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Avoid These Common Foods If You Have Food Allergies or Sensitivities

Written by Taft Draper on . Posted in Food Sensitivities, Integrative Medicine.

Food can be our medicine and our poison. There are people experiencing symptoms and don’t know the cause. They are not sure what is causing their IBS, migraines, muscle and joint pain, or other inflammatory conditions. These conditions can cause discomfort and pain in many areas of their life. 

Do you feel anxious about getting into a car to go across town or on a trip? Are you not sure if you are going to be able to make it through a meeting uninterrupted? Do you not know what to eat at a restaurant? These and many other situations can make life more challenging and uncomfortable.

Searching for answers on how symptoms occur can be challenging and complex. The treatment for these conditions is not understood. It’s not addressed appropriately, or it’s misdiagnosed. 

I am a registered dietitian and integrative and functional nutritionist. I frequently help patients that have irritable bowel syndrome and other gastrointestinal issues. Symptoms can subside when we remove food sensitivities. We can replace enzymes or stomach acid, repair the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and rebalance with gut flora.

The symptoms that I see most often come from the gastrointestinal tract.

Gut health is as important as the roots of a tree.

A tree or plant’s health relies on its roots. The same importance in human health comes from the trillions of bacteria living in the large and small intestines. These bacteria help with many different physiological processes. For example, they help with digestion and absorption. They help with the production of short-chain fatty acids, as well as make vitamin k, biotin, and b12. 

There are other important aspects that take place in the GI tract. But, if these commensal bacteria are not functioning or overpopulated, then symptoms can develop. These symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating/distention, constipation, and/or diarrhea. To correct these symptoms we have to figure out first what is the cause to eradicate the condition.

What causes irritable bowel syndrome? SIBO (small intestinal bacteria overgrowth)? Inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis? Or an autoimmune disease?

And by the way, IBS can entail constipation, diarrhea, or a mix. There are many possible causes of these illnesses and it can be complex to figure out. We are all different and there can be many causes. A detailed assessment needs to be done. It is one of the most important first steps in resolving your condition.

The cause of many of our symptoms comes from either stress, toxins, adverse food reactions, infections, or from different nutrition deficiencies.

There are a few different diets that can help to some degree. But people that have come in to see me have not benefited as much as they would like. I have seen the low FODMAP diet help cure 86% of symptom relief. I will often incorporate the low FODMAP diet into my protocol or combine it to get the best results. 

Some of the reasons why patients don’t get the results they want are:

  • possible poor compliance
  • having a hard time executing the diets
  • not having a trained practitioner to guide them through the process. 

There are many reasons why someone may not get the results they are after. Having a knowledgeable practitioner that knows how to properly execute them can be helpful.

I use a specific protocol with many patients. It includes a blood test to identify which foods and chemicals your body is reacting to. It helps identify what is causing your symptoms. There is not a test out there that is 100% accurate but this test has a reproducibility of over 90%.

It’s called LEAP MRT and it stands for Lifestyle Eating and Performance Mediator Release Test. 

LEAP involves identifying which foods are causing an immune system response. This means the immune system attacks the antigen (food or chemical) that you ingested. It releases its mediator (chemical from the cell) that causes inflammation. And it causes the symptoms you are experiencing. 

These symptoms include

  • IBS
  • migraines
  • fibromyalgia
  • eczema
  • reflux
  • rheumatoid arthritis
  • and many others

These symptoms are exacerbated by the immune system and its chemical that is released. The gut lining can begin to leak and cause foreign substances into the bloodstream and subsequently, an immune response.

What causes food sensitivities?

It can come from any consumed food or chemical. It can come from being inhaled or even lathered onto your skin. Basically, from anything. And there’s no rhythm or reason to it.

Here are some common foods that cause adverse reactions.

Gluten

A lot of people think gluten is a big issue. And it can be, but is it actually the gluten? Or is it the glyphosates (herbicides) on the crop? Or is it both? People can experience a lot of symptom relief by avoiding gluten. But also think about dairy, junk oils, artificial ingredients, and flavors. 

Casein

One of the proteins in dairy called casein contributes to people’s symptoms.

Corn and Soy

Quite often many of the patients I have tested are sensitive to corn and soy. Corn and soy are high in genetically modified foods (GMO). You should only eat organic options for corn and soy. 

Remember, just because you aren’t directly eating corn or soy doesn’t mean you aren’t consuming it in some other way. 

Think about what the animals are eating. Think about the additives and preservatives that are in the food products made from corn or soy. 

Grains

Grains in general can cause GI symptoms and other global symptoms. Ten thousand years ago we didn’t consume grains besides maybe millet. So our GI tracts may not be capable of digesting and absorbing these grains. 

Eggs

Eggs are another food that can cause an immune system response and can be worth a trial in eliminating. 

All these foods have health benefits and can provide good nutrition. But, they can also cause some undesirable symptoms. To correct the symptoms, the immune system needs to calm down. Inflammation needs to be lowered. The cellular juncture of the intestines needs to be tightened. 

Many times when I start to work with patients, they will say, “I’m eating healthy and it doesn’t make any sense!” 

It’s not just unhealthy foods but also healthy ones that can cause your symptoms.

How do you treat food reactions?

To identify and get fast results that work, I recommend doing the LEAP test to see which foods you are sensitive to. 

As I mentioned earlier, you should be aware that food is not always the only trigger of your symptoms. 

I have seen many people get the results they want and a few that need further treatments and testing. LEAP does not address every possible cause but it can help and be a great place to start. No matter what condition you have, there is an answer.

Our job is to uncover what that answer is.