Fruit snacks are an extremely popular treat among schoolchildren. Whether in their lunch box or at a birthday party, fruit snacks for kids are always in demand. So, how healthy are these treats exactly? Or are they simply a treat? Let’s take a look at some facts that you should know about readymade fruit-based snacks for kids before handing your little one their next tasty treat: 1. Fruit snacks are often high in sugar Most fruit snacks that you can buy off the shelves are prepared with generous amounts of sugar. In fact, one small packet of fruit snacks that contains seven to eight pieces has as much as two and a half teaspoons of sugar. Considering that kids also consume high amounts of sugar through other foods like cereals, bread, cookies, and more, the additional sugar from fruit snacks amounts to too much. 2. Fruit snacks have many unhealthy ingredients Apart from sugar, there are many other unhealthy ingredients in fruit snacks, including preservatives, artificial fruit dyes, corn syrup, gelatin, and citric acid. These are not things you want your child to consume daily. 3. Fruit snacks may or may not contain real fruit The title says “fruit snacks,” but does that mean there is real fruit?

An autoimmune disease, rheumatoid arthritis causes the immune system to attack the joints. This leads to symptoms such as pain, swelling, and stiffness of the joints. The disease progresses over time and often becomes debilitating, and there is no treatment to permanently cure rheumatoid arthritis. Although, treatments and therapies exist to help manage the symptoms, enabling people to learn to live with the disorder. While this can be difficult, it is not impossible to manage the symptoms. A combination of medications, therapies, and an active lifestyle along with a healthy diet can help in tackling rheumatoid arthritis. When it comes to a rheumatoid arthritis diet, it is easier to find ideas for meals rather than snacks. But how can you deal with those hunger pangs and cravings between meals without aggravating arthritis symptoms? Here are a few snacks to fight rheumatoid arthritis pain. 1. Kale chips Packed with anti-inflammatory nutrients, kale is one of the best foods for those with rheumatoid arthritis. This leafy green vegetable can be added to salads and smoothies for a healthy filling meal. Also, it is quite versatile and can be made into a delicious and nutritious snack. Kale chips can be easily made at home.

Asthma is a condition marked by an inflammation of the airways that causes difficulty in breathing. The disease is lifelong and its episodes can be debilitating. An asthma episode can occur suddenly. At these times, the knowledge of certain emergency remedies can help in order to provide instant relief to the patient until professional medical assistance arrives. Here are four emergency treatments for allergies and asthma that you can use: 1. Correct posture As soon as you feel that an asthma episode is likely to occur, you would notice a tightening of the chest and wheezing in your breathing. At this stage, you might feel tempted to lie down, but experts advise against doing so. The correct posture is to sit upright. Try to stay calm while calling for help even though this is difficult. Do not lie down even if any family member or friend tries to coax you into doing so. 2. Instant breathing techniques The knowledge of breathing techniques can be a life-saver for an asthma patient. Here are some easy and essential breathing techniques that can really come in handy during an emergency. Pursed lip exhaling: In this method, inhale normally through the nose while your mouth stays closed.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic condition marked by abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and constipation or diarrhea. In some cases. one can even suffer from this condition throughout their life. But, the good news is that the symptoms of IBS can be easily managed by following certain good and healthy habits. Here is how you can start treating irritable bowel syndrome with smart diet choices. 1. Following low FODMAP meals Certain carbs are tougher than others for the body to break down. These come in the Fermentable, Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, Sugar Alcohols, and Polyols (FODMAP) category. Your doctor will guide you on how to go about avoiding these types of carbs if you have IBS. Since all the sources of these carbohydrates cannot be removed instantaneously, the process followed is that of a gradual but steady reduction. Some foods that you should avoid as part of low FODMAP meals include baked beans, cabbage, cauliflower, chickpeas, dairy products, soybeans, watermelon, and processed, refined wheat foods like pizza. Artificial sweeteners also do not agree well with IBS symptoms. Foods that work well as part of low FODMAP meals include bananas, grapes, oranges, eggplant, sweet potato, carrots, green beans, and spinach, among others.

Hyperthyroidism is a condition that is marked by hyperactivity in the thyroid gland. In this disease, the thyroid makes excess amounts of its T3 and T4 hormones. Hyperthyroidism is generally caused by Graves’ disease, which is an autoimmune condition. Graves’ disease tends to run in families and researchers are still trying to find out exactly why it affects some people and not others. Symptoms of hyperthyroidism include nausea and vomiting, brittle hair and nails, irritability, weight loss, nervousness, and insomnia. This article talks about current methods for treating thyroid diseases like hyperthyroidism. 1. Medication The first line of treatment for hyperthyroidism is medication. These medicines stop the thyroid gland from excessive production of its hormones. Common anti-thyroid medications include propylthiouracil and methimazole. Treatment with these medicines generally continues over several months to one year. Some patients might experience side-effects such as hives or even fever. In certain cases, long-term consumption of antithyroid medicines can lead to liver damage. 2. Surgery Some patients are unable to take thyroid medication due to allergies or delicate medical conditions (such as pregnancy). In such cases, surgery is recommended. Surgery for treating thyroid disease is known as thyroidectomy. In this surgery, either a part of or the entire thyroid is removed.

One of the most common forms of cancer, breast cancer impacts nearly 12% of women in the country. This means that almost 1 out of every 8 women will need to seek cancer therapy at some point in their life. Furthermore, more than 41,000 women are expected to die from breast cancer complications in 2019. These are alarming statistics indeed. Standard treatments for breast cancer are the same as any other form of cancer. These involve chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. There are some additional treatments for breast cancer that are used depending on the patient’s requirement. Here are some of them. 1. Hormone therapy In this form of treatment, breast cancers that are sensitive to hormones are singled out and treated. These cancers are medically known as estrogen receptor-positive and progesterone receptor-positive cancers. Hormone treatments prevent hormones from attaching themselves to cancerous cells and also work toward stopping additional production of hormones in the ovaries. It is for this reason that this treatment is also called hormone-blocking therapy. Hormone-blocking therapy may be done before breast cancer surgery or even after it. Most hormone therapy treatments can last for five years or even more. Some of the commonly used drugs in hormone therapy include fulvestrant, aromatase inhibitors, and tamoxifen, among others.

Ulcers are sores on the body that do not heal for a long time. They can repeatedly occur despite treatment. Ulcers can occur anywhere on the body, but they commonly appear on the legs and feet. 1. Leg and foot ulcer types The three main leg and foot ulcer types are: Neurotrophic ulcers These ulcers develop as a result of nerve problems or nerve damage. Neurotrophic ulcers are common in diabetics. These ulcers develop on the points of increased pressure where the foot comes in contact with the ground. These ulcers may be dark brown or even black in color. Neurotrophic ulcers are usually marked by calluses that surround the impacted area. There may also be a complete loss of sensation to the foot and accompanying tingling in the legs and feet. As there is a loss of sensation, patients may not realize the presence of an injury and thus, need to inspect their feet regularly. It is advisable that anyone with this type of ulcer should never walk barefoot, as this can lead to a high risk of infection or injury, which may go unnoticed due to numbness. Arterial ulcers Arterial ulcers are also known as ischemic ulcers. These ulcers usually occur on the heel, between the toes, or in the nail bed.

Started in the year 2009 by sports nutritionist Melissa Hartwig, the Whole30 diet is a 30-day program aimed at transforming one’s health by eliminating food groups that are known to be harmful. The diet helps reset your body and fix issues that are caused due to certain foods. Unlike most diet plans, Whole30’s aim is not to help you lose weight but rather fix your health in a manner where you reset your body. This encourages you to follow a new, revised relationship with food that suits your body’s needs and helps you live your best life. The program is very strict and asks the participant to follow a diet which is completely avoidant of the food groups that are known to be inflammatory, gut-disrupting, and psychologically unhealthy. Additionally, foods that cause hormone imbalance should be avoided as well. The following is a list of foods to avoid: 1. Sugar Consuming any added sugar (real or artificial) is a big no-no. Foods like maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar, date syrup, stevia, monk fruit extract, agave nectar, xylitol, NutraSweet, Splenda®, Equal should be avoided at all costs. Be careful of any added sugars in packaged foods as well. 2. Grains As mentioned, the diet is very strict.

A lot of people think and believe gardening is a pastime indulged by those who are past their primes, to make their homes look good. The truth, however, couldn’t be further from this fallacy. Gardening is an activity that humans have practiced for thousands of years and has a plethora of advantages that has cemented its place in our history. From burning a ton of calories to reducing blood pressure to finding relief from daily stress, the benefits of gardening form a long list familiar to those with a green thumb. But the most enriching association with gardening occurs when it becomes a source of your food. When that happens, you will find yourself eating healthier while making substantial savings on the food you buy. When people get into gardening, they may quickly get a rude shock on the initial costs associated with the project. Fertilizers, tools and equipment, water, pesticides, and the like cost money and do not come cheap. The expenses may quickly add up if one is not careful or is unaware about what they are doing. But any experienced gardener will tell you that if you follow some of the best practices, in the long run, the benefits outweigh the costs every time.

Allergies can be quite common with people. These range in intensities and most can be cured if diagnosed at the right time. Sometimes situations exacerbate when allergies are accompanied by misconceptions and myths. 1. Food allergy  Roughly 32 million people are diagnosed with food allergies, and some of these cases are life-threatening. In scientific terms when the allergy reaches a life-threatening stage, it is termed as anaphylaxis. Here are some of the common myths that surround food allergies – If the reaction is mild, then the food allergy will also be mild The truth is that mild symptoms can soon aggravate if not taken care of. There is no difference between food allergies and food intolerance: While food allergies involve your immune system, food intolerances do not. If one of the food allergy types grows during childhood, it will stay lifelong: One can develop a food allergy at any age. Having said that, it is also seen that children tend to outgrow food allergies over time. 2. Skin allergy    If you have rashes, you have skin allergy There is a difference between dermatitis and skin allergy. Dermatitis tends to show its effects very quickly, while skin allergy takes time to surface.