digestive issues or food sensitivities, you could be at risk for anemia.

Phytate, which is found in some whole grains and legumes, can limit iron absorption. Soy, which is a good vegetarian source of iron, contains phytate and certain proteins that interfere with iron absorption. Other foods that obstruct iron absorption include coffee, tea (including some herbal), cocoa, calcium, fiber and some spices.

Some iron loss occurs naturally. The total daily iron loss of an adult is about 1 mg and about 2 mg in menstruating women.

Daily Requirements of Iron

Children, men and women according to age have different nutritional needs. Please see chart below for guidelines.

Children
7 mos – 1 yr 11 mg         1 yr – 4 yrs 7 mg

4 yrs – 8 yrs 10 mg          9 yrs – 13 yrs 8 mg

Men
14 yrs – 18 yrs 11 mg        19 yrs + 8 mg

Women

14 yrs – 18 yrs 15 mg

19 yrs – 50 yrs 18 mg
51 + yrs 8 mg

Pregnant 27 mg

Lactating 14 yrs – 18 yrs 10 mg
19 + yrs     9 mg

Sources of Iron

Food                         Iron in mg             Food                       Iron in mg

Black beans              7.9                               Tofu                         4.6
Garbanzos                6.9                               Lima beans             4.5
Pintos                       6.1                              Lentils                     6.6
Navy                         5.1                                Split peas               3.4
Soybeans                 8.8                           Kidney Beans         5.2

Fresh Peas              2.9                            Tempeh                    2.2

Vegetables (1 cup cooked)

Spinach                   6.4                             Kale                       1.8
Beet greens            2.8                             Acorn squash         1.7
Swiss chard            4.0                             Brussels sprouts   1.7
Tomato juice           2.2                             Potato w/skin         1.4
Butternut squash    2.1                              Beets                      1.0

Fruit

Prune juice (1 cup)  10.5                            Dates (10)              2.4
Dried peach             5 3.9                            Prunes                   1.8
Raisins, ½ cup        2.6                          Strawberries, 1 cup   1.5

Grains (¼ cup dry)
Rice bran                     10.8                    Wheat bran/germ      1.9
Quinoa                         4.6                     Cream of wheat           8.1
Millet                            3.9                      Oat or cornmeal         0.7

Seeds (approximately ¼ cup)

Pumpkin seeds           4.0                    Sunflower seeds          2.4

Hemp Seeds              13.6

Miscellaneous

Blackstrap molasses  3.2                  Brewer’s yeast, 1 tbs        1.4
Tahini 2 tbsp               2.7                   Cashews ¼ cup               2.0

So next time your at the farmers market, pick up some some kale and spinach and add them to your black bean chili or next soup. Or top your green salad with pumpkin seeds.  Not only will it taste great, but you’ll feel more energized.

Live natural. Live well.

Heather

The combination of Chinese Medicine – acupuncture, Chinese herbs and nutrition – along with Western nutrition creates a synergy that helps manage weight in a healthy, individual manner. Chinese medicine speeds the metabolism, reduces cravings, helps reduce stress as well as support healthy food choices.

A typical treatment plan consists of an initial consultation followed by acupuncture. All patients receive a specifically tailored food plan that will indicate foods that should be eaten in moderation as well as a list of foods to be avoided. Herbal supplements and organic vitamins are used to adjust metabolism, cholesterol, energy, food cravings and even to manage diabetes. Weekly acupuncture treatments are recommended during the first month to accelerate results, then a maintenance program of every four to six weeks.

As everyone responds differently to treatment, each step along the way, up to and including a maintenance program once the desired weight goal has been achieved, is done on an individual basis.

This unique blend of Eastern and Western medicine is the optimal way to safely lose weight.

Live natural. Live well.

Heather

The incidence of food allergies is on the rise. Mostly likely you or someone close to you suffers from some level of food sensitivities. Many of my patients come in for this very problem. Some of them don’t realize allergies might be causing or contributing to other health issues. (See list below.)
Why is this increase occurring?
I’ve found through research and clinical experience different reasons. A few of them include:

1- Over-consumption of or too early exposure (under 6) to high allergen foods.
2- Genetically modified foods.
3- Side effects of certain vaccines.
4- Weakened immunity, if not breast-fed or exposed to high allergen foods through breast milk.
5- Overuse of antibiotics- either as medication or in non-organic animal products.

One of the tricky things about food allergies is that they don’t always show up how you’d expect. Not everyone responds with an upset stomach, digestive complaints, or fatigue after eating. This is not something many doctors know, unfortunately and may be slow to diagnose. Below is a list of some of side effects of eating foods you’re allergic to.

Eczema, Ear Infections, Infertility (men and women), Depression, Asthma, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Autism, Diarrhea, Gas, Abdominal Pain, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Gallstones, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Peptic Ulcer, Psoriasis, Rosacea, Seborrheic Dermatitis, Urticaria, Migraine Headaches, Multiple Sclerosis, Leaky Gut Syndrome, Epilepsy, Celiac Disease, Panic Attacks, Anxiety, Frequent Flus & Colds, and Weight Gain.

If you have any of the above health concerns, please consult a qualified physician for diagnosis and treatment. There is hope! Healing or minimizes food allergies is now possible. Abstaining from those foods, acupuncture/acupressure, detoxification, proper nutrition, and appropriate supplementation are a part of the protocol. Boosting your immune system, cleansing your body of toxins, and healing any damage done to your digestive tract from the exposure to allergen foods will bring you optimal wellness. The result will most likely be at minimum a reduction in allergy symptoms, and at best- a complete elimination of your allergies.

Live Natural. Live Well.
Heather

Is your child autistic?

The number of children with autism has gone from 1 in 10,00 in 1980 to 1 in 88 girls and 1 in 54 boys today. Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability with a growth rate of 1,148%.  The numbers are staggering. Some of this because of diagnosing has gotten better.  But most of the increase is due to the toxins to which we and our children are exposed.

Many parents come to me after their child has already been diagnosed. Most autistic  children develops at a healthy rate, and then ‘suddenly’, their behavior changes drastically.

Some of the symptoms include:

• Anxiety
• Digestive issues
• Increased pain threshold
• Withdrawal
• Aggression
• Impulsiveness
• Lack of attention and difficulty making eye contact
• Issues with non-verbal communication
• Lacking in verbal communication skills
• Poor immune responses
• Problems with social relationships
• Obsessive attachments to certain objects
• Sensory integration problems
• Poor behavior, whining, or tantrums
• Insomnia

Common causes:

• Poor Detoxification
• Heavy Metal Toxicity
• Inflamed Gut and Microbial Imbalance
• Food Allergies
• Nutritional Deficiencies

What you can do

• Have your child tested for heavy metal poisoning, food allergies, and gut health.
• Put your child on an allergy elimination diet.
• Avoid vaccines, especially those containing mercury.
• Avoid amalgam/silver fillings, as these contain mercury.
• Avoid all toxic cleaning and beauty products.
• Feed your family organic, non-genetically modified foods.
• Receive acupuncture/acupressure treatments along with herbal medicine.
• Research what supplements will help your child.

I can help your autistic child with any of the above steps to have a healthier, more fulfilling life. There is hope.

Live natural. Live well.

Heather