Allergies are usually associated with symptoms such as itchy, watery eyes, runny nose and sore throat or the more dangerous anaphylactic reactions. However, it is not commonly known that there are different types of allergic reactions and the ones that we are most aware of are not the only allergies that many people suffer from. The common allergies are known as Type 1 or IgE reactions and they are what your Medical Doctor or allergist test for when they do the skin prick test.  IgE reactions are typically those that occur immediately after being exposed to the offending substance and cause a more severe reaction.  The peanut allergy is the most common example of this reaction. These tests do not measure your body’s reaction to certain foods and are only utilized to assess for the common allergy symptoms, anaphylactic or IgE reactions.

Food allergies or more accurately, food sensitivities are known as Type 3, IgG or delayed reactions. This refers to the specific antibody that the immune system sends out to create the reactions that we feel as symptoms. It is thought that the immune system incorrectly flags the food as an invader. The interesting feature of IgG reactions is that they can occur anywhere between a few minutes to several days after the food or allergen has been introduced to the body. Also, there are a variety of symptoms that may occur depending on the individual including, but not limited, to abdominal pain or bloating, fatigue or fogginess, joint pain, skin rash or irritations or mucous formation in the nose or throat.

There are many options when testing for food sensitivities, but we believe that the most accurate and easiest way to test is through the blood. Other tests include electro-dermal testing through the skin (VEGA) and elimination (hypoallergenic) diet testing. The blood test is the only one that directly measures the amount of IgG antibody that your body produces against approximately 100 different food sources. This provides an objective measure in order to remove the offending foods from the diet and requires only a few drops of blood via finger prick. Electrical impulse testing relies on the experience and expertise of the practitioner, VEGA machine and energy testing.  The elimination diet on the other hand, requires a conscious effort to keep many foods out of the diet for one month and systematically introducing each food one at a time. While this can be a great indication of the culprits, it requires more time and effort to provide only a subjective answer. We believe that a combination of blood testing and a modified elimination diet after the results are obtained is the best way to identify and remove symptoms caused by food allergens.

Food Sensitivity Test Options

1. IgG Blood Test

Pros
- objective results
- no commitment to diet required while waiting for results
- easy to obtain results

Cons
- higher cost

2. Elimination Diet

Pros
- less cost
- may feel better immediately on diet
- can detoxify your liver at the same time

Cons
- time consuming
- subjective results
- requires commitment to a temporary lifestyle change

3. Electro-dermal Testing

Pros
- easy to obtain results

Cons
- subjective results as could vary between practitioners and machine
- higher cost

The identification and elimination of your food sensitivities is very important as keeping these foods in the diet can cause unwanted symptoms and inflammation in the body.  The good news is that once you know what your food sensitivity is, avoidance is easy.  The even better news is that once the food is identified and eliminated for a period of time typically the immune system readjusts and you may be able to enjoy this food again!  As all testing comes with pros and cons we suggest using whatever method suits you the best in order to eliminate your food sensitivities as soon as possible.

·         Refined sugars (white sugar, brown sugar, glucose, fructose) - See our post on refined sugar.

·         Cow dairy - Try to consume organic cow dairy and organic butter if you are having this in your daily diet as there are many hormones and antibiotics in non-organic varieties.  We recommend goat and sheep dairy as these have been less mass produced and have much less impact on hormones and overall health.

·         Alcohol - Have red wine and the occasional beer if you are consuming and less than 5 drinks per week.  Alcohol can back up the the liver and throw off hormonal balance, increase the risk of cancer and contribute to mood disturbances.

·         Wheat products - Have many negative effects on the body including blood sugar dysregulation, low mood, bloating, fatigue and potential increased cardiovascular risk.  Consume a wide variety of other grains like teff, brown rice, amaranth, millet, etc. that have been less manipulated over time.  See Wheat Belly Book Review.

·         Salt - Taste your food before adding salt as this reduces consumption.  Use sea salt or Herbamare and consume a variety of spices like turmeric, rosemary, oregano, basil, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne etc.

·         Caffeine - Limit to 1 coffee weekly and switch to green tea.  If you really like the taste of coffee use swiss water decaf.  For coffee substitutes that contain digestive and liver supporting herbs try Café lib or Krakus - they also have great flavour.

·         Juices  - If having use 100% fruit and vegetable juices that are not sweetened (ie. Ceres) on occasion, as juice is pasteurized and processed and some nutrients are lost.  The whole fruit is always better but if you like juice try making your own at home - it's a lot tastier and better for your health as all nutrients are retained.

·         Margarine - Use organic butter instead as margarine is heavily processed and has chemical dyes in it.  It's even better to use unfiltered, extra virgin olive oil instead.

·         Vegetable oils - These can increase inflammation in the body.  It is the best to cook with organic extra virgin coconut oil since it has a high heating point which means that it can withstand heat without being broken down into harmful by-products. See our blog on coconuts. It is also great for baking.  Unfiltered Extra Virgin Olive oil is best to add after cooking.  It can be used to make salad dressings with raw apple cider vinegar which can help with digestion.   It is okay to bake at 300, however, it is best raw.

·         ‘Fake’ foods - These include artificial sweeteners, artificial colors, artificial flavours, Monosodium glutamate (MSG).  The body doesn't recognize these man made chemicals and has a hard time processing them.

·         Packaged foods - Anything that comes from a box like packaged cookies, crackers, snacks, sauces, dinners.  These are highly processed and most likely contain refined carbohydrates and sugars or other chemical additives and preservatives.  Make your own food at home - it's worth the time for your health, energy and overall well-being.

·         Deep fried foods, bacon and other smoked meats - These are not good for digestion and are carcinogenic instead choose organic grass fed or wild meats.

You can use left over roasted veggies from the previous blog post (Easy Roasted Vegetables) or you can start with fresh veggies.  We like veggie scramble on the weekends for breakfast as they are quick, easy and delicious.  This is a balanced breakfast containing both protein and carbs which helps with blood sugar regulation.  It also starts the day with 1-2 servings of veggies which most people miss later in the day!  Serve with a bowl of fresh fruit or a smoothie.



Vegetable Scramble

·         3/4 cup vegetables: broccoli, mushrooms, pepper, spinach, green onions, tomatoes

·         2-3 local eggs

·         Freshly ground pepper, spices (turmeric, chili powder, garlic powder) and goat feta optional      
Heat small pan over low to medium heat and add a small amount of coconut oil enough to coat the pan.  Stir fry all vegetables except green onion and tomato.  Scramble eggs in a bowl.  Add green onion and tomatoes when vegetables are warm (if using left over roasted veggies) or desired consistency.  Add scrambled eggs and pepper, spices and cheese if desired.  Scramble eggs till cooked.  Serve with bowl of fruit (mixed berries, apple, pear, banana, mango sliced) with a pinch of cinnamon or a fruit smoothie.

Vegetables are a large component of our diet so sometimes we try to find new creative ways to cook them.  These are the cooking methods we prefer and recommend to patients:

·         Best: Sautee, steam, bake, stir fry, moist heat

·         Worst: Deep frying, boiling, barbecuing, microwaving

This recipe is baked and is very quick to prepare and cook.  We like to make it in the colder weather as a side dish instead of a salad.  Feel free to experiment with different vegetables and spices.  We make enough so veggies cover about half of our plate.  We also really enjoy the left overs in a vegetable scramble (see our next blog post) the following day.

Ingredients

·         Any vegetables cut up larger pieces: mushroom, pepper, onion, carrot (sliced), broccoli

·         1/8 to ¼ cup olive oil

·         2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar

·         1 tsp Dijon mustard

·         3-4 cloves minced garlic

·         1½-2 tsp thyme

·         1 tsp basil

Preheat oven 300 degrees F.  Mix ingredients together and then toss with vegetables in large bowl.  Place a piece of unbleached parchment paper or foil on a baking sheet and spread out veggies.  Bake for 10 minutes and then turn and bake additional 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender or desired consistency.  We like our vegetables crisp!