Page 22 - 8-14-15 Friday's Edition Updated

Health
Conquer Summer Allergies
Eat Your Brittle Nails Away!
Here are five surefire ways to help ease your symptoms so that you can actually enjoy your sum- mer.
1. Get in the cleaning mood. Throw away some stuff, have a garage sale or donate it - since clutter does nothing but collect dust, making your allergy symptoms worse. Be sure to wear a mask as you’re clearing things out.
2. Switch up your diet. If you’re allergic to pollen, stay away from kiwi, apples, peaches, plums, cherries, carrots and al- monds. Allergic to ragweed? Avoid bananas, melons and tomatoes.
3. Change your contact lenses. These days, more and more of us are wearing contact lenses as opposed to glasses, which may be convenient for you but not your allergies. The aller- gens can get trapped in your con- tacts, causing your eyes to itch like crazy. For a little relief, you can wear your glasses on some
days or you can switch to dispos- able contacts until the allergy season is over.
4. Drive smart. On your way to and from work, the gro- cery store, school to pick up the kids, wherever, be sure to use the recirculation mode in your car to keep the pollen from getting in because sneezing and reaching for the Kleenex box while driving can be a dangerous situation.
5. Invest in an air puri- fier. An air purifier can remove up to 99% of allergens (pollen, ragweed, pet dander, etc.) in your home and the best part is that you can expect relief in 48 hours or less.
Brittle nails can surely make your flawless manicure look rather sad. You may be suffering from any of the following issues, but the good news is they can be addressed!
1. Folate - If you have brittle nail issues, you probably have a folate deficiency. Try folate-rich foods like lentils, beans, spinach legumes, dark-green leafy veg- etables, and peas.
2. Fatty Acids - Try includ- ing more fatty acids into your diet. A quick and easy way to do this is with flax seed. The great thing about flaxseed is you can toss it in your cereal, oatmeal,
and smoothies pretty transpar- ently!
3. Good Protein - Weak nails are often soft and fragile. To combat this try eating more hearty protein like cornish hens, pork loin, and lower-sodium deli-sliced roast turkey, and fish
(especially salmon and mack- erel). 6 oz of this type of protein a day is the perfect way to beat this weak nails away.
4. Iron - Iron deficiencies can easily ruin your nails. Try fortified cereals, eggs, spinach paired with vitamin C–rich foods like citrus fruits, toma- toes, bell peppers. The combina- tion of the two help the body absorb iron.
5. Olive Oil - A quick rub down with olive oil around the nail beds at night will not only make your nails stronger, but your hands softer. How about that for a double benefit!
Is Your Shape Wear Causing Damage?
Spanx and other shape wear brands are domi- nating the underwear business. They make that sexy black dress look even better on your body. But, have you ever felt faint or in pain, midway through your beautiful evening? This is a common experi- ence for many women wearing these body molding and sculpting negligees.
Organ Compression
If shape wear wasn’t tight, it wouldn’t work. The problem with this is that your stomach, intestines, and colon begin to be compressed. According to gastroenterologist, Dr. Kuemmerle, “wearing shape wear can cause and even worse acid reflux and heartburn due to the compression of the inter- nal organs. Their restrictiveness also can provoke erosive esophagitis.”
Bowel Issues
The pressure on your intestines can cause your food digestion to be stifled. According to Dr. Kuemmerle, “It’s like when people eat a huge meal and then unbuckle their jeans.” Wearing the shape wear can cause abdominal discomfort, bloat- ing, and gas.
Numbness
Sitting in shape wear for long periods of time can cause meralgia parenthetic. This is caused by nerves in your thighs being compressed. Symptoms of this are tingling, numbness, and pain in the legs.
According to chiropractor Dr. Karen Erick- son, “It’s like putting these giant rubber bands around your upper thighs and tightening them when you sit.” It decreases the circulation in your legs, and could even lead to blow clots.
But here’s the reality of this scenario, these con- stricting undergarments, also referred to as, a Spanx, are fine and dandy when worn every now and then. These problems usually occur if you wear Spanx daily for hours and hours. Let the muffin top breathe every now and again!
PAGE 10-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2015