A food Intolerance is different to a food Allergy.
A food allergy causes an immune system reaction that affects numerous organs in the body. It can cause a range of symptoms and can be life threatening.
A food intolerance has symptoms which are less serious and often effect our digestive system as well as causing other health conditions for example autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimotos), eczema and other skin conditions.
Some common symptoms of food intolerance are:
- Bloating
- Joint pain
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Tiredness
- Eczema
- Low mood
- Headache
- Weight gain
One way of identifying if a certain food or food group is causing your problems is by keeping a diary of the food you eat and the symptoms you experience. This is not an easy task and as symptoms can show up to 72 hours after eating, not an easy way to find out what (if any) food intolerances you have.
Another way of is by following an elimination diet.
Again, not easy.
It requires eating a limited amount of foods, foods which have been found to not cause intolerance issues with the large percentage of population. After following this diet for anywhere between 2-6 weeks, your symptoms should have subsided and body started healing from the inflammation caused by the foods that may have been causing discomfort.
It is at this stage that you start reintroducing one food at a time and noting any signs and symptoms.
So, it’s not easy! But then neither is having a health condition.
The way I see it is…it may take a few months out of your life, but that is better to find the root cause than to be taking medication with all it’s side effects…which a lot of the time just masks the pain. You stop taking the meds…and the problem returns.
There is a third option and that is IgG antibody testing. There are many companies that offer this using a pin-prick capillary blood draw.
You must have been eating the food in order for the test to suggest an intolerance to it or it won’t show up in your blood.
Tests costs start from around £150 each.
If you are interesting in this option please get in touch and I can give you more information and guide you as to whether this is a good option for you. hello@penvita.co.uk
Do you want to improve your health and wellbeing? Need some help?
If you’re looking for natural lifestyle strategies to help you eat, move, and live better; send Penny an email at hello@penvita.co.uk and tell her what you need help with.
The information provided on this (Penvita) website is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat or be a substitute for medical advice .
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