WHAT ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO?

By establishing whether animal is actually cause of an allergy is certainly best starting point. However, that can be a difficult task if you already have an animal since allergens are extremely difficult to remove entirely.

If an existing pet can be removed and home thoroughly cleaned (carpets, walls, furniture etc.) you MAY be able to verify allergy in several months. Obviously that is not easiest solution.

Having child stay with a friend or relative for a week (as long as there are no pets in home) may show an improvement that might indicate an allergy to family pet.

A visit to doctor can confirm an allergy with a simple test. The tests vary, but some can be mildly uncomfortable and would probably not be considered if allergy symptoms were mild.

Some allergy symptoms are compounded by exposure to several allergens. By identifying other sources and removing them you may find reaction to pets is lessened and not a barrier to enjoying their presence.

CREATING AN ALLERGY FRIENDLY HOME

There are several steps you can take to reduce build up of allergens and bring relief to allergy sufferers.

Many people struggle with food "cravings." Studies tell us that it's fairly common for food cravings to happen at certain times, quite often at around bedtime. Your guard may be down, you may have had an unusually hard day, and off you go on your not-so-merry way to find that tasty treat. Fatigue and stress often combine to take their toll on best of intentions.

When food cravings are unconstrained, what starts out as a bedtime snack quickly turns into a full blown feeding frenzy...not something most of us fully understand or appreciate. We head to kitchen and every other place where food can hide, clearing a path as we go.

Most food cravings are not about satisfying a nutritional need or imbalance. They seem to be more emotionally related, or God forbid, are caused by plain old gluttony. Exactly why we over-indulge is not completely understood, however our knowledge about this subject continues to grow.

Listed below are some thoughts and ideas about food cravings:

- If food isn't available, you can't eat it! Empty cookie jar and keep it that way! Keep healthy food choices on-hand.

- Recognize feelings and emotions that lead-up to a food craving. Do you have food cravings when you’re bored, lonely, or stressed? If you can identify a trigger, you can deal with emotion that’s making you desire a certain food. Try to deal with triggers in best way you can.

- Sometimes, even recognizing that a craving is about to happen doesn't seem to help. Don't beat yourself-up. There is always tomorrow. Call a friend, make good use of your support network and share your feelings with someone.

- Get enough sleep. When you’re tired, you’re more likely to crave things.

- Never give-up. When you "slip", press-in, bear-down, get a grip, do whatever is necessary to re-gain control. Try to practice restraint most of time, but don't get legalistic and un-balanced in your weight loss approach. Think moderation and not abstinence at all times!