Understanding Food Intolerances: A Journey to Better Health
Food intolerances can be a real puzzle—one day, you’re enjoying your favorite foods, and the next, your body says, “No more.” I’ve been on this journey myself, and it’s led me to a better understanding of my body and what it needs to thrive.
My Story: Navigating Food Intolerances
For years, I struggled with symptoms that made daily life challenging. Every time I ate, I would bloat up like I was six months pregnant, accompanied by severe abdominal pain, inconsistent bowel motions, brain fog, recurring sickness, low energy, anxiety, and depression. It reached a point where I avoided eating altogether, fearful of how my body might react. In hindsight, I know this only made things worse, leading to nutrient deficiencies.
Eventually, I embarked on a 12-week elimination diet. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. During this time I worked with a naturopath to start healing my gut, improving my microbiome and addressing my stress and mental health. Slowly, I started to feel better. As I reintroduced foods, I became more aware of how each one affected my body. Along the way, I also tried hair testing, IgG testing, and kinesiology. Interestingly, all of these methods pointed to the same problematic foods. Through careful challenges, I confirmed that gluten, dairy, eggs, and onions were indeed causing my symptoms. Following a vegetarian diet on top of these intolerances certainly made things tricky!
But here’s what I’ve learned: Addressing food intolerances early can help you return to a more varied diet sooner. Remember, all intolerance testing provides just a snapshot in time. With the right focus on gut health and digestion, you may find that you can reintroduce some foods down the line with minimal issues.
Intolerances vs. Allergies: What’s the Difference?
It’s important to understand the difference between food intolerances and food allergies:
Food Intolerances are about your body’s difficulty in digesting certain foods, leading to symptoms like bloating, headaches, and fatigue. They don’t involve the immune system in the same way as allergies.
Food Allergies are immune system reactions to specific foods. These can be severe, causing symptoms like hives, swelling, and even anaphylaxis.
Key Takeaway: Allergies can be dangerous and involve the immune system, while intolerances typically affect the digestive system and are generally less severe but still impactful.
Diagnosis: Finding the Root Cause
Understanding what’s causing your symptoms can be a game-changer. Here are some common diagnostic methods:
Allergy Testing (IgG, IgA): These tests help identify food sensitivities by measuring immune responses, which can reveal delayed reactions that aren’t immediately obvious.
Coeliac Testing: Crucial for diagnosing coeliac disease, this testing determines if gluten is damaging your small intestine.
Skin Prick Testing: A go-to for allergies, this test involves exposing your skin to small amounts of allergens to see if there’s a reaction.
There are also energetic testing methods, like:
Hair Testing, Biofeedback, Muscle Testing/Kinesiology: While less scientifically validated, these methods can offer valuable insights. For me, they were consistent with more conventional methods and provided a good starting point for identifying food triggers.
The Elimination Diet: A Path to Clarity
Elimination diets can feel overwhelming—especially when hidden ingredients like gluten make it tough to determine what’s safe. Plus, it’s not just about foods; some people react to chemical compounds in foods, like oxalates, salicylates, or sugars found in FODMAP foods. Getting through this phase is key to reducing symptoms and finding out what your body can handle.
The Role of Gut Bacteria: Why It Matters
Gut bacteria play a huge role in developing intolerances. Often, people can eat whatever they want—until they can’t. This sudden intolerance can be linked to various factors, such as illness, antibiotics, or years of less-than-ideal eating habits until the body reaches its breaking point.
Where to Start: The Naturopathic Approach
This is where naturopathy comes in. Naturopaths can help you identify the foods causing issues, even when it’s not straightforward. We focus on promoting good digestion and improving gut microbiome balance with foods and targeted supplements. If you’re still struggling after trying these approaches, functional testing like microbiome mapping can be a great tool to explore further.
Final Thoughts: Take Action for Better Health
If you’re dealing with food intolerances, taking action sooner rather than later is crucial. With the right support, you can often reintroduce foods and enjoy a varied diet again. Naturopathy offers a holistic approach to help you restore balance and improve your overall well-being. Ready to start your journey? Let’s explore your options together.
