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There are many causes for flatulence, such as overeating, eating too quickly, excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates or artificial sweeteners, food allergies and intolerance, a deficiency of vitamin B, excessive consumption of alcohol, emotional stress and parasites. One of the most common causes can be lactose, found in dairy products such as milk and cheese. Many other healthy foods can also cause gas, such as cabbage, beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, onions, cauliflower, whole wheat flour, radishes, bananas and apricots. Luckily, with some adjustments in our food choices and eating habits, the chances of this embarrassing malady can be greatly lessened or eliminated.

Do not overeat, and chew food slowly. Try to identify if it is a certain food causing the problem and eliminate it from your diet. Try chewing a sprig of parsley after meals. Try lemon juice or apple cider vinegar in water with your meal. You might also want to try sipping your drinks slowly through a straw in an effort to minimize the amount of air you take in during drinking.

vitamin B complex, especially B3 (niacin) rich foods like light-meat chicken, tuna, salmon, turkey, enriched flour, peanuts, and fortified cereals can be helpful as they aid in the digestive process and in converting food to energy.

Yogurts that have acidophilus and peppermint oil in water sipped with the meal can also help with the digestive process. If the problem persists, you may want to try and eat proteins and carbohydrates in different meals.

In addition, peppermint and fennel-based teas are useful for occasional indigestion, particularly when there is flatulence and a sensation of fullness. Ginger has been shown to promote the flow of digestive juices, a normal process that supports the digestive system.

Hives are also known as urticaria, and they cause raised white or yellow, itchy wheals surrounded by an area of red inflammation. It is an allergic reaction by the skin, causing the body to release histamine into the effected tissues. The size of the wheal itself varies, with the larger ones sometimes joining together in places to form an irregular rash. They usually cause severe irritation and usually appear on the limbs and trunk, but can appear anywhere. Acute urticaria develops rapidly and usually lasts for just as few hours – it is characterized by a feverish, faint feeling and occasionally nausea. Chronic urticaria can persist for a long period of time.

Common triggers include drugs such as aspirin and penicillin, food additives, food sensitivity such as milk eggs, shellfish and nuts, environmental factors such as exposure to cold, heat or sunlight, stress and anxiety, and bites and stings.

All fruits and vegetables contain some amount of vitamin C. Foods that tend to be the highest sources of vitamin C include green peppers, citrus fruits and juices, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, turnip greens and other leafy greens, sweet and white potatoes, cantaloupe and spinach. Vitamin C helps promote a healthy immune system and releases antihistamines. Green tea is also reported to have an antihistamine effect.

Vitamin B12 has been reported to reduce the severity of acute hives as well as to reduce the frequency and severity of outbreaks in chronic cases. Vitamin B12 is found in animal foods, fortified foods, and some fermented foods. Some sources of B12 are eggs, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, and foods made from soy. Salmon and low-fat milk are particularly good sources.

If you suffer from food allergies, it’s important to keep a detailed food diary. Note what you ate when you have hives breakouts, as it may be just a simple matter of eliminating a food or several foods from your fat“>diet in order to avoid suffering from hives.

If you think that you are prone to diabetes, the first thing that you need to know is to understand what is the illness all about. Experts say that diabetes is a chronic disease, which develop among people who have the inability to utilize the glucose in their food to be used as energy. The illness develops when the accumulated glucose stays in the person’s bloodstream for a long time. Over a period of time, this amount of glucose, can bring potential harm to the person’s other organs such as the eyes, kidneys, heart, and even the nerves themselves.

After having sufficient knowledge about it and how the disease develops, the next step is to know what kind of diabetes that are known and acknowledged by experts and physicians. Today, there are three major types of diabetes including “Type 1 diabetes,” “Type 2 diabetes,” and “Gestational diabetes.” Knowing what they are and what sets each one apart from one other will help people who are prone to diabetes where to focus in trying to manage their condition.

What type are you?

Type 1diabetes otherwise known as “juvenile diabetes” or “insulin-dependent diabetes,” is considered as the least common type of diabetes there is. Experts say that it is an auto-immune disease that makes the body’s immune system–which serves as a shield against infection–gone not of working order, thus, savaging the cells located in the pancreas which is responsible for producing insulin. For people–especially those who are prone to diabetes–insulin is very important in breaking down the food once eaten.

People who suffer from type 1 diabetes has the inability to make insulin, thus, their body’s are easily damaged by the accumulate glucose in the body. Since they need insulin to get by, people who are suffering from this type of diabetes need a regular supply of insulin 24/7. Children and young adults are prone to this type of diabetes but this occur at any age or can be a result of an illness. Type 1diabetes sufferers exhibit characteristics such as onset thirst, often urination, and drastic weight loss. Next is the type 2 diabetes, which is also known as “non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus” and “adult-onset diabetes”. What sets it apart from the type 1diabetes is that the person suffering from this has the ability to make insulin it’s just that the amount produced in not enough for the body to use it efficiently.

This type is considered as the common type of diabetes, which usually develops among people who are more than 40 years of age. People who are prone to this type of diabetes are usually those who are overweight or obese and those that have sedentary lifestyle. Being a progressive disease, type 2 diabetes can also lead to more severe complications like diseases including the heart, the kidney, the eyes through blindness and amputation or loss of limbs. People who suffer from type 2 diabetes are also characterized by slow or onset thirstiness, repeated urination, and loss of weight usually develops is a span of weeks to weeks.

The last type is called “gestational diabetes” which develops during pregnancy. Normally, this type of diabetes ends after giving birth but there are also those cases in some women that develop this type diabetes as they get older. Gestational diabetes, though it is common among pregnant women, should be monitored because there’s a big chance of leading to type 2 diabetes.

Every month it’s the same thing. You’re bloated, tired, cranky, fighting cravings, and trying to get rid of headaches. You wish you could be like your friend or your sister, who seems to just breeze right through her cycle with little or no problem. Take a look at your diet and see if these superfoods are a part of it. If they’re not, they can easily become a part of a well-balanced healthy diet that might just make your cycles to come simple to manage.

 Make sure you’re getting plenty of iron-rich foods in your diet. Leafy green vegetables, beans, shellfish, red meat, poultry, soy foods are great choices. Try teaming these with citrus foods containing vitamin C, which will promote iron absorption. Steer clear of alcohol, caffeinated beverages, or salty foods, and as always, make sure you choose unsaturated fats. These will only exacerbate that bloated feeling you suffer through each month. 

  Bee pollen has been popularized by famous athletes who take it regularly for strength and endurance. It has been used successfully to treat a variety of ailments including allergies, asthma, menstrual irregularities, constipation, diarrhea, anemia, low energy, cancer, rheumatism, arthritis and toxic conditions. It can, however, provoke allergic reactions in those who are taking it for the first time, so it’s important to start with small amounts and slowly build up to a teaspoon or so per day. Bee pollen can be taken in powder, capsule or tablet form—or in raw unprocessed honey mixed with cereal or spread on toast.

  Bananas have long been well known as nature’s ‘perfect food.’ They’re loaded with potassium, zinc, iron, folic acid, calcium, B6 and soluble fiber. They’re good for digestion, menstrual difficulties and essential for athletes because they can quickly replace what your body loses during your cycle or when you’re exercising frequently. And, if you suffer from diarrhea during your monthly cycle, they are the idea treatment when eaten in conjunction with apples, rice and dry toast – more commonly known as the BRAT treatment.

Weight loss fanatics are not the only people who are crazy about artificial sweeteners. There are also the diabetics. But, for them, replacing sucrose or table sugar with more intense sugar substitutes mean more than shedding off a couple of pounds. On many occasions, these are a matter of staving off diabetes symptoms or not.

Pros Save on calories – The average American consumes around twenty teaspoons of sugar every day. These much sugar translates to more than 300 calories per day. It will only take you a little more than five days to pack up another pound by consuming the same amount of sugar alone on a daily basis. While at the outset, this problem is somewhat exclusive for obese individuals, those people diagnosed with diabetes also have issues with sugar. The solution to this problem of course is either to cut back on sugar intake or replace table sugar with zero-calorie sweeteners.

The good thing about these substitutes is that their taste is more intense (some sweeteners like sucralose are several hundred times sweeter than ordinary sugar). Consumers, therefore, require less of these sugars which eventually leads to lesser problems with blood glucose levels, or for overweight individuals, lesser worries with packing up more pounds.

But, beware. Sugar substitutes do not always mean they contain zero calories. Also, not all sugar substitutes can help fend off extra calories.

Lots of varieties – Low-calorie and no-calorie sugar substitutes come in varieties. In the market today, the most recognizable sugar substitutes are sucralose, saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame-K, stevia, sorbitol, and mannitol.

Generally safe for consumption – All sugar substitutes are consumable. But, this does not suggest that all of them are free of properties that can lead to the development of certain conditions or properties that can pike up blood glucose levels. In general, those sugar substitutes that are not considered carbohydrates do not have any effects on blood glucose levels.

Cons Even if artificial sweeteners present good alternatives to weight thwarting table sugar, there are still a lot of drawbacks to using these products. First, there is the bitter after taste that many people find unpleasant. Some sugar substitutes like acesulfame-K tastes bitter when used alone.

Artificial sweeteners also tend to produce inferior quality baked products. Natural sugar plays a huge role in texture as well as taste. Laboratory-produced ones just don’t seem to keep up with natural products. The best alternative to sugar for baked goods is sucralose because heat does not affect its taste.

Prolonged use of artificial sweeteners can also lead to side effects like chronic fatigue and persistent headaches. There are also reports that frequent consumers of these sweeteners end up hungry all the time, which kind of defeats the purpose of using sugar substitutes in the first place. This is because there is no sense of fullness in consuming substitutes instead of the real, natural sugar.

Hidden calories are also a problem commonly encountered with sugar substitutes. Sometimes, bulking agents toss in a few calories that many consumers are unaware of.

The jury is still out on the efficacy of sugar substitutes as diabetic products. Current reports are contradicting and it is still quite hard to pin down whether using these is actually beneficial or not. But, experts agree that so long as artificial sweeteners are used in moderation, no adverse effects may appear. Or at least, not immediately.

As the nation’s second most deadly disease, cancer brings with it several risk factors. Therefore, it’s logical that we take a good look at the foods we’re eating, and start introducing nutrient-rich foods that are known to help reduce the cancer risk. A diet rich in fiber, vegetables, and fruits, including juices made from 100 percent fruit juice, can make a big difference in your cancer risk.

Foods rich in phytochemicals which are found in beans and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and kale are strong choices. So are dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, romaine lettuce, and collard greens, which are packed with fiber, lutein, and carotenoids – all cancer-fighting substances. Focus on choosing foods that have abundant amounts of vitamins C, E, and A, all antioxidants themselves. These help protect you from cancer by preventing the growth of free radicals in your body.

Tomatoes are an awesome cancer-fighting superfood. Not only do tomatoes contain lycopene, the antioxidant phytochemical that also helps prevent heart disease, but they’re a good source of vitamins A, C, and E, all which do battle against cancer-causing free radicals. Add them to your salad or use as a topping on your homemade pizza. They’re also a great way of adding some zest to your favorite sandwich.

Watermelon is also stuffed full of antioxidants, and includes about 80 percent of your daily vitamin C requirement. It is also a great source of vitamin A, or beta carotene. And like tomatoes, it also contains lycopene.

Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable, which help reduce the risk of colon and rectal cancer. Plus cabbage is rich in fiber and has almost 50 percent of daily requirement of vitamin C, making it a well-rounded superfood with cancer-fighting power. Carrots are also a wonderful source of fiber and beta carotene, and they have about three times the daily requirement of vitamin A.

Did you know that one-quarter cup of kidney beans has the same amount of fiber and protein as two ounces of red meat? Whole wheat pasta is also a good source of fiber, and broccoli will tip the daily scales for your daily vitamin A and C needs. Toss them all together with your favorite low-fat Italian dressing for a simple dinner of cancer-fighting proportions.

Strawberries and blueberries are rich in vitamin C and fiber. They’re quick and simple finger food, and easily be added to your favorite whole grain cereal oatmeal, or low-fat yogurt.

It is not only the human kind that can develop diabetes. Even our beloved pets, no matter how well we care for them, can develop diabetes.

This is often a scary situation for the pet owner and the first question that is usually asked of the veterinarian is -will my pet need to be put to sleep-?

Of course this is a difficult issue and the answer may vary on the overall age and health of your pet.

Many older pets that are diagnosed with diabetes go on to live many more happy years, but this takes commitment and close care of your pet.

Diabetic cats and dogs can live just as long as perfectly healthy pet if the diabetes is diagnosed and treated properly by both the veterinarian and the owner.

This takes great commitment from the owner. Pets must be cared for and watched daily with a high level of care and patience.

There can be no feeding the cat and forgetting until the next day. There is no leaving the pet along to go on a trip. Every day your pet will need medication, fed a proper diet and his behavior will need to be monitored closely.

This doesn’t mean you will have to give up your job and stay home full time with your pet, but it does mean you will have to pay more attention to what his behavior is and know what to do if the situation should change.

It is also more of a financial obligation to have a sick pet. So it is something that should be discussed in length with your vet.

Most people with acne attempt to treat their irritated skin with external face washes, soaps, lotions and treatments. However, the best way to treat acne is by changing your diet and getting rid of acne-causing ingredients such as fried foods.

A healthful fat“>diet rich in natural whole foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans is the first recommendation for treating acne. Foods containing trans-fatty acids, such as milk, milk products, margarine, shortening and other synthetically hydrogenated vegetable oils, as well as fried foods, should be avoided.

It seems the prevalence of acne in the United States is built into the typical American diet. Americans tend to eat fried foods in large quantities, usually cooked in the most harmful of fats and oils. Not all fats are bad, but the fats that typical Americans eat make them more prone to develop acne and skin problems, such as what’s in ice cream, cheese, bacon, and milk.

Acne cannot really be treated using creams and soaps because the root of the condition lies beneath the skin. Pimples and blemishes are caused by bacteria and other irritants embedded underneath the skin’s oil glands and hair follicles, which are generally caused as a result of improper hygiene and poor diet – such as too much processed, fatty, fried and sugary foods.

A skin-healthy diet emphasizes raw and lightly cooked vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables that contain valuable trace minerals and are rich in fiber. Fresh green vegetables are essential. Also include in your diet lean protein sources and complex carbohydrates, such as rice, whole-grain bread, and potatoes. These fiber-rich foods help ensure a clean gastrointestinal tract, which is especially important in the management of acne. Eat three healthy meals daily to provide important nutrients and to decrease your appetite for sugary or greasy fried foods. Foods rich in vitamin A, like apricots, watermelon, and broccoli, as well as foods like lean beef, nuts, beans and whole grains that are rich in zinc can also be helpful in reducing acne breakouts. It’s also imperative to drink lots of water to help flush the toxins out that contribute to breakouts.

Pregnancy is probably the most wonderful thing that could ever happen to any woman. This is why proper nutrition and nourishment–despite having a chronic illness such as diabetes–should be paid attention in order to ensure the health and well being not only of the mother but of the baby as well.

One of the most important aspects of pregnancy that should be paid attention to is proper nutrition. This cannot only be achieved by eating a variety of foods from different food groups but also by taking in prescribed supplementation. Since not all pregnant women are very tuned into eating a broad range of foods that are good sources of crucial nutrients during pregnancy, taking in supplements such as calcium, multivitamins and iron is necessary to support the growing baby inside the womb.

Ideal nourishment

Generally, pregnant women are advised to eat well-balanced meals that comprise of foods coming from all food groups so she can provide the proper nourishment for the baby and herself. Good nutrition by eating healthy foods and a well-balanced diet does not only ensure that the baby gets the nutrients he or she needs but this also help in minimizing some of the pains and discomfort caused by the symptoms of pregnancy.

To achieve optimum nutrition, pregnant women are advised to consume foods that are rich in folate, calcium, iron, vitamins, and minerals that can be found in whole grain breads, pastas, brown rice, fruits, vegetables, fish, lean meats and dairy products. The following are just some of the nutrients pregnant women need during the gestation period.

- calories. Pregnant women are advised to take in about 300 extra calories coming from a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, protein, and whole grains are needed everyday to maintain a healthy pregnancy.

- protein. Protein nourishment is very important during pregnancy because it provides the building blocks for the baby’s growth especially in proper brain development. Pregnant women with diabetes are advised to aim for 30 grams of protein or more daily that should come from various animal and dairy products such as cheese, eggs, fish, chicken, beef, lamb, yogurt, cereals, grains, pasta, legumes, beans, peanuts, broccoli, peas, and leafy green vegetables.

- Vitamin C. Enough supply of Vitamin C is quiet significant for a pregnant woman because it strengthens her immunity and helps in building strong collagen, bone and teeth for the growing baby. Since Vitamin C cannot be restored in the body, a fresh supply is needed daily to ensure that the mother gets enough of this nutrient. Excellent Vitamin C sources include green leafy and yellow vegetable as well as yellow fruits.

- calcium. For bone and tooth formation, calcium intake is another significant nutrient pregnant woman should increase. Experts say that about 1,200 mg of calcium daily is recommended for lactation and pregnancy. Calcium sources include dairy products and green leafy vegetables.

- iron. Iron is a very important mineral needed to avoid the possibility of iron-deficiency anemia during pregnancy. The recommended iron intake for pregnant women is 30 to 50 mg that should come from lean meats, dark green leafy vegetables, eggs, and whole grain cereals. But since it is difficult to get enough iron in diet intake alone, the doctor usually prescribes iron supplement.

Pregnant women with diabetes should be more particular about their eating patterns now more than before because maintaining proper levels of glucose can highly contribute to the overall of both mother and child.

In both the female and male body, the balance of hormones has to be just right for conception to occur and for pregnancy to proceed. Nutrients that are in excess or that are in depletion can throw off balance and disrupt the pregnancy process. When we can choose whole foods for our diet, we are increasing our chances of obtaining the most nutrients we need. Whole foods include fruits, fresh vegetables, unrefined grains, beans, nuts, seeds, eggs, and small whole fish. It’s important to make sure you’re choosing healthy whole superfoods that have an abundant supply of each of the following vitamins and minerals.

B-complex vitamins need to be replenished all the time, as they are water soluble and passed out of the body with urination. Vitamins B6 and B12 are particularly important for fertility and hormonal function. Fortified cereals, fortified soy-based meat substitutes, baked potatoes with skin, bananas, light-meat chicken and turkey, eggs, and spinach are all great sources of B6 and beef, clams, mussels, crabs, salmon, poultry, soybeans, and fortified foods have healthy amounts of B12.

Folic Acid, also known as folate, is essential for the production of genetic material in conjunction with vitamin B12. The body cannot store Folic Acid so it must be replenished regularly. It is found naturally in dark green leafy vegetables, apricots, avocados, carrots, egg yolks, liver, melons, whole grains, and yeast’s.

Zinc is an essential component of genetic material and plays an important role in the fertility of men (affecting sperm count) and women. Zinc is vital to healthy cell division, so healthy zinc levels are essential at conception. Zinc occurs naturally in oats, rye, almonds, pumpkin seeds and peas.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) work on every system of the body and are essential for healthy hormone production. EFA’s can prevent blood from clotting inappropriately which can be helpful to women who have suffered from recurrent miscarriages (if clotting was an issue). They are primarily found in fish oils.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant. Low vitamin E levels can be a cause for subfertility in men and women. Found in wheat germ cereal, sunflower seeds, dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, brown rice, eggs, milk, organ meats, soy beans and sweet potatoes.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant, helpful to sperm production and may play a role in healthy ovulation. Vitamin C is essential to the normal healthy functioning of many systems in the human body. Excellent sources include blackcurrants, raw red peppers, guavas and citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits. Other good sources include strawberries, kiwifruit, broccoli and Brussel sprouts.

Iron aids in the production of red blood cells and carries oxygen around our bodies. The body can lose iron through periods, childbirth or blood loss (including blood donation). Leafy green vegetables, beans, shellfish, red meat, poultry, and soy food products are all good sources of iron.

Vitamin A is an antioxidant essential at conception for the developing embryo. Natural sources include carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, and spinach.