30 Days of Self Healing – Day 9
Allergy or intolerance, what do I need to know?
“Our immune system is designed to protect us from unfriendly foods.”
Dr. Fabrizio Mancini Our immune system stays on high alert. It recognizes when an unfriendly substance is present in the body. When it meets such a substance, the immune system makes protective antibodies or produces other chemicals to fight it. In susceptible people, the immune system goes a bit overboard. It considers everyday foods or food particles, such as wheat or milk, as unfriendly and tries to fight them off. The result is an allergic reaction that might show up as hives, sneezing, watery eyes, coughing, congestion, diarrhea, vomiting, bloating, or stomach aches. Though rare, other reactions might be fatigue, headache, or mood swings. Substances that seem to trigger these reactions the most are wheat, milk, eggs, certain nuts, corn, soy, yeast, and chocolate. Certain food additives are common offenders, too.
Understand that occasional reactions to foods are natural. Maybe you ate too much, which may lead to indigestion. Or perhaps something just didn’t agree with you. Neither would be true food intolerances. But obviously, if you’re in pain or have persistent symptoms, see your doctor at once. ?Your doctor may refer you to an allergist. If so, you’ll be asked to keep a food diary, in which you write down everything you eat and how you respond to it. You have to be very specific. Writing down “Caesar salad,” for example, isn’t helpful. You must record what’s in the salad and the dressing—croutons, eggs, anchovies, everything. From there, you’ll probably undergo an allergy test. If you have true sensitivities, you’ll have to eliminate the offenders and add in certain self-healing foods and supplements. A food allergy isn’t curable; you simply must avoid that food.
