Food Sensitivities & Allergies
Do you think you have food sensitivities or allergies? The question of where to begin can be daunting. I wanted to share a few things with you about my experience with food allergies.
First, getting in touch with your body and being very aware of how different things make you feel is so important. I cannot stress this enough. Secondly, while trying an elimination diet can be helpful, it can also be extremely harmful too. Why is that? When you stop consuming any particular food for a period of time, your stomach stops creating the digestive enzyme in the stomach necessary to break down that food. Your body then marks that food as a foreign invader and an allergic reaction can occur. It's incredibly difficult to recognize which food caused the reaction when you take out many foods.
Also, eating a non-varied diet that is limited can ultimately over time make you develop an allergy. For example: for years I ate almond almost every single day, with no problem. They were the perfect high protein snack to carry in my purse that didn't need refrigeration. A few months ago I ate about 1 cups worth over the course of a day. Slowly my face began to itch, and then it progressed to all over body itching. This was my sign to not eat almonds. Eating the same food every single day can make your body develop a new allergy. Eating a varied, seasonal diet helps avoid this conundrum. Today we are in a sense so lucky to be able to find nearly every food our heart desires 365 days a year, long ago this was not the case.
Since I was a kid, every once in awhile I get an itchy right thumb or index finger that is so itchy, nothing makes it subside. I have noticed this with a few other foods. HIT or histamine intolerance may be something to investigate. It's a common diagnosis in Europe for those that suffer from multiple food allergies and is just catching on in the U.S. Do you have a spot on your body that is a tell-tale sign for you?
Other signs for me include eating something and coughing a lot or needing to clear my throat repeatedly, and/or a runny nose. All or one of these was not present prior to eating a particular food. If the food has many ingredients it's even harder to deduce which ingredient is causing the problem. This is where it's helpful to keep track of the food and write down in your phone of somewhere so you can compare notes next time it happens.
For example, long before I knew I was sensitive to corn products, every time I drank a Coca-cola, I'd be clearing my throat for hours. My body was given me a sign this food was not good for me. I want to make a note about my corn allergy/sensitivity. I've had numerous skin and blood tests done throughout the years. Corn always comes up with no reaction. However, I listen to my body. When I eat a corn tortilla, I can visibly feel my throat tightening. When I drink a soda made from corn syrup I need to clear my throat for hours. And lastly, when ingesting corn of any kind I always get a near instant migraine. Therefore, my doctor said the tests say I'm not allergic, but my body is telling me not to eat this food. I enjoy feeling well every day and try to avoid the things that don't agree with my body. Over the years, I've learned to live mostly corn-free and it works for me.
When someone like me studies the food system at the University of Gastronomic Sciences, in Italy I began to question all the parts of growing corn and if my sensitivity might be due to the modern agricultural processes vs. the actual proteins of the corn. Honestly, it doesn't matter. Doing what feels good and feeling good are my only criteria.
Lastly, on a positive note.... improving gut health can eliminate allergies/sensitivities and your body chemistry changes every few years (especially during pregnancy) so an allergy or sensitivity might not be lifelong. It's a good idea to every once in awhile "test" out a particular food to notice if it still bothers you (not however if you have anaphylactic reactions). People with anaphylactic reactions tend to have progressively worse and worse reactions with ingestion of the trigger foods. I'm learning to pay attention to my body more than ever and I’m continually learning to notice more and more - was I stressed over something when I ate that food and had a reaction? Most likely yes, it’s the timing and I’m not always sensitive to the same foods. The more I notice, the more I’m able to take care of my body the way it's telling me too!
Question, experiment, and notice the results like a scientist. Your body is your personal laboratory and treating it well has infinite payoffs.
Maintz, Laura et al. "Evidence For A Reduced Histamine Degradation Capacity In A Subgroup Of Patients With Atopic Eczema". N.p., 2017. Print.