First and foremost, if you think you have a food allergy, sensitivity, or intolerance consult a healthcare provider.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s noticed that “food allergies” are running rampant. I will admit that I used to be one of those people who thought that if you had a food allergy it was your fault. Well, I am here to assure you it’s not! I fed Miah the same healthy, varied diet full of lean proteins, whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables and moderate amounts of processed and sugary foods as my other children. And guess what? She ended up in the hospital for a month, losing 1/3 of her body weight, suffering severe malnourishment, and coming terrifyingly close to not making it. All from a celiac crisis — a life threatening rapid onset of celiac disease (an autoimmune response to a gluten allergy), characterized by fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, and severe malabsorption. Someone with celiac disease can only live a full, healthy life by adhering to a diet free from gluten. Which is why we follow a gluten free diet in our home. If you haven’t read our story yet, please do.
Although there are lots of people who do have a food allergy, it is more likely to be an intolerance to certain foods. There’s a difference? Yeah. According to celiacdisease.about.com someone with full-blown celiac has a different immune response to gluten causing the lining of the intestines to be damaged (villus atrophy) as opposed to someone with a sensativity or intolerance who experiences a less severe immune response. This same concept applies to other food allergies. Luckily intolerances or sensitivities are far more common than allergies.
What exactly does all this mean?
It means everyone is different. Everyone’s bodies responds differently to food based on lots of different factors including genetics. So even though whole wheat is bad for Miah, it doesn’t make it bad for me. I still enjoy some healthy whole wheat foods when I go on a date with my hubby, at friends or family’s houses and so does my hubby and other kids.
So how do you know if you have an intolerance or an allergy?
The human body is amazing and integrate. Each system is connected and codependent on all the others. If you are experiencing symptoms as seemingly unconnected as chronic fatigue and infertility, it could be there is something as simple, yet profound as the food you eat being the cause.
If you want to know if the food you eat is hindering your health then you have to eliminate it and see. This isn’t my wisdom, this comes from health experts. Talk to your doctor about your concerns and your food intolerance experiment.
Get a notebook to use as your food journal.
Spend a week eating as you normally would, each day writing down everything you eat and drink. In the margins write down how you feel — tired, moody, gassy, stomach ache, just fine. This control week is what you’ll base your next several weeks off of.
Eliminate gluten, dairy, soy, nuts, and eggs for the next 2-4 weeks. There are so many problems that can be linked to allergies or intolerances to these five foods. What do I eat?! Don’t worry there is still plenty of delicious food you can enjoy. Below is the Food L’amor list of allergy free recipes (if it says almond milk you can substitute rice milk, but otherwise any nut or dairy it calls for isn’t an essential part of the recipe and can be left out. You can also switch quinoa out for brown rice or visa versa to change things up.)
Keep writing in your food journal! Keep track of what you’re eating and how you’re feeling. Many people see a notable difference in the first week or two. After 4 weeks you can slowly start adding these eliminated foods back into your diet one at a time. If you felt any difference without them you’ll notice when something you are intolerant to gets reintroduced. And then you’ll know exactly what it is. Be sure to talk to your doctor if you have any questions or feel that you need further testing.
Gluten Free Creamy Hummus Soup
Lemon Almond Muffins (leave out the almond extract and replace the almond milk with rice milk)
Garlic Herb Tapioca Rolls
Waldorf Salad with {Homemade} Raspberry Vinaigrette
“Beet That” Coleslaw
Watermelon Lemonade
Meatball Appetizers with Tomato Vinaigrette (I make these into meatloaf)
Orange Chicken Curry
Cool Cucumber Salad
Healthy Hobo Dinner
Berry Balsamic Spinach and Arugula Salad
Creamy Saffron Vegetable Soup
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