I dream of a world that is green and mountainous with pastures and animals roaming freely. A land where I am not being exposed to chemicals and toxic substances. Somewhere I can pick an apple from a tree and eat it without worrying about pesticides.
It is a dream I have had for a long time ever since we were privileged to live abroad and experience nature and its beauty right in our back yard. I hope to have our own land one day and live from the earth, but until then I guess I will have to settle for my travel magazine and sip my cup of tea while I look at a beautifully photographed scene of Gods wonderful creation.
Anyways, now that I am done sulking, let’s get to what I was really supposed to be writing about -which is the topic of allergies and food sensitivities.
So many of us have allergies or sensitivities yet we go undiagnosed and suffer from all kinds of ailments and have no idea that they are being caused by something we are consuming.
For instance, did you know that allergies and food sensitivities can trigger, mimic and contribute to the following problems?
Chronic ear infections
Diabetes
Eczema and psoriasis
Fibromyalgia
Sinusitis
IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Headaches
Pain on the body
Heartburn
Allergies can also make many existing problems worse, initiate or trigger several disorders and create symptoms that mimic many common symptoms present in a long list of disorders.
If you suspect you may have allergies because you suffer from any of the above issues you may want to consider specific testing that can be done in a private lab.
There are simple tests you can request to determine if you have food sensitivities, allergies and or intolerances.
IgE allergy testing looks at foods that cause an immediate allergy, these are usually the reactions that most doctors recognize. They are reactions to foods or inhalants that involve the immune systems IgE antibodies.
IgG sensitivities test looks at many foods to determine delayed sensitivities. Symptoms usually don’t appear for several hours. These symptoms can be present for months or years until the reactive food has been removed from the diet for several months or longer.
You can also test for intolerances which are generally chemical reactions to foods that do not involve the immune system. Most allergists completely overlook intolerances because they are not considered to be classic allergies. However, food intolerances can wreak havoc by causing migraines, headaches, diarrhea and many other things.
Whether you suffer from allergies or food sensitivities I have found that taking certain herbs like olive leaf extract and oregano oil that have high anti fungal properties can help along with a good probiotic like the one from Garden of Life or Metagenics and vitamin C.
Once you know what allergies and or food sensitivities you have it will be easier to devise a plan to first detox and then remove foods that may trigger a reaction. After that, you can focus on supplementation and herbal remedies to aid the body’s immune response.
