Know About Cystic Fibrosis and Save your Kids

Even the slightest change in the behavior of your child could be an indication that something is potentially wrong with his/her body. Reading the signs of your child's body might be a difficult job. At times, things that seem normal to us might be symptoms of something very severe and fatal. We tend to ignore the changes and that's where we go wrong. 

Consistent coughing and shortness of breath should not be mistaken as a change in season or a regular change. Cystic Fibrosis symptoms are what you need to be aware of. Cystic Fibrosis is a slowly growing disease that leads to consistent lung infections and lowers the ability to breathe properly. 

The various symptoms of CF include:

1. Skin turning into very salty-tasting
2. Coughing continuously, even with phlegm
3. Being highly prone to lung infections like bronchitis and pneumonia
4. Shortness of breath
5. Not being able to grow your body or not being able to lose weight, despite a good diet
6. Difficulty with bowel movements
7. Infertility in males

What causes Cystic Fibrosis?

1. It is a genetic disease
2. For a person to have CF, he should receive 2 copies of defective CF gene from his parents
3. If a person has only one defective CF gene then he/she is not prone to the disease but can certainly forward it if matched to another defected CF gene person.
4. People with only one defective CF gene are known as carriers
5. When two people with defected CF genes have their child the chances are as follows:

There is a 25% chance that their child will have Cystic Fibrosis

There is a 50% chance that the child will become a carrier but not have CF

There is a 25% chance that the child will come out absolutely clean

 More than 70,000 people have been living with this disease worldwide with approximately 1000 new cases diagnosed every year. Cystic Fibrosis symptoms and severity varies from person to person making it a complex disease. There are breakthrough treatments available which add years to the lives of people suffering from CF. A number of treatments are available but there has not been a permanent cure found yet. 

With Nutrition 4 Kids get aware of the slightest change in your ward's body by our qualified expert's advice. Our mission is to lead parents create a healthy lifestyle for their kids.

Like this post, please also read - Top 5 Tips for Living with Cystic Fibrosis

Top 5 Sugar Substitutes You Need to Know

A sugar substitute is a food additive that provides sugar like sweet taste; some of them are natural while others are made synthetically. Those that are not produced naturally are called artificial sweeteners. Sugar is an inseparable part of the food we consume. Some products that contain sugar substitute are diet soda, sugar-free syrup, gum, ice cream, fruit cups, yogurt, pudding and much more. Besides its benefits, it has been proven that artificial sweeteners prove out to be best in this case. 

In this guide we will discuss some of the best sugar substitutes:

1. Honey:

Raw honey is the best form of natural sweetener and is easily available al around the globe. It has been used as a sugar substitute for many centuries. It can be mixed with milk, lukewarm water or can be spread on bread for breakfast. For losing weight, you should drink or eat some amount of honey every morning. As honey is rich in antioxidants, so it proves out to be helpful in fighting a variety of diseases. 

2. Date Sugar

The sugar made from different kinds of dates have a good glycemic index which provides it with antioxidant properties. It contains very small amount of calories, but its taste is same as that of normal sugar. Due to fewer calories present in date sugar, it is helpful in preventing us from various diseases like diabetes, obesity and much more, thus helps a person to remain healthy and fit. 

3. Maple syrup

Maple syrup is the boiled-down sap of the maple tree. It is two times sweeter than the original white sugar and also has a mouth-watering caramel taste in it. Maple syrup is one of the best sugar substitutes and is good for things like pancakes and waffles. Being one of the healthier substitutes, maple syrup has many benefits because of its higher antioxidant capacity.   

4. Coconut sugar

Coconut sugar can prove out to be the best replacement of white sugar. This sugar won't increase your weight but give you perfect sweet taste. When baking, you can use coconut sugar as a replacement.

5. Stevia

The sugar obtained from stevia plant is 200-300 times sweeter than white sugar. You can replace one and a half cup of white sugar with one-fourth cup of Stevia in any food recipe and enjoy the sweetness in your life. 

Sugar substitutes can help people to lose weight as they provide sweetness of sugar to foods and drinks without adding extra calories. It can also help in preventing dental decay and in maintaining sugar level in people suffering from diabetes. In other words, artificial sweetener allows people to stick to a good diet for a longer period of time. They are called as free food as they don’t count as a carbohydrate, fat or any other exchange. With the wide selection of sugar substitutes present in the market, you have to be very specific according to your needs. Choose the one which suits best according to your diet and health condition.     

For more details to Sugar Substitutes click here 

Specific Carbohydrate Diet: Things You Need to Know

Carbohydrates provide energy to the body, particularly through glucose, a simpler sugar that is found in many basic foods. It contains both soluble and insoluble elements; the insoluble part is known as fiber, which promotes regular bowel movement, regulates the rate of consumption of blood glucose and also helps in removing excess cholesterol from the body. But, regular consumption of carbohydrates creates many problems besides weight gain. It results in high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, high uric acid levels and blood clotting problems. So, it is always advised to take a specific carbohydrate diet, especially for kids. 

In this guide, we will discuss tips to raise kids with proper carbohydrate diet: 

1. Balanced carbohydrates in diet:

Childhood obesity is a huge problem today. Lots of parents wondering - how to raise children without feeding them excessive carbohydrates. Children should not be lying on sugars, grains and high carbohydrate snacks all the time. Going back to basics - meat, vegetables, low sugar fruits, seeds, nuts and healthy fat. Simple food is always healthy. The amount of carbohydrates in the diet should be balanced.

2. Why lower the Carbohydrates:

When children eat low Carbohydrate nutritious meals, they avoid high/low blood sugar, they avoid energy slumps and more importantly they avoid all the inflammatory elements in our modern diet. A limited amount of carbohydrates is sufficient for kids for their balanced diet. 

3. Fruits and Vegetables:

These should be the main source of carbohydrates for kids. There is a valuable source of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Fruits are highly rich in fructose, so choose low sugar fruits for a proper diet. 

4. Carbohydrate turns to fats:

Healthy fats are essential for hormone production, healthy brain function, tissue development, appetite control and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K). Choose healthy fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, butter, oily fish, nuts, seeds, eggs, and meat. 

For a healthy future, encourage your children to eat more vegetables, meat, nuts, seeds and healthy fats. Help them develop a taste for real food. For a healthy and balanced diet, kids above the age of two years should be taking between 50-60% of specific carbohydrate diet. In case, you are worried about your child’s health or diet plan; you should consult Nutrition4Kids for the best advice and right food choices. 

To know more and to register, please visit: http://www.nutrition4kids.com 

Find it helpful? Just read my previous post - Predigested Formula

Things You Need To Know About Predigested Formula

Babies with milk protein and soy allergies may require an extensively hydrolyzed formula. These formulas contain cow’s milk protein that has been extensively broken down, so they are unlikely to cause an allergic reaction. Within the world of hydrolyzed formula, you may have noticed several terms: Predigested formula, partially hydrolyzed, extensively hydrolyzed.

Predigested formula is further of two types as partially digested and completely digested formulas.

In this guide we will discuss some things you should know about predigested formula:

Partially digested formulas
                                        
1. The available formulas have a protein that is partially digested (hydrolyzed) leaving some of the protein intact, for the improvement of taste.

2. The formula has just whey protein, approximately 80% has been digested by trypsin, a pancreatic enzyme, while the other 20% of the enzyme is left intact.

3. As infants are allergic to lactose, thus reduction of lactose is done in this formula.

4. A partially hydrolyzed formula helps ease common behavior of digestive discomfort.

5. It contains moderate protein. Also, it contains easy to digest protein that is partially broken down. It’s known to provide complete nutrition.

Completely or Extensively Digested Formulas

1. Extensively hydrolyzed formulas are more complex and more expensive formulas made to be easily absorbed. They have a little chance of causing an allergy.

2. Here, the proteins are completely casein that is digested into small chains of amino acids by pancreatic enzymes. But, the extensive hydrolysis alters the taste as well.

3. The vitamins and minerals are again similar are again similar to the routine formulas, with the exception that calcium is increased because of lactose’s absence.

4. It is effective in managing cow’s milk protein allergy for most babies.

5. It is made with very small protein parts that minimize the chances of the baby having an allergic reaction. It is designed to get allergic babies back on track as it is nutritionally complete.

Predigested formulas are excellent for babies with irritability and digestion problems. If you think your baby may have cow’s milk protein allergy because you’ve noticed hives, skin rashes, diarrhea, constipation, a chronic runny nose or long periods of crying, ask the pediatrician or consult a doctor. In this case, Nutrition4Kids is the best option for you.

To know more and to consult, please visit: www.nutrition4kids.com 

Top 5 Tips for Living with Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis, also known as CF, is a very serious genetic disorder that targets the mucus-secreting glands, namely lungs and digestive organs, and can be fatal if not treated properly. Generally, cystic fibrosis symptoms vary, depending on the severity of the disease. However, some of the common symptoms may include, wheezing, breathlessness, repeated lung infections, foul-smelling stools, low bone density among many others. In addition, people with cystic fibrosis also have a higher level of salt in their sweat than normal level.

While there is no permanent cure for cystic fibrosis yet, there are certain things you can do for reducing its severity and frequency. Read on to find out five tips for living with cystic fibrosis. 

1. Balanced diet- If your child is suffering from cystic fibrosis, make sure your kid eats a balanced diet. In addition to being well-balanced, the diet should also be much higher in calories and fat than a normal diet.

2. Workout plan- It goes without saying, that exercise is good for the overall health. Creating a workout plan and doing exercise will significantly help in reducing the severity of cystic fibrosis. Moreover, it will also help in loosening the mucus in the airways.

3. Support- When it comes to cystic fibrosis, it is best that your child gets involved with the support groups. Besides, support groups help your kid to connect with other cystic fibrosis patients who have faced similar symptoms and experiences.

4. Knowledge- Make sure you ask, watch and read everything about cystic fibrosis as much as you can. Moreover, you should also take notes, and try to learn various techniques and treatment options for cystic fibrosis.

5. Physical therapy- There are a number of special therapies that help in loosening the mucus in the lungs, thus enabling your kid to cough up all the mucus.

While these were some of the tips and tricks for living with cystic fibrosis, there are many others, such as planning, establishing a routine, avoiding illness among many others. However, if your child has any of the cystic fibrosis symptoms, make sure you visit your doctor. Want to learn more about cystic fibrosis? Well, then make sure you visit Nutrition4kids. They are a learning center and offer a broad range of articles and blogs on various medical conditions written by highly qualified medical professionals. In addition, they also provide info and community for those passionate about feeding their kids well. You can visit their website at nutrition4kids.com. 

Like this post, please also read Countering Gluten-free Disease

Countering Gluten-free Disease: Diagnosis and Treatments Options

Celiac disease or gluten free disease as it is commonly referred to, is the result of a weird kind of immune response of the body to gluten. It involves a reaction to gliding, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and oats. There occurs an inflammation and destruction of the inner lining of the small intestine due to an allergic reaction to gluten present in the diet. This leads to an impaired absorption of minerals and nutrients. Although there is no cure for celiac disease, a gluten-free diet is the essential for its treatment.

Few symptoms of the disease include:

•       Abdominal cramps
•     Gas and bloating
•     Bone and joint pain
•     Depression
•     Easy bruising
•     Failure to thrive in children
•     Persistent hunger
•     Iron-deficiency anemia
•     Infertility
•     Panic attacks
•     Vertigo
•     Dermatitis  

 

The disease can sometimes get confused with diseases like Crohn's disease of the small intestine, irritation bowel syndrome and overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine. Two kinds of tests are performed for an accurate diagnosis including:

Blood tests: The blood tests for celiac disease include detection of antigliadin antibodies, endomysial antibodies (EmA), and anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies. 

Small Intestinal Biopsy: This is considered as the most accurate test to detect celiac disease. Multiple samples of the intestinal lining are obtained in order to get a higher accuracy of results.

 The main treatment strategy for celiac disease includes consuming gluten-free diet for life. Patients who are suffering from the celiac disease should strictly avoid gluten. This would allow the intestines to heal. 

Guidelines for a Gluten-Free Diet

• One should have a diet restricted in foods made from enriched flour, wheat, rye, bran, bulgur, and barley.

• Strict prohibition should be applied to beer and grain-based alcohol.

• Avoid oats in the diet. Preparations made from oats may also be contaminated with wheat. In fact, food products may be manufactured in facilities producing gluten.

• Place a restriction on the use and consumption of processed foods like soups, salad dressings, soy sauce, seasonings, ice-creams, mustard, processed and canned meats and more.

• Restrict dairy products like milk containing lactose. Individuals suffering from celiac disease are also prone to lactose intolerance. After treatment, lactose should be introduced gradually into the diet.

• Products like corn, sorghum, millets, rice can be consumed by patients with the gluten free disease. One can also consume quinoa and buckwheat.

• Bananas, potatoes, tapioca, garbanzo beans can serve as the excellent sources of carbohydrates.

 

Besides, learning to substitute ingredients while modifying the cooking conditions like temperature and time, one can enjoy the best foods while avoiding deficiencies. You may visit Nutrition4Kids to find more about the gluten-free disease and the latest treatment options for this condition given by medical professionals.