Tag Archive for: Long Beach Nutritional Coach

5 Ways to Prevent Cross-Contamination with Gluten

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A person suffering from celiac disease will react very unfavorably when gluten ends up in their diet. There are millions suffering from various degrees of gluten intolerance. Avoiding gluten and leading a gluten-free life will solve most of their problems.

However, this is easier said than done.

gluten

For starters, there is inconvenience involved. You will need to make sure your food does not contain gluten. You’ll have to read food labels, find gluten-free substitutes, etc. Then there is the problem of giving up many comfort foods that you are used to such as cakes, ice-creams, potato chips, etc. These foods may contain wheat based flavoring or fillers.

It’s definitely going to affect many people when they discover that their favorite foods may be off limits to them because of their gluten intolercance.

There is also the issue of extra hassles involved… and that’s what this article is about. Preventing cross-contamination of foods. Cross-contamination occurs when gluten containing foods end up mixed with gluten-free foods. This can occur and it does occur.

  1. Thouroughly wash and clean utensils, bread boards, chopping boards, etc. Anytime one particular object is used for both kinds of foods, the probability of cross-contamination goes up.

For example, a knife that was used to cut some whole wheat bread may still have miniscule crumbs stuck to it. If a gluten intolerant person used that same knife to cut an apple, it would be inevitable to get some crumbs on the apple which they will end up eating.

So, all utensils must be washed before use.

  1. Separate containers should be used by gluten intolerant people. These containers should be sealed and only contain foods that are gluten-free. You can’t share butter, jam, etc. because of the very high probability of someone else contaminating them.

  2. Label all foods in your refrigerator. Especially, once they have been removed from their original packaging. It’s very easy to lose track of who is eating what and how the food has been handled. If you live alone, you do not have such problems. However, if you have family members and they are not gluten intolerant, their actions may affect you.

  3. Toasters, ovens, grills, etc. should be cleaned thouroughly before using. If a grill has been used to grill some sausages, the wheat based filler in the sausages may still be lingering on the grill. Of course, marinades, flavoring, etc. will also be there and most of them will have wheat based ingredients. Wash them all well before use.

  4. Use separate oil for frying. This is one of those things that people forget. They resuse oil and think that it’s harmless. If someone in the family fries a burger patty in oil, there will be breadcrumbs, fillers, etc. that will end up in the oil. There is a very high chance that these contain gluten.

If you then proceed to fry your gluten-free burger patty and think that all is ok, you’re sorely mistaken. The oil already contains gluten products and it will contaminate your food. Use separate oil for your cooking.

These are just 5 ways that cross-contamination may occur. There are many more ways. So, you will always need to be alert to the possibility of it occurring. In this way, you will be better prepared and reduce any chances of getting gluten in your diet without realizing it.

 

Seven Psychological Benefits Of Running

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Running has been recommended by many doctors and therapists to people who are in the quest to improving their mental health. This is because running, like other exercises, unquestionably takes care of the mental health as efficiently as it does to one’s physical well-being.

There are many psychological benefits of running, but here are the seven most cited:

running

1. Reduces stress and anxiety

Runners are known to be less stressed and are more able to deal with their daily stressors effectively. This is attributed to the fact that running refreshes their thoughts, keeps their minds off worries, and gives them ample and non-distracted time to think, reflect, and concentrate. In addition, according to some reports, running is more efficient in addressing anxieties better than medications.

2. Enhances mood

When running, the body produces a substance called endorphin (endogenous morphine) that creates a different sense of euphoria. This state of euphoria is called runner’s high basically because after running, individuals are in a good mood, are happier, and indescribably feel better. Runner’s high is also believed to be responsible for the runners’ seeming “addiction” to running: Because they are always intensely post-euphoric, runners keep running every chance they get.

3. Improves confidence

The sense of achievement after finishing a run or completing a target distance boosts the runners’ confidence. This is especially true of people who are naturally competitive they regularly sign up for marathons and other running events. Improved confidence also comes to people who have noticeably lost weight and achieved more toned and firmer muscles through running.

4. Fights addiction

Running is conceived to be a natural tranquilizer, which is why therapists recommend it to those who are battling with their addiction. Many successful stories have been documented, saying that recovering patients use the time they would otherwise spend to satisfy their addiction in running. Through running, patients also become mentally stronger to resist the urge of alcohol, drugs, or anything they feel addicted to.

5. Develops mental alertness and focus

Because running keeps the mind on the “now,” the mind is trained to focus and concentrate. Running also relieves mental fatigue, sharpens memory, and improves overall mental stamina. Runners, in effect, are found to have better problem-solving skills and are more mentally alert than before.

6. Relieves depression

Running is found successful in treating clinical depression. The act of running, according to therapists, serves as a psychotherapy, which gives the patients their own space to heal and connect with their selves better. They also say it is a good distraction from all depressing things. Other than depression, physicians also find running an effective therapy for people with other types of psychological disorders.

7. Enhances coordination

The coordination of mind and body is improved with regular running. Whether running on a flat, paved surface or on an uneven trail, the mind is trained to harmoniously work with the body to prevent stumbling and tripping over. Like the other psychological benefits of running, better mind-body coordination is important in daily activities.

 

Whey Protein Facts

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Aside from casein, what is another primary ingredient found in a product extracted from a cow? It is none other than whey protein which can also be obtained from plenty of processed items fresh from the farm. For example a cheese, from the time of manufacture, the liquid portion is divided from the curd. Afterwhich, purification follows in order to come up with a wide variety of concentrations beneficial for other food merchandise.

In the composition of milk, whey protein facts would say that there is only twenty percent present while the rest of the eighty percent belongs to casein. However, the figure is not all true with the rest that are available in the market. There are variations based on the factors such as source, method, type and distributor.

whey protein

Source would speak about where exactly did the processed items fresh from the farm originated.
Method would talk about what was the particular technique applied in production.
Type would speak about what is the certain classification of the food merchandise.
Distributor would talk about who is responsible of the specifications being set.

Upon studying whey protein facts, you will be able to learn about isolate and concentrate. Whey protein isolate is more expensive that has a percentage of 90 to 95 of building blocks. Whey protein concentrate is less costly that has a percentage of 25 to 89 of natural nutrients. There is actually not much difference between isolate and concentrate however, like other things, there will always be a demarcation line that will set each other apart.

Whey protein facts also suggest that the manner of hydrolysis smashes down the building blocks into little pieces known as peptides. This kind of building block does not give any hassle in digestion and will even help in reducing the reaction to allergies. The quality of this natural nutrient has been constantly high which is among the reasons why there is a mixture in the formulations specially created for athletes and infants.

Whey protein facts also indicate that there should be sufficient amount of intake in a daily basis. People that are required to have more medical attention have to initially consult their physicians for a personalized program. Remember that when you consume rich amounts of this building block, it is a must for you to drink a minimum of six to eight glasses of water each day so you would not be dehydrated.

What are the Causes and Symptoms of Celiac Disease?

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Celiac disease has a few other names such as gluten sensitive entropathy and celiac prue. All these are scary names but the disease is not life threatening. It is an autoimmune disorder that causes damage to the small intestines lining.

While this may not seem like a big thing, it does cause many other health problems that are far worse than Celiac disease.

celiac disease

Gluten is just a protein found in wheat and is actually what causes bread dough to rise. Gluten can be found in most commercial foods these days due to the extensive use of wheat based oils and additives.

A person who is extremely sensitive or intolerant of gluten is said to have Celiac disease. There is no known cause or cure. Some people are just more sensitive to gluten.

When these people consume gluten, the villi (hair-like structures in the intestinal lining) get damaged and as a result, the small intestines are unable to absorb nutrients from the food consumed. That is why celiac disease suffers can appear malnourished despite eating a lot.

The symptoms vary from person to person. This is what makes gluten intolerance so difficult to diagnose. Diarrhea, constipation, bloating, excessive flatulence, irritability, migraines, rashes, iron deficiency, unexplainable weight loss, inflammation, seizures, PMS and PCOS, etc. are just some of the health problems that affect people suffering from celiac disease.

People with this disease are also more prone to osteoporosis due to the lack of calcium absorption. Women are also more prone to infertility and if they do get pregnant, the chances of a miscarriage are higher than that of a normal woman who is not suffering from celiac disease.

All in all, it is not a pretty picture. The best way to combat the ill-effects of celiac disease will be to avoid gluten completely. You will need to examine your diet and food preparation with fastidious care. This will be very challenging and to a certain extent, time-consuming. Yet, there is really no choice.

A doctor will be the best person to diagnose celiac disease. He or she will conduct a physical exam on you, check your health history and probably do a blood test to measure the level of antibodies in your system.

In some cases, you doctor may do a biopsy on you where an endoscope is inserted into your mouth all the way down to your small intestine to check if there is any damage to the villi. The procedure is done while you’re sedated. Don’t panic yet.

Now that you know that there is no cause and the symptoms vary with the individual, you probably know that you have no control over the cause or symptoms.
So, what do you have control over?

Your diet. That’s what.

You know what is the best part? If you control your diet, you have control over the entire problem. You’re sensitive to gluten? Then make it your goal to avoid gluten like the plague. It is anathema to you.

Educate yourself on gluten and all that you will need to know about it. Make the necessary changes to your diet and lifestyle. Once you make the changes, stick with them. You will need to avoid gluten for the rest of your life. So, you will have to get used to it.

Once you can do this, any problems associated with celiac disease will slowly diminish. In some cases, the damage may take years to rectify. In some cases, they may never be rectified. Whatever the case, if you have celiac disease, you need to go gluten-free and you need to have started yesterday.

All is not lost. Start today.

 

The Many Benefits Of Running

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For most people, running is exhausting, boring, and sometimes painful. However, you see today so many people running as if their lives depended on it. (That is actually true to a point.)

There are many reasons why people engage themselves in running these days. Foremost of which is to stay in shape or to reach their ideal body weight. Studies show that the potent combination of correct diet and the right exercise is the most effective method in losing weight.

running

Weight loss

For all its boring features, running is very effective in allowing a person to burn an average of 100 calories for every run mile. Biking and walking, on the other hand, only burn a fraction of these calories in the same amount of time.

While we burn around 2000 to 5000 calories every day doing nothing, running 5 miles a day burns an additional 500 calories.

The speed in running has little or no effect on the number of calories burned. Rather, it is weight that counts. A 220-pound person running an 8-minute mile burns 150 calories. A person weighing 120 pounds running the same pace burns a measly 82 calories.

Understand that a person needs an excess of 3500 calories in order to gain a pound. This means you need to burn that much number of calories in order to lose a single pound.

Overall health

Another motivation that drives runners is the health benefits they get. Running helps lower blood pressure by maintaining the elasticity of the arteries. During a run, the arteries get exercised as well, what with all the blood moving about.

Running also maximizes the lung’s potential, keeping it strong and powerful. Deep breaths force the lungs to use more tissues, but half of both are unused. Running makes the lungs use almost all of its tissues.

Running also strengthens the heart and helps prevent heart attacks. During a run, the heart muscles are exercised, thus keeping it fit and strong by itself.

The heart of an inactive person beats 36,000 more times every day compared to that of a runner. The reason is simple – the runner’s arteries are wider and blood flows smoother.

Endorphin

Most runners keep this secret to themselves: running gives an intense exhilaration and euphoria right after a run. And they are addicted to the feeling and it motivates them the most.

Science had already found out the nature of this natural high: beta endorphins. These are released by the body’s neurons intended to relieve the pain after a run. It creates a feeling of extreme happiness and exhilaration and can be so intense it often can replace other addictions to drugs, alcohol, including appetite for food.

Natural tranquilizer

There is a trend for doctors now to recommend to their patients suffering from clinical depression and other psychological disorders to try running. This is based on studies that show running as a natural tranquilizer. Patients are reported to be less tense, less confused, less depressed, and less fatigued.

Whatever your reasons for running are, it is a safe bet that it is one of the best natural disease-fighters man had discovered. What’s more, it’s free and it’s delirious as well.

 

Whey Protein

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Do you know that there are a lot of dairy products that bring about great benefits to the human body? There are a lot such as this blend of natural nutrients typically extracted from milk, whey protein is where alpha- lactalbumin and beta- lactoglobulin can be taken from. As compared to other of its kind, this building block has been proven to be easily digested. One of those that are very difficult to masticate is casein which has been coagulated and found to be abundant in cheese.

Alpha- lactalbumin is a type of whey protein that is rich in tryptophan where the immune system utilizes in generating monoamine serotonin. Recently, there was a study conducted that revealed the advantage of combining the said kind of building block with one’s diet. There was such a favorable result especially for people who were susceptible to encountering dilemmas with fatigue. Researchers believe that alpha- lactalbumin can increase the level of neurons in the brain.

whey protein

When you do not take in dairy products such as cream, butter, yogurt and gelato, you will most likely be deficient in whey protein. However, there are other sources where you can obtain the amino acids present in the building block. Health professionals suggest that everyday, there should be at least twenty grams of intake of the likes of milk and cheese. For those that are normally engaged in strenuous activities such as athletes, they need to consume as little as twenty- five grams in a daily basis.

Allergies can never be avoided like individuals who react when they eat any cream, butter, yogurt and gelato. When there are negative effects then do not make the matter worst and stop feeding yourself with those because actually, when there is excessive amount of natural nutrients, there has been a close association with bone damage and kidney deterioration. Albeit, until this juncture, there are no proofs that extreme eating of food sated with whey protein can result to the mentioned problems.

There is this controversial issue that says, there are particular properties in milk that can actually motivate the development of diabetes in children. The news is unmistakably alarming especially to nursing mothers that still have young kids. To avoid any complications, it is then highly recommended that those people who are keeping away from any form of cow extract due to the risk of high glucose blood sugar should also avoid whey protein, all at the same time.

 

What Can I Eat and What Can’t I Eat If I’m Gluten Sensitive?

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The above question can be answered in just line. You can eat foods that don’t contain any traces of gluten. That’s it. All you need to do is eat non-gluten foods. Isn’t that easy? Of course it is. Conceptually easy. In reality, it’s extremely difficult to execute in practice.

We live in a world where most commercially produced food contains gluten or gluten based additives and ingredients. A bottle of tomato sauce may have gluten based starches in it. A sausage may have gluten based fillers in it. Gluten is everywhere. How do you avoid it?

gluten

Very carefully. That’s how. You will need to check and re-check your food. You’ll need to see if there was any cross-contamination from manufacture down to retail. To make matters worse, major food companies lie on their food labels too. This is well within the laws since the FDA rules are a little lax.

Your best bet will be to cook your own food and use healthy wholesome ingredients. The healthiest and natural foods such as meat, eggs, poultry, vegetables, and fruit and many grains and legumes do not contain gluten. You do have a wide variety of choices.

The problem occurs when people wish to eat foods such as cakes, breads, etc. Foods that usually contain gluten. These are the normal comfort foods that they are accustomed too. In order to eat such foods, you will need to find gluten-free substitutes.

All this is troublesome to say the least, but that’s how the cookie crumbles. There is no other way to say it… and the cookie needs to be gluten-free too.
Below is a general list of foods you should and should not eat. Use it as a general guideline.

Foods with Gluten

• Breads, cookies, pizzas, pies, pastas, croutons, cereals, crackers
• Sauces such as soy sauce, ketchup, mustard, teriyaki sauce, marinades, BBQ sauce, salad dressings
• Curry powder, mustard powder, food flavoring
• Brewer’s yeast
• Canned vegetables may contain traces of gluten additives
• Yoghurts, puddings, processed cheese
• Most processed meats such as meatballs, sausages, meat jerky
• Beer that is produced with wheat or barley

Foods without Gluten

• Seafood, poultry, meat
• Eggs
• Vegetables and fruit
• Dairy products and unsweetened yoghurt
• Rice, oats, legumes, gluten-free grains
• Wine
• Corn
• Natural spices

These are just some of the foods. The list is by no means exhaustive and only serves as a general guideline. You will need to do more research so that you are better informed and can make wise food choices. If you’re gluten intolerant, do switch to a gluten-free lifestyle.

Many people know what they need to do but they don’t do it because it takes too much effort. If you’re gluten sensitive, unfortunately you don’t have much choice in the matter. You really do need to switch to a gluten-free lifestyle.

It will keep you healthy and prevent many ailments and health issues from taking root. It will require sacrifice on your part. Just remember that nothing worthwhile was ever achieved easily. You can do it if you take it one day at a time.

How To Stay Motivated With Running

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As one ignorant non-runner said, running is boring, exhausting, and sometimes painful. Yet today, running is one of the most popular individual sports in the world, counting millions and millions of followers.

This number does not even include yet those who are engaged into serious competitive running. How do they keep themselves motivated and stay at that?

running

Loss of motivation

Because it is a solitary performance at most, running sometimes CAN be boring, exhausting and painful. Some runners (newcomers and veterans alike) declare that it can be difficult sometimes to stay motivated on a regular basis.

Loss of motivation is triggered by many things, including boredom, muscle pains, and most of all, lack of time. Some other times in your running years you were probably attacked by lack of motivation.

It starts out slow (skipping a run or two) and without your knowing it, gradually moves to a point where you notice you are not running regularly anymore.

Goals

One of the better ways to fight loss of motivation is to set realistic goals. One of the more common goals to stay motivated is simply to complete a race.

Choosing your race, training for it, and finally competing in it is another good source of motivation. Your selection should depend on your personal goals. If motivation is your only goal, perhaps choosing to compete in those periodic short races is the best option.

Setting realistic goals is the easiest way for a runner’s motivation to stay up and intense enough.

Of course, you can always choose your favorite distance (5K or 10K or a marathon). The choice itself, the thought, and the actual preparations and the competition proper are enough factors to keep you busy (training) and motivated (prestige and awards) enough.

Other runners are motivated by setting bigger goals to their training (if competing) or in just plain running. They set up faster times, or longer distances as their next goals.

Naturally, they will not get it right the first time. The attempts of bettering them are very good motivators.

Variations

Runners can also stay motivated by adding some variety into their program. They can vary the courses (and terrain) they are running (jogging across the woods or the tracks), distance, speed and intensity (doing sprints in straight tracks and jogging in curves) among other things.

Running with a friend (in twos or threes) can sometimes perk up an otherwise monotonous activity. Thinking of someone going with you on a run can sometimes be a very good motivation to do it. Working alone makes staying in bed in a cold morning seems extremely tempting.

Off times

Occasionally, runners have to take some time off from running. This may look counter-intuitive but it is effective.

One way is doing some cross-training which can also help you stay in shape other than running. (This is aside from the fact that you DID take some time off from running.)

Add to your workout schedule a week for every two months perhaps of not running at all but doing another physical activity of your choice. The break from running makes you feel recharged and raring to go back running.

 

Organic Black Tea

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All tea leaves are green when harvested. High in the Himalayas, tea pickers are hard at work, plucking only young and the most flavorful leaves from the plant, called Camellia sinensis. Although tea plants flourish in tropical climate, the best organic black teas are those grown in high altitudes where the clouds and cool mountain air comfort the tea plant and moisturize its leaves.

After the tea leaves are picked, they are inspected and sorted and withered. All of this is done by hand. As water from the leaves evaporates, the natural process of fermentation begins to take place. Fermentation, also known as oxidation, is the reason why organic black tea is black.

tea

Unlike the fermentation done with wines, tea fermentation does not produce alcohol. Instead, enzymes naturally contained in the leaves are released, oxidizing the leaf in the process and turning it brown just like a tea leaf in the fall when it changes color from green to brown.

By increasing heat and high humidity in a process called firing (the leaves are exposed to high temperature over fire or commercial ovens), the fermentation of organic black tea accelerates. As a result of these conditions, it is only a matter of hours before green tea is turned to what is known as organic black tea.

There are several different types of organic black tea. They are called ‘organic’ because they were purely grown organically, without the use of chemical fertilizers or commercial pesticides. The types of organic black tea depend on the name of the region where the Camellia sinensis plant is grown. Below are the top three organic black tea, valued for their rich taste and color.

Keemun

Considered by most to be the finest of Chinese black teas, Keemun organic black tea is actually a style of tea rather than the name of a region. Keemun is grown in many regions of China and Taiwan. Because of its smooth taste and aromatic flavor, Keemun organic black tea is often referred to as the “Burgundy” of teas. Chinese Keemuns are especially rich and flavorful. Higher grades of Keemun are also sweet, fruity, and pleasantly full-bodied with a delicate smoky nuance.

Keemun is great by itself. But if you want a slightly different taste, the tea also goes well with a bit of milk and sugar.

Darjeeling

Named for the Darjeeling province in northeast India, this fine drink is another organic black tea worth trying. Often referred to as the “Champagne of teas,” Darjeeling is praised for its aroma and delicate flavor. Incidentally, the Darjeeling region also produces excellent green and oolong teas – both known for their delicate tastes. The organic black teas are delicately flavorful but still full-bodied and succulent with a wide range of flavors from floral to nutty and sometimes with subtle muscatel notes.

Lapsang Souchong

Another organic black tea from China and Taiwan, Lapsang Souchong is also a style of tea with an intensely strong smoky flavor that many find, if not particularly delicious, then intriguing. The flavor is produced by drying the leaves over a smoldering pine fire. This organic black tea is made from larger leaves that contain lower amounts of caffeine, making it a popular evening drink.

Lapsang Souchong is not for everyone’s palate. If you want to experiment a little with your organic black tea, try some and decide for yourself.

How Can I Tell If I’m Gluten Intolerant?

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About 1 in every 133 Americans is gluten intolerant. The majority of people who are gluten intolerant do not even know that they are. The reason for this is that the symptoms are so commonplace that it is easy to assume that you’re just feeling a little “off”.

Over time, people get used to feeling these symptoms and just assume that they have poor health or they are getting old. In reality, they are gluten intolerant and they’re consuming foods that is just not agreeing with their body’s constitution.

gluten

This article will highlight a few common symptoms that many gluten intolerant people experience. If you see these signs recurring in your daily life, you might want to see a doctor and check things out.

If you feel bloated, have gas all the time and suffer from constipation, you might be gluten intolerant. Your intestines are having issues with the food you’re consuming. Diarrhea is also a common symptom.

Your energy level is another indicator. Are you always feeling lethargic? You’re 28 but feel like you’re 208? Gluten intolerant people feel totally drained after a meal because of the effects in the digestive tract. The larger the meals, the more exhausted you feel. This is something that you can easily monitor.

How do you feel after you eat? Do you get irritated or angry easily? This is another sign of gluten intolerance.

Swollen glands are another indicator of gluten intolerance. In fact, this is one of the best indicators. If your glands are swollen, there is definitely an issue in your body that requires attention. If this happens frequently, you shouldn’t just brush it aside as “just one of those things that will go away”. You may be gluten intolerant.

Migraines, cluster headaches, tension headaches, etc. that occur frequently after your meals could be symptoms of gluten intolerance. Many people seek treatment for the headaches by using aspirin or other methods. The relief while temporary, does nothing to solve the problem. Only a gluten-free lifestyle can put an end to your headaches.

Inflammation in the body is one of those signs of gluten intolerance that is often misdiagnosed. People think they are having muscular aches or poor blood circulation. Everything is blamed except gluten and that’s because most people aren’t even aware of what gluten intolerance is.

If your body constantly aches or if the joints feel swollen and painful all the time, you’re suffering from inflammation. Either that or you’re learning kung-fu. Since it will most probably be the former, you’re just gluten intolerant. You need to change your diet.

There is an old adage that goes, “It’s not what you eat. It’s what is eating you that causes ill health.” Sorry… if you’re gluten intolerant, it’s totally what you eat. We’ll save the adage for later. For now, you need to avoid gluten.

Even the way you feel is affected. Feeling down? Feeling depressed? Just not feeling good? It could be gluten.

Suddenly developing rashes? Eczema? Keratosis pilaris? It could be gluten.

As you can see, if you’re gluten intolerant, there are so many ways you can be affected. The best thing to do would be to keep a journal to record the food you eat and how you feel. Over time, you will notice a pattern and realize what is triggering the problems. From there it’s just a matter of tweaking your diet to end the symptoms.

Take an active interest in the way you feel and what you eat. If you planning on living a long, healthy life, you have to start today.