Find Food allergies quickly

Food allergies can cause so many problems from bloat to ringing ears to obesity to vision disturbances, to achy joints to fluid retention to immune irregularities.

If a food allergy is severe, the individual will know about it and it can even hospitalize them. Much more common are a sort of nearly-subclinical food allergy called more commonly a "food reaction."

These are the subject of our article today.

To find the allergies, it is most useful to eliminate every probable allergy for two weeks and then reintroduce each one, one for a 24 hour period. I will take you through this process the best I can here.

There exists a list of the most common allergens. I first learned this as the "sensitive seven" but I have found that there are a couple more than 7. Also, we will focus on the allergens that are the most important. If a food creates a lot of residue when it is eaten/digested, then that is a bigger problem than, say, asparagus, which, though a common food reaction, only lasts in the system for 3-4 hours and then all the residue is gone.

Here is the current list:

Corn (and all corn products, including maltodextrin, corn syrup, corn oil, high fructose corn syrup, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol and every other sweetener ending in 'ol.')

Soy (and most soy products, including soybean oil and soy protein. organic tamari and edamame are usually okay)

Peanuts (including peanut butter)

Chocolate (usually raw cacao does not cause a reaction, but not always so I generally recommend avoiding all of it initially)

Wheat (in every form, both wheat and white flour, gravy, breaded things, etc.)

Dairy (excluding butter and ghee and not applying to eggs, only to the mammary secretion of ANY mammal)

Cane Sugar (including, for the purposes of the elimination diet, organic sugar and every other crystalized form of sugar cane sugar. We also recommend that you avoid cooking molasses. Blackstrap molasses is okay)

Pork and all pork cuts and products including sausage, pepperoni, bacon, etc.

Chemical Dyes, Preservatives, Flavorings

Less commonly are turkey and chicken and shellfish. If the situation is mild, then these may be used during the two weeks. If the situation is severe, then these should also be avoided and then reintroduced as described below. Similarly, barley, oats and rye might also be avoided with all large grains.

So, people are wondering what they should eat during the two weeks. I recommend raw fruits and vegetables primarily, some cooked vegetables and grass fed organic beef. If you are craving bread, try the green or orange package of Ezekiel Bread. If in doubt, keep it simple.

People are generally addicted to their food reactions because the body will dump endorphins into the blood in preparation for the inflammatory response to the food. The person becomes addicted to the whole full and happy sensation. Food that does not provide this is just "not enjoyed." It is a complete lie, the lie of the addict!

Of course, breaking addiction is a complicated matter, involving layers of the person's life. I am an addict and many people are. But, perhaps, it is okay to start by finding the food sensitivities/reactions and get them written in a journal so that it is clear to the mind what the problem is and how serious the problem is. Then you can work more honestly on the addiction part.

So, let us talk about the reintroduction and the journaling.

At the end of the 2 weeks, journal all about how you feel, what has gotten better and what has not. Be clear. Get an honest picture of how things are to the best of your awareness.

Next, let's talk about the reintroduction of the eliminated foods:

First, reintroduce one food for a 24 hour period. It is essential that only ONE food is introduced at a time. A pancake mix, for example, may contain several of the common allergens.

There are two kinds of food sensitivities:

1. Immediate. This includes bloat, craving for food you know is bad (ice cream or equivalent), fullness, overeating, achy, sluggish or heavy legs when you get up.

2. 24 hours reaction. This happens very close to (typically within an hour or so) the 24 hour mark. This usually takes the form of secondary reactions (ringing ears, pain under ribs or in the upper abdomen, blurry vision, fatigue) or simply craving desperately the same food again!!!

Whatever happens, journal it. WRITE IT DOWN!!!

When you have gone through all the foods, try introducing a few at a time together which seemed to be okay. This will sometimes elicit reactions which are indistinguishable from standard food reactions but which are really about the amount of stress and burden on the digestion. One may be fine, three may cause a reaction.

WRITE IT DOWN!

Finally, even if you are not having a reaction, do not continue to eat the foods on the list WHILE introducing other foods on the list. Do it truly ONE AT A TIME.

This becomes your personal road map. You know what you have trouble with and you can ask the right questions: What do I do to eliminate these, or help my body learn not to react to them? This last question we shall address on another occasion.