The problem is people look for a one size fits all answer and that is just not the case.
Food allergies effect people differently. In all the people I have talked to about their food allergies, specifically gluten intolerance, not one has had the same symptoms and issues as me, expect for my Mom; which further makes me believe that gluten intolerance is hereditary, or as some recent research is finding, potentially an autoimmune disorder.
I have read many books, blogs, news related articles and spoken with many people who have food allergies and each has a different approach and plan of attack, because all have different symptoms. Some gluten and lactose intolerant people have respiratory issues, others have elimination issues, irritable/irregular bowel issues, achy joints, pain doing activities that don't normally cause pain, overall irritability, difficulty sleeping, tired no matter how much sleep you get, lethargy, regularly sick with a common cold, hungry right after eating, not wanting to eat, constantly ravenous, dark under eye circles, skin irritations such as rashes and dandruff, stomach distension, constipation, diarrhea, explosive diarrhea, horrendously painful gas, horrendously smelly gas, gaining weight, losing weight....and this list keeps growing, just Google it, of which I am sure you have, the list of symptoms is astronomical.
On any given bad day, week, during your period, PMS, you slept like crap, stressful work week, I am sure you can have all, if not a least some of the above mentioned symptoms, and all of a sudden you would think you have a food allergy. While I am not saying all people have food allergies, although I think far more people do than know it or acknowledge it. Research shows that an estimated 2 million are gluten intolerant unknowingly and undiagnosed.* How do you differentiate between a bad day or a crappy week to having a food allergy or sensitivity?
My belief is that if you have been uncomfortable, whatever that means to you, either by saying yes to some of the symptoms listed above or any other definition of uncomfortable, for any period of significant time that you can't shake, then maybe you have a food allergy. If you can think back to a time when you didn't feel like shit or weren't uncomfortable, tired, lethargic and cranky all the time, maybe it is time to assess your diet. Furthermore, if you are active and think you eat a well-balanced, pretty clean diet and still feel like crap most days than not, you most likely have a food allergy. And lastly, if you just feel "off" on a consistent basis I would highly recommend thinking about how your body reacts to food.
So now what, right? You have been shaking your head all along, thinking yep that's me, and I am uncomfortable more often than not. Again the approach is not the same for everyone and everyone's allergy issues are all different. You have two options in my mind.
Option 1 - Seek the help of professionals. I would suggest seeing an allergy specialist to identify the exact things you are allergic to. As well as see a nutritionist or alternative practitioner that will ask you about your diet and eating habits and recommend a course of action for you. Your regular doc will not ask, if ever, about your eating habits and diet. Doctors are not required to have any nutrition background, except for a basic 101 class as undergrads as a pre-req. for a pre-med degree. I also think this is why there are so many conflicting responses to food allergies and further why people go much longer than is necessary, on average 7-10 years, without having their food allergy diagnosed. Seeking out the help from people who know diet, nutrition and allergies are going to definitely get you headed down the right path to happy insides.
Option 2 - Do it yourself. Use your body as your own guinea pig, which is what I did, because honestly I figured I couldn't feel any worse. I figured anything would be better than being miserable all the time. If you want to start out easy and aren't that uncomfortable I would recommend starting with a food journal. Write down everything you eat and how it made you feel during consumption, after, 1 hr. up to 4 hrs. later and also the next day, sometimes it takes a whole day for food to move through you if your digestive tract is angry. Also write down your pooping cycle and the type of poop: easy, hard, runny, etc. Do this for a minimum of a 1 month. You will start to notice patterns in your eating habits and how you feel/how you poop. And read, read, read, (see suggested list below) more information is better because ultimately you will know enough to identify your body patterns. A food journal will also help you be more aware of your body and eventually you will see the foods that consistently give you discomfort, making it clear which foods to remove/lessen in your diet.
If you want to jump in like I did and get to the root of the problem, start with an Elimination Diet.The Elimination Diet removes all typical food allergy triggers like milk, eggs, nuts, wheat, and soy from your diet. You can also eliminate some extra foods that you are suspicious of, for me that was stone fruits, additional grains like oats, millet; beans and legumes; the nightshade family: tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and peppers of all kinds, except black pepper, tomatillos, paprika and cayenne. I chose to remove these additional foods for concern of inflammation. Not knowing if it was food allergies or just a mean case of seasonal allergies I wanted to consume as few triggers as possible (see Horrendous Allergy Season for more on my philosophy of inflammatory foods and seasonal allergies). You eat an Elimination Diet for 1 month. After a month on 4 day cycles you slowly introduce potential allergy causing foods back into your diet, 1 at time. You pick a trigger-food, I started with eggs, because I had never had a problem before with eggs. Eat 1 egg. And wait 4 days. If you do not have any adverse reaction than you are fine. Wait an additional 4 days on the elimination diet without the new introduced food and then introduce another trigger-food, like nuts. Wait 4 days. No reaction. Wait 4 more days, introduce another trigger-food. You do this until you get through the typical trigger-foods: milk, eggs, nuts, wheat, and soy. If you go as extreme as I did, you will want to include your suspicious foods in your 4 day re-introduction cycle. The theory is that once you go through all the trigger-foods, you will eventually bump into those that give you adverse reactions. With your digestive system being so calmed down due to the stripped down diet, the slightest adverse effect to any food will be very easily identifiable. After the whole Elimination Diet process, which does take some time and lots of discipline (but trust me you will be so much happier on the other side) you will know your food allergy.
Or you can take the most direct approach, which if you think you are allergic to something, ie gluten, completely remove it from your diet, cold turkey and see how you feel. I know plenty of people who did this. They just stopped eating gluten or lactose and within weeks they felt completely better.
Everything about identifying a food allergy is learning to tune in and listen to your body. So often we take our body for granted and think that it will work for us even when it is giving us clear signs that things are working inside. Symptoms, like all the above, are your body's way of saying hey things are not OK inside it is angry in here. And you better listen up. Whatever method works for you, if you are miserable consider tuning into your discomfort and maybe you can find the cause of the the discomfort, and then you will end up on the other side wondering why you spent so much time being uncomfortable.
Suggested Reading List:
*Gluten is My Bitch, April Peveteaux - for quick and funny just-starting gluten intolerance journey info
Practical Paleo, Diane Sanfilippos, BS, NC - not so much for the paleo diet, but for the identification of individual digestional issues along with some very intuitive, practical info. I found the Guide to: Your Poop! extremely helpful
The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods, Michael Murray, ND and Joseph and Lara Pizzorno, ND, MA, LMT - a wealth of info. Look up any food to know more about it. A regular reference in my repertoire.
Paleo Cooking from Elena's Pantry, Elana Amsterdam - good recipes and a simple approach, with not lots of folderol for cooking gf
Lastly, an important thing to ALWAYS remember:
"Modern medicine, for all its advances, knows less than 10% of what the body knows instinctively." Depak Chopra. So tune in and listen to your instinct.
