Food Sensitivities

Food Sensitivities, Allergies, & Intolerances

Food sensitivities, allergies, and intolerances are easily confused or use incorrectly, even among health care professionals. Each of these is a different reaction produced by your body due to certain foods.  

What’s the difference?

• Food Sensitivity: the immune system reacts to food anywhere from 30 minutes to several days after ingested. Food sensitivities can affect any organ system in the body and develop IgG and IgM antibodies. Sensitivities can be hard to detect as they can be delayed (a few days).

• Food Allergy: the immune system develops IgE antibodies against food proteins. The antibodies cause immune cells (mast cells and basophils) to release histamines, prostaglandins and other chemicals that trigger swelling, increased mucus secretion, and inflammation. Typically the reaction happens within an hour after ingestion of the food. A food allergy produces a “typical” allergic response. 

• Food Intolerances do not involve the immune system. They often produce digestive symptoms such as lactose intolerance.

Food sensitivities are often the most difficult to pinpoint, but can have a major impact on your health.

Common Symptoms Related To Food Sensitivities

• Allergies year around
• Digestive issues (bloating, constipation, diarrhea, excess gas)
• GERD/Reflux
• Skin issues (eczema, rashes, acne)
• Sinus issues (congestion, phlegm etc.)
• Dark circle under eyes
• Chronic fatigue
• Migraines or headaches
• Difficulty losing weight
• Joint/muscle aches
• Anxiety/depression
• Brain fog

The upside to food sensitivities…
If you figure out your trigger foods, remove them from your diet, AND work to heal your gut, you can often reverse your sensitivity to many of your trigger foods. Then you can enjoy them again without causing inflammation and damage to your body!

How To Determine Food Triggers: 

• Food sensitivity blood testing: Blood testing is one of the best ways to figure out your sensitivities to both foods and common chemicals (both natural and added) in foods. I typically do the LEAP Mediator Release Test which measures the chemical mediators (histamines etc) which accounts for all reactions by your immune system (not just IgG). 

• Elimination / Reset Diet: This takes out the top 7-10 most commonly reactive foods and adds them back in a very specific manner to determine which are causing reactions. The downfall of the reset diet is that it won’t account for sensitivities you’ve develop to non-commonly reactive foods like celery. 🙂 (See Gut Healing Course below)

*My gastro issues have baffled medical practitioners (including 2 previous nutritionists) for years. Finding Leslie has changed everything. Her advice is “spot on” and easy to follow. The LEAP testing gave me the reassurance needed to know what foods caused issues and what doesn’t. Leslie’s insights in to recipes and alternatives means that’s I’m not guessing at what might work. Her personal training advice has my body in better shape than its been for years and I’ve lost 15 pounds! In short, don’t wait to see her. You’ll be happy you did!

Not sure if we’d be a good fit…