| Food AllergiesThe foods that adults or children react | | | | protein or a drug, that is caused by exposure to a |
| to are those foods they eat oftenA Food Allergy is | | | | foreign substance after a preliminary exposure.). A |
| defined as an individual's adverse reaction to food. | | | | food sensitivity will cause subtle discomforts such as |
| Almost any food can trigger a reaction in a person | | | | a generalized uneasy felling. Maybe an increase in your |
| who is susceptible. Other terms for Food Allergies are | | | | heart rate, excessive belching or flatulence or |
| "Food Intolerances and Food Sensitivities."For adults, | | | | stomach distension. You may also feel fatigued.The |
| the common foods that cause allergic reactions | | | | next thing that you have to do and maybe its the |
| include: shellfish such as shrimp, crayfish, lobster, and | | | | most important is to read the labels of the foods |
| crab. (Of note; if you are allergic to one of the shell | | | | that you buy. You must become a detective! Most |
| fish, you are probably allergic to others or all of | | | | food items use the same preservatives. If after |
| them.); peanuts, a legume ; tree nuts such as | | | | reading the labels you identify a preservative that |
| walnuts; fish; and eggs. Adults usually do not lose | | | | stands out, by that I mean a preservative that is |
| their allergies.Children are somewhat different. The | | | | only in one of the foods that you eat, that |
| common food allergens that cause problems in | | | | preservative may be the culprit. Simply eliminate that |
| children are eggs, milk, and peanuts. Children can | | | | food. You will know after 4 days if that is the food |
| sometimes outgrow them. Children are more likely to | | | | and preservative that is causing your problem. Now |
| outgrow allergies to milk or soy than allergies to | | | | to discern if you are sensitive to the food or the |
| peanuts, fish, or shrimp.These food allergies can | | | | preservative, eat the food fresh and see if it causes |
| cause catastrophic events to happen . Reactions | | | | you to have the same sensitivity reactions. If the |
| range from rashes, pain, to anaphylactic shock.When | | | | answer is yes, then your sensitivity is to the food. If |
| trying to figure out if and what food you have a | | | | the answer is no, then the sensitivity is to the |
| problem with, it is very important to keep an | | | | preservative. At that point, you need to then |
| accurate diary of your daily food and drink intake. | | | | eliminate that preservative from your diet. The only |
| You also need to write down in detail the symptoms | | | | way to do that successfully is to read all the |
| that you are felling. Without doing this, there is no | | | | labels.Simple Test!There is a simple and effective way |
| hope in finding what is ailing you. Keep detailed | | | | to determine a food either alone or with a |
| records!Can drug allergies affect the way you eat? | | | | preservative may be causing you a problem. Its not |
| Absolutely!. For instance, Any of you who has an | | | | 100% effective. However, it will give you an |
| allergy to penicillin for instance must be careful when | | | | indication. Its the "Pulse Test." Its simple to perform. |
| buying and eating penned animals such as chicken, | | | | Prior to eating the food, take your pulse for a |
| turkey, pork, etc. These animals who are kept in | | | | complete minute. Simply count the number of times |
| tight quarters climb over each other constantly and | | | | that your heart beats in a 1 minute period. Now take |
| scratch each other causing skin infections. These | | | | a small potion of the food that you are planning to |
| animals can not be sold with these infections. Their | | | | eat. Place it in your mouth. Don't chew it, simply place |
| keepers are known to give these animals penicillin to | | | | it in your mouth. Wait about 30 seconds and then |
| clear up these infections so that they can be | | | | start counting your heart beats again for another |
| sold.The quantity of the drug can remain high in some | | | | minute. If your heart rate increase 4-5 beats per |
| of these animals. Anaphylactic reactions and even | | | | minutes, then there is a good chance that the food |
| death from penicillin allergies have occurred from | | | | you are about to eat will cause you to have a |
| people eating these animals. Just be careful. Buy the | | | | sensitivity reaction.Not That Easy?If what we |
| meat from penned animals that has no antibiotics and | | | | described above doesn't help you identify your culprit |
| you will be fine.I can't believe that I'm allergic to food! | | | | food or preservative, then you need to resort to the |
| Could it be something else? Absolutely! Its a little | | | | Elimination Diet. The Elimination Diet is very effective. |
| thing called preservatives. Preservatives are placed in | | | | However, it takes time. As the diet's name states, |
| food so they last a longer time so that their financial | | | | you need to eliminate foods from your diet. You do |
| value will be realized.Currently, canned foods for | | | | this one food at a time.We suggest that prior to |
| instance have a shelf life of 7 years. What does that | | | | making your first elimination that you write down |
| mean? It means that the can of food can be eaten | | | | exactly how you are feeling. Then eliminate that one |
| and therefore sold for that period of time. Years | | | | food. This food needs to be eliminated for 4 straight |
| ago, the shelf life for canned foods was 3 years. | | | | days to determine if it is causing you any problems. |
| How did they prolong the time? Preservatives!.Did | | | | Each day of the elimination, you need to journal how |
| you know for instance that a popular brand of | | | | you are feeling. At the end of the forth day, |
| peanut butter has over 120 preservatives in it. | | | | compare your journal entries. If you are feeling the |
| Doesn't that sound astounding? It does to me. | | | | same at the end of day 4 as you did before the |
| Individuals like you can be allergic to any of these | | | | elimination, then that food is not the culprit. You need |
| preservatives. Its very difficult to find the one | | | | to keep trying different food one at a time for the 4 |
| preservative that you are allergic to.Also, don't forget | | | | day period until you find the culprit. It could take a |
| food colorings. Many individuals are allergic to the | | | | while.Remember, your problems may be caused by |
| different food colorings. Most common is red dye | | | | more than one food. That is why the journal is so |
| #3How do you find out if you have an allergy or | | | | important. If say prior to the first food elimination |
| sensitivity to a food, preservative or food | | | | you had 6 symptoms. Now after the elimination of |
| coloring?The first thing that you have to do is have a | | | | this food, you have 3 symptoms. Then you need to |
| suspicion that you have a problem. There is a | | | | eliminate that food from your diet. Don't stop there |
| difference between an overt allergy and a sensitivity. | | | | though! You now need to eliminate another food. If |
| The allergy will cause overt symptoms such as hives, | | | | you feel the same after that food is eliminated for 4 |
| rashes to in some cases anaphylaxis. (Hypersensitivity | | | | days, then try another food. This process can take |
| especially in animals to a substance, such as foreign | | | | over a month to complete! |