Natural Solutions for Food Allergies and Food Intolerances: Scientifically Proven Remedies for Food Sensitivities

If you have life threatening food allergies, read this book. If you have non-life threatening food allergies, read this book. If you have weird, vague, or intermittent symptoms across 2 or more organ systems, that nothing seems to help (not RX meds, not OTC meds), READ THIS BOOK.But before I review this book, a bit of context is in order.Allergies and atopy (and asthma) run in my family. My dad had bad seasonal allergies and asthma. Two of my older siblings could not tolerate cow's milk as infants, and had to be given goat milk. My younger sib almost died from her allergy to pignola (she has to carry an Epi-Pen now). One of my grandmothers was terribly allergic to peanuts, and one of my nephews has the same horrible peanut allergy (life-threatening, requiring an Epi-Pen). And everyone is allergic to cats, dogs, horses, anything with fur.I was *not* allergic to anything with fur -- the only one of five kids who isn't. From a very young age, I hung out with friends with multiple cats, multiple dogs, etc. Sometimes when I came home from my friends' houses, I had to take off my clothes on the porch (and enclosed one, lol!) so that the hair on my clothes wouldn't trigger my father's or siblings' allergies and asthma.In my pre-teens and teens, I got exercise-related asthma, but only if I ran a long time, or if it was pollen season. Nothing that required daily antihistamines or asthma inhalers.So I thought the allergy genes had skipped me, for the most part. I'm miserable, sinus-wise, only during tree pollen season and during mold season in the fall. But OTC antihistamines work fine for me.But food allergies were only waiting until I was in the full bloom of adulthood and, later, middle age -- and they didn't all manifest in the ways you would expect.My relatively clear skin throughout high school turned into adult onset cystic acne in my late teens/early 20s. In my mid-to-late 30s, I started to notice worsening heartburn (not to mention horrible gas, sometimes with cramps and bloating).But neither of these problems occurred all the time. They occurred often enough to make me miserable, and the skin issues drove me to the doctor, but for the most part it was tolerable.It was maddening trying to figure it out. I didn't realize for a very long time that my food allergies exacerbated my skin problems.My older siblings are quite a bit older (nearly 10 years older). So when one of my older sisters was treated for acne, it was by an older generation of dermatologists. That dermatologist had a list of foods she couldn't eat that would, they said, cause acne to flare up. On the list were nuts/peanuts, chocolate, dairy (especially high fat dairy like ice cream), sugary foods, and fried foods like potato chips and french fries.By the time my younger sister and I were being treated for acne in our 20s, the older generation of dermatologist that had treated my older sister, and the education and information they all learned, had become obsolete.My younger sister and I were told that diet didn't influence acne at all, that it was all genetics. We were told we could eat anything we wanted, basically, because it wouldn't matter and it wouldn't affect our skin one way or the other.I wish I had saved that list of forbidden foods my older sister was given. I remember it, held on the refrigerator by a magnet.I didn't think of it until many years later, after I'd done my own research on food allergies.When I started researching food allergies and intolerances, most of the information available on the web was via individual blogs and "crackpot" quacks' web sites (or so such doctors, naturopaths, and chiropractors were called by MDs).Much of the food allergy/intolerance info I was able to find was anecdotal or opinion, not based on research with journal citations.Now, there is nothing wrong with that -- I think anecdotal experience is often very useful, especially coming from aging, experienced doctors and nurses. It's every bit as valid as that of double-blinded, placebo-controlled research studies, because what stands out anecdotally tends to be essentially pattern recognition -- and that's what longitudinal observational epidemiological research does, too: recognize patterns.But some of the web sites about food allergies were not exactly unbiased, objective sources. Sometimes they were trying to sell something -- costly supplements, vitamins, or traditional ethnic herbs/medicines. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but give me some real research to back it up, please.It took me years to figure out that my skin and digestive problems were related to food allergies. When I found this book, I wished I had had it back when I started doing my own research.This book has a bit of a dry, textbook-like writing style, but it more than makes up for that by being succinct and well cited. It is not a difficult read and can be read by an educated, literate lay person.It also details the many ways in which food allergies/intolerances can manifest -- not only in one's gastrointestinal tract, but also via the integumentary system (skin), the respiratory system (sinuses, asthma), even neurologically (migraines).It has verified &/or validated a lot of anecdotal information I'd previously found.If I'd had this book when I originally started reading up on food allergies and intolerances, it would have saved me not hours but days, maybe weeks, of research across literally dozens of web sites, some not as reliable or unbiased/objective as others.This book has the scientific info to back up what anecdotal evidence and common sense already tell. But it also has the objective, unbiased tone that befits an overview of the research available on food allergies and intolerances, spanning decades, countries, and health care systems.(Sometimes it's good to read research from countries where doctors are paid salaries rather than billing per visit or per treatment/surgery. The financial incentive in socialized medicine is to find the most effective and least costly treatment, not the one that will make doctors and pharmaceutical/biotech companies the most money and where the data is often cherry picked to make it seem like all treatments are better than placebo, because pharmaceutical companies are funding the research... just sayin'.)And it also has a few surprises.Now, if you're going to be serious about figuring out if food allergies are causing your symptoms -- whatever your symptoms are, in whatever organ system they occur -- then you really MUST keep a food AND symptom diary.It doesn't have to be complicated. Just jot or note down what you eat every day for several weeks or a few months. Also note your symptoms, whenever you have them -- daily, if that's how often they appear.Together with this kind of book, a food diary is about the ONLY way you can definitively connect your symptoms back to a particular food and figure out whether you have an allergy or intolerance.Also, an elimination diet is a good idea -- some would say it's imperative -- so that you can give your body time to rest and recover and stop reacting to the allergen. Only after doing an elimination diet, should you start re-introducing suspect foods.In my mid-20s, dermatologists viewed and treated all acne the same way, as if acne -- any acne -- was a nail to them (no matter how qualitatively and quantitatively different it might be), so the treatment was the same hammer for everyone.My younger sister's acne onset was < 10 yrs old and she had quite oily skin, whereas my acne didn't start until my 20s and my skin was dry and sensitive. Though our acne was visibly and qualitatively different, just as the onset and skin types were, in our 20s we were both put on the same anti-acne regimen, with topical antibiotics in alcohol based solutions, retinoid gels, and benzoyl peroxide at 5% or 10%.That regimen cleared up my sister's fairly well. Whereas it hit my skin like a sledgehammer. It fried my skin so badly -- the skin on my FACE, mind you, that I had to show to people all day, every day, in college and at work -- that my skin dried, cracked and oozed; it peeled off in great sheets like a sunburn. The cure was worse than the disease, it seemed.This didn't occur with just one dermatologist. Oh no. It happened with three dermatologists in a row over nearly a decade, including one who is tenured faculty at one of the major medical schools here and whose UV reports are used by meteorologists locally and nationally.Under these circumstances -- after three different dermatologists in three different practices prescribed me almost exactly the same skin regimen for my acne (varying only the percentage of benzoyl peroxide) over a period of nearly 10 years, which slightly cleared my cystic acne but didn't prevent huge breakouts, and left me looking like I had permanent peeling sunburn all over my face, as well as dry, cracking skin at the corners of my nose and mouth -- well, I pretty much gave up hope that any dermatologist was going to be able to clear my skin without making it look a lot worse. I concluded that maybe the cure was worse than the disease (and the disease is bad enough as it is).I decided I better figure it out on my own.I now know that doctors only know what they're taught -- and they're taught the same things at most medical schools, including a shocking lack of education on nutrition. I also know now -- because I'm that old, and because I'm a Registered Nurse -- that medicine and medical education, like all other forms of higher ed, go through "fads" of what is the "go to" treatment or medication for any given illness or disorder. That's just human nature, I guess.Anyway, I found the acne DOT org regimen, which was MUCH gentler and actually worked for my skin (with a much lower percentage of benzoyl peroxide). And the messages boards there indicated that, for some people, avoiding certain foods improved their acne.By the time I'd come to the frustrated conclusion that dermatologists viewed all acne as a nail and the treatment of choice was the same hammer for everyone, I'd started to occasionally develop digestive problems.In my case, keeping a food diary and reading up on FA&I (food allergies and intolerances), and not quite but almost doing an elimination diet helpd me figure out that peanuts and PB were triggering some of my worst cystic acne breakouts, and that dairy was causing my acid reflux/heartburn.What freaked me out was that the acne I got within 3 days after eating peanuts or PB, was severly *itchy*. It produced big, swollen cystic pimples that often never formed a whitehead and drained. They just sat there swollen, painful and horribly itchy for days, sometimes weeks, like giant hives or welts that wouldn't go away.The "regular" cystic acne I got (the acne not related to food allergies/intolerances) wasn't itchy and wasn't nearly as horribly inflamed as the cystic breakouts from PB. My "regular" cystic acne had a beginning (lump), middle (inflamed lump that became a whitehead), and end (whitehead pops, pus drains, healing begins) that lasted 7-9 days.The PB-related acne was qualitatively different. PB was also guaranteed to increase the total amount of acne cysts I had.My adult cystic acne vastly improved when I (sadly) gave up peanut butter. Gone were the large cysts that never came to a head, and which itched horribly.Other nuts (such as almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, walnuts) don't trigger my acne the way peanuts and peanut butter do. But that makes sense because peanuts are not really nuts -- they're legumes.My skin further improved (from continuous severe outbreaks of cystic acne to merely monthly mild PMS breakouts) -- once I gave up dairy. So did my severe, night-time acid reflux, WITHOUT MEDICATION.Quitting smoking also helped my acid reflux. But the overwhelming elimination of heartburn and acid reflux occurred solely from cutting dairy out of my diet.(I have since broken down and smoked occasionally, then quit again, a couple times, nicotine addict that I am. My acid reflux/heartburn did not come back.)I rarely have a flare-up of heartburn, and if I do, it is now from greasy or certain spicy foods. But it's weird: hot tamales with pork and red sauce give me heartburn. Yet hot Indian curries don't.I do miss PB&J sandwiches. And I sure miss pizza and fettucine alfredo.But I don't miss the huge, itchy, inflamed acne cysts from PB.And I don't miss waking up in the middle of the night with a sour acid taste and burning sensation in my throat, sometimes even in the back of my mouth.And I sure don't miss the flatulence/bloating/diarrhea/cramps from dairy.I've tried lactose-free milk and dairy. It makes my acne flare up and gives me heartburn, though it does not result in lower GI symptoms (gas, cramps, etc.).Goat milk doesn't make me break out.I haven't bothered to investigate whether organic milk and cheese (from grass-fed, hormone free, antibiotic free cows) causes the same acne symptoms.I don't feel like paying $8 a gallon ($4 per 1/2 gallon) for organic cow milk when I can buy a half gallon of almond milk for less than the cost of a gallon of "regular" milk (from corn-fed, hormone and antibiotic injected cows) -- and half the price of a half gallon of organic milk...

The author does a very good job of explaining the medical differences between food allergies and food intolerances as well as why he refers to them both as food sensitivities. That's in the Introduction so don't skip it.I devour information about food sensitivities since I experienced a radical health improvement from following the results of a food sensitivity test. So I wasn't surprised that this author breaks with the often stated opinion that food intolerance is restricted to the gut and does not involve the immune system. It never made rational sense to me that one's headache or arthritis pain didn't involve the immune system just because the problem originated in the gut. This book explains how gut issues can allow the food to escape and get in the blood stream and then engage the immune system throughout the body.The author's premise that food sensitivities can be reversed by correcting the root causes of them is absolutely dead on! The author details to great extent a huge variety of reasons why food sensitivities develop. The reader can then choose to address each possible cause in their own time. This author acknowledges that each person is different, with different causes and degrees of food sensitivities. (Thank you!) If you want a one-size fits all cure, then don't buy this book.This book focuses on the immune system. The author clearly makes the case that most reasons we get food sensitivity are related directly to our immune system, or a portion thereof. Ways to heal your immune system may surprise the average reader, but readers will appreciate the simplicity and affordability.The author included a lot of data on who most suffers from food sensitivities around the world. It was not only interesting but validates a couple reasons why we get food allergies and sensitivities in the first place. Yet also reveals natural solutions for reversing them as well.The book is laden with microbiology terminology and research findings but the author often steps back and applies common sense and logic to keep things in perspective. For example, the author cites a bit of research reflected in this subheading, "No Proven Vaccination Connection" (to food allergies.) Then summarized that toxicity from a vaccine could overload an already impaired immune system as the book had previously examined the correlation between toxicity and immune function.I have two bitter disappointments with the book: (1) how this book addressed Elisa and Alcat the only two established food sensitivity tests; and (2) how it handled the issue of avoidance.The Alcat test was completely ignored except for being mentioned by name once when it was lumped with the Elisa test. Alcat is the only direct-to-consumer food sensitivity test available, has been in business over twenty years, and is the owner of a huge vault of food sensitivity data. Why was it ignored?Then the author says this about Elisa: "The complaints from some physicians is that Elisa testing has not been proven reliable for food allergy diagnosis." Well duh! Elisa testing should be used to test for food sensitivities, not food allergies. The research quoted sounds like research that was designed to fail. Conventional testing for food allergies measures one immune reaction, the IgE antibody. Elisa testing measures a different immune reaction, the IgG antibody.Alcat testing doesn't even measure antibodies; it measures cell mediated responses to get its food sensitivity scores. According to chapter, The Immune System and Food Sensitivities, cell mediated responses are an integral part of our immune system and are correlated most often by a delayed response to food.IgG immune reactions are mentioned often in the same chapter are part of our immune system which most often display "a delayed response" to food. Additionally, some research cited in this book drew conclusions by measuring IgG antibodies to form food sensitivity science-based facts.The above information is consistent with what I have learned and have shared on the web. That conventional food allergies (IgE) are often referred to as type-1, true, or fixed. While food sensitivities (IgG) are often referred to as type-2, hidden, or delayedElisa and Alcat testing has been priceless in my experience. Following either tests results can result in dramatically improved health in just a few days. Because of this my friends and family were self motivated to continue following their test results for months and years. They witness the correlation of food to health every day but most importantly they are empowered with health rather than feeling like a victim of it.Regarding the "avoidance diet," I don't feel the author was clear enough. Avoidance is regularly used as a temporary tool for healing. Many food sensitivities are created by overexposure, not to be confused with overeating. Overexposure can occur when a person eats a certain food (or ingredient) too often, maybe months or years. Many sensitivities are due to overexposure in the American diet and can be reversed just by avoiding the food for three months, six months, or longer if the sensitivity is severe.Of course, there are some really severe food allergies and food intolerances out there in growing numbers, and that's where this book really comes in handy. I recommend it. Buy it today.

This book provided much more information that I thought it would. The author thoroughly covers all aspects of food allergies and intolerances. I had read quite a few books on the subject, but this book filled in many informational gaps and then provided solutions. The arrangement of the information is logical and progressive - that is helpful. For my part there could have been less citing of supportive studies, but that is my only complaint - and it is minor. The book has proved to be so helpful that I have gone back to re-read several chapters just to reinforce what I learned. The book is technical yet easy to read. If you have suffered with these food issues this book will help you understand why and then suggest ways to improve or eliminate the problems.

This is by far the best and the most comprehensive book on the subject of food allergies and sensitivities. It's evident that the author has put a lot of time and thought into this book. He has done a lot of research on the subject and presents it in simple and straightforward terms.One of the most important things that the author stresses in the book is the importance of a healthy immune system. Unlike most health professionals he dives into the root of the problem instead of trying to deal with the symptoms. He presents a number of ways to help strengthen the immune system... Chinese medicine, probiotics, herbs, etc.I purchased the Kindle edition of this book. It originally had some mistakes in it which have since been corrected.

excellent

Great insight if your body fight with some chronic issues that could be food caused.I am suffering from chronic sinusitis for more than one year. Chronic fatigue, foggy head, mood issues, head pressure, post nasal drip, congestion, clogged ears. Plus signs of IBS, abdominal crumps.Medicine staff like ENTs are very deeply specialized and holistic view is missing. Its only about symptoms treatment with prescribing antihistamines or steroids, but not really trying to investigate or guide you to eliminate potential causes.Yes the book is not an easy read, with a lot of medical references. However, it gives you a great knowledge about food sensitivities and health issues. And how to improve your health. If you are in need like me, you will treat this book as sacred!It’s a life changer for me!

Well, I'm only on page 100 of this book, but so far it's terrible. It reads like the first draft—there was clearly no editing done at all. (I'm reading the Kindle edition, but the errors are not simply OCR errors; they're sentences that have words missing entirely or that change mid-stream as if the author changed his mind in the middle of writing, misspellings that create nonsense words, incorrect grammar like mixing up effect/affect, etc.). The author has a Ph.D.—there is no excuse for such poor editing. The studies used to back up theories seem, for the most part, to be haphazardly thrown in and completely irrelevant to the author's points. There are sections of the book that read like a literature review, and other sections where there is not a citation to be seen for pages on end. There are also sections of the text that are repeated word for word, as if they were simply copied from one section to another without any paraphrasing or re-wording. However, most of the chapters so far are so poorly written that any reader who doesn't already have some background in these subjects wouldn't have a clue. I wouldn't have understood any of the chapter about the immune system if I hadn't already read other detailed books on the subject.In terms of content, the author offers citations for some of his ideas while launching into others with no citations whatsoever. The author frequently contradicts himself; for example, stating that the thymus gland is where cells learn to differentiate "self" from "non-self" and a weakness in this gland can result in mix-ups which cause autoimmune diseases, but then later stating that autoimmune diseases are not really autoimmune at all—they are the immune system responding appropriately to the invasion of cells with foreign molecules. The author also states information that is outright wrong, such as that the liver monitors glucose levels and helps to regulate it (it does not; it simply responds to hormonal signals from the pancreas, the organ that truly monitors glucose) and that children with celiac have an increased risk of Down's syndrome (Down's syndrome is something someone is born with ... the risk is actually the other way around: children with Down's syndrome have an increased risk of celiac). The author introduces concepts that are not defined for entire chapters (Type 1 hypersensitivity, for example) or which aren't defined at all. Symptoms and concepts are repeated multiple times for no reason (i.e., listing hives and urticaria as symptoms ... urticaria IS hives).And don't even get me started on the two portrayals of families dealing with allergies at the beginning of the book! Kids who have NO friends simply because they have food allergies? Treatment of anaphylaxis with epinephrine but no following hospital visit? A father who lives with a wife and two children who are anaphylactic to milk who insists on drinking it on a daily basis, and allows one of his children to sneak a sip from a milkshake in a movie? Two siblings who (both) refuse to carry epinephrine and (both) insist on eating food at school despite repeated anaphylactic reactions (oh, and both of whom have no friends, either). Oh, and anaphylactic seizures?! Both vignettes were just so over-the-top that I could not take them seriously, and that feeling has just continued on throughout the entire book so far. For $5 it was worth learning some new terms and concepts that I'm writing down so that I can follow up with reputable resources.

Love this book ! I found it very informative with lots of info I didn't know about like all the different herbs etc..If you have lots of knowledge already well then this book might not be for you..

I liked this book but found it very technical !! It gave a lot of hope for cures to food allergies !!