Allergies, Intolerances and Food Sensitivity
In a naturopathic consultation, people present with many allergy related conditions. These include: asthma, sinusitis, ear infections, eczema, itchy skin, reflux, bloating, stomach pain, constipation, diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome, fatigue, behaviour problems, depression, anxiety, foggy thinking and migraines. These can be a result of how our body handles what we eat. Identification and elimination of these substances is a vital part of a treatment protocol.
Food sensitivities or intolerances are not life threatening as true allergies can be, but they are enough to affect our daily lives. Some refer to them as "masked allergies" as they are generally not an immediate reaction, rather they can take anywhere up to 48 hours after ingestion or contact. They are also often dose dependent, so you may be able to tolerate a small amount before experiencing a reaction.
There is more than one option available for food intolerance/sensitivity/allergy testing. Which way we go will depend upon your symptoms and personal preference. Common options include IgG, IgE, and IgA.
An elimination diet may be recommended in order to identify problematic foods. During this period a number of foods are removed from the diet, and slowly re-introduced over a 6 week period.
Or you may choose to be referred to a local clinic for a EAP food intolerance test. This type of testing records the bodies energetic reactions to both environmental substances and foods. We find this type of testing the most comprehensive as it does not rely on biochemical markers (i.e. antibodies), as there are a number of different antibodies that may be present, or the reaction may not be mediated by the immune system at all (i.e. lactose intolerance) The testing take 1 - 1.5 hours and tests over 100 of the most common food and environment substances known to cause intolerance reactions. Note: this testing is different to IgG/IgE blood test, or skin prick tests.
Food sensitivities or intolerances are not life threatening as true allergies can be, but they are enough to affect our daily lives. Some refer to them as "masked allergies" as they are generally not an immediate reaction, rather they can take anywhere up to 48 hours after ingestion or contact. They are also often dose dependent, so you may be able to tolerate a small amount before experiencing a reaction.
There is more than one option available for food intolerance/sensitivity/allergy testing. Which way we go will depend upon your symptoms and personal preference. Common options include IgG, IgE, and IgA.
An elimination diet may be recommended in order to identify problematic foods. During this period a number of foods are removed from the diet, and slowly re-introduced over a 6 week period.
Or you may choose to be referred to a local clinic for a EAP food intolerance test. This type of testing records the bodies energetic reactions to both environmental substances and foods. We find this type of testing the most comprehensive as it does not rely on biochemical markers (i.e. antibodies), as there are a number of different antibodies that may be present, or the reaction may not be mediated by the immune system at all (i.e. lactose intolerance) The testing take 1 - 1.5 hours and tests over 100 of the most common food and environment substances known to cause intolerance reactions. Note: this testing is different to IgG/IgE blood test, or skin prick tests.