It’s not something that can be taken lightly, not when it comes to the safety and well-being of your children. Food allergies may not sound serious, but when your child is suffocating, finding it difficult to breathe, breaks out in hives or rashes, vomiting, running to the bathroom with diarrhea, suffering intense stomach pains and other symptoms, it’s going to be hard to stay calm and get them ASAP to a doctor. Children are susceptible to food allergies, some of them from birth itself. And it’s up to us as parents to ensure that they don’t suffer as a result. So if you’re hoping to protect your kids from food allergies, here’s what you need to do:

• Breastfeed for as long as possible: The health benefits of breast milk have been proven beyond doubt, but if you need added incentive to delay the introduction of solid foods, the prevention of food allergies is one. If your family is at risk for food allergies, it’s best to breastfeed your child for as long as possible.
• Start solid foods one at a time: When you do start him/her on solid food, introduce one food at a time so that it’s easier to determine the cause of allergies if your child starts exhibiting symptoms. When you begin more than one food item simultaneously, it’s hard to isolate the food that’s responsible for causing adverse reactions in your child.
• Delay giving them eggs, milk and nuts: Some of the most common food allergens are milk and other dairy products, eggs, peanuts and other nuts and nut-based products. If you suspect that your child may be allergic to any of these foods, delay them until they’re two years of age and above.
• Read food labels carefully: Your child may be allergic to all dairy products so you need to steer clear of anything with lactic acid. And that’s why you need to read labels carefully to avoid giving them food that does not suit their bodies. You may think you’re buying a chocolate bar, but if there’s a hint of peanut in it, you’re buying trouble for the entire family.
• Talk to your child about the need to avoid certain foods: Rather than just telling your kids that they must not eat certain foods, it’s best to explain to them how they need to stay away from them because of their allergies. This will help them avoid potentially disastrous situations when they’re at school or with friends. Teach them to read labels and make a conscious effort to avoid foods that do not agree with them.

There’s an old adage that prevention is better than cure. With Alzheimer’s and similar mental disorders, prevention is your only hope since there’s no known cure for this deadly affliction. There are people who doubt if this severe illness can be prevented, especially if your genetic history makes you prone to it. While it is true that Alzheimer’s disease cannot be prevented completely, it is a proven fact that it can be postponed by as many as 10 years by following a few simple rules.

It’s not only genetics that determine whether you are affected by Alzheimer’s; it’s the environment and your way of life too. While you cannot change your genes, you do have the power to change your life and how you live it. If you want to postpone the onset of Alzheimer’s, here’s what you need to do:

• Exercise, both your body and mind: Just as regular physical exercise is necessary to keep your body healthy and fit, so is mental exercise needed to keep all your brain cells functioning like new. The saying “Use it or lose it” takes on a literal meaning here – as long as you keep using your brain, you’re challenging yourself and pushing your boundaries. You’re also boosting blood supply to the brain and this keeps your blood vessels in good shape, something that has been proven to keep the physical signs of Alzheimer’s like impaired memory and cognitive functions away even though the brain shows presence of the plaques and tangles that are associated with Alzheimer’s.

  Physical exercise also boosts blood flow to your brain, and mentally stimulating activities like puzzles and board games enhance your learning abilities. Trying new things, like learning a new language or how to play an instrument, also helps in using different areas of your brain and keeping the whole area active.

• Watch what you eat: It’s the same advice for both physical and mental health – eat foods that are good for you, foods that contain a balanced amount of protein, carbohydrates that act slowly to release energy, and fats that are not saturated. Also include lots of vegetables and fruits in your meals and cut down on the fried foods and snacks.
• Change your habits: If you smoke, stop cold turkey. If you drink regularly, limit yourself to one drink a day if you cannot stop altogether. If you’re overweight, work on removing those excess pounds. If you’re subject to stress, focus on learning how to relax.
• Be socially active: The more friends you have, the more you go out, the more you enjoy interacting with people, the longer you can delay Alzheimer’s. When you lead an active lifestyle, you’re always on the go and you always have something to do. This keeps both your body and mind active. It’s especially important to remember this when you’re old and want to withdraw from society and live a quiet life. Remaining socially active will keep your brain healthy. `

Besides this, you need to prevent any severe head injuries that could jar your brain and affect it adversely. There are medications that may be successful in slowing the onset of Alzheimer’s, but you need to talk to your doctor about it before you decide if you need them or not.