So what is a food allergy or a food intolerance? And why would you care? I found Dr. Sears’ explanation easy to understand and especially liked his point that, “people don’t really care about definitions, they just know that certain foods bother them (or their child) more than other foods.”
I picked up a copy of The Food Intolerance Bible at my local library and was amazed at what it describes as possible symptoms of food sensitivities. There is an extensive questionnaire to determine the likelihood that your symptoms are caused by what you eat. It wasn’t just a list of digestion related issues, there were feelings, emotions, and behaviors as well as a host of other physical issues like skin irritations and cold-like symptoms. Here is a partial list of possible food related conditions:
- Asthma
- Emphysema
- Bronchitis
- Hypertension
- High cholesterol
- Obesity
- Varicose veins
- Phlebitis (vein inflammation)
- Pink Eye
- Dry eyes
- Swollen eyelids
- Red eyes
- Ear Infections
- Rhinitis
- Sinusitis
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Migraines
- Aggressiveness
- Chronic fatigue
- Concentration difficulties
- Memory trouble
- Lethargy – Trouble Getting Motivated
- Forgetfulness
- Hyperactivity
- Anxiety
- Trouble Sleeping
- Trouble Staying Awake
- Joint and back pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Gout
- Ulcer
- Hemorrhoids
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Heartburn
- Vomiting
- Halitosis (bad breath)
- Fungi
- Psoriasis
- Acne
- Eczema
- Itchiness
- Fragile hair or nails
- Skin spots
- Dry skin
- Face blushes
- White & painful fingers during cold weather
Do any of these describe you? Maybe you have never really stopped to think about it. I think that so many of us are so used to feeling “sick” and “tired” all the time that it becomes our “normal” and we don’t realize what we are supposed to feel like when our body is functioning and being fueled properly. All too often we’re looking for that next boost of caffeine or the next sugar or carb fix to get us through the day that we don’t take time to evaluate how we really feel physically and what might be contributing to those feelings.
As with anything medically or health related, I do not claim for one second to be an expert – far from it. I simply want to share what I am learning in an effort to document it and maybe inspire someone else to take charge of his or her health and make the changes he or she needs to make to improve quality of life and longevity.
What do you know about food sensitivities? Do any symptoms on this list surprise you as possibly being food related?
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Our son has had dark circles under his eyes for as long as I can remember. We always thought it was just the way God made him. But after some research recently (and a doc visit that told us he is possibly border lining ADHD) I’ve taken a step back to think maybe his inattentiveness, aggression and dark circles (amongst other things) could be a food sensitivity. We have recently cut out Salicylates and will very soon be starting on a 2 week gluten free diet. So thank you for your gluten free recipes and other info and recipes I’ve found helpful on your blog:)
~Evalani
You are welcome! Have you noticed any difference yet just cutting out Salicylates? I would love to hear how his progress is after changing his diet. I think you will be surprised what it can affect. I am by no means a doctor, but based on my experience, I would suggest trying to do the gluten free diet for a full 30 days and if you can do it, also go dairy free. For us, any time we have drastically changed our diet, our bodies have taken about 10-14 days to detox before we noticed significant improvement. And speaking of detox, don’t be surprised if your sons behavior gets worse at first as he will probably feel crummy from withdrawals. It is crazy how food affects us! But makes sense when you think of our bodies as made up of chemistry and food as the building blocks our body needs to function optimally. What we eat drastically influences so much! Ok, I’ll stop blabbing now! Thanks so much for your comment.
Your not babbling :)…actually the last 6 years I have become really passionate about the quality of food we eat and exercising, so I enjoy conversations like these! That’s a good idea about doing the diet for longer than 2 weeks. We’ve cut the Salicylates since Feb 3 and have actually seen some improvement! But obviously we want to see a complete 180, which is why I want to try gluten free. I’m trying that first because I feel as though gluten free may be easier than dairy free since we eat a lot of cheese, yogurt, and other stuff. We will see…its all a learning process. Thanks so much for your support and if you don’t mind I’m going to send you a FB friend request so we can chat more if need be:)