23/08/2023
One of my favourite meals is Sunday brunch - gluten free pancakes, fruits, maple syrup and coconut yoghurt. No dairy, no wheat and a selection of fruits, it's easy on the digestion and still super delish. Why is this important?
As we age or sometimes after severe illness, we find we can no longer tolerate certain foods. This can be due to a change in the gut lining or microbiome, and we have developed food intolerances. Food intolerances are not the same as food allergies.
Food allergy signs and symptoms develop quickly after ingesting the offending food and can produce symptoms such as hives, digestive issues, swollen airways or life-threatening anaphylaxis.
Food intolerances signs and symptoms are often delayed, dose dependant and can be somewhat vague. The signs and symptoms may develop gradually, become more severe over time and may not occur every time you eat that food. This can make it difficult to identify which foods are the issue.
Signs of food intolerances may include digestive issues such as pain, bloating, flatulence, altered bowel movements and may be the underlying cause of health issues such as migraines, joint pain or stiffness, skin rashes, brain fog, osteoarthritis, nasal congestion, poor sleep or weight gain.
In clinic, when a client presents with these symptoms, testing is often recommended to identify the offending foods. Though there are the usual suspects – dairy, eggs, gluten, wheat and soy it is not always the case that these are the issue and there may be other foods that are not suspected. Testing helps to ensure the correct foods are eliminated and foods are not unnecessarily removed or moderated.
Having food intolerances doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy foods it’s about understanding what you can eat and changing dietary habits to be compatible with your body. Understanding food intolerances provides you a valuable tool to manage your own health and over time as the gut heals and inflammation decreases food intolerances can lessen and foods can be reintroduced.