Food intolerance seems to be a term that is ‘in vogue’ at the minute. With ‘free from’ products becoming more readily available, they are beginning to be viewed as ‘healthy’ just because they are labeled ‘gluten-free.’ Gluten, dairy, wheat, egg and other common allergens are not necessarily ‘unhealthy.’ However if your body is not capable of breaking them down, then they become a problem.
Put it this way…. Would you put diesel in a petrol car and expect it to run smoothly? Or would you fill a diesel car to the brim with petrol? Of course not as you know that it would not work.
It is the exact same with our bodies. We all break down and digest our foods differently and what works for one person will not necessarily work for another.
So what exactly is food intolerance?
Food intolerance begins when the digestive system is unable to break down a particular food. These undigested foods lead to a toxic build up in our system. As our bodies attempt to flush these toxins out, we may experience various symptoms including inflammation, bloating, nausea, headaches, itching or skin breakouts.
What is the difference between an allergy and intolerance?
A food allergy occurs almost immediately after a trigger food has been eaten and symptoms can be quite violent and severe. For example developing a swollen lip after eating peanuts or becoming violently sick after eating shellfish. If you have a food allergy you should never eat these foods again.
A food intolerance on the other hand can develop at any time. This is often why people struggle to detect intolerances as something they have eaten without a problem for years, may all of a sudden begin to cause a negative reaction in the body and as this food is not new, it will not jump out as the root of the problem.
The symptoms of a food intolerance can also take a while to present themselves. After eating some goats’ cheese for lunch on Monday, you may not make the link when your sinuses start to play up on Thursday. In fact, intolerances can sometimes take up to 7 days to present themselves, which make them so hard to pin point.
I think I may have an intolerance – should I go get a test?
I was always very skeptical when it came to food intolerance testing and to be honest I thought it was a waste of money.
Generally what I would recommend to my clients is that if they suspect dairy might be the problem, try cutting dairy out of your diet for a minimum of two weeks. If your symptoms improve, then try to reintroduce the food after the two weeks are up. If your symptoms reappear this will tell you that you have an intolerance and you should limit your intake of this food.
However, sometimes it is not that simple and that was the case with me. At the start of 2016, I started to develop what I can only describe as severe IBS symptoms – bloating, sluggish digestion, headaches, and fatigue. These symptoms could appear at anytime of the day even after eating a very ‘clean’ meal and s I could not understand what was causing it. During the summer my symptoms worsened. I remember going for dinner on Fathers Day and ordering a meal of spiced beef and side salad. After this meal my stomach swelled out as if I was 6 months pregnant and I was crippled with the pain. It was after this I knew I had to get to the route of the problem.
My experience with food intolerance testing.
During the month of August I contacted the Fitzwilliam Food Centre after a recommendation from a friend.
The week prior to the test I was advised to consume a wide variety of foods – including those I suspected might be causing a problem. I also had to include some foods that could be used as alternatives such as goats’ milk and spelt.
When we eat a trigger food, our bodies produce an antibody – IgG - to try and fight it off. The Foodprint test carried out by the Fitzwilliam Food Centre identifies this IgG production. So if we are not consuming the trigger foods in the lead up to the test, it is possible that it might not show up as an intolerance.
The test itself is a blood test carried out by a simple finger prick – pain free.
The bloods are then sent off to be tested and results take two weeks. An additional consultation is then arranged to discuss results and offer advice on what steps to take next.
The results:
Intolerances are rated on a scale depending how sever of an antibody reaction they produce. This scale includes an elevated reaction, a borderline reaction and a normal reaction.
The foods identified as causing an elevated reaction are those causing the biggest problem and should be avoided. The foods causing a borderline reaction can still be consumed but only in small quantities. Those causing a normal reaction can be consumed as often as you like.
The foods causing the largest reaction for me included:
The next step:
Begin by eliminating the elevated foods from your diet for a minimum of three months. Check back in tomorrow for my next post on my tips and suggestions on alternatives for the most common allergens.
Does this mean I can never eat my trigger foods again?
Another difference between a food allergy and intolerance is that a food intolerance, while annoying and uncomfortable, is not life threatening.
You can continue to consume these trigger foods if you wish – but be prepared to face the consequences of the symptoms that will come with it if you do.
When your system is clear and symptoms have stopped, you can start to reintroduce foods on a trial basis. I will write a full post on this later in the week so be sure to keep an eye on my page for this.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you found it informative or you know someone who would benefit from reading, feel free to tag or share them in the post.
Be sure to check back in later in the week for part 2 and 3 :)
Jen x
Put it this way…. Would you put diesel in a petrol car and expect it to run smoothly? Or would you fill a diesel car to the brim with petrol? Of course not as you know that it would not work.
It is the exact same with our bodies. We all break down and digest our foods differently and what works for one person will not necessarily work for another.
So what exactly is food intolerance?
Food intolerance begins when the digestive system is unable to break down a particular food. These undigested foods lead to a toxic build up in our system. As our bodies attempt to flush these toxins out, we may experience various symptoms including inflammation, bloating, nausea, headaches, itching or skin breakouts.
What is the difference between an allergy and intolerance?
A food allergy occurs almost immediately after a trigger food has been eaten and symptoms can be quite violent and severe. For example developing a swollen lip after eating peanuts or becoming violently sick after eating shellfish. If you have a food allergy you should never eat these foods again.
A food intolerance on the other hand can develop at any time. This is often why people struggle to detect intolerances as something they have eaten without a problem for years, may all of a sudden begin to cause a negative reaction in the body and as this food is not new, it will not jump out as the root of the problem.
The symptoms of a food intolerance can also take a while to present themselves. After eating some goats’ cheese for lunch on Monday, you may not make the link when your sinuses start to play up on Thursday. In fact, intolerances can sometimes take up to 7 days to present themselves, which make them so hard to pin point.
I think I may have an intolerance – should I go get a test?
I was always very skeptical when it came to food intolerance testing and to be honest I thought it was a waste of money.
Generally what I would recommend to my clients is that if they suspect dairy might be the problem, try cutting dairy out of your diet for a minimum of two weeks. If your symptoms improve, then try to reintroduce the food after the two weeks are up. If your symptoms reappear this will tell you that you have an intolerance and you should limit your intake of this food.
However, sometimes it is not that simple and that was the case with me. At the start of 2016, I started to develop what I can only describe as severe IBS symptoms – bloating, sluggish digestion, headaches, and fatigue. These symptoms could appear at anytime of the day even after eating a very ‘clean’ meal and s I could not understand what was causing it. During the summer my symptoms worsened. I remember going for dinner on Fathers Day and ordering a meal of spiced beef and side salad. After this meal my stomach swelled out as if I was 6 months pregnant and I was crippled with the pain. It was after this I knew I had to get to the route of the problem.
My experience with food intolerance testing.
During the month of August I contacted the Fitzwilliam Food Centre after a recommendation from a friend.
The week prior to the test I was advised to consume a wide variety of foods – including those I suspected might be causing a problem. I also had to include some foods that could be used as alternatives such as goats’ milk and spelt.
When we eat a trigger food, our bodies produce an antibody – IgG - to try and fight it off. The Foodprint test carried out by the Fitzwilliam Food Centre identifies this IgG production. So if we are not consuming the trigger foods in the lead up to the test, it is possible that it might not show up as an intolerance.
The test itself is a blood test carried out by a simple finger prick – pain free.
The bloods are then sent off to be tested and results take two weeks. An additional consultation is then arranged to discuss results and offer advice on what steps to take next.
The results:
Intolerances are rated on a scale depending how sever of an antibody reaction they produce. This scale includes an elevated reaction, a borderline reaction and a normal reaction.
The foods identified as causing an elevated reaction are those causing the biggest problem and should be avoided. The foods causing a borderline reaction can still be consumed but only in small quantities. Those causing a normal reaction can be consumed as often as you like.
The foods causing the largest reaction for me included:
- Dairy
- Eggs
- Gluten
- Wheat
The next step:
Begin by eliminating the elevated foods from your diet for a minimum of three months. Check back in tomorrow for my next post on my tips and suggestions on alternatives for the most common allergens.
Does this mean I can never eat my trigger foods again?
Another difference between a food allergy and intolerance is that a food intolerance, while annoying and uncomfortable, is not life threatening.
You can continue to consume these trigger foods if you wish – but be prepared to face the consequences of the symptoms that will come with it if you do.
When your system is clear and symptoms have stopped, you can start to reintroduce foods on a trial basis. I will write a full post on this later in the week so be sure to keep an eye on my page for this.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you found it informative or you know someone who would benefit from reading, feel free to tag or share them in the post.
Be sure to check back in later in the week for part 2 and 3 :)
Jen x
