Only 2% of Americans suffer from true clinically diagnosed food allergies, however, many suffer from undiagnosed food sensitivities or intolerances. It is estimated that 5% of food allergies are immediate (severe to toxic) and 95% are delayed.

Delayed food reactions are known as cyclic. The recurrent ingestion of the offending food such as milk or wheat can mask the symptoms, go unrecognized and are delayed with no cause and effect relationship.

When people experience certain subtle symptoms for many years, they blame it on stress, overwork, side effects of medication, and other unrelated causes instead of a food allergy or sensitivity. Recurrent ear infections in children or migraine headaches are usually attributed to something other than food. While classic allergies involving skin, airway, and digestive tract do occur with delayed food reactions, they may also include a variety of symptoms in various organ systems.

The following are a few common, unsuspected symptoms or conditions that may be related to food allergy or sensitivity.

• Functional GI symptoms – gas, belching, fatigue after meals, intermittent diarrhea, and constipation
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Skin rashes and itchy eyelids
• Vertigo
• Tinnitus (with normal hearing and other causes ruled out)
• Fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss (feels like ears are plugged up)
• Post nasal drip
• Cough (unproductive)
• Hoarseness
• Asthma or asthma bronchitis
• Mental Dullness
• Mood swings
• Forgetfulness
• Depression aggravated or worsened by food allergies
• Muscle spasms, soreness or weakness
• Myalgia
• Sinus or migraine headaches
• Chronic fatigue
• Weight fluctuations/intermittent swelling or edema
• Sleep apnea or insomnia
• Cardiac rhythm disturbances

Forty percent of people with airborne allergies often have food sensitivities that correlate to the specific pollen. For instance, grass allergies correlate with tomato, melon, watermelon, and kiwi. Ragweed correlates with melon, watermelon, banana, and gourds and Birch with apple, carrot, potato, celery, fennel, kiwi, hazelnut, pear, and peach.

Gay Riley, MS, RD, CCN, shares the story of one patient. “Christian, 32, came to me wanting to lose weight. She insisted she was going to do the high protein diet that everyone else was having great results with.

She wanted to have some immediate success so she could get a motivated jump-start that would get her to her goal. Christian wanted my nutritional expertise to help her plan healthy low carbohydrate menus. She complained that she was tired all the time, her joints and muscles ached and she often had gas, bloating, abdominal cramps, and constipation. If she lost weight, she was sure these problems would go away.”

“We planned Christian’s menu and workout schedule and within 8 weeks, she was at goal and feeling wonderful so we slowly reintroduced more carbohydrates back into her daily food intake for maintenance.”

“After several weeks, Christian called me and told me she had gained 10 pounds (of the 40 lost) and the physical symptoms she was experiencing previous to the weight loss had returned. She said the symptoms seemed more intense and she could hardly stay awake about 2 hours after lunch. She also complained of an irritating rash on her arms and scalp and a rasp in her throat that was probably because of the ragweed in the air.”

“After carefully assessing strict food and mood records, Christian followed the Caveman diet. After the third week, she carefully added one food for four days at a time. Symptoms were radically apparent when she ate dairy, wheat, peanuts, and tomatoes. These foods were substituted with other foods in Christian’s meal plan.

She found creative recipes and products that she liked as well so staying away from the offending foods was easy. Miraculously, Christian lost the entire 10 pounds, and was absent of all the physical symptoms, including fatigue. She said she had more energy and felt more alert than she had for many years.”

“Christian had been on a semi-elimination diet during her weight loss low carbohydrate diet (no wheat, milk products, or peanuts). During maintenance when she started eating these foods again everyday, the food related symptoms reappeared.”

Food sensitivities are broad in definition, classification, variety, number and intensity of symptoms and associated medical conditions. It is important to rule out any serious medical symptoms by consulting with your physician.

If food intolerance is suspected, Alcat food sensitivity testing is available through Finish Line Chiropractic. This will test specific foods and give you an organized list of foods to avoid and foods you can eat in moderation. For more information on Alcat Testing, contact one of the Finish Line doctors.

1) Gay Riley, MS, RD, CCN. NetNutritionist.com

External toxins from the environment (i.e., chemicals found in foods, water and air, pesticides, heavy metals and other pollutants) bombard your body on a daily basis. If your organs of elimination and detoxification are functioning at optimal levels, your body is able to eliminate these unwanted substances safely and efficiently. However, if the body is taking in more toxins than it can safely eliminate, a state of chronic toxicity may occur. A detox allows your body to neutralize and safely eliminate harmful chemicals within the body.

Despite its increasing popularity, natural detoxification is not a new concept. The use of herbs, minerals, and other organic ingredients as a means of cleansing the body has been practiced for centuries and by countless cultures worldwide. Traditional Chinese medicine, for example, focused on the use of herbal remedies to help eliminate toxins from the body and restore health and vitality, and similar methods were employed by the ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians.1

Recently The New York Times ran a story on the growing popularity of natural detoxification, reporting that, “…sales of herbal formulas for cleansing, detoxification and organ support among natural food retailers were more than $27 billion” from the beginning of December 2007 to late November 2008. The reason for the growing interest? People are beginning to realize that the human body may be up against more than it can handle.1

These days our bodies are exposed to more dangerous toxins than ever before. They’re in our homes, our cars, our places of work. They’re in the air we breathe and the food we eat; they’re even in our cars, and although we’re equipped with certain natural defenses that help us to purge those toxins, our bodies are simply too overwhelmed to perform the task on their own.

The organs and organ systems we rely on to filter and eliminate waste and contaminants—primarily the lungs, liver, lymphatic system, kidneys, skin, blood and colon—have become bogged down under the weight of our increasingly toxic modern world, and the key to reversing the damage may lie with the healing benefits of herbal cleansing and detoxification.1

Headaches, fatigue, allergies, unexplained aches and pains, muscle weakness, acne, rashes, tinnitus, recurrent infections, brain fog, learning and attention issues, irritable bowel syndrome, fertility problems, and hormonal imbalances are just some of the possible symptoms associated with toxicity and can be diminished or eliminated by doing a detoxification program.

Detox programs can be an effective way to support overall health, but whether the goal is to eliminate toxins, flush away excess fat, or simply to live healthier, it’s important to know the difference between what is healthy and supportive, and what is potentially harmful and counterproductive. For example, if you’ve considered detoxification as a way to jumpstart weight loss, it’s best to think about your goal before you get started and focus on taking a healthy approach.1

Remember that cleansing and detoxification are not miracle cures for whatever ails you, and that being healthy means making a lifelong commitment to wellness. Once you do that, regular internal cleansing and other natural detox methods are like a booster. They help keep the body in prime condition by supporting those vital organs and organ systems that process and eliminate toxins, and when you slip and ‘fall off the wagon’, cleansing and detox can provide the jumpstart you need to reestablish a state of optimum health.1

1Watson, Brenda C.N.C. Http://www.brendawatson.com/In-the-News/Brendas- News/Natural-Detox-Fact-Fiction/

So why is it necessary to undergo a detoxification, or master cleansing? The fact is that the single greatest threat to our health is the continued presence and buildup of toxins in the body. All of the major organs can become repositories for toxins that exist in our food and in the air we breathe. As these toxins accumulate, they can negatively affect the function of the organs.

Toxins can come from a number of sources including alcohol, prescription drugs, sugar, caffeine, chemicals and hormones. The major organs such as the colon, liver, gallbladder, lungs, kidneys, bladder and skin are responsible for clearing those toxins out of your system. In order to do their job properly, these organs need regular stimulation.

An internal body detox is the perfect way to rid the body of excess toxins and return it to a state of cleanliness so that the organs can function better. It is a process that people have been turning to for years with great success and access to detoxification therapy has never been easier than it is today. If you want to detox, there are any number of methods you can follow.

Detoxification involves a multi-pronged approach, including the use of certain therapeutic herbs that remove toxins and promote healthy organ function and the adoption of a healthier diet. Even individuals who maintain a healthy lifestyle including a balanced diet and plenty of exercise can still benefit from the effects of a master cleansing.

You can find detoxification kits available online and in your local drugstore. You can use these in the comfort of your own home to help promote gentle, natural healing. For more serious detoxification, there are facilities that offer programs at various levels, depending on your individual needs. These programs are overseen by trained professionals who can guide you through the process for the best results.

Eating fruit and vegetables and drinking plenty of water are an important part of any internal body detox. They help to naturally rid the body of toxins and promote a sense of well being. Those who have experienced the process of detoxification rave about the feeling they get afterward from a body that is squeaky clean inside and out.

Your body needs all the help it can get in order to function properly so why not take a proactive approach to fighting back against the onslaught of toxins? Ridding your body of these harmful substances will help you to be feel revitalized and stronger and can give you a whole new outlook on life!

After reading the article entitled “Why Internal Body Detox Is Good For You” you could extend your knowledge on this topic by clicking on internal body detox or taking a look at the thoughts connected with master cleansing.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6610111

In my case it’s shell fish. One time when I was much younger I tried a raw clam; it turned my stomach really bad and about a couple of hours later I was vomiting. I think that was the start of my food intolerance. There is some information online regarding stressful situations in connection with a food episode like the one I had. But unfortunately it’s not understood why.

Regardless of the reason the intolerance was gradual as other food items were added to the list. In the case of raw clams I could never eat them but I was still able to eat lobster, cocktail shrimp and my favorite stuffed shrimp. First it was the cocktail shrimp; just putting it anywhere next to my mouth would make my stomach turn. Then the lobster, I felt really sorry when I couldn’t eat lobster but it wasn’t as hard to give up as stuffed shrimp.

So why was I able to eat these things when I was younger but not so much now? First of all let’s quickly mention that food intolerances are different from food allergies. For example, food allergies will cause an immediate reaction of your body’s immune system. This reaction can cause a life threatening condition called asphyxiation and requires immediate medical attention. Food intolerances on the other hand are normally non life threatening and usually cause problems with your digestive tract.

I for one will not die (as for now) eating shell fish but it will make me sick to my stomach. What are some causes of food intolerances? A quick search online list several causes including lack of certain digestive enzymes as in the case of being lactose intolerant. Other reasons include Celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, sensitivities to preservatives found in some foods, even a stressful memory of certain food (as may be the case with my food intolerance).

Finally the question; can food intolerances and food allergies develop as we age? The simple answer is yes. Now as to why it happens exactly is not yet known. There are many different examples. For some people they may have had an allergy or intolerance when they were younger, but they grew out of it, only to find later in life they have it again or with another entirely different food.

Although disappointing that we do not yet know why we get food intolerances and allergies as we age at least we can test for them and learn how to live with them. It just goes to show that things are always changing especially within our own bodies and we have to stay alert. If you think you may have an intolerance or allergy see your doctor right away.

John Carlo is the webmaster for Food Allergies and Food Intolerance. For more information please visit http://www.foodallergiesandfoodintolerance.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6574114

This is especially true of the brain. When the brain fails to receive the nutrients it needs cognitive abilities such as focus, concentration and memory will suffer. Therefore if you are finding that your brain is not performing optimally it could be time to take a look at your diet.

Of course none of us has what could be described as a perfect diet. In fact to try to achieve such a diet would be nigh on impossible. However it is important to understand there are some foods that provide us with no nutritional value whatsoever. This means that even though they may be enjoyable, at the end of the day they will do very little for us.

One such example is sugar. OK, we may all enjoy the energy boost provided by eating foods containing refined sugar, however we all know that this boost is short-lived. In fact not long after consuming sugary foods we will start to feel a little sluggish. Whilst we may all recognize this feeling in our body, we may not spot how it has affected our cognitive functions. Our focus, concentration and memory will all suffer with constant peaks and troughs in our blood sugar levels. Other foodstuffs such as trans and saturated fats can have much the same effect, a slowing up of both our body’s and our brains systems and functions.

It is therefore important to understand that improving our nutritional intake can make a big difference to our brains overall performance. A good place to start is by consuming foods with good levels of nutrition. There are now many recognized “super foods” that are believed to help the brain function better. These include omega 3 found in fish oils, fruit and vegetables as well as many kinds of nuts. Think about snacking on some of these foods during the day rather than eating junk foods. If you search online you will find a whole raft of information on foods that are good for the brain. Find a few you like and stick to eating them, you may well be surprised at the difference it makes.

These days your daily nutrient requirement can also be supplied by health supplements. Try using one such as Procera AVH, this has the advantage over many other supplements in that it has been created exclusively for brain health. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence, from users of brain health supplements, as to the improvements in cognitive functions they can bring about. By increasing the blood supply to the brain, these supplements allow it to receive more of the vital oxygen and nutrients all our brains need in order to operate optimally.

Try not to be fooled into thinking that loss of brain function is just a fact of growing older. There is no reason that clear thinking, good levels of concentration and great memory recall can’t be yours at any age. Make sure you feed your brain the nutrients it needs and start enjoying your brain just like you always used to!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6541001