Allergy Alert:
Are You Really Sick or Are Your Illnesses
Actually Caused by Your Food?
© 2018 Health Realizations, Inc. Update

In a world chocked full of chemically enhanced and processed foods, it’s getting harder and harder to tell what really is going into your body. Even some of the biggest brands out there are stretching the truth when it comes to what they do and don’t put in their “natural” foods.

This problem of food fraud is more important now than ever because more and more doctors are discovering that the food we ingest can greatly affect our health and how we feel.

While many medical experts believe that illnesses are best treated with medication, steroids, anti-inflammatories or painkillers, there are a growing number of leading doctors and scientists who believe that many of society’s modern-day ailments can be treated through our diet.

Current studies estimate that there are hundreds of thousands of people who mistakenly diagnose their food allergies for other ailments. This leads to a never-ending cycle of medication popping, body abusing and overall unhealthy living practices. These statistics make it more important than ever to make sure you know what your body is trying to tell you.

The National Center for Health Statistics reported that:

“… approximately 3 million children under the age of 18 were reported to have a food or digestive allergy in the previous 12 months.”

They also found that:

“The prevalence of food allergy among children under the age of 18 increased 18% percent from 1997 to 2007.”

These statistics are not surprising considering all the new information being found on food allergies in more recent years.

How do You Know if You’re Allergic to Your Food or sick?

While initially it can be hard to tell if your body is sick versus reacting to an allergy, there are a whole gamut of procedures that can determine if you are, in fact, experiencing allergies – and they don’t involve using strong medications or painkillers.

The first step to determining what is happening with your body is finding out exactly what symptoms you are showing. Common signs that you may be allergic or sensitive to your food include symptoms you may not suspect, such as:

• Headaches

• Nausea

• Loss of appetite

• Lethargy

• Hives

• Bowel problems

• Abdomen pain

• Vision problems

The next step is determining the frequency of these problems and the severity of them. Most people with food allergies find that their symptoms are chronic, and the pain or discomfort can be mild to very severe.

What to do if You Experience Food Allergy Symptoms

As is the case with any medical condition, it is important for you to talk to your health professional before you begin any type of medicating or treatment. However, don’t be afraid to get a second opinion either. Food allergies and sensitivities can be a confounding problem to diagnose, and that’s why innovative techniques and therapies are so important for diagnosing and treating them.

The most integral aspect for treating food allergies involves your food, of course. Quite simply, you need to be aware of what is going into your body, and how your body is reacting to it. That would be simple if all of our food labels were honest and stringently monitored by our governing food administrations, but unfortunately they aren’t.

According to Grace Pundyk, author of The Honey Trail, there are several large companies who pass off their products as pure and natural, but in reality they are distilled into other syrups and loaded with other cheap fillers to keep their production costs low.

Another article in The Washington Post reported that:

“5 to 7 percent of the U.S. food supply is affected” by these food fraud practices and the problem is “growing very rapidly, and there's more of it [happening] than you might think.”

How to Identify and Avoid Your Allergic “Trigger” Foods

One of the most effective ways to diagnose food allergies is through ‘purification’ cleansing programs or ‘food detox’ programs. These methods essentially follow a systematic process of eliminating foods that people are commonly allergic or sensitive to, while also monitoring your body’s reactions to the elimination and slow reintroduction of those foods.

To determine allergies, people will notice an immediate reaction to a certain type of food that occurs minutes to hours after consuming the allergen. Some reactions include hives, respiratory problems, itchiness, aches and pains or headaches.

Other people may experience food intolerances, which are not as severe as allergies but can be just as painful. Intolerances usually occur in the digestive system and can cause abdominal pain, bloating, cramps or digestive problems.

Once these ‘trigger foods’ are identified, they are permanently eliminated from your diet, encouraging a healthier (and happier) lifestyle.

Food allergies are very common in today’s society. Unfortunately, there are a large number of people who go about their daily routine unaware that their chronic pain or fatigue is a byproduct of what they consume. If proper education and eating techniques are employed, however, these allergies and sensitivities can be treated and all but forgotten.

While diagnosing allergies can be tricky, treating them is not. A careful diet and selective eye for your food products can not only stop your feelings of illness, but it can also make you healthier too.

Sources

National Center for Health Statistics. Food allergy among U.S. children: Trends in prevalence and hospitalizations. NCHS data brief

The Washington Post. FDA pressured to combat rising 'food fraud’.

Grace Pundyk.The Honey Trail: In Pursuit of Liquid Gold and Vanishing Bees. St. Martin's Press.