Tips on Buying Bottled Water

There has been some controversy lately about buying bottled water because of plastic leeching from the bottles into the water.. First off not all bottled water can be considered to fine or premium bottle waters.

Still you and your kids have to drink water. If. Not drinking enough water often causes the feelings of illness that many people experience when they are first beginning a diet or exercise program. These symptoms can include dry itchy skin, headaches, stress, mental fogginess, weakness, sleepiness, bloating and constipation

Here are some tips on buying bottled water that is of a healthy and of a high quality because the last thing we want to do is lower the life quality for our children any more than we already have.

The first tip is 'don't believe the pictures that you see on bottled waters'. One of the biggest scams going when it comes to bottled water is for the manufacturer to package it with pictures of mountains or clear flowing crystal springs on the labels. You would think from looking at the labels on these waters that you are buying a product that is packaged right at the source. Nothing could be further than the truth. There are several very big manufacturers of bottled water that are simply reselling tap water from the Great Lakes and other sources are not that pure. In essence, what you are buying, despite that picture of the Majestic Mountain or big iceberg on the label, is simply tap water made from municipal sources.

The second tip is to never buy a bottle that has been scratched. You can often see a scratch in a bottle if you hold it up to the light. If you see a scratch it means that the product may be contaminated with chemicals from the glass or plastic leaching into the water. This is because plastic is made from layers and not all of the plastic used to manufacture a plastic bottle is that hard.

The third tip is to never buy a plastic bottle of water that a bit warped or looks like it is melted a bit. This can mean that the bottle melted a bit from heat exposure. When plastic bottles are heated up the chemicals in the plastic can leach into the water as well. This is also why you should avoid drinking bottled water that you know has been sitting in the back of a hot car trunk or in direct sunlight. It is possible that the ultraviolet rays from the sun have degraded the plastic and caused the beverage to become toxic.

The fourth tip is to always check the cap on any bottled water that you buy. If it is loose, open or appears tampered with in any way due not consume the water's content. Anything can happen in this day and age. The water could be tampered with or contaminated with bacteria. If the bottled water container appears fat or swollen this is definitely a sign that the water has gone off or is contaminated with bacteria so don't drink it!

Parenting Tips
, , , , , , , , ,

What is a Milk Protein Allergy?

Milk protein allergy is best described as irritation or inflammation that occurs in a baby's intestinal tract in reaction to protein exposure.

Milk (and most foods) is made up of there major components – protein, fat and sugar. It's the protein part of the milk that gives allergic babies a problem. These proteins are made up of large chains of amino acids which are the building blocks of protein Sometimes the body reacts to certain sequences that these amino acids form and the result is milk protein allergy.

Whether or not your baby will react to milk protein depends whether or not his or her immune system perceives the protein as a problem. If it does it will recruit white blood cells to the lining of the intestinal tract. These white blood cells release chemicals making the GI tract red, swollen and ulcerated. This, of course, can cause your baby great pain!

The two proteins most often responsible for reactions in babies are those found in cow's milk – casein and whey. The protein whey used in standard infant formulas comes to cow's milk. It isn't intact or whole protein but it is cow's milk protein nonetheless.

Even if you are breastfeeding your baby you are not safe from passing on a cow's milk allergy to your baby. Infants can react to proteins found in our milk.

Between two and eight weeks of age the typical baby with milk allergies shows some combination of the following symptoms –

· Bloody stools – Infants with milk protein allergy often have blood-streaked stools. Not all blood in baby's stools is visible and you may have to have the stools analyzed to detect it.

· Mucus production – The colon, like the vagina, sinuses and lungs is a mucus-producing organ. When there is a milk protein allergy your baby may excrete thick, stringy mucus that mixes in with stools.

· Cramping and fussing – Babies with ulcerated intestines tend to be very crabby. That is because they are experiencing painful spasms in their intestines that may be dismissed as just colic.

· Diarrhea – When the bowel is not happy it produces diarrhea. Diarrhea is caused by the inflammation of the intestinal walls.

· Excema – This is dry scaly patches of skin that are found on the extremities. Dry weather and excessive bathing of the baby can make matters worse. If your baby's eczema is milk induced you will notice a marked improvement within two to four weeks after changing to a hypoallergenic formula. Infants with eczema due to milk allergy do have a more intense case of allergic inflammation.

· Wheezing and congestion – Like eczema, wheezing and chronic nasal congestion are often described as symptoms of milk allergy but in most babies they aren't a problem. For most babies the reaction to milk protein occurs at the lining of the intestinal organs.

If you suspect your child has a milk protein allergy consult him or her right away so your formula can be adjusted.

Parenting Tips
, , , , , , ,