About Seasonal Allergies

By SKetcham, eHow Editor

Seasonal allergies are immune reactions to pollens, molds, or other triggers that are present for only one season or part of the year. This type of allergy can affect any person of any age in any location. Generally, pollen from trees, grasses, weeds or molds trigger seasonal allergies. Seasonal allergies cause a variety of symptoms, such as itchy eyes and nose, headaches, sore throats and sneezing. Symptoms often disrupt daily life and cause considerable discomfort. Rarely, seasonal allergies may cause severe, life-threatening allergic reactions or asthma attacks. Prevention is key, but treatments are available, including antihistamines, corticosteroids, and immunotherapy for severe cases.

Think it's not possible to watch your calories while dining out? Well, think again. Eating out should be a fun, relaxing experience - not one that brings about stress, anxiety and worry. By following these simple tips, the only thing you'll have to worry about the next time you go to a restaurant who will pay the bill?


Plan ahead. Most restaurants have their menus on-line, so have a quick glance before you decide where to go. The majority of eateries today have a varied menu to accommodate all customers, but it never hurts to be pro-active. If the restaurant only serves deep fried food or ice cream sundaes, then you might want to consider an alternative. Some restaurants even provide the nutritional content of their food which needless to say, will make planning your meal out much easier.
If you don't ask, they won't tell. You won't be arrested for making a request. Ask your server to have your food prepared in a certain way. Restaurants are more than willing to accommodate their customers, so why not ask for your food to be grilled, poached, boiled or even steamed instead of fried (as it may be listed on the menu). You'd be surprised at how many ingredients they actually have in the kitchen so even asking for something that is not on the menu is a good idea. Cheese, sour cream, butter, and mayonnaise are all items that should not be eaten when dining out because chances are, the restaurant won't have the fat free versions of these high fat ingredients. Simply requesting that your meal not be served with these items will be enough to avoid temptation.

On the side. Requesting any ingredient to be on the side will allow you to be in control of how much you eat. Instead of getting the salad dressing that is listed on the menu (smothered on your salad,) why not ask for olive oil and vinegar on the side?
by Bobbi Leder

Easy health Tip "Buckle Up"

by Wade Meredith

I still can’t believe how many people don’t do this. Buckle your seat belt. It’s such an easy thing to do. I’ve heard all mannner of excuses about this one from people. Stories about how they know a guy who flipped their car into a river and the fact that they weren’t wearing a seat belt saved their life. Well, I say , “baloney.”

If you buckle up, then you have a better chance of survival. That’s a fact.

Now, you can do whatever you want in this country and that’s a great thing, but when you’re raising my insurance rates (car and medical) it makes me angry. So buckle your seat belt, for both our sakes.

Start your day with breakfast.

Breakfast fills your "empty tank" to get you going after a long night without food. And it can help you do better in school. Easy to prepare breakfasts include cold cereal with fruit and low-fat milk, whole-wheat toast with peanut butter, yogurt with fruit, whole-grain waffles or even last night's pizza!

Get Moving!

It's easy to fit physical activities into your daily routine. Walk, bike or jog to see friends. Take a 10-minute activity break every hour while you read, do homework or watch TV. Climb stairs instead of taking an escalator or elevator. Try to do these things for a total of 30 minutes every day.

Snack Smart.

Snacks are a great way to refuel. Choose snacks from different food groups—a glass of low-fat milk and a few graham crackers, an apple or celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins, or some dry cereal. If you eat smart at other meals, cookies, chips and candy are OK for occasional snacking.

Work up a sweat.

Vigorous work-outs—when you're breathing hard and sweating—help your heart pump better, give you more energy and help you look and feel your best. Start with a warm-up that stretches your muscles. Include 20 minutes of aerobic activity, such as running, jogging or dancing. Follow-up with activities that help make you stronger such as push-ups or lifting weights. Then cool-down with more stretching and deep breathing.

Balance your food choices—don't eat too much of one thing.

You don't have to give up foods like hamburgers, french fries and ice cream to eat healthfully. You just have to be smart about how often and how much of them you eat. Your body needs nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, fat and many different vitamins and minerals such as vitamins C and A, iron and calcium from a variety of foods. Balancing food choices from the Food Guide Pyramid and checking out the Nutrition Facts Panel on food labels will help you to get all these nutrients.

Get fit with friends or family.

Being active is much more fun with friends or family. Encourage others to join you and plan one special physical activity event, like a bike ride or hiking, with a group each week.

Eat more grains, fruits and vegetables.

These foods give you carbohydrates for energy, plus vitamins, minerals and fiber. Besides, they taste good! Try breads such as whole-wheat, bagels and pita. Spaghetti and oatmeal are also in the grain group.

Bananas, strawberries and melons are some great tasting fruits. Try vegetables raw, on a sandwich or in a salad.

Join in physical activities at school.

Whether you take a physical education class or do other physical activities at school, such as intramural sports, structured activities are a sure way to feel good, look good and stay physically fit.

Foods aren't good or bad.

A healthy eating style is like a puzzle with many parts. Each part—or food—is different. Some foods may have more fat, sugar or salt while others may have more vitamins or fiber. There is a place for all these foods. What makes a diet good or bad is how foods fit together. Balancing your choices is important. Fit in a higher-fat food, like pepperoni pizza, at dinner by choosing lower-fat foods at other meals. And don't forget about moderation. If two pieces of pizza fill you up, don't eat a third.

Make healthy eating and physical activities fun!

Take advantage of physical activities you and your friends enjoy doing together and eat the foods you like. Be adventurous—try new sports, games and other activities as well as new foods. You'll grow stronger, play longer, and look and feel better! Set realistic goals—don't try changing too much at once.

Important Safety Information

Indication
XENICAL is for people who are considerably overweight (have a body mass index of 30 or greater). XENICAL is also for people who are overweight (have a body mass index of 27 or greater) and also have other risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease or diabetes.