Certain foods are more likely than others to cause an allergic response in your body. Even though your body may not have a full allergic reaction to a particular food, you may have varying levels of sensitivity. By eliminating the suspected food item from your diet, you can determine whether you have a sensitivity to that particular food. A food allergy causes an immune response, and an intolerance causes a reaction without affecting the immune response.
Symptoms
Bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea and hives are common symptoms of a food intolerance or a food allergy. But there are other effects, such as migraines, rashes, eczema, nightmares, sleep interruption, fatigue and decreased mental alertness.
Gluten
You may notice you experience bloating, constipation or other gastrointestinal distress after eating foods containing wheat, barley or rye. This can be a sign of an intolerance to gluten, which is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. You can eliminate these side effects by removing food products containing gluten, such as bread, cake, cookies, crackers and soups containing barley. Check food labels for wheat, barley, rye or gluten to avoid those products you may not expect to have gluten. For example, soy sauce, licorice and store-bought gravy contain gluten and should be removed from you diet.
Lactose
Lactose intolerance, one of the most common food intolerances, affects every three out of four people. It occurs when your body does not create enough lactase to break down lactose, which is the sugar in milk. Eliminate dairy products -- milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream -- and substitute rice milk or coconut milk to avoid bloating, gas and other digestive distress.
Strategies
Using a food journal can help you determine if you have a food intolerance. Write down everything you eat, portion sizes, the time you ate the food, any changes in your energy and how you feel after the meal; bloating, flatulence or increased anxiety or lethargy. Also, after you eliminate the suspected source of the intolerance, note any changes you feel. This can help you determine the source of your intolerance.
Elimination Diet
The elimination diet can also be effective in determining the source of your food intolerance. First, remove the following food items from your diet for seven days to a month: dairy products, egg and food items containing eggs, wheat products and food containing gluten, citrus, corn products and all processed food. After you have removed these items from your diet for the specified amount of time, slowly reintroduce them one at a time every five days. If you notice your symptoms return after the introduction of a particular group, then you will have determined the source of your intolerance. Keep in mind, it is possible to have multiple food intolerances.
Member Comments