Berry Smoothie with Homemade Kefir
Food allergies are on the rise these days, with more and more people having to switch to diets that are free of this, or that don’t contain that. Just this week a mom told me her child was found to be allergic to all forms of meat, except fish. Another mom discovered a gluten intolerance in one of her children. Peanuts and other nuts have become taboo in many schools because so many children are now testing positive for nut allergies. But how many of us understand exactly what a food allergy is? Is an allergy to a certain food the same thing as having food intolerance? And what gives with all these allergies??
Allergies can be triggered by many things, not just food items. Anyone allergic to pet hair or pollen knows this first hand. Allergy symptoms are caused by the body’s immune response reacting to a perceived threat. For example, when you have a cold, the immune system fights the cold virus by producing histamines. Histamines provoke certain reactions in the body, like mucous production for example, to wash the virus out of your mucous membranes. For some people the body doesn’t recognize naturally occurring and harmless pollen as a harmless intruder and it begins attacking it in the same way it would attack a cold virus, causing sniffles, congestion and watery eyes. Thus we have allergies.
The same thing happens with some people and certain foods. When someone with a food allergy eats a product that contains a trigger food, the immune response is to go on high alert and defend against what it believes is a dangerous substance. The resulting overdose of histamines can cause hives, itching, and even life-threatening swelling of the mucous membranes which can close off the airway. Luckily no one in my immediate family has any food allergies. My father on the other hand is allergic to a dozen or more types of food.
Food intolerance, on the other hand, simply means that a person’s body has difficulty digesting or processing a certain food. Someone with wheat intolerance may have gas, bloating and stomach pains, cramps or diarrhea, or even vomiting. Intolerance to food can also lead to problems such as headache or a general run-down feeling. Food intolerance is rarely life threatening, but it can cause a lot of problems in daily life. I have an intolerance to dairy myself and drinking milk or eating cheese can cause lots of discomfort for me.
A good book for discussing the difference between allergies and intolerances is Food Allergies and Food Intolerance: The Complete Guide to Their Identification and Treatment. Is also has ideas for treatment and healing. Although in my personal experience I have seen so many people leave food intolerance behind after they started eating nourishing foods.
Drinking whole milk (raw) and unpasteurized cheeses is a game changer for me. My body does fine consuming these foods. I know others who have left behind severe gluten/wheat intolerances because they have sprouted, fermented (sourdough), or soaked their grains first. People with egg allergies may find they can eat farm fresh pastured eggs whereas they cannot eat nutritionally deficient, factory farm eggs. Fermented milk is also game changer for me. I can drink Kefir made with pasteurized milk and not suffer in the least. I was very nervous trying it the first time and expected I might be laid up in bed for the evening but I felt great.
All of these allergy and intolerance success stories should give people hope and also encourage them to look into whole foods, nourishing foods, lacto-fermentation, sprouting, soaking, local-pastured food and what it may be able to do for them. They wouldn’t be the first to find that nourishing foods have healing powers.
What has REAL food done for you?
Real Food Wednesdays
I tested highly intolerant for egg, wheat, soy, dairy, and corn. I’ve found that taking a probiotic each morning, and greatly upping my protein intake, I am beginning to heal. There is a HUGE correlation between leaky gut (diarrhea/loose stools) and food allergies/intolerances.
I’ve read the 70% of the population has sensitivities to some of the top 8 allergens, but don’t realize it. If more people were proactive with their health, they’d make the connection between the foods they eat and their wellbeing.
Much of my blog deals with this issue, but the current probiotic has been a godsend for my oldest son and me.
I have found a book called Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet
About a woman that found a Dr. That was able to cure her daughter of Ulcerative Colitis. I think her book is good for anyone trying to do an elimination diet that can rebuild your stomach back to “normalcy”. I’ve tried all sorts of elimination diets that are incredible brutal on your system, but this one works and she teaches you this and the science behind it. You can find stuff about it online, just google SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet).
Cheers!
We know all too well the effects of both of these. Our little boy has had severe food allergies and intolerances since he was a baby and his skin suffered greatly in the form of itchy eczema that would keep him up all night long. It was such a miserable time for him and for me ( I had to get up with him and rub and “tickle” his skin) and neither of us really slept much. The whole family worried about him all the time. Doctos could not help except for the usual recommendation of steroids and creams. We listened to this advice in the beginning until we saw how awfully weak and sick-like he began to seem at two years old and a second opinion revealed that he had become steroid dependent. Finally, when we gave him Belly Boost chewable probiotics, his symptoms nearly completely cleared up and he turned into this amazing sparky, energetic and happy boy whose skin looked great. He could even tolerate more foods- it was amazing! Our family now eats so many whole foods and live as naturally as possible. It’s been a miracle…even though we do still avoid some allergens.