Introduction

Seafood has been a favorite food of mine for a while now. As far as I can recall, prawns were always my favorite yet I would have to stay away because of the hives (the merciless itching as well !!) that broke out due a strong allergy that one observant chap said was due to the fact that most places which serve seafood do not remove its tail.

And somehow, my fear of the allergy has overridden my desire for prawns to the point of paranoia where in ordering a 'chicken fried rice', I still ask them not to add any prawn additives, come to think of it is like giving them ideas!

And one can only think that I've gone nuts…

Speaking of nuts though, there is a growing number of cases where people have found themselves allergic to these little delightful snacks.

Nut Allergies

And no, we don't mean an allergy to peanuts which is actually a legume as opposed to the allergies to tree nuts that kids and some adults have. Obviously, the reaction to these nuts can anywhere from mild to severe in their degree.

Some tree nuts that you might have heard of and perhaps enjoy regularly are almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamias, pistachios, pecans, and cashews and so on and so forth.

So when you eat any of these nuts, your immune system considers it to be harmful for the body, even though it is quite the opposite, resulting in the release of antibodies known as immunoglobulin (IgE) that fight off the invading proteins from the food.

This is what happens during any allergic reaction, however, the symptoms might be the only the difference from allergy to allergy.

Symptoms

Even though these symptoms last for a day, they affect any or a combination of these four organs of the body.

a. Gastrointestinal System

Digestive issues like cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are common symptoms of this allergy

b. Skin

Most allergies (not only to tree nuts) exhibit symptoms such as itchy, red, bumpy rashes (known as hives), redness and swelling around the mouth or face as well as eczema. Actually, this will be one of the first symptoms that you will notice.

c. Cardiovascular system

In severe cases, one can also feel dizzy, which is another symptoms that points to nuts.

d. Respiratory system

Symptoms include breathlessness, a running or watery nose, sneezing and in some cases, it can trigger asthma which includes coughing and wheezing.

Since most of the time these allergies may be mild, there are time when this condition can be life-threatening also known as 'anaphylaxis', where all the four aforementioned body systems mentioned above are under attack leading to symptoms like breathlessness, itchy skin, tightness in the throat with the inability to speak, abdominal pain, vomiting, nasal stuffiness and so on and so forth.

For immediate relief from these symptoms before you can get yourself to a hospital, one should epinephrine with them at all times. It is effective as it works to decrease any swelling as well as increases blood pressure as well. For other milder cases, one can only avoid all forms of nuts either directly, used as embellishment in foods or the oils that they use to prepare food with.

In closing

Paranoia or not… sometimes allergies are bets dealt with when these foods are avoided, for many a time I've watched members from my family unable to deal with their overwhelming desire for prawns, succumb to the "Oh, just take an allergy tablet" routine with disastrous results.

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As I struggle every alternate day for an hour during a ‘forced break’ to work out, doing my ‘mirror, mirror on the wall’ the following day looking for the faintest hint that I’ve lost a little more weight, it beats me that fat people can pretend to be happy in uttering the words, “I’m fat and beautiful”.

Utter gibberish!

Now, if someone tells me that they are happy about taking twenty minutes to get into a chair, without a shred of self-consciousness (if not in complete embarrassment) while everyone around them have long gone about their business or perhaps even for a pre-lunch snack, that to me, is complete crap if not just a pathetic façade to cover up their apparent inability to follow through on the tri-syllabic word, exercise that should help with weight loss, and their 'behind' into that chair much sooner. And trust me, it's painful to watch…

As harsh as I sound here, I was one of them, about two years ago… and one day I just knew that something was terribly wrong, that something had to be done. And so began ‘Project Look Good in Anything’ with the help of Mike ’O Geary (and some encouragement from a personal study in Vedic astrology) that has become a passion to the complete astonishment of some of my pals.

But enough about that…

Losing weight through exercise is not the only method these days, as weight loss (bariatric) surgery is performed on people who are not just obese, but dangerously so. These are folks who have obesity disorders which has nothing to do with being lazy…

So what is weight loss surgery? Is it safe? These are perfectly natural questions to ask if you are planning to undergo such a procedure.

Weight Loss Surgery

This surgery achieves weight loss through three primary methods depending on the patient:
1) Reducing the size of the stomach with an implanted medical device (known as gastric banding or a Lap Band)
2) Removing a part of the stomach, followed by either method one or three. The procedure is known as sleeve gastrectomy.
3) Resecting and re-routing the small intestines to a small stomach pouch, thus leading to several variations of this type of surgery. The medical term used to identify this surgery is called ‘gastric bypass surgery’.

And this brings me to the second question, “Is it safe?”

Out of the 105,000 patients who underwent bariatric surgery, about 212 of them died in the hospital, at a mortality rate of 0.2 %. So the stats speak for themselves…

Prior to undergoing surgery, patients are made aware of the lifestyle changes that will have to made once the procedure is completed, with respect to dieting, exercise, pharmacotherapy, behavioral therapy and so on and so forth.

Although complications are a part of the procedure, occurring anywhere while in the hospital to 180 days to six months, results have shown that people live longer as obesity is inversely proportional to the longevity of life.

If one must take such a procedure, you must understand that complications can occur while these complications can differ from case by case. The cons are as risky as taking any other form of surgery that involves a big lifestyle change on your part but the pros can show results as early as 36 months.

In Closing
And despite the fact that this procedure seems an extreme step to take, at least this is one instance where ‘bigger isn’t better’. A lot of these patients don’t necessarily know when enough is enough with food or make an attempt to exercise, so change in these areas bodes well for a healthier and happier future. Oh yes, and much to the chagrin of the Queen of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs…

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Introduction
Ever since the economy has suffered a collapse, medical insurance has become a cause for concern thanks to the convenient hikes in insurance premiums.

Just today President Obama is expected to give the federal government more authority to ensure that the increase of insurance premiums are kept in check, which is in response to the company Anthem Blue Cross based in California that have raised its premiums by almost 39% for 800,000 policy holders come this May.

And the battle rages on, but who will win the war remains to be seen. Of course, the only folks who stand to gain from this are the comedians who seem to churn out new material on this sensitive issue that the current government is left to deal with, leaving us in no doubt that Obama truly has his work cut out for him.

Medical Insurance
Much like other forms of insurance, medical insurance also works in the same way that most other forms of insurance works. People pay premiums (monthly payments) to ensure that they will not have to bear a heavy part of the expenses if a medical emergency arises.

Of course, this doesn’t mean any kind of medical emergency, as the contract between the organization and the individual clearly states coverage limits (the maximum amount that will be covered for healthcare based on the premium, of course) as well as the list of ailments which can/ cannot be covered.

Now, just because you are paying premiums this doesn’t mean that your medical bills for a particular illness will be covered completely. There is a certain amount of money that the policy holder must pay from his pocket before the insurer pays his share as per the contract which is known as the ‘deductible’.

Depending on your needs, there are two types of insurance plans such as ‘comprehensive’ and scheduled’. With the former, the premiums can be expensive as the payouts can amount to anywhere between one to five million dollars depending on whether it is for hospital or physician charges.

Not only is this a significant difference between the two but comprehensive insurance covers a large variety of illnesses as well.

With scheduled insurance also commonly known as mini-med plans, it is just a basic policy that gives its holder daily access to a doctor or prescription drugs at a minimum cost, not covering for emergencies with their annual benefit maximums ranging anywhere between $1000 to $25000.

So, your next question might be: What are my options then?

Options
It’s very simple, really. A large part of health insurance is provided by the private sector, while the government provides also caters to the needs of its citizens with programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program and the Veterans Health Administration.

While the former requires you to pay a premium for excellent health care services, the latter caters to disadvantaged groups such as veterans, low-income adults, children, the disabled and for people who are above the age of 65 years and above.

In Closing

Interestingly, as the baby boomer generation retires, the numbers will balloon from 45 million to about 78 million in 2030, making Medicare, the single largest health care payer in the nation, and without doubt will remain that way for some time to come.

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Introduction
When one thinks of the word ‘cravings’, it brings to mind the movie ‘Requiem for a dream’ which deals with the subject of drug addiction and the shocking lives that these people lead with all their efforts drained as if by a black hole that involves satiating their desire for drugs. At least connotatively, this word is normally used to describe moments of desperation or unbridled desire.

On the other hand, craving does not only pertain to drugs but to any substance or person (read: debauchery/ lust) that one feels a constant need for.

However when it comes to the craving for food, it isn’t perhaps looked at with that much seriousness in my experience, with the numerous ‘plump and jolly’ compliments that I have received in the past.

Sooner or later, as this leads to obesity, one finds out that an unhealthy craving for food is just that: unhealthy.

Reasons for Food Craving
So why do people have this craving for food, especially junk food? But before we get into that, it’s a known fact that women experience this kind of craving more than men.

And before we (men, of all people) begin to call it an ‘eating disorder’, it’s actually a hormonal imbalance (serotonin is the culprit!!!) caused by unhealthy nutrition such as a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet. And that’s when the craving for alcohol and foods with high sugar and carbohydrate content begins to kick in, which occurs right after women experience mood swings.

However, this does not mean that it does not affect men, but we’re not going to get into details except for saying that foods that you are allergic to have an allure while some cravings also occur due to certain mineral deficiencies in the body as well.

But for whatever reason food craving occurs, what does stand out is the need for moderation, for even too much of a good thing can turn sour.

How to stop cravings
So here are five tips that one can abide by to stop food cravings:

Tip #1: In order to stop cravings, one should find a pattern as to when these cravings occur and make a note of it. This time chart will help you foresee, and thus prevent giving in to the craving with healthier options

Tip #2: Much like smokers who try to quit cold turkey, and fail miserably… one cannot completely stop cravings, so the a smart way to get stop these cravings once and for all is to reduce the amount of junk food you eat over a period of seven to fourteen days.  The key here is ‘portion control’.

Tip #3: During these moments of food craving, substitute the junk food with healthier options until you have completely eliminated the former from your diet. Hydration can play an important role in controlling these urges.

Tip #4: Another excellent tip is to eat several small meals or snacks throughout the day as opposed to three heavy meals. Not only will this alleviate you from food cravings but is also known to be an important element of successful dieting.

Tip #5: Build a support system of friends and family who can encourage you to continue the diet, especially when the cravings get the better of you sometimes. Remember to keep at it.

Conclusion
As simple as these tips sound, it does take a bit of effort as most of us wish we had days with 36 hours instead of the normal 24 hours. And it really pays off leaving you feeling much better, fitter and ready to meet the day ahead. No wonder they say ‘health is wealth’ but remember not to go overboard!

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Introduction
American English, apart from using nouns as verbs, also have a large number of phrasal verbs that is unique to their way of speaking English. Take for example, the phrase ‘lean down’, which means to slim down and is unheard of in other parts of the world where English is spoken just as well as the Brits or Americans do (even if they’re a unilingual race).

Before one assumes that this piece is a snotty paper about English Language from a socio-linguistic point-of-view, it really isn’t –merely a wild digression to matters that are rather trivial and unrelated to fitness. However, this piece (at least from here on) is about simple tips by which one can get that ‘mean’ (er, lean) look.

Tips to Lean Down
We all want a ‘lean’ body, but the question is whether we are prepared to work for it. The only difference between you and that shapely supermodel on the cover of the latest Cosmo, is the body or belly fat that seems to never go away.

Yes, we have all been preached to about eating right, having an exercise program and taking sufficient rest. As you cannot take a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, these three tenets can mean very different things for different people. Yet before you dig a little deeper to find out what is best for you, here is how you can get started:

Tip One: Begin with the end in mind. Visualize yourself having no body fat and that can alone motivate you to try out the next five tips! You will get there but you have to make up your mind first, says Mr. Dale Carnegie. This is not only applicable to communication but anything you desire to achieve as it the mind that gives up first before the body does.

Tip Two: Stop lying around in your free time! It is better to sit or stand up or even move around (if not do some light exercise), especially during times when you want to watch some TV, read a book or while on Facebook.

Tip Three: Reduce your intake of salty and fatty foods that will ‘help’ you gain weight.

Tip Four: Start eating food loaded with protein and good fats as a low-carb diet will ensure that the fat stored in your body is used for energy. Chicken, turkey, most fish, low fat milk, low fat cheese, butter, eggs, and most veggies are excellent sources of protein, while sources of good fats include almond oil, olive oil, canola oil and butter. Some experts recommend going on a raw diet for some time, if one wants to cut belly fat!

Tip Five: It is not only important to watch ‘what’ you eat but ‘when’ and ‘how much’ as well. Irregular timings leads to irregular portions of food being consumed, and you cannot call that dieting.

Tip Six: Try a total body workout rather than just working on your abs. If one has to lose weight, it is important that the entire body is a part of the exercise routine as opposed to isolating muscle group only. Importantly, if you do not have time from your busy schedule, make time!

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Introduction
It is no secret that women are conscious of their weight. Almost every clothing outlet today that considers itself known for designer wear for women ensures that clothes of every size are available to accommodate every woman’s waist size and so on and so forth. Many men would agree (not unless you live under a rock) when I say that the one-size-fits-all paradigm can be potentially disastrous for any clothing store to base its fashion philosophy. Individuality is anything but just a concept to these very engaging Venusians, so to speak!

If there is a word to describe a woman, it is her enthusiasm to experience everything that life has to offer unlike the single-minded (and some might say shallow) goal that most of us men pursue with the utmost dedication.

It seems as if the gain or loss of a few pounds has the ability to take a woman through a seesaw of emotions, right from a state of perpetual insecurity to a complete ‘lack of self-confidence’. To the logical mind (of mostly men), this might seem ridiculous but it still does make sense to a woman and to the science of health.

Gestational Weight
However, since the responsibility of giving birth has been a woman’s domain through the ages, and will be (not unless evolution decides to play an ugly joke on men) for sometime to come, gaining weight during this time is a given, along with a lot of mood swings, pain and birth-related stress. Now, this gain in weight varies from woman to woman, if we could so draw a parallel to the philosophy that women believe in individuality, which is measured by virtue of the Body Mass Index (BMI).

Another question that could occur to you: Why does one need to take into account the factor of gestational weight during pregnancy?

As determined by the U.S Institute of Medicine (IOM), keeping a check on weight gain during this period will assist a safe delivery of the baby in the coming months. However, there is no hard and fast rule that states that if you do cross certain weight limits, your pregnancy will face an adverse outcome. These are just limits that could help keep both the child and the mother safe during pregnancy.

Based on a study by the IOM, the table below shows the average (mean) rate of weight gain during singleton pregnancies based on pre-pregnancy BMI:

Therefore, if your BMI is underweight or less than 18.5, you can expect to gain anywhere between 28 to 40 pounds once you complete nine months of pregnancy. Notice how the value reduces evenly from underweight women to obese women.
Even though it is tough to reduce weight gain within these levels especially for obese women, it is still doable. Doctors will be more than happy to help you by introducing you to ways by which you can go about having a safe pregnancy.

Conclusion
Giving birth quintessentially represents the miracle of life (ask the father of a newborn how he feels!), and it only goes to show us how beautiful creating life can be, no matter how primitive (and pleasurable) the method (winky wink). It is vital that both the mother and child ‘come out’ unharmed through this vulnerable and life-defining period in their lives, and we must do everything in our power to make this transition easier, if not safer, for the fairer sex and their offspring.

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Introduction
Alison Boulter once remarked, “Always remember you’re unique. Just like everyone else”. Nevertheless, this philosophical musing makes itself apparent in almost every facet of human’s life, one of which being the human body and its health. It has merely become a matter of fact that every human is unique, and that is where our greatest similarity lies when it comes to what we like and dislike, how we think, and so on and so forth.

Celiac Disease, and the symptoms leading to its diagnosis from case to case, also follows this principle. Since celiac disease can occur in varying degrees of severity that can afflict a person, with the gluten part of wheat of course playing the role of the villain, it is perhaps not possible to zero in on the exact symptoms.

However, preparing a list of generalized symptoms based on the medical cases that have been diagnosed successfully so far, does serve the purpose of identifying this autoimmune disease with the distinct possibility of mistaking it for gastrointestinal diseases such as stomach ulcers, Crohn's disease, inflammatory bowel disease.

However, with the dedicated work that has gone into research, a list of 35 symptoms and several complications have been established that indicate links to the presence of celiac disease.

Symptoms of Celiac Disease
Now, from research so far, a few things remain certain and that has been found common for those afflicted with celiac disease.

The disease:

• Can begin at any age
• Will persist for life
• Can involve and affect multiple organs
• May have varied symptoms or no symptoms at all
• Will always disappear once the patient follows a gluten-free diet

So, now let us look at the types of symptoms that are regularly associated with celiac disease:

a. Digestive Symptoms

• Diarrhea
• Abdominal Pain
• Abdominal Bloating
• Pale stool
• Foul-smelling stool
• Flatulence
• Pallor
• Weakness

b. Behavioral Symptoms

• Depression
• Irritability, particularly in children

c. Inadequate Nutrition Symptoms

• Weight Loss
• Delayed growth
• Failure to thrive
• Anemia
• Fatigue
• Missed Menstrual periods

d. Unclassified symptoms

• Gas
• Bone pain
• Joint pain
• Seizures
• Muscle Cramps
• No symptoms
• Ambiguous symptoms
• Tingling (in the legs from nerve damage)
• Numbness (in the legs from nerve damage)
• Mouth sores
• Skin Rash
• Dermatitis Herpetiformis
• Tooth discoloration and enamel loss
• Miscarriages

Conclusion
Strangely enough, with the symptoms taking on several forms as mentioned earlier, that have been discovered due to the advances made in medicine and meticulous research, the only way to find relief from these symptoms is to stay on a gluten-free diet despite the wild claims that have been made to finding a cure through alternative or conventional methods.

This tells us two things:
1) Modern medicine despite its advances in science and technology has its limitations
2) And perhaps, prevention is always better than cure

And maybe, as simple as it sounds, prevention seems to be the easier way regardless of the symptoms!

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Introduction
There is no question that diabetes is a serious ailment, which is the condition that causes the body to not produce insulin or in other cases, not respond properly to insulin. In visiting a clinic recently with my mother, I spent an hour reading these boards that they put up cautioning patients with diabetes (and other ailments) in taking care of themselves. In this instance, one of the boards gave detailed instructions to patients with diabetes in taking care of their feet, and in seeing the lengths to which healthcare centers can go to create awareness is an indicator of how complicated ‘diabetes’ can get.

Diabetes mellitus – Types
Among the several categories that have been discovered, these three types are regarded to be most common:

A)  Type 1 Diabetes, which is also known as insulin-dependent diabetes, occurs due to the immune system attacking and destroying ‘beta cells’ in the pancreas. These cells are responsible for creating ‘insulin’, that moves glucose (from the food we eat) into cells throughout the body. Now, if glucose stays in the blood stream, this will cause damage to the body’s organs, due to hyperglycemia that is noticeable at 10+ mmol/I. Therefore, patients with this type of diabetes have to take insulin in order to survive, and includes proper diet and exercise in order to regulate their blood sugar levels.

B) Type 2 Diabetes, also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes, is the most commonly diagnosed form of diabetes in the world today. In comparison to Type 1, this type of diabetes does not respond correctly to insulin resulting in the glucose from food staying in the blood stream leading to hyperglycemia. Now, since the blood sugar levels are above normal, the body triggers the pancreas to produce more insulin, yet it is not enough to move glucose to the cells in the body. By modifying diet and exercise as well as controlling glucose levels, side effects such as blindness, neuropathy or complications that arise due to high blood sugar levels can be prevented, until the patient is cured of this condition.
Apart from these two, there is another type of diabetes, which is a condition that affects women who exhibit the symptom of high glucose during pregnancy despite having not being diagnosed with diabetes prior to this.
So let us take a closer look at this condition.

Gestational Diabetes
Much like other types of diabetes, the condition for one to be diagnosed with gestational diabetes is to have a high level of glucose in your blood stream. With almost 135000 cases of gestational diabetes in the United States today, this type of diabetes affects 4% of all pregnancies in the latter stages, so it is obvious that there exists a risk of obtaining gestational diabetes during pregnancy.

The reason this condition occurs, as a mother requires three times more insulin than normally when giving birth, and when there is a resistance to insulin, there is a buildup of glucose in the blood stream. This is harmful to not only the mother but the baby as well.

Pregnant women, who are overweight, have a family history of diabetes, have glucose in your urine or have had gestational diabetes previously have a high risk of gestational diabetes. However, there is nothing to feel stress about, as doctors will ensure that you are checked if one or more of the aforementioned factors are true in your case.

Conclusion
If left unchecked, gestational diabetes can spell trouble for both the child and mother. The child can be born with extra fat, making it very harder during delivery for the mother. Other issues that can crop up are low blood glucose after birth as well as breathing problems. For the mother, it increases the risk of high blood pressure during childbirth as well as increasing the chances of having a caesarian section during delivery due to a large child. These are just some risks mentioned, so it is imperative that one takes care in following a proper diet and exercise routine during pregnancy.

Here's a video that outlines what one can do to prevent the complications of gestational diabetes: Dr. Siobhan Dolan talks about the complications of gestational diabetes

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Introduction
In the business of medicine, consistent research and development makes an effort to find cures to several diseases for which, there seems to be no cure. More recently, the claims of L. Ron Hubbard have interested me (although I’m not convinced yet) in his book called ‘Dianetics’. Apparently, his claims are that once someone becomes a ‘Clear’, his susceptibility to 70% of diseases falling under the psychosomatic category, reduces considerably.

Whether this Scientology stuff is a hoard of rubbish or authentic research, no one knows… but the point is that people continue to place a lot of importance to the research and development of the treatment of cures, which in turn is very important to the field of medicine itself.

Yet several diseases such as the Ebola, Mad Cow Disease, Flu (forget Bird Flu!!), AIDS, Cancer, Diabetes and more recently, those afflicted with Celiac disease, have no cure… and the only way you can survive (if that is indeed, “the goal of man”) is by moderate to extreme methods of prevention!

Celiac Disease
In comparison to the diseases mentioned above that have plagued mankind forever now, Celiac disease might not necessarily hit the headlines because of its low numbers but nonetheless have that damning ability to completely ruin one’ daily routine and in the long run, lead to a drop in immunity that can increase susceptibility to other harmful diseases.

Celiac sprue, non-tropical sprue, gluten intolerance, gluten enteropathy or gluten-sensitive enteropathy, and endemic sprue are all names for celiac disease that doctors use to identify and diagnose for the disease.

With its symptoms ranging from abdominal bloating and pain, vomiting, constipation, pale fatty or foul-smelling stool to weight loss and chronic diarrhea, one can only imagine how you can go through a day while dealing with these symptoms, especially if you are a kid.

So, one can’t help but stress the importance of finding a cure for this condition, even though there have been several claims that cures are in existence for celiac disease.

Treatment of Celiac Disease
There are both standard and alternative cures to treating celiac disease but these methods have not been confirmed as cures that work for every person afflicted with celiac disease, apart from maintaining a lifelong gluten-free diet.

Firstly, there are vitamin and mineral supplements that play an important role in treating celiac disease as there are nutrient deficiencies such as Vitamin D, Vitamin K, Essential Fatty acids, Folic acid, Calcium, Magnesium and Iron. One should check with their doctor for any such nutrient deficiency which might aid the treatment for Celiac disease as well, while your digestive system is repairing itself in the first five to six months.

Psychotherapy is also known to be effective for those who suffer from mental anxiety, and which triggers the gluten-sensitivity. This can also be considered another ‘supplement’ along with the standard medicinal treatment of celiac disease.

Immunization can also play a supporting role for those who have celiac disease, as the spleen doesn’t work very well and can leave you susceptible to germ infections. Some of the vaccinations provided are the flu jab, the HIB vaccine and the pneumococcal vaccine.

Yet even with all these ‘aids’, the only treatment so far with a fairly successful rate of cure, is to maintain a gluten-free diet for life. Tough as that sounds, there are positives to abstaining from foods which have gluten in them.

Conclusion
Even though research efforts are being made to cure this disease with the use of medicine, it’s ironic that the only effective method is the one where you can’t eat any foods that contain gluten in them, or else it means being open to all the symptoms that you experienced before. Unfortunately, it's one of those diseases for which 'prevention is the cure', and however annoying it might be, it actually helps you lead a healthier lifestyle by maintaining a good diet.

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Introduction
When it comes to food allergies, almost 12 million Americans are afflicted by ‘the big eight’ with occurrences of about 300,000 emergency visits to the hospital as well as a hundred to two hundred deaths a year. Yet it’s not necessarily the number of deaths that are alarming enough but how one feels when the body responds adversely to a food protein. And for some of you who are allergic to particular foods, the aggravation can seemingly take on proportions that can seem more serious than just the matter of life and death itself.

And as one of the big eight allergies, gluten sensitivity is no longer considered a rare allergy with after effects that span from mild inflammation of the mucosa of the small intestine to severe coeliac disease. But before we take a closer look at gluten sensitivity and its symptoms, let’s first understand why and how gluten sensitivity occurs.

What is Gluten Sensitivity?

Gluten is a composite of the proteins gliadin and glutenin that are found in wheat, rye, triticale and barley, very different from the glutens of maize and rice. And you find it everywhere, in almost every thing you eat these days. And I mean everything, from bread to cakes to shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers and soaps to pasta and sauces and so on and so forth.

Some folks attribute the higher-than-required gluten intake due to the processed foods that have become part and parcel of our lives, with almost one out five people reacting to this high intake in one way or the other. And if that’s not enough, gluten is also used as a food additive in products that have nothing to do with the aforementioned cereal grains.

So, in gluten sensitivity, your small intestine that takes a real beating with the intestinal villi which is responsible in absorbing nutrients that are taken from the food. Er… so digestion becomes a real problem until you remove the gluten from the aforementioned location.

Gluten Sensitivity – Symptoms & Cure
For people who know that they are sensitive to gluten, a gluten-free diet will change things immediately and effectively but what about those who aren’t sure if what they’re afflicted with is indeed, gluten sensitivity.
So, here’s an exhaustive list of symptoms that indicate gluten intolerance:
a) Gastroenteritis and Diarrhea
b) Bloating
c) Constipation
d) Heartburn and Gastric Reflux
e) Exhaustion and Lethargy
f) Conversely, hyperactivity or crankiness
g) Discomfort in the stomach
h) Eating problems
i) Poor Sleep
j) Weight issues
k) Chronic Iron Deficiency
l) Dermatitis, Eczema or bad skin
m) Infertility
n) Running Nose and Sinus Problems
o) Osteoporosis, Bones and Joint Pains
p) Headaches or Migraines
q) Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
r) And the kicker symptom of them all: Autism

So, if one suspects that they struggle with a few of these symptoms, it’s imperative to consult a physician and get tested for gluten sensitivity immediately, and switch to a gluten-free diet which is its only cure! For when it comes to suffering from gluten sensitivity, one will soon discover that the nutrition facts label on any food package for consumption is their best friend!

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