Wheat allergy is usually seen in young children. It is generally mild and most children grow out of it quite quickly. True food allergy tends to arise in families who have a history of childhood eczema or asthma. It occurs when the body produces an antibody to the wheat protein. Most children eventually stop producing this antibody.
The majority of wheat allergies are mild. The symptoms may include itchy skin, eczema, or cold- or flu-like symptoms. In the rare case of a severe allergy, symptoms such as swelling and itchiness of the tongue and mouth, stomach cramps, vomiting or diarrhoea may occur within minutes of any wheat contacting the mouth.
In extremely rare cases, wheat has been known to cause anaphylaxis, or difficulty in breathing, in children or adults if they have eaten wheat around the same time that they have done intense exercise. In this case, adrenaline needs to be administered immediately.
A simple skin prick test or blood test by a doctor can confirm whether or not an allergy to wheat is present. If a severe allergy is present, wheat must be strictly avoided, but other gluten grains can usually be eaten.
If a very mild allergy is present, some people are able to eat a small amount of wheat, depending on the symptoms experienced. Let your healthcare team guide you on the exclusion of wheat from the diet.
Taken from Healthy Food For Life
Info by Kim Faulkner- Hogg (BSc, Grad Dip Nutr & Diet)
Monday, February 25, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
Low GI Food
Carbohydrates And Blood Glucose Level
It's recommended that people with diabetes space their daily carbohydrate intake evenly over the day's meals and snacks to avoid large rises in blood glucose levels after eating. People with type 2 diabetes who control their condition with diet and exercise alone may not need snacks, but may benefit from eating six smaller meals during the day rather than three large ones.
This can be a good strategy to cope with events where food is plentiful throughout the day. Your doctor and dietitian can advise you about an appropriate meal pattern for your condition and medication.
Remember, there is no one type of diabetes. Your dietary needs also depend on your age, physical activity level, the medication you're taking, and other health factors.
Choosing carbohydrate-rich foods with a low GI value instead of high-GI foods can help control your blood glucose level, because low-GI foods don't cause blood glucose levels to rise as high. Scientific studies have shown that a low-fat diet based on low-GI, carbohydrate-rich foods can help improve blood glucose control, blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and weight control.
Therefore, where possible, people with diabetes should choose foods with a low- or medium GI value rather than high-GI foods. However, it is still important to eat sensible amounts of low- and medium-GI foods.
Tips For Low-Gi Eating
Not all carbohydrates cause a blood sugar spike. In fact, the amount of sugar or starch in a food is not a good indication of its blood glucose (glycaemic) effect. There are many different types of sugars and starches, and they are digested at different rates and have different effects on blood glucose.
Preparation and cooking methods will also affect the blood glucose response. The more processed a food is, the easier it is to digest and the higher its glycaemic index (GI) value. Scientists developed the GI method to measure the extent to which different carbohydrate-rich foods increase blood glucose when eaten.
Although they contain the same amounts of carbohydrate, foods with a high GI value (>70) are digested faster and produce a quicker and higher rise in blood glucose than foods with a medium (56-69) or low GI value (<55).
People with diabetes should choose carbohydrate-rich foods with low to medium GI values. Switching from high- to low-GI foods, limiting fat intake and exercising regularly will improve your health.
Taken from Healthy Food For Life
Info by Dr Susanna Holt (PhD, dietician)
It's recommended that people with diabetes space their daily carbohydrate intake evenly over the day's meals and snacks to avoid large rises in blood glucose levels after eating. People with type 2 diabetes who control their condition with diet and exercise alone may not need snacks, but may benefit from eating six smaller meals during the day rather than three large ones.
This can be a good strategy to cope with events where food is plentiful throughout the day. Your doctor and dietitian can advise you about an appropriate meal pattern for your condition and medication.
Remember, there is no one type of diabetes. Your dietary needs also depend on your age, physical activity level, the medication you're taking, and other health factors.
Choosing carbohydrate-rich foods with a low GI value instead of high-GI foods can help control your blood glucose level, because low-GI foods don't cause blood glucose levels to rise as high. Scientific studies have shown that a low-fat diet based on low-GI, carbohydrate-rich foods can help improve blood glucose control, blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and weight control.
Therefore, where possible, people with diabetes should choose foods with a low- or medium GI value rather than high-GI foods. However, it is still important to eat sensible amounts of low- and medium-GI foods.
Tips For Low-Gi Eating
Not all carbohydrates cause a blood sugar spike. In fact, the amount of sugar or starch in a food is not a good indication of its blood glucose (glycaemic) effect. There are many different types of sugars and starches, and they are digested at different rates and have different effects on blood glucose.
Preparation and cooking methods will also affect the blood glucose response. The more processed a food is, the easier it is to digest and the higher its glycaemic index (GI) value. Scientists developed the GI method to measure the extent to which different carbohydrate-rich foods increase blood glucose when eaten.
Although they contain the same amounts of carbohydrate, foods with a high GI value (>70) are digested faster and produce a quicker and higher rise in blood glucose than foods with a medium (56-69) or low GI value (<55).
People with diabetes should choose carbohydrate-rich foods with low to medium GI values. Switching from high- to low-GI foods, limiting fat intake and exercising regularly will improve your health.
Taken from Healthy Food For Life
Info by Dr Susanna Holt (PhD, dietician)
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Coeliac Disease
Coeliac disease is believed to be one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases found in Caucasians today. It can develop in infancy, childhood or at any time during adulthood. It appears to affect more women than men, and tends to be hereditary.
When gluten is eaten by a person with coeliac disease, a series of reactions occur in the gut that damage and flatten the lining of the small intestine. The lining is usually made up of small finger-like ridges, called villi, which help the body absorb the nutrients from the food eaten. The flattening of the villi is called villous atrophy. When this occurs, less of the food eaten can be absorbed into the body. Coeliac disease is treated by following a lifelong gluten-free diet.
Symptoms
Symptoms can vary depending on age, sensitivity to gluten, and degree of impairment of nutrient absorption. Traditionally the most common symptoms are weight loss or failure to thrive in young babies, diarrhoea, reflux, abdominal cramping, bloating, flatulence, nausea, vomiting, muscle wasting, and malabsorption of virtually all nutrients.
Today many adults and children do not present with these severe signs of coeliac disease, dominated by gastrointestinal complaints. It is quite a challenge for doctors to diagnose, since constipation, headaches, sub-optimal school performance, mild gut upsets, low blood iron, fatigue, multiple miscarriages, osteoporosis, bone fractures or general malaise may be the only clues to suggest the presence of the disease.
Diagnosis
Although there are a number of blood tests to screen for coeliac disease, only a small bowel biopsy can diagnose the condition. If you suspect you have coeliac disease, consult your doctor before making any dietary changes.
Do not experiment with a gluten-free diet as you must be regularly eating foods that contain gluten when the blood tests and small bowel biopsy are carried out.
Associated Conditions
The number of people being diagnosed with coeliac disease has increased in the last five to ten years because the blood tests allow people to be screened more easily. As a result, people with mild symptoms and even some who appear to have no symptoms at all are currently being diagnosed with coeliac disease.
Those with insulin-dependent diabetes, thyroid disease or osteoporosis have been found to be more likely to have coeliac disease than others in the population. It has been noted that in some people insulin and thyroid medications are better absorbed, and often the doses can be reduced after following a gluten-free diet for some time.
Taken from Healthy Food For Life
Info by Kim Faulkner- Hogg (BSc, Grad Dip Nutr & Diet)
When gluten is eaten by a person with coeliac disease, a series of reactions occur in the gut that damage and flatten the lining of the small intestine. The lining is usually made up of small finger-like ridges, called villi, which help the body absorb the nutrients from the food eaten. The flattening of the villi is called villous atrophy. When this occurs, less of the food eaten can be absorbed into the body. Coeliac disease is treated by following a lifelong gluten-free diet.
Symptoms
Symptoms can vary depending on age, sensitivity to gluten, and degree of impairment of nutrient absorption. Traditionally the most common symptoms are weight loss or failure to thrive in young babies, diarrhoea, reflux, abdominal cramping, bloating, flatulence, nausea, vomiting, muscle wasting, and malabsorption of virtually all nutrients.
Today many adults and children do not present with these severe signs of coeliac disease, dominated by gastrointestinal complaints. It is quite a challenge for doctors to diagnose, since constipation, headaches, sub-optimal school performance, mild gut upsets, low blood iron, fatigue, multiple miscarriages, osteoporosis, bone fractures or general malaise may be the only clues to suggest the presence of the disease.
Diagnosis
Although there are a number of blood tests to screen for coeliac disease, only a small bowel biopsy can diagnose the condition. If you suspect you have coeliac disease, consult your doctor before making any dietary changes.
Do not experiment with a gluten-free diet as you must be regularly eating foods that contain gluten when the blood tests and small bowel biopsy are carried out.
Associated Conditions
The number of people being diagnosed with coeliac disease has increased in the last five to ten years because the blood tests allow people to be screened more easily. As a result, people with mild symptoms and even some who appear to have no symptoms at all are currently being diagnosed with coeliac disease.
Those with insulin-dependent diabetes, thyroid disease or osteoporosis have been found to be more likely to have coeliac disease than others in the population. It has been noted that in some people insulin and thyroid medications are better absorbed, and often the doses can be reduced after following a gluten-free diet for some time.
Taken from Healthy Food For Life
Info by Kim Faulkner- Hogg (BSc, Grad Dip Nutr & Diet)
Monday, February 4, 2008
Food allergies: what are they?
Food allergies are becoming increasingly common. About 6% of children and 1-2% of adults have some form of true food allergy.
Food allergy is where the immune system reacts to a food, causing symptoms that range from mild to life-threatening. Reactions are usually due to the proteins in certain foods and occur each time the food is eaten, although the symptoms may be more or less severe each time.
Managing food allergies
The most important part of managing a food allergy is to avoid all foods causing the allergy. It is important to read food labels and ingredients lists on all packaged foods.
New food labelling laws mean that any food containing an allergenic food must be clearly marked as such. However, many foods say 'may contain traces of…'. Food manufacturers are not required to put this on their products, but may do so to protect themselves from litigation, despite there being very little risk.
However, many do so to protect 'at risk' people, as there may be contamination of the food with allergen, particularly foods manufactured on the same production line. Always ring the food manufacturer if it's unclear whether a food is allergen-free or not. If there is even only a small risk of allergen being in the food, or if there is any uncertainty, it must be avoided.
When eating out, ask about ingredients and, again, if there is any uncertainty, avoid the food. It may be appropriate to provide food for your child when they are invited to parties, and to have a source of 'safe' food available at kindy or school for special occasions or celebrations.
If a child has an allergic reaction, it depends on the severity of the reaction as to what treatment is required, and your doctor can advise you as to what is needed. If your child is considered to be at risk of having an anaphylactic reaction, they should be prescribed adrenaline (Epipen®) and given an anaphylaxis action plan, which describes what to do in the event of a reaction.
Children with food allergies should live very happy, normal lives. We need to protect them at all times, and ensure that while doing so that we do not allow their nutrition to suffer.
Taken from Healthy Food For Life
Info by Dr Jane Peake (MBBS, FRACP, DTM&H) Paediatric Immunologist and Allergist
Food allergy is where the immune system reacts to a food, causing symptoms that range from mild to life-threatening. Reactions are usually due to the proteins in certain foods and occur each time the food is eaten, although the symptoms may be more or less severe each time.
Managing food allergies
The most important part of managing a food allergy is to avoid all foods causing the allergy. It is important to read food labels and ingredients lists on all packaged foods.
New food labelling laws mean that any food containing an allergenic food must be clearly marked as such. However, many foods say 'may contain traces of…'. Food manufacturers are not required to put this on their products, but may do so to protect themselves from litigation, despite there being very little risk.
However, many do so to protect 'at risk' people, as there may be contamination of the food with allergen, particularly foods manufactured on the same production line. Always ring the food manufacturer if it's unclear whether a food is allergen-free or not. If there is even only a small risk of allergen being in the food, or if there is any uncertainty, it must be avoided.
When eating out, ask about ingredients and, again, if there is any uncertainty, avoid the food. It may be appropriate to provide food for your child when they are invited to parties, and to have a source of 'safe' food available at kindy or school for special occasions or celebrations.
If a child has an allergic reaction, it depends on the severity of the reaction as to what treatment is required, and your doctor can advise you as to what is needed. If your child is considered to be at risk of having an anaphylactic reaction, they should be prescribed adrenaline (Epipen®) and given an anaphylaxis action plan, which describes what to do in the event of a reaction.
Children with food allergies should live very happy, normal lives. We need to protect them at all times, and ensure that while doing so that we do not allow their nutrition to suffer.
Taken from Healthy Food For Life
Info by Dr Jane Peake (MBBS, FRACP, DTM&H) Paediatric Immunologist and Allergist
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