Food Allergy, Your Tummy and You

Raise your hand if you have a food allergy. How about someone in your family? Yup, all hands are up. Food allergy has become the disease du jour for the twenty-first century. Estimates (and definitions) vary, but many sources say that the majority of Americans have at least one food allergy. Of course, this focus is a lot sharper in the natural health community.

True food allergies, by definition, occur when the immune system reacts to a protein (the allergen) from a particular food. The allergen causes antibodies to attack it as a foreign substance. Food allergy reactions can occur within minutes after the food is eaten, or may take up to 72 hours. These may lead to many different symptoms- hives, swelling around the mouth, asthma, diarrhea, vomiting or eczema. Just getting rid of some potentially allergy causing foods for a while might have some pretty striking benefits.

In my work, I have had very good successes in looking at food allergy. If you suspect you might have an allergy, I highly recommend seeing an alternative practitioner and having that person test for allergies in order to eliminate the offending foods from your diet. You will usually experience remarkable results with a very serious trial of allergy elimination. One of my early mentors, Dr. Lendon Smith, told me that removing wheat and cow's milk (easier said than done) produced some degree of improvement, from small to great, in 95% of his patients. One child I saw, who had the worst hyperactivity I have ever seen, was essentially cured by removing all wheat from his diet.

Avoid foods that cause negative reactions. Many people have reactions to hundreds of foods. Obviously, this causes major changes in their eating patterns, and tends to limit choices, further restricting nutrients, if you are not careful. When people identify perhaps a dozen safe foods, they tend to concentrate on them. Since they tend to be generally sensitive, they may develop new reactions to previously safe foods. A simple detoxifying diet program takes off a lot of stress for those folks.

One way to accomplish this at home is a "few foods diet." Start by eliminating wheat, eggs, milk, chocolate, corn, soy, caffeine, MSG, artificial colorings, flavorings and preservatives. Add back one at a time for up to one week each. Keep a careful food record, including any reaction to the food, such as itching or scratchy throat. If you have any suspicious responses, eliminate that food category completely, at least until it can be further evaluated. Ironically, when people have multiple food allergies, they are often addicted to the very foods that produce the allergic reactions and have classic withdrawal cravings without those foods, so this whole process requires some fortitude.

Food intolerances, or sensitivities, as opposed to food allergies per se, do not necessarily involve the immune system. Food intolerances may be much less severe, but they can produce chronic health problems over time. The eight most common food intolerances basically correspond with the eight most commonly consumed foods. Cow's milk tops the list, and wheat is in everyone's top ten list. Wheat, in particular, can be problematic. It is more acid forming than other grains, so I recommend that you substitute with a variety of other grains, including millet and buckwheat or any of the five ancient grains we use in our Yogi cereal and Granola Crisps.

In general, eating a wide variety of whole, unrefined food makes a big difference. Go for an assortment of fruits, vegetables and grains, and I'm sure you will notice the difference.

I'd love to hear your allergy stories. Let's talk about what worked for you, and we can share ways to stay healthy.