Thursday, March 27, 2008

Diet Control Measures For Asthma

Asthma – a respiratory disease that renders its victims breathless during an attack – can be a terrifying affliction. In response to a specific allergen or other trigger, an asthmatic person’s airways will become inflamed and constricted so that normal breathing is significantly hindered.

Consequently, asthmatics are dependent on a number of medications to ease their symptoms and prevent attacks. But nothing does more for preventing asthma related symptoms then significantly limiting exposure to those allergens known to trigger symptoms.

For some these can be environmental triggers, seasonal components, or everyday exposures – such as pet dander or dust – that must be limited as much as possible. But some asthmatics are just as seriously affected by the foods that they eat. So in order to decrease their symptoms and chance of attacks they must adopt a strict asthma diet so that they can increase their chance at health.

An asthma diet is different for every asthma sufferer. While some people are highly aware of the foods to which they are allergic, others must keep careful and specific records of their eating so as to notice which foods seem to correlate to increased symptoms.

Some preservatives in food also trigger asthma. So as part of an asthma diet, ingredients of food products must be scrutinized. Once it is determined what specific foods – or the preservatives included in them – are the culprits then they can be avoided through the use of an asthma diet.

For those who wish to experiment with an asthma diet, a food journal can be quite helpful in determining your specific triggers. Keep it with you at all times so that you can keep careful track of what you are eating and how you are feeling. If a food allergy is your culprit, you should be able to notice a pattern very quickly. Then you can make lifestyle changes accordingly.

If you are unsure if food is the cause of your asthma, then you may want to consult your medical professional. Your doctor will be able to test for specific allergies so that you know for sure what to avoid. This combination of medical care and proactive self-advocacy in the form of an asthma diet can put you back in control of your asthma.

Asthma does not have to rule your life. An asthma diet is just one way in which you can put yourself in control of your day so that you can enjoy a healthy and symptom-free life.

Control Cholesterol Through Diet

The most prevalent way to increase your blood cholesterol levels is through a diet that is high in saturated fats and cholesterol. This can be a life threatening issue if you develop heart disease from the collection of fatty cholesterol deposits on the surface of your blood vessels. It is absolutely essential that a person that is likely to develop any type of heart disease, should begin a new diet regimen immediately.

Medications are often prescribed by doctors to help normalize cholesterol levels, but a proper diet can do the trick for most people. By taking a focused approach to the types and amounts of foods you eat, you can regain control of your cholesterol levels. By adding the right types of foods to your diet and subtracting the wrong foods, you can plan a diet that will help lower high cholesterol.

As soon as high cholesterol levels are found in someone without heart disease, they should begin a diet recommended by the American Heart Association that states a person should consume less than 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol per day. They should also limit saturated fats to 10% or less of total calories and normal fats 30% or less of total calories. Doctors and dietitians can help you lay out the proper amount of calories you should intake per day.

Most people being seeing results from a cholesterol lowering diet within a few weeks of getting started. The amount to which they see is dependent on many factors in which one might see a reduction of 10 to 50 mg/dL or even more. These are significant results that could prevent someone from having to take medications to lower their cholesterol. That is a great thing.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Can Diet Control Crohn's Disease?

For those patients who suffer with the chronic condition of Crohn's disease is vital to consider all treatment options when trying to manage this often life-altering disease.

An often asked question is can diet control Crohn's disease? When you have a condition that can so negatively impact your daily life, believe me, you will look at all the options, including diet that might possibly help to control your condition and give you your life back.

So it really is a great question. Can diet control Crohn's disease? It seems the jury is still out on that question.

While there are some great dietary guidelines for a Crohn's disease diet such as avoiding raw or fried foods, adding a lean proteins and eliminating any foods to which you seem to have a sensitivity, there seems to be absolutely no hard and fast rules when it comes to trying to determine if a diet can actually control or at least reduce the symptoms of Crohn's disease.

At this time there has been no particular diet that has shown itself to be effective for the prevention of or treatment of Crohn's disease. A frustrating situation indeed.

While it is important to eat a healthy diet as instructed by your health care provider, you must also determine for yourself which foods are triggers for you and seem to worsen your symptoms.

There are many patients who seem to have an increase in symptoms when taking in too much fiber, the ingestion of milk and milk products, the consumption of alcohol, and even the intake of spicy foods.

So eating a healthy diet, one free from symptom producing triggers, and one that can help to address any nutritional deficiencies and symptoms of dehydration that you may be experiencing is really the most important dietary tale of all.

It seems it would be much easier if there were a definitive diet for Crohn's disease that patients could follow; however, unfortunately, at this time it does not seem on the near horizon.

Can a diet control Crohn's disease?

It is definitely the wish of many and something we can only hope that researchers are studying even at this present time.

Acne Control - With Your Diet

As those who suffer from acne will tell you, learning to control it can be difficult and frustrating. There are so many components that can be responsible for acne, that determining what contributes to your specific skin condition can be a matter of trial and error for an extended period of time.

Lifestyle changes certainly increase your chances of remaining acne free. Adjustments such as changing skin cleansing regimes, adding topical creams to your repertoire, getting additional sleep, and adopted stress relieving techniques can all go a long way towards increasing the health of your skin.

But no change has more impact on acne - and the reduction of its effects - than adopting a stringent acne diet. What you put in your body makes itself evident on the surface of your skin. If you are currently eating foods high in salt, sugar, grease, and saturated fats, chances are that you are significant adding to your acne through a poor acne diet.

To implement an acne diet that will vastly improve the look and feel of your skin, as well as significantly prevent future breakouts, there are several things to keep in mind.

Commit yourself to avoiding foods high in salt, sugar, grease, and saturated fats as much as possible. Instead, focus your acne diet around whole and natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Fish in particular will give your skin a new level of health.

Not only will eating this way go a long way to increasing the overall health of your body but the change will almost immediately be reflected in your complexion.

Additionally, experts believe that increased dairy consumption can actually add to acne because of the hormones included in its makeup. So if you are suffering from acne, limit your intake of dairy as a part of your acne diet.

Increase your water intake significantly. Nothing does more to cleanse your body - and your skin - than water. Strive for the recommended eight glasses of water daily and you will be surprised at how quickly your skin takes notice.

Experts also report that Vitamin E will often exacerbate acne conditions. Instead, they recommend increasing Vitamin B5 consumption as this has been found to have positive impact in an acne diet. Be very careful when it comes to vitamins of any kind. Taking too much of any one vitamin can be unhealthy and sometimes dangerous. Be sure to check with your doctor before taking specific vitamins.

If after following your acne diet you are still not satisfied with the look and feel of your skin, be sure to visit a professional dermatologist. You may require an elevated level of care to ensure clear and healthy skin. Medical attention combined with a healthy lifestyle and an acne diet will do wonders for the health of your skin.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Diet Control To Avoid Heart Disease

The most prevalent way to increase your blood cholesterol levels is through a diet that is high in saturated fats and cholesterol. This can be a life threatening issue if you develop heart disease from the collection of fatty cholesterol deposits on the surface of your blood vessels. It is absolutely essential that a person that is likely to develop any type of heart disease, should begin a new diet regimen immediately.

Medications are often prescribed by doctors to help normalize cholesterol levels, but a proper diet can do the trick for most people. By taking a focused approach to the types and amounts of foods you eat, you can regain control of your cholesterol levels. By adding the right types of foods to your diet and subtracting the wrong foods, you can plan a diet that will help lower high cholesterol.

As soon as high cholesterol levels are found in someone without heart disease, they should begin a diet recommended by the American Heart Association that states a person should consume less than 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol per day. They should also limit saturated fats to 10% or less of total calories and normal fats 30% or less of total calories. Doctors and dietitians can help you lay out the proper amount of calories you should intake per day.

Most people being seeing results from a cholesterol lowering diet within a few weeks of getting started. The amount to which they see is dependent on many factors in which one might see a reduction of 10 to 50 mg/dL or even more. These are significant results that could prevent someone from having to take medications to lower their cholesterol. That is a great thing.

Diabetic Diet Plan

Diabetes is a very serious disease that causes the blood sugar to rise to unhealthy levels. If not controlled, this can lead to serious complications and even death. One of the best ways to control your diabetes is with a good diabetic diet plan.

Diabetes can be hereditary, meaning that it can be passed along to your children. You can either be born with it or develop it later in life. There are two ways to treat diabetes, with medication such as insulin injections or through pills and diet. Either of these methods requires you to maintain a health diet in order to keep your blood sugar under control.

Foods that are high in soluble fiber are highly recommended as part of a regular diet for a diabetic. Fruits and vegetable should be part of everyone's diet; however for a diabetic it is critical. Soluble fibers control the amount of glucose (sugar) that is found in foods from being absorbed into the blood, thereby controlling blood sugar. Vegetables that are high in soluble fiber include beans and carrots.

If you are diagnosed with diabetes, you will need to monitor your blood sugar level several times a day. Your doctor will also monitor it and most likely will refer you to a nutritionist who will assist you in planning menus that are specifically designed for diabetics.

This is not a disease you can ignore. If you are diagnosed with it, you cannot take your medication for a few days and hope that it goes away. And you certainly can't decide that eating healthy for a month will take care of the problem. Once you have it, you have it for life. This does not mean that your quality of life has to diminish; it simply means that you have to make changes in your life and the biggest and most difficult are the dietary changes.

Being diagnosed with diabetes and being overweight presents its own set of challenges. When you are overweight, the fat in your body makes the distribution of insulin difficult. Your doctor will recommend that you lose weight, however this too needs to be monitored and a nutritionist needs to be consulted in order to receive maximum benefits.

Being diagnosed with diabetes is not a death sentence, nor is it a sentence to boring foods the rest of your life. Making lifestyle changes will allow you to live a long and satisfying life. Many people feel that they have to give up the foods that they love in order to maintain their blood sugar level. That may be partially true, but not completely.

The food industry is ever changing and adapting, and with the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, new and tasty recipes have been developed especially for diabetics. You do not have to give up sweets, just change which ones you eat. Let a nutritionist develop a diabetic diet plan for you, and then follow it closely. You will be amazed at how much healthier you'll be and how much better you'll feel.