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Welcome from Vantage Business Support & Insurance Services
As an added benefit to our customers and associates VANTAGE is publishing a semimonthly newsletter with information, interactive tools, podcasts and other resources to help you live healthier. We will explore topics on total health and resources for you and your family, including fitness, nutrition, mental and physical health, weight management and more.
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This is just a sampling of what we feel would be important to you. We have much more to offer. If you have any questions or need more information please contact us at 877-886-8277 or click the link below.
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8 Fascinating Facts About Peanut Allergies
 More than 3 million people in the United States report having an allergy to peanuts, tree nuts, or both, according to statistics from the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.
Peanut allergy affects a small population but it packs a serious punch, causing more deadly anaphylaxis than any other food allergy. Read on for some more interesting tidbits you may not have known about peanut allergies.
Peanut Allergies Are Climbing Rates of peanut allergies in children more than tripled between 1997 and 2008, according to the results of a nationwide survey published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in 2010. The survey of 5,300 households, conducted by Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, found that 1.4 percent of children had peanut allergies, as opposed to 0.4 percent in 1997. The proportion of kids with both peanut and tree nut allergies also climbed, to 2.1 percent from 0.6 percent in 1997.
Peanuts Are Not Actually Nuts People who are allergic to peanuts aren't necessarily allergic to nuts. The peanut, despite its deceiving name, is not a nut. Rather, it's a legume - part of the bean and lentil family.
Most true nuts grow on trees, but peanuts are seeds. They form in pods that grow underground. Above the surface, the peanut plant is green and oval, and it flowers in an unusual fashion. The small yellow blooms grow on the lower part of the plant instead of on the top.
Though there's a difference between the two, peanut and tree nut allergic reactions coexist in a third of people who are allergic to peanuts, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Consult your allergist before introducing any new nuts into your diet.
You May Find Peanuts in Unlikely Foods Sure, there are usual culprits, like candy bars and cookies, but breakfast cereals, salad dressings, sauces, soup mixes, and cake icing can also contain traces of peanuts, to name a few. Reading the ingredient lists on food labels is a must, as is looking out for phrases that let consumers know a particular item was processed or packaged at a plant that processes peanuts and tree nuts. Also look out for certain vegetarian products, including foods labeled as meat substitutes.
What about at restaurants? Peanuts are main ingredients in many recipes. Even if you order a dish you don't think has nuts, tell your waiter about your allergy so he or she can make sure your dish isn't prepared near peanuts in the kitchen.
Peanuts Go By Different Names Although we know peanuts as, well, peanuts, they go by a number of different names, especially in other countries. People with peanut allergies should keep a lookout for the following peanut monikers when traveling: arachis oil, beer nuts, goober nuts, goober peas, ground nuts, kernels, mandelonas, Nu-nuts, nut meats, and valencias. (Remember, though, a Valencia is also a type of orange.)
Stay Off the Grass If You're Allergic to Peanuts Peanut hulls could be lurking on your lawn. Some landscaping products, such as composting materials for garden plantings, contain peanut hulls - potentially exposing kids with peanut allergies to the peanut byproduct. Be sure to ask your landscaper before any mulch is put down, and check ingredients labels when shopping at your local gardening center.
You Might Outgrow a Peanut Allergy Research suggests that about 20 percent of people outgrow peanut allergies. However, if you've been allergic to peanuts since childhood, it's more likely that it'll stay with you for life, says Viviana Temino, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. "A lot of little kids develop food allergies, but they are more likely to grow out of allergies such as eggs and milk," she says. "A peanut allergy is more persistent."
Peanut Allergies Tend to Run in Families Having a parent or sibling with a peanut allergy doesn't mean you'll be allergic, too. It does, however, increase your chances. Scientists often study identical twins to learn whether a trait is inherited, and they did so for peanut allergies in 2000. They found that fraternal twin pairs in which at least one twin is allergic to peanuts have a 7 percent likelihood of both being allergic. In the case of identical twins (who share DNA), the probability rises to 64 percent, indicating that genetics play a role. Among non-twins, the incidence of sibling allergy is dramatically lower. One Canadian study of the siblings of kids with peanut allergies found that of the 900 siblings, only 15 kids (1.7 percent) were allergic.
Allergic to Peanuts But Not Peanut Oil? Odd but true - many people with peanut allergies can safely eat foods prepared with peanut oil. "No one really knows why this is, but it may have to do with proteins in the peanut that are not present in the oil," says David Rosenstreich, MD, chief of the allergy and immunology division at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, N.Y. There are different types of peanut oil, so play it safe and ask your doctor first.
SOURCE: By Charlotte Libov Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH |
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DID YOU KNOW???
Aloe Vera Juice
6 Health Benefits of Aloe Vera Juice
Originally from Africa, Aloe Vera is a succulent plant of the lily family, which stores its hydrating energy beneath the protection of its tough cactus-like leaves. Science has not done very much research on the benefits of aloe, but since prehistoric times it has been revered as a healing plant, used to combat inflammation both within and on the surface of the body. It counts among its ingredients almost 20 amino acids, vital minerals like calcium, magnesium and sodium, enzymes, vitamins, polysaccharides, nitrogen and others. Aloe juice is a perfect example of synergy. The whole is something far greater than the sum of its parts.
Cardiovascular Benefits Recent studies also have shown that aloe vera juice may help boost the circulation, lower cholesterol and decrease triglycerides and blood fat lipid levels, all factors which contribute to coronary heart disease. It also may have stress relieving properties, helping to lower blood pressure and maintain a healthy heart.
Oral Health Thanks to its antibacterial properties, aloe vera juice soothes and heals mouth ulcers and guards against tooth decay and gum disease.
Skin and Hair Health Aloe vera has an astringent property that tightens skin. Drinking the juice can boost production of and repair elastin and collagen, slowing the aging of skin. As a moisturizer, aloe vera removes dead cells and helps the entrance of healthy substances. The cosmetics industry has been exploring its potential for reducing blemishes and lightening dark spots on the face. Drinking aloe vera juice can also help psoriasis sufferers as it reduces itching, and it can be applied directly to the skin of psoriasis and acne rosacea patients causing notable improvement in the severity of lesions. Containing as many as 75 nutrients, aloe vera juice is a popular remedy for burns and wounds. Cuts, bruises and scrapes heal quickly on application of aloe. Aloe vera juice is also a useful aid against shingles, providing relief from itching, and helping to heal the blisters and sores.
Weight Loss Aloe Vera juice may help people lose weight. It works well to reduce and stabilize the body mass index by stimulating the metabolic rate in our liver cells, causing more fat and carbohydrate stores in the body to be burned. Aloe vera juice works well as a weight loss supplement due to its high content of collagen protein. Drinking aloe vera juice every day makes the body burn additional energy to assimilate its protein into your system and reduces the amount of time food stays in your intestine, meaning less energy is absorbed from the food you consume.
Digestive Tract Health Aloe Vera juice is said to be a potent detoxifier, cleansing the stomach, liver, kidneys, spleen, bladder and colon and improving digestion. Acting as an anti-inflammatory agent, it can assuage common digestive problems such as candida, irritable bowel syndrome, acid indigestion, colitis, diarrhea and constipation. Several Japanese studies and clinical trials have shown it also promotes a healthy balance of stomach acids, relieving discomfort from heartburn and ulcers.
Immune System Aloe vera juice fights infection and boosts the immune system. It is famous as an antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral agent. It helps the immune system fight a host of illnesses and aids the body in repairing tissue injury. Aloe contains a complex carbohydrate called acemannan with properties which may work by enhancing immune cell function. The juice may also kill yeast and parasites, as well as promote the growth of new, healthy cells.
Warning Consuming too much aloe vera juice may cause allergic reactions, nausea, and liver problems, so it is important not to exceed the recommended daily dosage. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not drink aloe vera juice nor should children. Generally speaking, however, the benefits of taking aloe vera juice more than make up for any potential side effects.
SOURCE: health Diaries |
Here's your "QuoteAction" for this issue:
"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong."
Author, Joseph Chilton Pearce Your action for today is to see if you can do something to tackle one of your fears.
Have an extraordinary day!
SOURCE: Betty Jo Waxman
Productive Learning & Leisure, LLC |
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Disclaimer of Liability
Our firm provides the information in this e-newsletter for general guidance only, and does not constitute the provision of legal advice, tax advice, accounting services, investment advice, or professional consulting of any kind. The information provided herein should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional tax, accounting, legal, or other competent advisers. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should consult a professional adviser who has been provided with all pertinent facts relevant to your particular situation. Tax articles in this e-newsletter are not intended to be used, and cannot be used by any taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding accuracy-related penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer. The information is provided "as is," with no assurance or guarantee of completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of the information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose.
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