Month: August 2014

A food allergy is a reaction by the body’s immune system. When a person is sensitive to a food, such as peanuts, the immune system overreacts when the person comes in contact with that food.

True food allergies are quite rare, affecting only about 1 % of adults and about 5% of children.

Food Allergy or Food Intolerance?

Many people think they have a food allergy, but what they really have is a food intolerance, which is a problem in the digestive tract and does not involve the immune system.

In someone with a food intolerance, either the food irritates the digestive tract or the body is unable to digest that food properly.

While the symptoms of food allergies and food intolerances are often similar, there are important differences between them as well.

Eating even a tiny amount of a food can trigger an allergic reaction, and the reaction will happen every time the person eats that food.

On the other hand, a food intolerance may not cause a reaction unless a large amount of the food is consumed.

For example, in someone with lactose intolerance drinking a cup of coffee with a small amount of milk in it may not cause a problem, but that same person might become sick after drinking a whole glass of milk.

The foods that most commonly trigger allergies are:

• cow’s milk
• eggs
• fish (such as bass, cod, and flounder)
• shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp)
• peanuts
• tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, and walnuts)
• wheat
• soy

Symptoms of Food Allergies

Food allergy symptoms usually develop within an hour of eating the food, sometimes within minutes, and they can range from mild and annoying to frightening and life-threatening. People who are especially sensitive may have a reaction from simply touching the food or breathing in particles of it.

Symptoms of a food intolerance may be extremely uncomfortable, but they are typically less serious than the symptoms of a food allergy.

In severe cases of food allergy, the person may suffer from a life-threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock. This dangerous reaction can cause:

• tightening of the airways, including a swollen throat that causes breathing difficulties
• shock, with a severe drop in blood pressure
• rapid pulse
• dizziness, light headedness, or loss of consciousness.

Treatment of Food Allergies

These are warning signs of a serious problem and require immediate medical attention. There is a medication (epinephrine) that people with serious allergies should carry at all times.

It comes in a self-injecting device, and anyone who has food allergies or knows someone who does should know how to use the device. This can, quite literally, be a life saver. Even if the reaction is controlled quickly, immediate medical attention is still necessary. A single injection is not always enough to completely control the reaction.

People with severe allergies should also wear medical identification jewelry. During a severe reaction a person may not be able to speak, and this jewelry can identify the problem for emergency medical personnel so that the proper treatment can be given quickly.

When a child has a food allergy, the parents must take special precautions. Make sure that all caregivers (including family members, teachers, babysitters, and the parents of the child’s friends) all know how to use the epinephrine injection device. Older children should learn to use the device themselves.

Parents must also impress on children how important it is not to eat the food they are allergic to. Young children should be instructed never to eat food given to them by anyone other than a family member. Older children should be instructed to ask about any food someone gives them and to make sure the person giving them the food knows about their allergy and how serious it is.

What are food allergies?, 5.0 out of 5 based on 1 rating

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The importance of setting goals is an open secret known by top caliber athletes, successful businessmen and businesswomen and all types of achievers in all the different fields.

The point of setting goals is that they give you short-term and long-term motivation and focus. They help you set your mind on getting to know what you need to know, developing your skills and planning and organizing your resources and your time so that you can get the best out of your life.

Why Do You Need To Set Goals?

Setting clearly defined short term and long term goals will enable you to measure your progress and achieve personal satisfaction once you have successfully met your goals.

Charting your progress will also enable you to see the stages of completion leading to the actual realization of your goals. This eliminates the feeling of a long and pointless grind towards achieving your goal because you know how far you have come. Your self-confidence and level of competence will also improve because you will be more aware of your capabilities as you complete or achieve your goals.

The basics of goal settings will involve deciding what you really want to do with your personal and professional life and what short term and long term goals you need to reach to achieve what you want.

Then you have to break down goals into the smaller and manageable targets that you must complete in your way to achieving your lifetime targets. Once you have your list waste no time in tackling the first steps toward your goals.

A good way to have a manageable list is to have a daily and weekly set of goals. By doing this you will be always in the position of going towards your life plan goals. It is easy to get distracted and having at least one goal for each day will keep you on track and bring you a feeling of accomplishment.

Here are some pointers that should be taken into consideration in setting goals and achieving them.

7 Goal Setting Tips

1. Attitude plays a very big role in setting and achieving your goals. You must ask yourself if any part of you is holding you back from completing your simplest goals? If there are any behavior patterns that are preventing you from reaching your goals, there might be some subtle reason like a fear of success. If you do have problems in these areas then it is important to address the underlying cause and not just go on struggling with the negative behavior. Solutions may include a visit to a doctor or psychiatrist to control your emotions.

2. Successful careers are built on good time management practice. Failing in a career is often attributed to bad time management. You may not always know how long a task will take you and you may need to reschedule some things. But always start the day knowing exactly what are your top priorities for the day, and do not let minor issues distract you from them for at least the first part of the day.

3. Education and training will be key in achieving your goals. Sometimes you can learn from experience but you will usually find there is at least one skill set where you need some formal training. Don’t get stuck on the thought that you don’t know how to do something. Go out there and find somebody to teach you how to do it.

4. Your family should never be left out of your plans. Involve them in your goals and help them see what’s in it for them. If you are a single person this may not seem so relevant, but your friends will still be important to you. Don’t become so wrapped up in achieving your career goals that you have no time for a personal life. Relationship goals are important too.

5. Personal financial situations also play a major role in achieving your goals. Have a realistic goal on how much you really want to earn. It’s a good idea to create plans or stages, mini goals by which you will be able to reach your earning potential.

6. To start achieving your lifetime goals, imagine where you want to be in 25 years, then break it down to 5 year plans. Take the first 5 years and break that down to 1 year plans, then 3 months, then the first month, the first week and finally the first day. Then create a things-to-do list for that day, and you are ready to take the first step toward your goal.

7. Always review your plans and prepare for contingencies. Remember, they are YOUR goals and nobody else’s. They may change as your life changes. You don’t have to do something just because the person that was you 10 years ago wanted to do it. On the other hand, don’t let the dream of a lifetime be destroyed by the petty grind of daily life. Continually remind yourself of what your true goals are, and you will find they are not so hard to reach.

As the saying goes -’All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’. Giving yourself a little pleasure should be included into your plans, as should rest and relaxation. Your goals are important but you can best achieve them if you are fit, healthy and happy.

The dumbbell swing engages most of the muscles along the posterior chain, which basically refers to your back, from the calves and hamstrings all the way to the upper trapezius. Other muscles include the deltoids, the rectus abdominis and the forearms.

The force generated by the swing also engages significant joint activity in the knees, hips, shoulders and ankles

How To Do The Dumbbell Swing

Position: A standing position with the feet fairly wide apart, the arms at the sides with a dumbbell grasped in each hand. Action: From this position, the dumbbells are swung to the front, then between the knees, bending the knees as they near the floor.

From that position, the dumbbells are swung upward in an arc to straight arms’ length overhead, by the strength of the legs, back, and arms and shoulders together.

Keeping the arms straight, the weights are permitted to descend back to the position between the knees and close to the floor and again swung to arms’ length overhead. As the weights descend, the knees are bent so that the lower back is kept relatively flat.

This Hat backed position is maintained both as the weights are swung overhead and returned toward the floor. As much of the effort as possible is made with hip and leg muscles.

Starting Resistance: Most women will find this comfortable to begin with 7½ lbs. in each hand and most men can begin with 15 lbs. in each hand.

Progression: Begin this movement with 10 counts, adding 2 counts each week until 20 have been performed for three periods, then add 2½ lbs. to each dumbbell and begin again at 10 counts.

Goal: Girls and women should work up to a resistance of 15 lbs. in each hand for 20 counts.

Men and boys should work up to a resistance of 30 lbs. in each hand for 20 counts.
Results: This motion will strengthen the muscles the entire length of the spine. It also will aid materially in the development of the hips and legs.

The use of these large muscle groups places a strong demand on the cardiovascular respiratory systems which is so important. The demand for oxygen thus created has a strong influence on the development of the lungs and rib box.

Comments: This is one of several combination developmental and physiological exercises. It is of great value in bringing about a full coordinated development of the entire body.

Through its demands on the organic functions, it has a powerful influence on general body growth and physiological capacities.

The Dumbbell Swing, 5.0 out of 5 based on 1 rating

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