Have you ever wondered if a certain food may be causing a health problem?
People often ask for a food allergy test to try and identify food or drink which may be causing health problems.
It comes as some surprise to many people that certain food which cause problems and need to be avoided are not in fact substances they are allergic to. A naturopathic consultation help to identify problems foods recommend tests if needed.
We can put potential problem foods into five groups.
1. Foods and drinks which damage human beings
The first group of problem foods which may cause problems is the largest for most people. This is foods and drinks that damage human beings. This group includes sugars, refined (white grains), alcohol, damaging fats such as processed oil, over heated fats, saturated fats from animals not reared in a way natural to the species . for example when the diet includes substances the animal would not naturally eat or when the animal is kept in confined conditions.
2. Food you find difficult to digest
The second group is food you find difficult to digest. Preparation of the food, such as soaking grains before cooking can help with these foods. Also taking time over a meal, and chewing food slowly helps. People will often remark that bread causes all sorts of problems when they eat it at work. However when they go on holiday they can eat bread and get no health upsets at all. If you consider the way you may eat a sandwich at work; on the run, at a computer, dashing from one task to another, you give your body no time for digestion, the undigested food can then pass through your gut and ferment in your intestines causing bloating and other problems. In contrast way you eat on holiday; taking time to sit and relax both before and after a meal and eating the meal itself in a leisurely way, in doing so giving your body the best change to digest the food.
3. Food Intolerances
The third group covers food intolerances. The reaction to the food is likely to be slow and may take hours or even days. There is a way of identifying these through a blood test, as food intolerance can stimulate some antibodies (called the IgG antibodies). However I have found most of the time food intolerances can be identified during a naturopathic consultation, where careful assessment of your diet and health problems indicates the most likely intolerances.
4. Classical Allergies
The fourth group is classical allergies, where the body reacts immediately. For example the food causes symptoms such an itchy rash or throat swelling, and can be life-threatening. Classical allergic reaction can be easier to identify, skin prick tests can be used although blood tests for IgE antibodies can be more useful.
5. Reactions Related to Certain Conditions
The fifth group covers items in the diet that people with certain conditions tend to have some kind of reaction to, sometimes it can be helpful to exclude these foods even without a test. For example people who have arthritis often find eating acidic foods such as citrus fruit triggers pain.
Importance of also ensuring you eat food with nutrients your body needs
With any health problem all possible problem food groups need to be considered, as well as ensuring you eat food with nutrients your body needs.?
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