A couple of weeks ago, a customer came through my line at the grocery store and I saw she was buying some of our gluten free products. I asked her if she was a “gluten free girl” like me and she said no, she had a soy allergy. That got me to thinking that as much as I talk about gluten intolerance on this blog; I hardly ever talk about other food allergies. So, here goes.

What is Soy?

Soy is a type of legume native toEast Asia. Soy and soy-based products are commonly eaten by vegetarians and lactose intolerant people as a substitute for meat and milk.

What is Soy In?

Soy is a versatile food used to make everything from “ice cream” to vegetarian “burgers” and more. Soy is also used as a preservative in chocolate bars, frozen meals, protein bars, and snack chips. In short, soy is in everything! (Okay, not everything but it seems that way sometimes. Read on.)

Symptoms of a Soy Allergy

If you’re struggling with mystery symptoms and wonder if food is the cause, it’s important to narrow down your symptoms. Common symptoms of a soy allergy are:

• Skin Flushing(Redness)
• Tingling in the Mouth or Tongue
• Eczema or Hives
• Runny Nose
• Wheezing/Difficulty Breathing
• Swelling of Lips, Face, Tongue and Throat
• Abdominal Pain, Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea

An Allergen by Any Other Name – Other Names for Soy

When you think you have a soy allergy, it’s important you know all you can about soy. The thing that stinks the most about soy is it hides behind other names so even if you think you’re eating soy-free; you might still be getting it in your diet. Here is a list of the most common other names for soy so you know what to avoid:

• Monosodium Glutamate
• Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP)
• Edamame
• Tofu
• Miso
• Natto
• Tamari
• Tempeh
• Vegetable Oil
• Glycine Max
• Diglyceride
• Monoglyceride
• Lecithin
• Yuba
• Vitamin E

The Rise of GMO Soy and Soy Allergies

According to renowned health expert, Dr. Joseph Mercola, soy is anything but a health food. Why? Because up to 90% of soy is GMO! What’s GMO? GMO is genetically-modified food contaminated with high levels of synthetic pesticides.

GMO foods have been linked to depressed immune system, multiple food allergies, learning disabilities, cancer, and even death. Click the upcoming link for a short, easy-to-understand video about the dangers of GMO foods. What you watch will shock you!

How Can I Tell if I Have a Soy Allergy?

The best way to tell if a soy allergy is causing your mystery symptoms is to cut it completely out of your diet for one whole month. Print out this page or write down the list of “other” names for soy and look through your fridge and cabinets. Throw away, pack away or give away everything with soy in it and head to the grocery store. Keep the list with you and look for foods without soy.

The best way to do this is to eat whole foods. Shop around the perimeter of the grocery store and pick up foods such as organic yogurt, hard cheese, meats, whole grains, dried beans, plain nuts, vegetables, and fruits. Got a craving for dark chocolate? Believe it or not, not every single chocolate bar sold contains soy lecithin. Terra Nostra organic dark chocolate is one of my personal favorites and it’s the only chocolate bar I’ve been able to find without soy.

If you are lactose intolerant and need a suitable substitute, try almond milk in place of soy while you’re testing for an allergy. Vegetarians, check out the upcoming link for vegetarian soy-free protein options.

From my experience, the only way to tell if the strange symptoms you’re dealing with are food-related is to cut the offending foods from your diet for a month and then reintroducing them all at once to test for a reaction. Allergy testing can be faulty. If you’re living with mystery symptoms, don’t give up. You’re not crazy. Something is causing your symptoms and it’s not all in your head. Keep researching. Keep demanding to be heard. You’ll get there.

More and more people are realizing they have intolerance to gluten and are starting to look towards gluten free alternatives in their diet. If you’ve just discovered that gluten has been the cause of your health problems, then don’t panic because there are literally 100’s of fantastic, healthy gluten-free options available.

It might seem at first as if gluten is everywhere, and in fact it is, but only because so many of the foods in the western diet are processed and made with all sorts of additives and bulking agents which contain gluten. When you switch to a healthy, whole-foods eating plan that cuts out processed foods, take-away food, and microwave meals you’ll find that your eating options open up.

Common Foods That Contain Gluten

Let’s take a look at some common food that contains gluten so you’ll know what kind of things to avoid.

• Wheat is one of the worst offenders and is absolutely full of gluten, so unfortunately for bread, pizza and pasta lovers this means that you’ll have to avoid these foods. Don’t worry though we’ll discuss gluten-free alternatives later in the article.
• Almost all processed food and microwave meals will contain gluten due to the bulking agents used.
• Most grains do contain gluten including rye bread, bulgur wheat, couscous and barley. There’s a small amount of gluten in most oatmeal, but it’s to do with how it’s made and you can actually get gluten-free oatmeal.
• Cakes, pastries, muffins, biscuits, pancakes, cereal and some chocolate.

Healthy Gluten Free Alternatives

Now that we’ve got the depressing bit out the way about what you can’t eat let’s look at some of the delicious food that you can eat in abundance. Bread is a big favorite of many people and since more and more people are becoming gluten intolerant there have been more fantastic gluten-free bread recipes being created by enterprising companies.

Just 10 years ago there was almost no alternative to bread for people with gluten intolerance, but today you’ll be able to find dozens of different types of gluten-free bread on the shelves of both health food stores and regular supermarkets. Some are better than others and it depends on your individual tastes, but you’ll definitely be able to find one you love as much as regular bread.

For the pasta lovers out there we have a variety of gluten free pastas available today. My personal favorite is buckwheat pasta. It’s soft and chewy just like regular wheat-pasta and it has a little bit more flavor to it. There are other specialized gluten-free pastas out there from different companies too and I recommend you try a few out to see what tingles your taste buds.

Buckwheat also makes great pancakes, so if you love pancakes then you’re in for a treat as buckwheat pancakes are actually even more delicious than regular pancakes. They have a lovely soft, rustic flavor and go especially well with a nice jam or some fresh honey. You can find buckwheat pancake mixes in health food stores.

In general there’s a lot of knowledge today about gluten intolerance and almost anywhere you go, whether it’s a small café or a restaurant, you’ll be able to find gluten-free options on the menu. Almost all foods have labels on them that tell you if they’re gluten free, but in general look out for products containing wheat flour and yeast.

Some Foods You Can Still Enjoy

• Steak, lamb, chicken and fish. Generally any fresh meat. Avoid processed meats and pre-packaged meals. No sausages I’m afraid.
• Potatoes and sweet potatoes are still on the menu!
• Vegetables, salads, fruits.
• Quinoa, Buckwheat and rice are completely gluten free.

Living With Others without a Gluten Intolerance

What are the woes of living and eating with others who don’t have gluten intolerance and can eat anything? Well, first of all you have to worry about cross contamination. Foods with gluten that come into contact with plates, silverware, other foods, etc. can pose a potential threat. Gluten intolerance is analogous to being allergic to nuts in that you have to be extremely careful with what touches what. It is imperative to ensure such things are looked after as people with intense gluten intolerances (it varies case by case) can become extremely ill even with the slightest of contaminations.

If you’re cooking and eating with family members who are eating gluten-based food then the main thing you’re going to have to do is substitute out things like pasta and bread for rice, quinoa or buckwheat in your meals.

Guest Post by: This is a guest post by Samuel Camus, occasional guest poster of food related subjects, but full time health enthusiast.  Sam is currently working for Nigella, a great resource for healthy recipes, including but not limited to chicken recipes and chocolate recipes.

Just the thought of hookworms, maggots and leeches might be somewhat unappealing to most people.  But how does ingesting or applying them to your skin sound? And what about intentional bee stings? No thanks. These are just a few of the many unusual remedies out there. But some of them actually work (and others, well, there’s little evidence to prove so). In fact, some therapies that have been around since ancient times are still being used today.

Now I’m not suggesting you venture off into the swamps in search of the finest leeches or throw yourself into a swarm of bees. Please don’t do that. These therapies are conducted under the supervision of trained medical professionals. There are a few household remedies, however, that you can certainly try at home after you’ve consulted your physician and they have given you the go ahead.

Again, please consult your physician first before trying any of the therapies mentioned below.

Hirudotherapy

There’s nothing new about this therapy, which involves the use of medical leeches (most commonly Hirudo Medicinalis), not the wild ones. They are effective in the treatment of venous insufficiency and after reconstructive surgery, are applied to stimulate circulation again. Pooling of blood after some procedures creates pressure and prevents the surgical site from healing adequately. The leeches’ combination of anticoagulant hirudin and an anesthetic in their saliva make it the perfect pest for the job.

Maggot Debridement Therapy

Some wounds just don’t heal. And when conventional therapy fails, why not consider this: there are plenty of studies out there that prove maggot therapy works.  Sterile maggots are placed in a non-healing wound (such as a pressure ulcer or neuropathic foot ulcer), and rid the wound of necrotic tissue, speeding healing time.

Helminthic therapy

Helminthic therapy is thought to be able to treat autoimmune diseases and immune disorders such as Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis as well as food allergies, asthma and eczema. Helminthes are parasitic worms such as hookworms and whipworms and the ova of the worms are intentionally ingested in order to begin the therapy. Helminthes can also be introduced into the body through the skin. Whilst not yet approved for use, there is more and more research being conducted out there to prove that this therapy actually works.

Bee Venom therapy

Studies conducted on this therapy have been inconclusive but many people swear by it. The bee venom contains a variety of peptides and proteins and one in particular, melittin, has antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. These properties are useful in the treatment of tendonitis, bursitis, keloid scars and some autoimmune diseases.

Home remedies

Pickle Juice

After a long run or intense workout, how do you deal with those pesky cramps that sometimes follow? Drink pickle juice, if you can stomach it.  It’s the vinegar in the juice that triggers a neurological response in the mouth, which then signals the brain to stop the muscles from cramping. Others claim it’s the magnesium that clears the cramps.

Duct Tape

If warts are bothering you, grab some duct tape. And, no, you don’t use the tape to wax off the warts if that’s what you’re thinking. Instead, clean the area around it, cut a piece of Duct Tape to size and stick it on the wart. After a few days, rub it down with a pumice stone or emery board and re-apply. Many people claim this works because the chemicals in the tape dissolve the wart over time.  It’s not exactly a natural alternative but worth a try I suppose.

Listerine

Toenail fungus can be difficult to cure but apparently, Listerine can do the trick. For 30 minutes a day, soak your toes in a bowl of the original stuff until the fungus disappears. It’s all due to Listerine’s powerful antiseptic properties but if you don’t have that at home and instead have a bottle of wine you’re not going to drink, you can use that too.

Preparation H.

Lack of sleep, dehydration and stress can all lead to puffy eyes. And if cucumbers aren’t working for you, hemorrhoid cream might. Phenylephrine in Preparation H. constricts blood vessels, thereby decreasing the puffiness below the eyes, or so many people claim.

Author Bio

Mrs. Jenna Paxton is a medical blogger and staff writer at Medshop Australia (blog link), Australia’s leading supplier of medical equipment (homepage link) and supplies to home, student and professional users.

Connect with MedShop Australia on Facebook, Google+ or Twitter.

Eating a diet rich in antioxidants, vitamins and fibre is key to staying healthy. While there is often a great deal of emphasis placed on the advantages of eating super foods and getting your 5 a day, there are many unexpected health benefits that come from foods many of us eat every day, and wouldn’t usually consider anything special or healthy.

Coffee: Coffee is rich in antioxidants which have a variety of health benefits. Studies have shown that women who drink three to four cups of coffee each day lower their risk of developing endometrial cancer by as much as 25 percent. These benefits are primarily found in coffee that contains caffeine. Experts recommend coffee drinkers avoid placing creamer in their coffee, as this may affect the way the body absorbs these antioxidants.

Garlic: Taking supplements of garlic on a daily basis can actually cut down your chance of catching a horrible cold in the winter time! And if that wasn’t enough, Garlic (just 1 clove) can give your body a surprisingly high boost of vitamins A, B and C – as well as topping us up on iron, iodine, potassium, selenium, zinc. Which isn’t too bad for something we can easily add to a bowl of pasta!

Popcorn: If you leave out the extra salt, butter or sugar popcorn is actually quite healthy! Recent research indicates that popcorn may actually have more health benefits than certain types of fruit and veg! Researchers found polyphenols—a group of beneficial antioxidants—to be more plentiful in popcorn than certain fruits and veggies. Popcorn is also a pure source of whole grain, an important dietary element for seniors.

Berries: Berries are delicious fruits that many people enjoy in cereal, yogurt or even raw. Eating these tasty fruits can greatly improve your health. Strawberries and blueberries contain substances known as polyphenols, which help reduce inflammation in the body. This is great news for people who suffer from arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. These berries also boost memory and slow down memory loss as we age. Eating a diet rich in blueberries and strawberries may also help prevent heart disease and breast cancer. Avoid ingesting harmful pesticides by purchasing organically grown berries.






Spinach: Green vegetables are necessary to a healthy diet. There is one leafy vegetable that packs a powerful punch with vitamins B,C, and E. Other beneficial nutrients include iron, calcium, Omega-3 fatty acids and magnesium. Using spinach in a green salad instead of lettuce is one way to get more of this beneficial vegetable. Spinach is also delicious when steamed or used as a pizza topping.

Tomatoes: Diets rich in lycopene are essential to slowing down the aging process. The highest concentration of lycopene is found in tomatoes, which many people eat every day. While tomatoes are delicious raw, their nutrients are more readily absorbed by the body when processed in tomato sauce and ketchup. Lycopene is also known to prevent breast cancer, benign prostate hyperplasia and coronary artery disease. Eating a diet rich in lycopene may also lower the likelihood of cancers of the colon, gastrointestinal tract, esophagus and the rectum.

Guest Post by: Elle-Rose works for XXPress PCR  as a health and medical writer.