Food Intolerances – it’s not im my head!

Before starting this post I have a disclaimer I am not a doctor, homeopath or scientist; this is a testimony from me as a patient.

Food Intolerances are all too real, by the age of 18 I had a slew of health issues that no one could explain until the day I visited a homeopathic doctor. She suggested that i get an IgG Food Sensitivity test done. It’s a pretty simple test she collects a sample of blood and sends it off to the lab. You wait 3-5 weeks and your results are sent to via email. I would like to note that food intolerance can change over time therefore it’s recommended that you re-do this test after any major health changes. I can testify to the this fact as my result pre giving birth are very different then the results I received a year ago when I re-did the test.

Who should get this done?

In my books anyone that suffers from any of these symptoms: bloating, gas, headaches, migraines, cough, runny noses, congestion, joint pain, hives, rashes, IBS, digestion issues, low energy, food cravings, diarrhea, constipation or any other symptom that can not be explained by traditional medicine. I bet that list includes 80% or more of the population! Now that we have established I believe almost everyone should have this done you may ask; but I don’t want to go see a homeopath. You don’t need a homeopath doctor, technically any healthcare provider can order the test however most family doctors will have no clue what you are talking about and this is why the most common route in Canada seems to be with a homeophatic doctor. I would like to point out that while researching this post I discovered that Rexall Pharmacy Offers a test, through HEMOCODE, mine was done with Rocky Mountain Analytics.

So what did I discover?

At first I felt like I discovered that I could not eat anything however after giving this “new diet” a go I realized it was so worth it! All my aches and pains where disappearing and I was feeling healthier and energized!

Most people get results with a short list of foods to avoid. Like my husband. Foods to avoid for him eggs; foods to eat in moderation coffee, almonds, wheat and spelt. So what is the difference between a food to avoid and a food to eat in moderation. A food to avoid are foods that trigger your sensitivities each time you consume them. A food to eat in moderation would require built up in your system to trigger the reaction or for it to be combined with other foods that trigger similar reactions, you can usually eat these a few times a week and feel no effects. However like with all food sensitivities this changes from person to person. The reactions to each food sensitivity can also be different from person to person just because one person feels bloated when they eat wheat it does not mean everyone sensitive to wheat will feel bloated for someone else it could trigger migraines.

I was not as lucky as my husband, my list seemed never ending. This may be too much information for some but below is a chart of my food sensitivities and their known reactions:

Side note: It’s currently 2:30am and I can’t sleep because my ankles are hurting due to a bad decision I made this week. I ate a total of 3 bananas and within 24 hours of eating the first one my ankles started hurting they have been hurting for 3 days now.

 Are food intolerance allergies?

The simple answer is; no, I do not have an allergies to these foods. If I accidentally eat one of the foods on my intolerance list it does not have a life treating effect on my health. Should people take my intolerance seriously – yes. Most days if I accidentally consume a little bit of one of these foods I will feel mildly to moderately uncomfortable. However if for some absurd reason I decided to make a trip to any restaurant that can not accommodate my restrictions, within 10 minutes of finishing my meal I will feel like I have food poisoning run to the bathroom about half a dozen times and once home curl up in a little ball in my bed and sleep till the next day.

If you are interested in reading more about the differences between food intolerance and allergies check out this great post on the Better Health Chanel.

Do I always follow my restrictions?

At home I follow all my restrictions 99.9% of the time, once in a while I have a moment of temptation followed by weakness however, to make it easier for all the members of our family to follow their restrictions I don’t stock our fridge and pantry with many items that the whole family can’t consume. This means my lovely husband has modified his diet while at home even though he did not have to. As for my kiddo he has more food intolerance then I do most of them being the same.

When I eat out I do my best to follow all my restrictions that fall under the “never eat” category. This works well for me because I rarely eat out more than once a week; for someone who eats out all the time this would not be the ideal way to manage this. Sometimes when I am eating out I will make a calculated decision and have one item that is in the “never eat” category. By calculated I look at how will body react and is this food really worth it. For example McDonald fries are never worth it however while on vacation in Montreal a traditional Montreal style poutine topped with hotdogs and bacon at Dunn’s was so worth it!

“Strength – Anyone can work out for an hour , but to control what goes on your plate for the other 23 hours that ‘s hard work”.

Yours truly ~ Pierrette.