Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Where Did You Get Your Allergy?

A lot of people claim to have one or more forms of allergy. Some are very mild cases while others suffer from life threatening cases. Why is it that some people tend to be allergic to a lot of things while others are not?

What Causes Allergy Tendency?

The actual cause of allergy tendency in a person is yet to be defined. Most of the time, allergy runs in the family. If you come from a family with nut allergy, you are most likely to have the same intolerance level to nuts. Although there are cases wherein you will not get the same allergy tendency that your family has.

• Genetic Mutation

The exact mechanism why allergy can run in a family is not fully clear. Genetic mutation can be a factor. Genetic mutation can make the immune system intolerant to some substances. Family members with the same genetic mutation may have the same level of intolerance to substances.

• Damaged Immune System

When a person has been attacked by a severe virus infection, the immune system is affected. The virus may weaken the immune system in its level of tolerance to certain substances. This explains why some people develop allergy later in their lives. For instance, they may not be allergic to nuts before but after a serious virus infection, they may have developed this form of allergy to nuts.

• Over Cleanliness

Our body should be immune to certain types of germs. Some people are over clean. When a child, for instance, is obsessively clean, he may not be able to grasp any dirt at all. A good level of dirt is good for us especially during the early years as it helps us get immune to a lot of things.

• New Technologies

Partly to be blamed for allergy is the new technology. Carpet becomes the home of dust mites, which a lot of people are addicted to. Air conditioners can bring in a lot of different types of allergens inside the house or office. Perfumes are everywhere and certain scents can cause allergic reactions to some people.

Tracing the actual cause of allergy tendency can be endless. There are a lot more possible causes of allergy tendency. Even if you don't have any allergy tendency in your early years, don't be too confident as you may have it later in your life. The best way to prevent and treat allergy is to identify it even before it becomes serious.

Amber College is a holistic therapies centre in Ireland. Its range of services includes Weight Loss, Allergy Testing, Stop Smoking Therapies and Complementary Therapies like Acupuncture, Aromatherapy and Massage. Amber College also offers short courses on Complementary Therapies

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Anorexia Nervosa - Why Does it Seem Like She Wants to Stay Anorexic?

Do you ever wonder why your daughter will fight to the death so she doesn't have to eat? Many parents interpret this behavior to mean their daughter does not want to get well from anorexia. Things are not as they seem, however, and let me tell you why.

• It's like your daughter is under the influence. And she is; only instead of alcohol or drugs, she is under the influence of an eating disorder. Depending upon how far along she is in the illness, the eating disorder voice may be the one she hears most often and most clearly.

• Your voice and anyone who is trying to help her has become the enemy. The eating disorder has convinced her she can no longer trust or listen to anyone else, including you. Everyone just wants her fat and the eating disorder is the only one who truly has her best interest in mind.

• As she progresses in the illness, all other voices are blocked out and the eating disorder is the only one she will listen to. It makes the rules and defines what she eats, when she eats it, with whom she eats, how many calories she will consume, how much exercise she must do, when to purge, how many sit ups and crunches she must complete, even how she eats the limited amount of food she does manage to consume.

• It is like she is in an abusive relationship (which she is) but is too afraid or dependent to get out. It doesn't matter how many people tell her she is in danger, she cannot leave or kick out the abuser. The voice in her mind is so strong, she is brainwashed into believing what she sees and hears is true, when it is not.

• She desperately wants help but cannot ask for it because she is not allowed to. She's being told she is fat and to keep restricting her intake. Also that the only way she will be happy is for her to be thin, preferably the thinnest person in any room, at any given time.

• She is being controlled by fear and by this continuous dialogue in her head. It is chaotic and painful, yet promising and soothing at the same time. If she can just get to this magic weight, everything will be fine. The problem is every time she reaches that magic number on the scale, it is never enough. The voice inside compels her further and further down the path toward destruction.

Your daughter does want help and somewhere way down deep inside, underneath all the competing voices and chaos, she does want to get well. So no matter what she tells you, don't believe her. It is not her talking. You are hearing the voice of the eating disorder; so don't give up fighting for her.

If you would like coaching on how to help your son or daughter with an eating disorder, send an e-mail to Lynnsong (at) wildblue.net (replace the at with the at sign, just like normal email addresses. I'm trying to thwart the spammers).

Lynn Moore educates, coaches, and consults parents on how to help their adolescent with eating disorder behavior. She will guide you through the treacherous waters of deciding what kind of help you need and what you, the parents need to do and can do to help your child.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Diets to Improve Heart Health

Aerobic exercise is an important factor in heart health. The body needs to develop stamina, and aerobic exercises helps to develop stamina. But diet is also an important factor in maintaining, regaining, or improving heart health.

A daily assault on your system of trans fats and high-cholesterol foods can't be "undone" with exercise, though. Dr. John Cooke, who is the head of Stanford Medical School's vascular unit says that the goal is to consume nutrient-dense foods high in antioxidants, including Vitamins B, C, and E and folate. These foods have properties that improve nitrate acid levels, and thus, your cardiovascular health.

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past ten years or so, you know that high-cholesterol food includes eggs, dairy products, and beef. It seems to be a rule: the better food tastes, the higher the cholesterol. Potato chips, candy bars, cake, and ice cream are ALL high-cholesterol foods.

So how does one go about eating a heart-healthy diet without starving to death? It really isn't quite as hard as it might appear on the surface.

You can have fresh fruit and fresh vegetables and fruits and vegetables DO taste good. You should stick to fish and chicken, and indulge in beef steak only on a rare occasion, and then the steak should be very lean.

Whole-grain foods are the choice you should make when there is a choice. Stick to canola oil, olive oil, corn oil, walnut oil, and avocado oil, and avoid butter and lard.

Eating a heart-healthy diet means that you might have to give up (or at least drastically cut back on) some of the foods that have dominated your diet. But the substitutions are tasty and the rewards are many. Take care of your heart. It's the only one you've got.

Carlos Marquez has reviewed many weight-loss diets as well as exercise and fitness programs. Want to know which are the best diet and fitness programs? Check out the review page available at: http://www.healthybodsecret.com

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Dancing Poles Are the Perfect Exercise!

With more and more people these days trying to get in shape, and looking for the best possible way to get a workout, many people are turning to more unconventional methods of physical fitness. In their search for a great, fun, powerful and interesting exercise routine, many women are finding that pole dancing is a great workout for them! Read ahead to learn just a few reasons why you should consider exercising on a dancing pole.

First of all, dancing poles are amazing exercise because of the nature of a pole dance workout. Exercising on a dance pole requires you to hold up and support your body on the pole much of the time, which takes a good deal of muscle strength and effort to accomplish. Also, the dance moves that you perform during your workout often require you to use muscle groups and 'stabilizer muscles' that can be extremely hard to target with a conventional workout. Therefore, pole dancing makes you use muscles that you never even knew you had!

Also, many people are discouraged from working out regularly because of the monotony of regular workouts. You will never have to worry about this with a dancing pole workout, because there is such a vast array of moves and tricks that you can perform. You will never have to do the same workout twice! This keeps your exercise routine constantly fresh and exciting, which vastly increases the chances that you will actually do it!

If you have been looking for a fun, exciting, and challenging workout for yourself, look no further than pole dancing! Many people say that purchasing a dancing pole is one of the best decisions they've made in a long time, so see if it is right for you!

Jess Howell is a pole dancing enthusiast who loves to write about dancing poles at her website and blog, which is totally dedicated to pole dancing. Visit her site to learn more about the best products in the industry and the best pole dancing techniques and videos!