Is your child Gluten intolerant? Find out with a Gluten Intolerant Test

What is Gluten?
Gluten is found in a variety of everyday food. It is a type of protein generally found in wheat, rye, and barley. It helps in retaining the shape of the food by acting as the adhesive substance that holds them together. Some people are intolerant to such protein. Hence, Gluten Intolerance Test will determine if your child has gluten intolerance or not.

What is Gluten Intolerance?
Gluten intolerance causes a person’s immunity to react against a kind of protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. It starts showing symptoms right after ingesting any kind of gluten product. The symptoms include gastrointestinal problems to severe problems like anxiety, depression, etc. It is important to get a Gluten Intolerance Test and treat the problem rather than just symptoms.

Can Gluten intolerance be a serious issue?
It depends on the tolerance level. Most of the people are fine with gluten although it is proven to be bad for one’s health. For those who are intolerant to gluten may be prone to Celiac disease. Mostly, gluten insensitivity can act as one of the symptoms of other major diseases. It is important that you get your children a Gluten Intolerance Test before the problem becomes severe.

Can we avoid Gluten?
There is majority of products, which has gluten in it. It may not be specified in the ingredients of some products but it might be present in it. Food products like bread, soups, beer, baked goods, sauces, etc, contain gluten in their ingredients. Hence it is impossible to totally avoid gluten.

Are Gluten-free diets available?
Yes, it might not contain gluten. But one has to make sure that their diet must contain the nutrients that a gluten product may have. Since most of the food products have gluten in it, avoiding it may devoid your child of certain nutrients which is important for your child’s growth. Nutrition4kids will always guide you to maintain your child’s well being.

You can rely on Nutrition4kids to give you reliable information and expert advice on your child’s well-being. Gluten insensitivity or gluten intolerance can become a serious issue if it is not treated well. If a change in diet doesn’t surely indicate gluten intolerance, then you must get your child Gluten Intolerance Test to be sure about their medical issue and practice caution in their daily diet.

If you like this post, please also read my another post - SURVIVING THE STOMACH FLU 101

SURVIVING THE STOMACH FLU 101

Has your child been vomiting and feeling low lately? Then your child might be having the stomach flu. It is the second most common illness among children, first are the respiratory infections. Stomach flu is an illness known as gastroenteritis caused by viruses and bacteria like salmonella.

SYMPTOMS OF STOMACH FLU

It is not easy to spot the early signs among babies and toddlers. But do watch out for these red signals:

• High Fever
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Fussy behaviour
• Easily tired
• Reduction in appetite
• Dehydrated

Older children may also complain of a tummy ache, headache, and restlessness. Symptoms start to show generally after three days after the child has been exposed to the bug. Upset stomach can also make the child feel dehydrated.

Catching up the Flu

Kid’s stomach bugs are contagious; they spread from one child to another. Germs can stay over toys and clothes for days. So what can you do to stop the spreading of germs?

• Stress on Handwashing

This is the easiest and the most essential step to prevent germs from spreading. Make the kids wash hands before and after meals, after poop and when they come back home after playing. When kids come in contact with germs, they become infected by touching their face, nose, mouth with the contaminated hands. Hand-washing is the first defense you can take against gastroenteritis.

• Clean your home

Clean your home regularly to stop the breeding of germs.  Clean the house after the vomiting. Dusting, mopping, and vacuuming should be done regularly.

• Washing laundry

To wash the clothes and carpets use bleach and chlorine for maximum germ removal. Wear gloves while washing the laundry and also when transferring clothes from washer to dryer. Even after one thorough wash, the germs may live, so try to wash the clothes twice for better protection.

• Breastfeeding

Breastfeed little babies, the breast milk can help can help block the virus and protect the infants.

• Healthy diet

Follow a healthy diet routine for your kids. Keep them away from oily food, dairy, fiber, and spices. It is advisable to take BRAT diet during stomach infection which is Bananas, rice, applesauce, toast. These foods are easy to digest and provide energy.

• Drink lots of Fluids

The body gets dehydrated during stomach Flu because of vomiting, sweating, and diarrhea. Drinking water (10-12 glasses), ginger tea helps calm the stomach.

To know more about stomach infections and kids stomach bugs visit nutrition4kids.com. Expert advice about all your child’s health problems and medical issues. Visit the website to know more.

If you like this post, please also read my another post - Gluten sensitivity advice at Nutrition4kids

Gluten sensitivity advice at Nutrition4kids

Do you feel that something is not right with the health of your child? Have you been unable to figure it out? Is your child experiencing any of the following symptoms?

• Digestive issues such as constipation, gas, diarrhea.
• Feeling tired after eating a meal with gluten.
• Feeling dizzy often.
• Severe migraine headaches.
• Pain or swelling in joints.
• Mood swings, depression, anxiety.
• Craving for foods that are high in sugar.
• Weight loss
• Trouble in breathing

If your child is feeling the above symptoms then consult your doctor for gluten sensitivity.

What is Gluten sensitivity?

Gluten sensitivity is a condition in which a person’s immune system reacts after consuming gluten (a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye). According to specialists, after removing wheat allergies, celiac diseases, and gluten ataxia, the gluten sensitivity should be diagnosed. Gluten allergy in adults and children is different. Parents should carefully monitor the diet of their child and the behavior if they suspect gluten allergy.

How to treat gluten sensitivity?

• Elimination Diet- Removal of foods containing gluten such as wheat, pasta from the diet and notice the changes.
• Blood test for Gluten Sensitivity- Blood test like “SPT, prick in prick test and lymphocyte activation” can identify the possibility of gluten allergy.
• Supplements and medication- Taking supplements such as calcium, folate, iron, vitamin-D and zinc.
• Consider a dietician-If your kid face difficulty in following gluten free diet, consult a dietitian. They can help you identify better food options.
• Avoid Restaurants- Avoid eating out and prepare the meals at home as often as possible.

You can get expert advice about gluten sensitivity and celiac diseases at nutrition4kids.com. Here you will find advice and blogs from professional doctors. Parents can get expert guidance about the health of their children.

They offer blogs about health and lifestyle of newborns and toddlers. Advice about supplements, breastfeeding, eating habits and much more.

Read various blogs and articles about gluten sensitivity, symptoms, blood test for gluten sensitivity from the best and trusted doctors. Visit the website for more information.

Understanding Gluten and its effect on your child’s health

Before we get into the symptoms of allergy from gluten, we shall clear what gluten is and where is it found. Gluten is a type of protein found in grains of wheat, rye, spelt and barley. Food items such as bread, pasta, cereal, sauce, soup, salad dressing, malt, beer, food coloring, etc contain gluten. It helps in maintaining the shape of such food items by acting as the glue, which sticks the food molecules together to retain its elasticity. Wheat is not only the source of gluten. Some variety of Oats and Triticale also contains gluten.

Not everyone is allergic to gluten. But the ones who are allergic to gluten often show symptoms related to Celiac disease, Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity, irritable bowel syndrome and/or other types of wheat allergies. If you find the following symptoms in your child, they may be intolerant to Gluten. The symptoms may start to show within minutes or an hour after consumption of such products.

• Unexplained Weight loss, Depression, Anxiety, Headache, Migraine, skin rashes, etc are the symptoms related to Celiac disease.
• Abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, gas and diarrhea are some of the symptoms related to Gluten allergy.

You should get your child checked if such problem persists regularly. Blood test and Biopsy from small intestine might help in diagnosing such problems because of Gluten attacks and affects small intestine. It is important to get tested for Celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disorder that causes severe digestive disorder and other health problems.

It is difficult to go Gluten free because everything contains gluten in some amount or other. And going totally Gluten free will devoid your child of certain proteins that the food grain may contain which is essential for their body. Special attention should be given to their diet so that they don’t miss out on other nutrients that will help them in their growing period.

There are other substitutes that you can include in their diet and replace it from Gluten. Fruits and vegetables, beans, seeds, legumes, nuts, potatoes, eggs, dairy products, oils and vinegar, rice, fish and lean beef, chicken and other seafood may help you to maintain a Gluten free diet.

Grains and food such as amaranth, arrowroot, buckwheat, cassava, millet, quinoa, rice, sorghum, soy, and tapioca are also Gluten free and can be consumed for a maintaining a Gluten free diet.

Nutrition4kids provides you with the best expert advice on your kid’s nutrition and how to prevent disorder. Visit our website today to find answers to your child’s health related queries.

If you like this post, please also read my another post - Gluten Allergy Symptoms: Things You Need to Know