Food intolerance symptoms and symptoms of food allergies manifest themselves in more ways than most people think. The general public is aware that severe food allergies can cause anaphylaxis, or that environmental allergies can cause people to sneeze or break out into hives. But did you know that allergy and intolerance can be responsible for a very wide range of symptoms that can affect any part of the body, and they don’t necessarily have to cause symptoms where first contact occurs?
(source: Bateson-Koch, Carolee. “Allergy: The multiple symptom syndrome.” In Allergies: Disease in Disguise. Burnaby, B.C.: Alive Books, 1994.)Allergy does not cause every disease, but it can be involved in almost any disease and it can play an integral role in the development of disease. It is so prevalent that if you have not been told the cause of your health problems or symptoms, you should consider allergy first.
I’m currently working on the Allergies course in my studies to become a holistic nutritionist, and I was surprised to see just how many common symptoms can be caused by allergies. Check out the infographic I made to see the most common medically recognized environmental allergy and food intolerance symptoms.
If you suffer from a number of these symptoms, you may want to get see an allergist or a naturopathic doctor to determine which allergens affect you. If you’d like to read more about allergies, I highly recommend the book Allergies: Disease in Disguise by Carolee Bateson-Koch DC ND. While it is the textbook for my course, it has an easy-to-read writing style written for the layman. The success stories throughout the book are inspiring in how they show that allergies can be healed through diet changes. Many food sensitivities are the result of a leaky gut, and taking steps to improve your digestion can often help less serious food intolerances. If you’re looking to improve your digestion, check out this comprehensive Heal Your Gut eCourse that consists of 10 self-guided modules of 45 lessons. You’ll even get access to a private Facebook group in which you’ll be able to ask questions and get additional guidance from a qualified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. And, if nothing else, go sign up for the Scoop on Poop book 😉