The FODMAP diet helps people who have stomach problems like bloating, gas, and pain after eating. It is especially helpful for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which is a common stomach issue. The diet works by cutting out certain foods that can cause these problems. Many people feel better when they know which foods make their symptoms worse.

A healthy balanced diet means eating from a variety of food groups to gain the nutrients we need for functioning at our best. We may choose to exclude a particular food group for any number of reasons – faith or religious beliefs, health beliefs, ethical or green reasons, or we may have an allergy or intolerance. Nutrients come in six categories: carbohydrates, protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and fat. The main food groups include simple and complex sugars, fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, dairy, nuts, and pulses. Excluding any food group can put us at risk of a deficiency, but armed with information, we can source the right foods and supplements to keep us healthy.

DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Hypertension means high blood pressure, so the DASH diet uses diet changes to help control blood pressure. The diet emphasizes having lots of vegetables and fruit, low-fat dairy, whole grains, fish and poultry, and some nuts and seeds and limits refined sugars, red and processed meat, and high fat and saturated fat.

It’s likely that you’ve heard the term ‘diabetes’ but what is it? What are the symptoms? Are there different types? Will I need insulin? In this quick read article, we'll give you an overview of diabetes and help answer the most common questions doctors get asked.

Diabetes mellitus is essentially a problem with keeping your blood sugar in check, and this can have far-reaching consequences from head to toe. Your feet are at particular risk for a number of reasons, and they are checked every year in your annual diabetes check-up. This ensures that any problems are found early and addressed.

Living with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes necessitates maintaining optimal blood sugar levels throughout the day, although treatment approaches may differ. However, determining whether products and medications are truly sugar-free can be challenging. To navigate this issue, individuals must familiarize themselves with the various labels found on food items and medications. It is important to note that while excessive sugar consumption can lead to blood glucose spikes, other food groups can also contribute to this effect.

If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes Type 1 or Type 2, it can take a toll on your eyesight. Over time, if your diabetes is not well-controlled, it can affect the back of the eye, called the retina. As part of the long-term care for your diabetes, you should have yearly retinal screening, where they check for early signs of damage.

Diastix test strips detect sugar (glucose) levels in your urine. They are for people with diabetes or pre-diabetes. Diabetes is associated with uncontrolled high blood glucose levels. This occurs when either you're not producing enough of a hormone called insulin (type 1 diabetes) or your insulin is not working properly (type 2 diabetes). In healthy individuals, glucose is usually not found in the urine. As people with diabetes have high blood glucose levels, their kidneys can't filter all the glucose out of their urine. As a result, Diastix can help indicate your glucose levels. It is an alternative if you do not like testing your blood. Self-monitoring of glucose is mainly for people with type 1 diabetes. However, sometimes it can be beneficial for type 2 diabetes. Diastix is available over the counter and by prescription.

Food intolerance is when your body struggles to digest food or a component of food, and this causes uncomfortable or unpleasant physical symptoms. It is different from an allergy and is not life-threatening like an allergy can be. The most common culprits are dairy (lactose), wheat or gluten, and caffeine. The most common symptoms of food intolerance are stomach pain, bloating, excessive gas, and diarrhea. In some instances, food intolerances can lead to mild skin symptoms such as rashes or itching but these differ in severity from allergic reactions. Suppose you were to suffer symptoms of an allergic reaction, not an intolerance. In that case, there is the potential for something called anaphylaxis to develop, which is life-threatening and can develop quickly. The symptoms may include coughing, wheezing, or having noisy or fast breathing. You may see the face, lips, and tongue swelling, but the risk is if the throat swells, blocking the airways. Food intolerance symptoms are not very specific and commonly can be caused by other conditions such as stress, anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and food allergies.

A food allergy occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly thinks proteins in food are a threat, and it launches an attack that we experience as unwanted symptoms. These vary depending on the food and the type of allergic response. Common foods that cause allergy include milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, gluten or wheat, shellfish, white fish, soy, sesame, and some fruit. Common allergic responses include gut problems, skin reactions, and hay fever-like symptoms. Severe reactions include symptoms related to breathing or swelling around the face or mouth, and these require immediate medical attention. If you suspect a food allergy for yourself or your child, you may wish to get tested. This can be done via your doctor, who usually refers you to an allergist. Let's take you through some of the tests and whether they are worthwhile or not. Unfortunately, any results require interpretation along with symptoms – they're not black and white, and you can't say if an allergy is definitely present or absent. Keeping a food diary can be useful alongside tests and noting any symptoms-related patterns.

Food allergies are on the rise and can cause a great deal of alarm, particularly to parents. How do you know if you or your child has an allergy? Let's take you through the most common food allergies and how you can spot the signs. An allergy to a particular component in food prompts the immune system to go into overdrive, causing symptoms in the gut, skin, and airways. Food allergies are common in young children, but most grow out of these as their immune system develops. Reactions vary from mild to severe. They may be as common as affecting one in 10 adults, and up to half of these were reported to have had a severe reaction, according to one study.

People with diabetes have high blood sugar (glucose) levels that can cause damage to their feet. High blood sugar levels can damage nerves in your feet (peripheral neuropathy), making them less able to feel pain, cold, and heat. As a result, foot problems can go unnoticed. Therefore, complications are more likely due to a lack of prompt treatment. High blood sugar levels can also damage blood vessels, leading to plaque forming inside them (peripheral arterial disease). These narrowed blood vessels reduce blood flow to your feet. A reduced blood supply to your feet means they can’t heal as well as usual. Therefore, effective foot care is essential in diabetes. Effective foot care is crucial in both type 1 and 2 diabetes. Foot problems include blisters, cuts, athlete’s foot, corns, calluses, dry skin, verrucas, in-grown toenails, and fungal nail infections. In extreme cases, the resulting complications can include bacterial infections, ulcers, gangrene, and even amputation.