Have you ever thought about how the food you eat can affect you? What if you didn’t know you were eating something you were allergic or sensitive to? We all know sugar is bad, white bread is terrible for you and that we should all stay away from fast food and food from a box. But what if you try to eat “healthy” and still can’t lose the weight you want or your stomach still gets upset after a meal?

My Food Allergy Testing

You could be allergic or sensitive to the food you are actually eating! I recently did a food allergy test through blood work to see what I was allergic to. Man have I been eating all wrong! No wonder I’m tired all the time and have terrible dark circles under my eyes (which I’ve always had and I’ve always blamed genetics!!)

I typically eat pretty darn “healthy“….. Or so I thought. Turns out I’m allergic to cauliflower and soybeans. <—– Um soy is in EVERYTHING!! And I love soy sauce! (I almost cried about that one!) I am sensitive to asparagus, aspergillum mix, bananas, barley, broccoli, casein (don’t know if I can cut out my cheese!!) coconut, cows milk, crab, ginger, goats milk, green olives, hops, lobster, mustard, peanut, pineapple, plum, pork, rice, scallops, spinach, tuna, turkey, vanilla, watermelon, white potato, whole wheat and yellow squash!! (NOOOOOO!!)

Now some of the ones I am “sensitive” to are just moderately sensitive, so I’m going to focus on the highly sensitive things to cut from my diet first. That’s quite the list of things to have to cut. So there are 15 things that I am focusing on at the moment to help with my energy level, dark circles, hypoglycemic attacks…. and possible moodiness? <– that can be a result of eating the wrong foods too!

Symptoms of Food Allergies or Sensitivities

Most common known food allergies are:

• Red, swollen, dry, or itchy skin rash
• Runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, or a slight, dry cough
• Funny taste in your mouth
• Upset stomach, cramps, throwing up, or diarrhea
• Trouble breathing or swallowing
• Swollen lips, tongue, or throat

But did you know other symptoms of food sensitivity or allergy can include:

• Low Energy
• Brain Fog
• Joint or Chronic Pain
• Anxiety or Depression
• Thyroid Issues
• Autoimmune Disease
• Dark circle under eyes
• Headaches
• Raised blood pressure
• Chronic Fatigue
• Asthma
• Chronic weight gain or not able to lose weight
• Thrush or other infections

How To Get Rid of Your Symptoms

It’s estimated 1 in 5 people have food allergies. Did you know that 99% of food sensitivities or allergies can be reversed with diet and probiotics!

I’ve researched A LOT! My plan of action: I am going to do an elimination diet and take high quality probiotics to help heal my gut. I am going to aim for a 30-60 day “diet” and once I reach the 2 month(ish) mark, (I may go longer if I’m feeling feisty, as it is suggested to actually do a 3-6 month diet!!) I am going to start reintroducing my “sensitive” foods SLOWLY! One food every 3-4 days like you would do introducing foods to a baby. If my symptoms return I will re-elimate that food and then introduce a previously eliminated food.

Some will be super easy to eliminate. Others not so much!! Aspergillus mix (Cheeses: all cheese, especially moldy cheeses like stilton are the worst, buttermilk, sour cream and sour milk products. Alcoholic drinks: beer, wine, cider, whiskey, brandy, gin and rum. Condiments: vinegar and foods containing vinegar, mayonnaise, pickles, soy sauce, mustard, relishes.) casein, cows milk, soybean and whole wheat. I may have to eat salads dry…. This will be interesting!

How To Get Started

Firstly, you need to get tested. At our office we offer a blood draw and send it off to our lab. Results usually take 10-14 days to get back. Then we can put you on an elimination diet and track your symptoms. Getting adjusted while repairing your gut is important as well! (Remember, the chiropractic adjustment boosts your immune system and helps all your organs function properly!!) Starting a good probiotic while doing the elimination diet is also key to success.

(Leaky Gut is the main reason for food allergies and sensitivities. So repairing your gut will be the main goal. Then you can reintroduce foods that have caused problems once your gut is repaired.)

This is all a new learning experience for me, I’m already a chiropractic patient (Obviously!!), I don’t take any medications, (birth control is known to cause leaky gut and kills good bacteria, which causes inflammatory conditions like Chrohn’s and a weakened immune system!) I try to eat healthy (or I thought. HAHA!), I’ve eliminated TONS of chemicals from my (and my families) life and I’m moderately active. With being a doctor, I feel like you always need to push yourself to continue to learn and better yourself and patients.

If you’re not in my area, find a chiropractor that does food allergy testing. They are all over the place! You can also ask your chiropractor if its possible to get it done in their office. Or if you have any questions about if food allergy testing would be the right fit for you, contact me (or your chiropractor)!

~Dr. Lacey~
Carder Chiropractic Clinic, INC
El Reno, OK 73036