1. Food Intolerance
Having a food intolerance is not the same thing as having a food allergy. People often inaccurately use these 2 terms interchangeably, but they're actually different. A food intolerance involves the digestive system, while a food allergy involves the immune system. Food allergies can be life-threatening. Food intolerances certainly can cause many problems in the body, but they aren't life-threatening. Food intolerances are much more common, while food allergies are fortunately very rare.
2. Detecting a Food Intolerance Yourself
There are several ways to determine if you have a food intolerance. Many individuals suspect a food intolerance based on how they feel after consuming a certain food. If you suspect a food intolerance, eliminate the offending food. If you notice an improvement in your symptoms, you might have a food intolerance. It can be difficult to narrow down a food intolerance yourself, however. The fact is many individuals lead busy lives and don't pay close attention to how their bodies respond to certain foods. A food intolerance can go unnoticed for a long time because people never make the connection between their symptoms and the offending foods.
3. Detecting a Food Intolerance with Kinesthetic Testing
Another way to determine if you have a food intolerance is to have a chiropractor perform kinesthetic testing. A chiropractor can test the muscle strength in your arm against certain foods presented on your tongue one at a time. If you have a food intolerance, your arm turns limp like spaghetti, and you won't be able to resist the pressure.
4. Detecting a Food Intolerance with Bloodwork
Another way to determine the presence of a food intolerance, or multiple food intolerances, is to have your doctor do an IgG food antibody test. The test consists of having several tubes of blood drawn. You'll be provided with an assessment of any food antibodies you have circulating in your blood stream and diet recommendations to address the situation.
5. Tolerating a Food Intolerance
If you find out you have a food intolerance, the goods news is that it doesn't mean you'll have to give up the food forever. Since many food intolerances involve the digestive system, you sometimes can eliminate the food for a period of time, such as 3 months, and then gradually reintroduce it without symptoms. Individuals who have food allergies usually have to avoid the problematic foods their entire lives. Certain therapies such as Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique claim to retrain the body to tolerate problem foods. While such therapy usually isn't covered by insurance, such alternative treatments are gaining popularity because they usually don't have any side effects.
Member Comments