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In the next couple of weeks we're hoping to find out for sure what is causing Braeden's digestive system to act so crazy.

One of the possible issues he could be experiencing is a gluten allergy. So this weekend I went shopping and was able to find gluten free flour, gluten free brownie mix and other gluten free items at Wal-Mart. I don't remember seeing those products there before, but this weekend they sure were.

This morning my co-worker Jim brought in MI-DEL gluten free chocolate chip cookies. How sweet of him! So I looked up this MI-DEL brand and found they are currently having a promotion where if you buy two packs of their cookies they will pay for a quart of milk for you.

Read more about the MI-DEL promo at their website.

If you're wondering about this gluten business, here's what I know so far. Gluten is the elastic protein in wheat, rye and barley. Gluten is also one of the big elements of MSG, which many of you probably are more familiar with.

And in the craziness of our bodies is an enzyme which has the sole job of breaking down this gluten protein. Well, some people are lacking the essential tools for their body to properly breakdown the gluten proteins. When this happens the person can become very sick or subtly so depending on their sensitivity. So from person to person there will be a variety of symptoms and degrees at which those symptoms are even noticed.

With Braeden he did have a hard time gaining weight but I thought it was because he is so active. And Braeden is sick a lot so I thought perhaps his splattering bowel movements were from being sick or from antibiotics (which still might be part of the problem) but it didn't cross my mind that he could have food allergies.

This is why it pays to be a great parent detective when it comes to finding out how to help your children. In my searches and readings I have learned a great deal about nutrition and just how important the nutritional role is in aiding your immune system.

Having a gluten allergy or intolerance plays a huge part in impairing your digestive system. It effects bowel movements, but it also effects the absorption of nutrients from everything else you eat. What you feel can range from being bloated, having indigestion, constipation or diarrhea, mouth ulcers, muscle cramps, stools that float and even skin issues. As you can see the range is wide and so many times people are diagnosed with something else entirely.

You can test for a gluten allergy with blood work, specifically an IgE test or Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay, (ELISA) testing which can give a doctor detailed information about specific allergies to foods such as eggs, peanuts, wheat, etc.

Here are some more links for where you can buy gluten-free foods.

Gluten Solutions

Gluten Free Gourmet

Jake Bakes

Double Dipped Sweets

Labels: children, diet, gluten free, MIDEL, nutrition

Did you know the Center for Disease Control recommends women eat 46 grams of protein per day? It seems like a high number and typically protein comes from food with high fat contents, but our bodies need protein to maintain our cells, tissues and organs. So how do you keep your body healthy by eating enough protein and yet not too much in the way of fatty foods?

Well, moderation and portion size play a big part in eating healthy regardless of the nutrition facts. A small bag of Almonds or Cashews happen to have between 4 and 6 grams of protein in each serving. Fortunately, there is an easy way to get just the right amount thanks to Peeled Snacks.

Peeled Snacks has a variety of fruit and nut snack packs which are just the right serving size to fill your tummy. Better yet they taste good even though they squeeze in all those scary health food keywords:

no added sugar or oil
100% natural
cholesterol, dairy, wheat and gluten free
not to mention a fantastic source of essential vitamins and minerals
plus fiber!

I am a big fan of almonds. This can get me into trouble if someone leaves me alone with a jar or a big bag of almonds because I will eat them all and think nothing of it until afterwards. Thank God for the single serving snack packs offered by Peeled Snacks. Their "Almond-daze" portion is perfect!

So when you find a good thing you should stick with it. I tried a pack of their organic "go-Mango-man-go" and was surprised how delicious the fruit pieces were considering they were 100% natural and had no added sugar. That's when it hit me, a way to cleverly get these fruit snacks into my four-year-old!

Cut to me pouring a bowl of cheerios and throwing in some of the dried banana pieces from Peeled Snacks "Banan-a-peel" pack. Eureka! How is that for a healthy eating tip? I can hardly wait for the "Apple-2-the-core" snack packs coming this fall.

For those of you who might be just a bit skeptical here are some fun factoids to further entice you. =o)

Each bag of Peeled Snacks can contain up to 25% vitamin C, 16% fiber and 4% protein which means adding one of the snack packs to your child's packed lunch has just made your Momma job that much easier in terms of packing foods that are good for your kids. Since the nuts and fruits taste so delicious you won't get any complaining and in fact, your kids will look forward to finding out which pack you choose to give them each day. Trust me!

As if you needed more great news you might want to know Peeled Snacks is constantly developing new partnerships and working on projects to help the world around them. Last year, they donated a portion of proceeds from sales of our Holiday Gift Collection to the American Diabetes Association. You should have seen the gifts in the collection. The Mistletoe Gift Box was only $25 and it contained 8 of their snack packs! I can't wait to check out the holiday collection this year!

I don't know about you but when I can buy something as a gift and know part of the proceeds were used to aide others, well, that makes the purchase even more special! You can shop for the Peeled Snacks gift collection any day of the year and they always wrap up the perfect collection of seasonal sweetness.

Everyone send a big thanks and shout out to Noha Waibsnaider founder of Peeled Snacks who noted, and then acted on, the need for healthier snacks.

Labels: children, eating healthy, nutrition

It seems that vegetarians are screwed on multiple levels, they get called hippies by me AND they might be at an increased risk of dementia in old age. The study recently published in the journal Dementias and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders focused on a number of elderly Indonesians who live across a wide range of areas in Java. They discovered that people who ate tofu at least once a day (which is classified as high consumption) had a statistically higher chance of showing dementia.

Soy products are rich in micronutrients called phytoestrogens, which mimic the impact of the female sex hormone oestrogen.

Soy products are NOT all bad though. You need to know the differences in what you are consuming. Unfermented soy products are the problem.

Unfermented soy products like tofu and soy milk and yogurt cause the following:

- Block absorption of essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. This results from a high content of phytic acid and phytates.
- Estrogenic effects from the isoflavones causing increasing estrogen levels higher than what's healthy
- Suppress thyroid function which is referred to as Goitrogenic effects and disrupt endocrine function
- Inhibit growth due to the trypsin inhibitors that it contains
- Can cause blood clots due to haemagglutinin

Some of the symptoms caused by soy include acne, canker sore, inflammation and infection of the mucous membrane lining of the eyelids and the exposed surface of the eyeball, dermatitis, diarrhea, eczema, hives, heart palpitation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, panic attack and PMS like symptoms.

However, there are also many good reasons for eating soy products. If you have diabetes, soy products slow absorption of glucose into the bloodstream. They may also protect against damaging effects of glucose-induced oxidation, common in people with diabetes.

Soy protein is a complete protein. It is equal in quality to animal proteins, such as that found in milk and meat. Soy has been recognized as such in the new USDA food guidelines.

Studies indicate soy components may delay onset of tumor growth and decrease size of tumors present. As little as one serving of soy foods a day (ex: one cup soy milk or 1/2 cup tofu) may be enough to reduce the risk of developing cancer.

It is up to you what type of soy intake you bring into your diet. It is always important to way the options and research what you are putting into your body because in nearly all cases there will be positive and negative effects.

Labels: children healthcare, diet, nutrition, soy, tofu

I don't know about you but I never complete my resolutions. I always have the best of intentions but by February I'm back to eating tons of cookies. What can I say? I have a whole set of sweet teeth.

My hope for 2008 is that doctors and scientists are able to develop new treatments/cures for cancer. Or perhaps more likely, better screenings which are less invasive and can be used for very early detection.

I'd also like to see more people delve into the healthcare profession. We are lacking good doctors, nurses and surgeons that actually care about their patients more than their salary or recognition.

And last but not least, I would like less news on childhood obesity. And for that to happen we need to make sure our families are active and eat more nutritiously. Less fast food and more sit-down family dinners. It's not easy, but in many ways it is very necessary.

Labels: cancer, nutrition, obesity, research, resolutions