Food and Drugs
THE RX LIST - info on specific drugs.
DRUG DATABASE -more info on specific drugs.
Robert Annand - 04:48am Aug 11, 2000 EST
Food Sensitivity Elimination Diet
Doing an elimination diet is a good way to pinpoint whether you are reacting to foods in a particular food group. While it takes about a month to follow the steps suggested below, you'd have determined what foods may be responsible for your symptoms. Once you've liminated these from your diet you may be able to maintain your symptom-free status forever.
1. Begin by making a real effort to eliminate all of the following foods from your diet for at least seven and preferably 10 days.
• Dairy products, including cheese
• Egg and egg-containing products
• Gluten-containing products, such as wheat and wheat-containing products (including pasta), and barley, oat or rye grains
• Corn and corn-containing products
• Citrus fruits
Some quick substitution ideas for this period might include:
• For dairy: Use soy milk and soy cheese; rice milk, rice-based ice cream.
• For gluten or corn: Try rice, buckwheat, spelt, millet, potatoes or sweet potatoes.
2. After seven days, reconsider your symptoms. If they are completely unchanged, there is probably no food sensitivity component to your problem. Most people with food sensitivities, however, feel nonspecifically "better" after undertaking this program. This may mean not only the elimination of your predominant symptom, but also improved energy, better mental clarity, reduction of joint or muscle aches and improved digestion, including less gas and bloating.
3. The next step is to return one food group to your diet every three days. Be sure to keep a symptom diary. In it you can not only track your primary symptom but also record anything else you notice.
4. At the end of your three-week "return" period, you should have a good idea of the dietary culprit (or culprits).
Once you've determined your key food sensitivity(ies), visit the WholeHealthMD Healing Kitchen for recipes specially created to meet your new nutritional needs.
from: WholeHealthMD.com
Robert Annand - 03:50pm Aug 12, 2000 EST
How to Use Prescription Drugs
As good as today's drug products are, they can't work properly if they are not used correctly. The most important thing you can do is to follow your health care practitioner's advice. Greater benefits from drug products depend on your compliance with medication instructions.
There are two basic goups of medications:
Non-prescription (or over-the-counter) medications such as aspirin, cough syrups, and antacids.
Prescription medications, which must be ordered by a health care practitioner.
To minimize the risk associated with prescription drugs, and to obtain the greatest benefit, you must learn everything you need to know about the prescription drug that has been suggested for you. Talk to your health care practitioner. Be honest and accurate about your symptoms and medical condition.
Talk to your pharmacist. Following your doctor's prescription will be easier with your pharmacist's help. Pharmacists have knowledge about drug information, side effects, and which medications are safe to take at the same time.
Ten basic guidelines for taking prescription drugs are:
1. Know what the drug's name is.
2. Take exactly the dose your health care practitioner suggests, at the recommended times.
3. Make sure you understand the directions. Ask before you leave the medical office or drug store.
4. Ask about side effects. What should you report immediately?
5. Know the time of day you should take the medication, and how many days the prescription is for.
6. Ask if you should eat or drink when you take the medication.
7. Tell your health care practitioner and pharmacist any problems you have had in the past with drug products. If you have severe drug allergies, consider carrying a medical identification card or wearing a bracelet.
8. Never take someone else's medication.
9. Throw out any medication you don't use, or ones with old expiry dates.
10. Ask your health care practitioner and pharmacist for a handout or book reference to learn more about your medication.
When a health care practitioner prescribes a drug for your child, follow the same basic guidelines as for taking prescription drugs. Explain to your child how to use prescription drugs correctly. Take the time to teach them properly, so they too can participate in their own health.
You, your health care practitioner and your pharmacist all have important roles in the proper use of prescription drugs. By working together, you can all share the same goal of good health!
from: medhealth.com
