Food Allergies & Intolerances

Food plays a major part in all our lives, it provides a sociable and enjoyable activity, it provides us with the energy we need to perform everyday tasks and indeed to even exist, used in the right way it can assist us to become the top of our game in sporting activities. What if food wasn't doing this for you? What if the food you were eating was actually causing you to feel fatigued, suffer from bloating and headaches, sneeze constantly, or continually come down with colds?

Traditionally the words 'food allergy' were used in connection with an immediate and potentially life threatening response to a food, such as in the case of nut allergy. However it is now also commonly used to describe more long-term debilitating effects, also known as food intolerance.

The symptoms of food intolerance are wide ranging and can include anything from mouth ulcers, headaches and IBS to problems with weight, joint pain and bed wetting.

Potentially any food can cause a reaction, although the most common allergens are dairy products, wheat, soya, yeast, eggs, & sunflower seeds. A food intolerance is when the body mistakenly identifies a food as a foreign invader and launches an immune response to stop it. There are two main ways to identify the culprit, a food diary or a blood test.

Using a food diary you write down everything that you eat and drink, and also note when you have symptoms, over the course of a few weeks you may see a pattern develop. Bear in mind that it can take up to 3 days to get a reaction from a food. Once you think you have identified the food, try removing it from your diet for a few weeks and see if the symptoms subside. The other option is a blood test from a reputable company such as York Test. This provides you with a scientific analysis of offending foods and cuts out the guesswork, and time involved, in completing a food diary.

It is important though to ensure that you are still eating a balanced diet to obtain all the nutrients that you need. A Nutritional Advisor would be able to advise on this. For anyone suffering with an ongoing condition as a result of an intolerance, changing your diet really can change your life.