Do you have food sensitivities?
It’s a possibility for sure.
Food sensitivities and allergies are sometimes obvious, but more often are insidious and tricky. Surprisingly, symptoms are not always digestive-related like you might think. When you have a food sensitivity you get inflammation in the gut and this can cause symptoms from head to toe. I have literally seen food sensitivities and allergies be related to everything.
Joint pain, headaches, brain fog, digestive symptoms, skin issues, fatigue, and more can be the result of food sensitivities.
To top things off, the symptoms may not occur right after you eat the food. They might be delayed and start hours or even days after. It can be very confusing to figure out on your own!
How to figure out if you have food sensitivities
As a naturopathic doctor, I have a couple of ways to figure out the problem food(s). I first take a detailed health history and inquiry into your nutrition habits and review all your symptoms, when they occur, etc. Patterns can show up with your history.
Second, we test! If your history doesn’t provide a clear picture we move to lab testing. Lab tests are so helpful.
In the world of food sensitivity and food allergy test panels, there are many options. If you’ve only had the skin prick testing done with a few foods, you may have ruled out a few common food allergies, but there are other, more comprehensive options. Testing must be done to really hone in on all the sensitivities you may have. I’ve seen allergies be negative but sensitivities show positive.
Another option…
Something you can try right now is a food elimination challenge.
Try a food elimination for 4-6 weeks.
- Choose one food category (Common foods to eliminate are gluten/ wheat, dairy, sugar, or nightshades).
- Record your symptoms and how you’re feeling prior to this food elimination period. List all potential symptoms.
- Eliminate all sources of the food (gluten or example) for 4-6 weeks.
- Keep a record of how you are feeling. Pay attention to your entire body: brain function, mood, joints, digestion, sleep, and especially bloating and fatigue.
- If your symptoms are improved, then you are sensitive to that food. If you feel the same, then that food category is not the primary cause of your bloating, fatigue, or whatever symptoms you have.
Need more support? What are you waiting for? Schedule a new patient consultation with me today, I’m here to help you. Let’s figure this out together. Digestive health is one of my specialties.
