The pain of food allergies!
Food for many gives great joy, wellbeing and satisfaction however for those who are dealing with food allergies this positivity can often turn to concern and feeling unwell. Many of us on a daily basis are dealing with food allergies in the form of skin conditions, bloating, stomach upset, nasal congestion, inflammation and fatigue.
Food allergies and intolerances are just one example of things going wrong in the overall workings of the body, and due to the fact that we can’t stop eating we just can’t ignore the signs. Before any of you go out and spend money on expensive tests, when in consultations I encourage all of my clients to start ‘listening’ to their bodies. The body is a very clever machine and when we give it a chance it will pretty much tell you what is suiting it or not. For those with specific reactions or who suspect a food reaction, take a food diary writing down some key symptoms, what they ate and see if there is a correlation – if the same food or food groups are causing a reaction it may be worth removing these foods for a period to time to see if symptoms alleviate.
There are some key food groups which seem to cause reactions – wheat, dairy, peanuts, citrus fruits and foods from the nightshade family – potatoes, tomatoes and peppers. Dealing with food allergies or sensitivities now thankfully is not that difficult due to availability of ‘wheat free’ or ‘dairy free’ products, in the case of wheat often symptoms alleviate by switching to spelt or rye products and with dairy: goats, rice or almond milk is a nutritious alternative. Quinoa which we discussed in a previous article is also wheat/dairy free and is a great substitute to pasta, potatoes and cous cous.
Going forward do not put up with unpleasant side effects, I would encourage you all to take some time listen to your body and if there is a consistent reaction reduce or remove the food. If you are unsure there are obviously lots of testing options which ideally should be done through a qualified practitioner or GP.
