7 Ways to Manage Your Food Allergies

Food allergies and food sensitivities are a central focus of my practice and my life.  As someone who is Gluten and Soy intolerant myself I know quite intimately how impactful food allergies can be.  For me, I was in constant pain until I finally figured it out Gluten in particular was the main offender, and when I stopped eating gluten it was kind of miraculous.  All the cramping, diarrhea, gas and bloating just went away.

Not everyone who has food allergies or sensitivities has quite so dramatic an experience after testing themselves (I did a full Elimination Diet which you can read about HERE).  Food allergies can cause a range of symptoms, from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) like I had or inflammatory bowel disease, to mild fatigue, headache, general malaise, even skin rashes and nasal congestion.  So when you are trying to sort out a possible allergy or sensitivity, you have to pay attention to all of your symptoms, not just the digestive ones.

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Allergies, Sensitivities and Tolerance Levels

Furthermore, its worthy to note that Allergies vs. Sensitivies are really a matter of degree.  Whether you are allergic (meaning it will show up on a blood test) or sensitive (may or may not show up on a blood test) your experience of the symptoms can be just as dramatic and life altering.  

You also may have a tolerance level for certain allergens and when you tip the scales, you see a reaction but not otherwise.  I always explain it like this:

When you eat something you are allergic or sensitive to, your immune system responds but if it responds in kind, you experience little to no symptoms.  This is your tolerance level.  The reaction is happening and your body has it under control.

When the body over reacts or under reacts you experience the difference between your allergy tolerance level and the hyper-immune response, or lacking response as the case may, be but usually the immune system is hyper-reactive and this causes your symptoms.  

7 Tips for Managing Food Allergies

Regardless of allergy vs. sensitivity or how far from tolerance your body and the allergens are taking you, there are many things you can do to manage food allergies.  Here are my favorite 7 tips for how to manage food allergies today!

1. Try Mediclear or Nutriclear - these supplements are time and research tested to decrease inflammation in the gut and thereby, decrease inflammation overall while providing safe detoxification.  I always keep this on hand myself and if I indulge (purposefully or accidentally!) in something I know I’m allergic to, I take 1-2 shakes per day for 3-5 days depending on my symptoms to help my body clear it out.
   
   
2. Get Regular Acupuncture - Acupuncture as an excellent research proven track record with regulating both the immune system and the digestive system.  Regular Acupuncture can help the body manage food allergies and sensitivities physically and energetically, and can especially lessen the effects of any known allergic response.
   
   
3. Take Quercetin - Quercetin is a citrus bioflavinoid which decreases inflammation and is especially good for controlling and managing inflammation related to allergic response. It can be taken for regular preventative health, or for specific outbreaks as needed.
   
   
4. Drink Bone Broth - many times the intensity of allergic response has to do with leaky guy syndrome - larger particles entering the blood stream that are not supposed to directly come in contact due to poor gut health.  A simple healing tonic? - bone broth!  The collagen in the broth helps to heal the guy while providing high quality easily absorbable nutrition.  Check out the Nourishing Traditions cookbook on the subject!
   
   
5. Try Calm Wind Teapills for IBS - this traditional herbal remedy is for calming a spastic colon and astringing, so it is especially effective for IBS that tends towards loose stool.
   
   
6. Eliminate Allergens From Your Diet (temporarily or permanently depending) - this can be done one by one for a minimum of 4 weeks per, or all at once with an Elimination Diet as a permanent move or to test yourself if you aren’t sure what you are allergic to.  If your symptoms are on the milder side and you give your body enough of a break from the allergen(s) you may be able to reset your tolerance level and indulge a bit here and there symptom free! As long as it isn’t all the time.  It generally takes at least 6 months of eliminating a known allergenic food before your tolerace level will reset, sometimes longer, and is generally only applicable in milder cases.
7. Try Four Gentleman Teapills for general digestive health - Four Gentleman Teapills is a classic and very simple 4 herb Chinese herbal remedy for overall digestive health and for increasing energy.  This tonic goes very well with bone broth for healing the gut overall.

If you’re interested in knowing more about any of these suggestions or more about how Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine can provide long term relief, please do not hesitate to contact me or book a consult in anytime!

Until next time,

~Rebecca