The future of our health

[JaneFW]

About the nut allergy thing. I agree with Dallas in that I don't remember a single kid having allergies to things like peanut butter when I was growing up. This must be a thing that is escalating otherwise my generation would have talked about this to some extent.

My gut tells me there is some external cause to the spike in allergies and we need to figure out what it is.

From what I recall of being pregnant 12 years ago, the health community was telling expectant parents to hold off on introducing babies to things like eggs too early, and to leave it until they were a year old and there were other foods to hold off on, but to be honest, I don't remember what else .. and to hold off because (I think) introducing them too early to a baby can trigger an allergy.

People have always had allergies. They haven't necessarily known what they were, but the respiratory system reacts to some things in nature and it's strange when it happens because my hay fever started when I was 12 or 13. I distinctly remember sitting in the grasss at school, and just sneezing and sneezing, my nose running, my eyes burning, and it stayed that way until my mum took me to the doc and got me allergy meds. In that climate, by the time summer was over, so were my allergies, but here - I take an allergy pill all year round. My brother, otoh, did not develop an allergy until he was in his 30's but now also has to take allergy meds in the summer. I believe his allergy is grass/pollen based. The big thing here is cedar fever, which I think occurs in the fall as the cedars let loose. That makes people really, really sick, and looks and sounds like flu. I have known people take sick leave - and they genuinely needed it - because they were so sick from their allergy to cedar. Ugly trees too. Ha.

But allergies to food .. I don't know. I have few foods that disagree with me, like ground meat - so it's great that I don't have to even try and eat it any more, lol, but I also cannot eat too many nuts. I used to be just fine. I remember in my childhood, my grandparents always had salted peanuts in bowls in their house, and I used to eat those suckers all day long. But now, I have to really limit it to a half handful every few days, or my gut will start cramping, and then I will get diarrhea. Sorry for tmi. So, maybe that's age related. After all, the interior of your body ages alongside with the exterior.

I get to have a colonscopy when I turn 50 so maybe that will answer some questions about my internal health. Yay me. Not.

 

[dallasapple]

I know that what they are saying "now" is introducing solids before 5 months at the very earliest..6 montsh is the ideal..can cause children to later develope allergies to certain foods..But it seems like every parent I meet ...have the "one " child thats the exception that needed solids at 3 months..4 months ...

Dallas

 

[FaithPrevails]

About the nut allergy thing. I agree with Dallas in that I don't remember a single kid having allergies to things like peanut butter when I was growing up. This must be a thing that is escalating otherwise my generation would have talked about this to some extent.

My gut tells me there is some external cause to the spike in allergies and we need to figure out what it is.

I totally agree.

 

[FaithPrevails]

From what I recall of being pregnant 12 years ago, the health community was telling expectant parents to hold off on introducing babies to things like eggs too early, and to leave it until they were a year old and there were other foods to hold off on, but to be honest, I don't remember what else .. and to hold off because (I think) introducing them too early to a baby can trigger an allergy.

People have always had allergies. They haven't necessarily known what they were, but the respiratory system reacts to some things in nature and it's strange when it happens because my hay fever started when I was 12 or 13. I distinctly remember sitting in the grasss at school, and just sneezing and sneezing, my nose running, my eyes burning, and it stayed that way until my mum took me to the doc and got me allergy meds. In that climate, by the time summer was over, so were my allergies, but here - I take an allergy pill all year round. My brother, otoh, did not develop an allergy until he was in his 30's but now also has to take allergy meds in the summer. I believe his allergy is grass/pollen based. The big thing here is cedar fever, which I think occurs in the fall as the cedars let loose. That makes people really, really sick, and looks and sounds like flu. I have known people take sick leave - and they genuinely needed it - because they were so sick from their allergy to cedar. Ugly trees too. Ha.

But allergies to food .. I don't know. I have few foods that disagree with me, like ground meat - so it's great that I don't have to even try and eat it any more, lol, but I also cannot eat too many nuts. I used to be just fine. I remember in my childhood, my grandparents always had salted peanuts in bowls in their house, and I used to eat those suckers all day long. But now, I have to really limit it to a half handful every few days, or my gut will start cramping, and then I will get diarrhea. Sorry for tmi. So, maybe that's age related. After all, the interior of your body ages alongside with the exterior.

I get to have a colonscopy when I turn 50 so maybe that will answer some questions about my internal health. Yay me. Not.

Eggs, peanut butter/peanuts, and strawberries are the biggest offenders, IIRC.

 

[hijklmnop]

I totally agree.

Yup, it's not just paranoia or media hype as some people think...statistically, the incidence of allergies is increasing as is the severity of the reactions.

 

[WalksWithChrist]

From what I recall of being pregnant 12 years ago, the health community was telling expectant parents to hold off on introducing babies to things like eggs too early, and to leave it until they were a year old and there were other foods to hold off on, but to be honest, I don't remember what else .. and to hold off because (I think) introducing them too early to a baby can trigger an allergy.

People have always had allergies. They haven't necessarily known what they were, but the respiratory system reacts to some things in nature and it's strange when it happens because my hay fever started when I was 12 or 13. I distinctly remember sitting in the grasss at school, and just sneezing and sneezing, my nose running, my eyes burning, and it stayed that way until my mum took me to the doc and got me allergy meds. In that climate, by the time summer was over, so were my allergies, but here - I take an allergy pill all year round. My brother, otoh, did not develop an allergy until he was in his 30's but now also has to take allergy meds in the summer. I believe his allergy is grass/pollen based. The big thing here is cedar fever, which I think occurs in the fall as the cedars let loose. That makes people really, really sick, and looks and sounds like flu. I have known people take sick leave - and they genuinely needed it - because they were so sick from their allergy to cedar. Ugly trees too. Ha.

But allergies to food .. I don't know. I have few foods that disagree with me, like ground meat - so it's great that I don't have to even try and eat it any more, lol, but I also cannot eat too many nuts. I used to be just fine. I remember in my childhood, my grandparents always had salted peanuts in bowls in their house, and I used to eat those suckers all day long. But now, I have to really limit it to a half handful every few days, or my gut will start cramping, and then I will get diarrhea. Sorry for tmi. So, maybe that's age related. After all, the interior of your body ages alongside with the exterior.

I get to have a colonscopy when I turn 50 so maybe that will answer some questions about my internal health. Yay me. Not.

Yes, I've heard that. We were told specifically not to give our child rice too early or else they might get permanent food allergies. But with the nut allergies, I'm saying it would have definitely been noticed. Most kids ate PB and if one was allergic, believe me, everyone else would have known about it.

I am gonna make one of my famous predictions. I predict that it will be something highly preventable that ends up being the cause of the uptick in allergies. And we will all feel foolish!

On a related note, I've been off milk since Monday and I feel GREAT!! I mean, really great. I have literally eaten at least one bowl of cereal with *lots* of milk just about every day of my life. And now that I'm not drinking milk or putting it on cereal I'm noticing a marked difference in the state of my stomach. Normally by now even if I'm only moderately stressed out at work, my stomach would be active. Not hurting or aching per se, but letting me know something was happening. Now...nothing. It's like Old Faithful has dried up!

I even noticed I felt calmer when I was walking into my building and I was running late. Running late usually causes me anxiety and thus makes my stomach gurgle even more. But today...nothing! Completely calm. I have always chalked this anxiety up to nerves or whatever. So maybe it was the milk all along. That's just one reason why I say this about it being some simple thing causing all the allergies. There are just so many things that we as a society as just not aware enough about.

 

[FaithPrevails]

I stopped drinking cows milk for about a month a few years ago and when I started drinking it again, I broke out in hives. I can handle cheese and yogurt, but milk tears me up. I don't drink it much at all anymore - if I do, it's usually over a bowl of cereal and it's minimal.

 

[chaz345]

I wasn't touting it as healthy or unhealthy. I was just sharing it. Personally, I think that most of the hot meals offered are nasty - both in presentation and in taste. The cold offerings are a slightly better alternative, but they probably sound healthier than they actually are.

Which is exactly why I pack their lunches. I send sandwiches on whole wheat bread, whole grain crackers, and fruit. They actually prefer my lunches over the school lunches, which is just fine by me.

I wasn't saying that you were saying they were healthy and I appologize if it seemed like I was. All I was getting at is that the items on the menu, or pretty much any food, can be prepared in a way that is healthy and a way that is much less so and that in most cases with school lunches, it's the latter.

 

[WalksWithChrist]

I'm noticing something peculiar right now. I'm having regular hunger pangs again! I was sitting her wondering what that odd sensation was in my stomach...then it growled! This is significant since the activity in my stomach usually masked any hunger sensation until the hunger got worse. Then the hunger and the overly active sensation combined to basically make me miserable until I got some food in me.

 

[chaz345]

Yup, it's not just paranoia or media hype as some people think...statistically, the incidence of allergies is increasing as is the severity of the reactions.

That's certainly true, but the question is why? Might it make sense to really take a long hard look at what we're doing to our bodies that may be causing the huge increase in allergies? Along with the increase in allergies is a large increase in diseases where one's immune system starts atacking one's own body. Since an allergic reaction is essentially an immune response, are the two maybe connected? Could it all be connected in some way to vaccinating for an ever increasing number of diseases, or maybe the combining of what used to be separate vaccinations into a single one? Or maybe it has to do with all the anti-biotics and hormones in our food supply?

 

[FaithPrevails]

That's certainly true, but the question is why? Might it make sense to really take a long hard look at what we're doing to our bodies that may be causing the huge increase in allergies? Along with the increase in allergies is a large increase in diseases where one's immune system starts atacking one's own body. Since an allergic reaction is essentially an immune response, are the two maybe connected? Could it all be connected in some way to vaccinating for an ever increasing number of diseases, or maybe the combining of what used to be separate vaccinations into a single one? Or maybe it has to do with all the anti-biotics and hormones in our food supply?

All of the above? That would be my guess.

 

[WalksWithChrist]

All of the above? That would be my guess.

Mine too.

 

[Everlasting33]

I'm noticing something peculiar right now. I'm having regular hunger pangs again! I was sitting her wondering what that odd sensation was in my stomach...then it growled! This is significant since the activity in my stomach usually masked any hunger sensation until the hunger got worse. Then the hunger and the overly active sensation combined to basically make me miserable until I got some food in me.

If you eat a low fat breakfast, this will happen.

 

[chaz345]

Not to mention I gurantee..the turkey and ham are filled with nitrates..fillers..and probably growth hormones..the "wrap" is in Im sure made with white flour which has again NO nutritional value to speak of and has IMHO toxic properties..

Im sure the beef in the shepards pie?Same thing..Im sure its the fattest you can get(filled with saturated fat) ..with again hormones and all sorts of chemicals from the injections they get trying to fatten them up as fast as they can..

Knowign what I know or have learned..the only thing I would wish for my child to eat on the menu is the carrott sticks(rinsed well) and maybe the fruit cup if the syrup coudl be rinsed off..But that then wouldnt be NEARLY enouhg calories ...and little protien..so they are STUCK having to eat the crap..to suck out what nutrients they can out of it..and to get enough calories..Its SAD!

Oh and the milk?Even IF somene watns to argue the animal prtien is harmless..I gurantee that milk is not grass fed cows that are from free roaming farms..and that that it contains hormones antibiotics..and my understandign those poor cows have constant infections in their utters..and there are traces of puss and blood in the milk too..

Dallas

You don't even realize that you are essentially proving my point do you? The problems that are "cured" by the FoK approach are caused by the preservatives and hormones and processing, not by the animal protein itself. Cut out the animal protein but keep the preservatives and processing and hormones and such and I guarantee that all the same problems will continue to exist.

 

[WalksWithChrist]

If you eat a low fat breakfast, this will happen.

Well, my breakfast just changed from cereal with milk and a banana to cereal with almond milk and a banana. And I have started fairly recently eating an apple around 10am...break time. I had just come to the conclusion, before you posted, that I probably need to add something to that breakfast.

Any suggestions?

 

[FaithPrevails]

Well, my breakfast just changed from cereal with milk and a banana to cereal with almond milk and a banana. And I have started fairly recently eating an apple around 10am...break time. I had just come to the conclusion, before you posted, that I probably need to add something to that breakfast.

Any suggestions?

Some form of protein.

I typically eat an egg/cheese sandwich (sometimes on bread, sometimes on an English muffin - whole wheat/grain, of course) for breakfast and am usually pretty satisfied until lunch time.

Lately, of course, I have been hungry mid-morning, so I've been adding a fresh fruit as a snack.

 

[chaz345]

Well, my breakfast just changed from cereal with milk and a banana to cereal with almond milk and a banana. And I have started fairly recently eating an apple around 10am...break time. I had just come to the conclusion, before you posted, that I probably need to add something to that breakfast.

Any suggestions?

Bacon.

 

[FaithPrevails]

Bacon.

 

[Boidae]

Bacon.

I thought that as well and was going to post it, but figured I may get my head lobbed off for mentioning it.

 

[FaithPrevails]

You men!