Understanding Food Allergies

Many different symptoms can be linked to or caused by food allergies or food intolerance, including these:
➤ Respiratory ailments
➤ Skin reactions and rashes
➤ Mood swings
➤ Restriction of bronchials
➤ Migraines or headaches
➤ Racing heart or palpitations
➤ Copious mucus production
➤ Fatigue
➤ Flatulence and belching
➤ Heartburn
➤ Diarrhea or constipation

Sometimes food intolerance is created over the years by eating a food every day. For instance, allergy to wheat is one of the most common food allergies. Wheat can be found in almost everything these days, including pasta, breads, crackers, and cereals. It’s not that wheat is bad, but eating a food over and over can deplete our body’s enzymes for breaking down that particular food. This can lead to improper digestion of the food, and when improperly digested food particles pass into the blood stream, they are unrecognizable to your immune system. As a result, your body considers these particles foreign bodies that should be attacked.

This attack of your immune system may be experienced as allergy symptoms. The best way to find out if you are intolerant or allergic to a food is to eliminate it from your diet completely for a couple weeks. Watch the signals your body gives you as you abstain. Sometimes you will drool, have wild cravings, get grouchy, or have headaches for the first few days. This withdrawal is a good indication that you might have had a food allergy. After a couple weeks, eat a small portion of the food again. You should be able to tell right away if you are experiencing any negative effects from the food. You can also take a pulse test to see if you might have a food allergy.

Once you know what you are allergic to, you will need to eliminate it while you build up your enzyme reserves in the body again. The most common food allergies are to wheat, corn, eggs, peanuts, dairy, citrus fruits, MSG and other food additives, chocolate (oh no!), and vegetables of the nightshade family (tomatoes, chili peppers, eggplant, potatoes).