Weight loss and diet plan for a healthy lifestyle.

In the first six months of life, vomiting, diarrhea, gas, intestinal bleeding, constipation, eczema, rhinitis, asthma, or anaphylactic shock may be symptoms of allergy to milk. The symptoms may be acute or chronic, simple or complicated with malnutrition.

It is possible to confuse allergy to milk with an allergy to the penicillin contained in the milk of cows treated with penicillin; with an allergy to the fish used to feed the cows; with a lactase enzyme deficiency (a baby’s intestines may lack the enzyme that digests the sugar of milk); or with a celiac disease (an intestinal malabsorption of milk).

The incidence of allergy to cow’s milk is increasing daily because breast feeding has diminished greatly in this country. Babies are now fed formulas based on evaporated cow’s milk, which is inexpensive, easy to procure, and nourishing. It is an ideal food for calves; but it frequently causes allergies in atopic babies.

Cow’s milk is composed of fats, sugars, and many kinds of proteins. Among the proteins, only lactalbumin is allergenic. However, because lactalbumin is different in each kind of animal species, changing cow’s milk to goat’s milk may ease the allergy. If this change proves unsatisfactory, then powdered cow’s milk (which has been boiled and refrigerated) should be tried.

If this altered kind of milk does not provide relief, then a substitute must be found to feed the baby. This is a very important decision whose consequences must be weighed carefully; at times it might be preferable for a child to have a mild case of eczema or some nose stuffiness instead of depriving him of a nourishing food. However, if it is imperative to eliminate cow’s milk from the diet of a baby, then all the food items which may contain milk must also be eliminated. Such foods include cheese, cream, and butter; custard, Junket, ice cream, milk pudding; batters, waffles, pancakes, cakes, cookies, and prepared flours (such as Bisquick); ordinary bread; malted milk, Ovaltine, Cocomalt, drinking chocolate, buttermilk, canned or dried milk; milk chocolate candy, chocolate creams, filled candy bars, nougat; cottage cheese and other cheeses; Cream of Rice and macaroni; foods prepared with milk, cheese, and cream, such as gravies, cream sauces, fritters, rarebits, timbales, souffles, au gratin dishes, and omelets; Weiner schnitzel, frankfurters, and other sausages (because dried skimmed milk may be used in them as a binder) ; powdered milk.

The elimination of cow’s milk from the diet of a baby must be made complete by feeding him with plates and spoons of a disposable nature. Minerals, iron, and vitamins have to be added to the diet, and substitution should be made wherever possible.

Butter substitutes: Marparv, Willow Run oleomargarine, Mother’s Nuspread.

Whipped cream substitute: Rich’s Whipped Topping.

Cow’s milk substitutes: Isomil, Mull Soy, Neo-Mull Soy, Pro-Sobee, Soyalac, etc. This kind of milk is prepared from the soya bean plant which is of vegetable origin and is usually well tolerated; however, it may sometimes cause large and frequent bowel movements, and its taste may have to be improved upon with a few drops of vanilla extract, molasses, or honey. If it is not well tolerated, feeding has to be achieved with strained lamb meat instead. The following is Row’s strained lamb formula which is a complete and healthful food:

8 oz. strained lamb or 6 oz. strained beef

3 1/2 tbsp. sesame oil or soy oil

2 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. calcium carbonate

1/2 tsp. salt

1000 cc. or 41/2 cups water

2 tbsp. potato flour or 2 1/2 tbsp. tapioca flour

Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in one cup of water. Cook over low heat for ten minutes; then add the lamb (or beef), the oil, and enough water to make a volume of 41/2 cups. Cook over low heat for ten to fifteen minutes. Reduce the amount of flour if you wish a thinner product.

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Listeria

Listeria is a bacterium that is present in animals and soil. In men and non-pregnant women the infection is mild but in pregnant women it can cause a late miscarriage. To avoid listeria, do not eat soft cheeses such as Brie, Camembert and blue-veined cheeses, meat pates, undercooked meat, ready-to-eat poultry (unless thoroughly reheated), soft whipped ice creams that come out of machines, unpasteurised dairy products and ready-prepared salads in sealed bags.

Salmonella

One of the commonest causes of food poisoning, salmonella can cause severe diarrhea and vomiting. It does not seem to harm the developing baby but a fever accompanying the salmonella may cause a miscarriage. Make sure that all poultry and eggs are thoroughly cooked and avoid eating anything that contains raw eggs (like mayonnaise).

Tips to avoid food poisoning

• Wash hands before preparing food and in between handling raw and cooked food.

• Keep worktops clean, and wash chopping boards as you go.

• Wash utensils used for raw foods before they are used on other food.

• Keep the temperature in your fridge lower than 5°C and the freezer below -18°C.

• Prepare and store raw and cooked food separately.

• Keep pets away from food.

• Do not prepare food for other people if you have any symptoms of food poisoning.

• Don’t overfill the fridge, as this can stop air circulating which could increase the temperature inside.

• Put leftovers back in the fridge as soon as possible but wait until they cool down.

• If using leftovers, heat through properly.

• Thoroughly cook meat and poultry so there are no pink bits.

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•    The way that your labour is handled greatly depends on the obstetrician at your local hospital. There is no evidence that hospital is a safer place to have a baby (unless you are at high risk for some reason)-a home birth can be just as safe or even safer. Make a birth plan and discuss it with your obstetrician early on in pregnancy. If you want to avoid having an episiotomy, an epidural, and so on, say so and put it all in writing to the hospital. Surgical and other interventions can save babies’ lives but can produce problems too. The best way of ensuring that you have as trouble-free a birth as possible is to go to ante-natal classes to learn about birth and to prepare you for what is to come.

During the labour keep upright and walking around as long as possible and then give birth standing, squatting, kneeling or indeed in any position that keeps your body upright. This provably helps improve the blood supply to the baby, and makes labour shorter and less painful. Most women who give birth in this position are very loath or even refuse to deliver on their backs in subsequent labours. Because labour is quicker the baby is less likely to suffer from a shortage of oxygen. All of these factors contribute to a greater chance of having a normal, healthy baby.

Asphyxia (a shortage of oxygen) is the commonest cause of preventable death or handicap occurring at the time of delivery, but much of the danger can be avoided by giving birth in an upright position and by having trained staff with oxygen available in case a baby is born with asphyxia. Permanent brain damage can occur after a remarkably short period of time with an insufficient supply of oxygen to the brain.

•    After low birth weight, congenital malformations are the next most common cause of infant death. In the UK 18 per cent of first-week deaths and 20 per cent of perinatal deaths are caused by congenital malformations. Some of these can be prevented by taking proper care before conception and during pregnancy.

•    Treating neonatal jaundice is a way of preventing cerebral palsy (a diffuse group of neurological conditions that produce a ‘spastic’). There are six spastic babies born every day in the UK-over 2,000 a year. In some cases the recognition of a failing placenta, followed by appropriate action, is another way of preventing this heartrending handicap: babies who are suffering from poor placental blood supply can be delivered with the minimum of trauma and have their asphyxia (if any) treated so as to be born healthy and normal. The prevention of premature babies and their care in intensive nursing facilities can dramatically reduce the numbers of spastic babies born from this cause.

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Many women with endometriosis have heard of the benefits of treating the disease with vitamins and minerals and certainly members of the Endometriosis Association (Victoria) have talked about success with vitamin B6 and evening primrose oil in eliminating pain and treating lethargy and depression.

Most vitamins and minerals discussed in this section below can be bought off the shelf at your local health food shop.

Vitamin Â

Vitamins can help in alleviating pain; in particular, vitamin B6 has been reported as being beneficial in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome and associated problems.

Although it is not certain why vitamin B6 helps, many PMS sufferers vow it has been instrumental in alleviating their symptoms of depression, lethargy, mood swings, irritability and pain.

Vitamin Ñ

The merits of vitamin Ñ have long been acknowledged. Alternative therapists say it helps not only with heavy bleeding (because it strengthens the blood vessel walls and helps the body to absorb iron) but also helps promote healing.

Vitamin E

Another healing vitamin, it is often recommended for the prevention of thick scar tissue and to promote healthy skin; this would explain why it helps alleviate pain as it acts on adhesions and scar tissue left by endometriosis implants.

Zinc

Many practitioners believe zinc helps with PMS symptoms and also improves fertility.

Evening primrose oil

Many PMS sufferers cannot do without their evening primrose oil (EPO) as they say it helps alleviate symptoms and keeps the condition under control.

Endometriosis sufferers on hormonal drug therapy also report that it has helped them cope with the side effects often associated with these drug treatments.

Evening primrose oil is expensive (currently about $20 for a month’s supply) so you have to weigh up the benefits with the cost. EPO is a good source of gammalinolenic acid (GLA) – one of the essential fatty acids which produce prostaglandin.

Barbara’s story

At the age of 27, I was eventually diagnosed as having mild endometriosis after many months of pain, discomfort and one miscarriage. I then tried a variety of treatments – Duphaston, Danazol and laparoscopic surgery – and had some positive short-term results but no full-term pregnancies.

I very much wanted children so I decided to try alternative therapies. After consulting a naturopath I tackled my food allergies and eliminated wheat, rye, barley and milk products from my diet. This was a major undertaking as I was very restricted in the foods that I could eat. While I was on this diet I lost weight and my headaches and stomach bloating disappeared.

Shortly afterwards, I saw another naturopath who gave me a series of acupuncture treatments for the pain and to improve uterine health. I found that these treatments left me feeling quite euphoric and the pain lessened, but only for a short time. I also had massages which left me feeling physically and mentally relaxed.

During these treatments I was also taking a herbal preparation made up especially for me by the naturopath. Much to my delight I eventually became pregnant during this time and this pregnancy resulted in the birth of my first child.

I now have four children under five years (one set of twins) and while I have some endometriosis pain, it has not affected my fertility.

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Reproductive and sexual behaviour

These both influence the incidence of certain cancers, and change with westernization. Early first childbirth and having large numbers of children both reduce the incidence of breast cancer. In the West we delay the birth of the first child and women have few children. Both of these things have produced substantially higher levels of breast cancer in the West. Cancer of the ovary is also seen more in populations with reduced fertility. Cancer of the cervix, in contrast, increases in incidence with greater fertility. This relationship may be related to the proven link between early promiscuous sexual activity and cervical cancer. No one knows why this should be but the current theories are that smegma (the white matter that can collect under an uncircumcised man’s foreskin) or even semen itself might be carcinogenic. A more recent suggestion is that cancer of the cervix is caused by a venereally transmitted virus such as herpes. Genital hygiene and the use of a condom (sheath) reduce these risks.

Occupational exposure to chemicals

This is an unfortunate side-effect of moving off the land and into factories. It has led to increasing numbers, of men especially, being exposed to carcinogenic chemicals, for much of their working lives in certain industries. It has definitely caused an increase in tumours of the bladder and the skin. A particular type of lung tumour is seen commonly in those who work with asbestos dust. No one knows how great a problem industrial exposure to carcinogens is and today many known hazards have been reduced or totally removed, but westernized peoples are still exposed to food additives, washing-up liquid residues, air pollutants, water pollution from industry and agriculture and frank chemical hazards at work in varying amounts. The harm done by some of these agents is well known and provable, yet we continue to bombard ourselves, often quite unnecessarily, with chemicals of a dubious nature.

Improved hygiene

Better sanitary conditions are a reason for falling levels of certain sorts of cancer as populations become westernized. Cancer of the liver is the best example here. There is increasing evidence that hepatitis  is an important factor in the production of liver cancer and this infection falls with improved personal and community hygiene. Greater personal hygiene in the West has also led to a reduced number of cancers of the penis.

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