Food Allergies & Intoleraces

As a society we have become more and more familiar with food allergies and intolerances than ever before.  I personally have been affected by food intolerances & auto-immune responses where it can affect my health in significant ways if I don't practice what I know now. I had ongoing symptoms of fatigue, gut-issues and having unexplainable symptoms for months on end without reaching a diagnosis after thousands of tests. I eventually went to  seek the help of a holistic practitioner who tested for food sensitivities that came back positive - to my surprise. Eliminating these foods completely took a lot of research, trial and error but have improved my quality of life significantly once I got the hang of it.

But what is the difference between a food allergy and an intolerance?

A food allergy occurs when the immune system reacts to the foods we eat that is otherwise harmless to other people. Common food allergens are peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, sesame seeds, fish and shellfish, soy, lupin and wheat. 

• Common symptoms are itchiness in mouth, throat, or ears; a raised itchy red rash, swelling of the face, eyes, lips, tongue and roof of the mouth, vomiting and anaphylaxis
• It is usually limited to airways, skin and the gastrointestinal tract. 
• Can affect different areas of the body at the same time

Food allergens can be deadly depending on the severity of allergy. It usually only happens to 1-2% of the population and requires medical treatment asap.

A food intolerance occur when the gut reacts poorly to a specific food. Both added ingredients, including food additives and processing aids, and naturally occurring food components, such as salicylates, lactose and gluten may be involved in food intolerance.

• Common symptoms include Gas, bloating, mucus production, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, headaches, stomach cramping, stuffy nose, diarrhoea, swollen joints, and rashes
• Symptoms are usually Chronic, sometimes acute
• Symptoms are usually delayed by 45 minutes to several days and can continue for a time

A food intolerance is not as serious as an allergy but it can impact your quality of life significantly unless the food gets removed from the diet. Luckily these days there are plenty of options to choose from that accommodate these allergens and intolerances, so no foods are off limits yet! The only hard work is to carefully read labels and get to know the "substitute names" for these ingredients. Getting family and friends on board with your new lifestyle can also prove to be a challenge based on religion, family customs and ethnicity.

It is imperative to get tested for these allergens with a medical professional to identify if you truly have the sensitivity as removing it can do more harm than good, as many gluten-free products contain other phantom ingredients that might not be so good to your long term health.

Now that we know the difference, the ultimate goal is to improve our health and quality of life. If you feel your symptoms may be related to a sensitivity, it is best to seek the help of a medical or holistic professional.

With love,

Odine xx