Frequently Asked Questions
• What's the difference between food allergy, food intolerance, and food sensitivity?
• Why do so many people have food allergies these days? They didn't seem to be so prevalent years ago.
• How can I find out if I have a food allergy?
• How can I find out if I have a food intolerance?
• It seems like everything I eat makes me sick! Can I really get to the bottom of my health problem and feel better?
• Can I really trust what food labels say about the product's ingredients?
• Do you have any tips about eating out? How can I avoid problem food ingredients?
• Which health conditions may be related to food allergy or intolerance?
• My baby seems to react to everything. Where do I start in trying to figure out what foods are causing her distress?
• I'm ready to change my ways, to start eating better and deal with my food sensitivities head-on... but I don't know where to start!
What's the difference between food allergy, food intolerance, and food sensitivity?
Food allergy is the reaction of the body's immune system to a food or food ingredient that it recognizes as "foreign."
Food intolerance is an adverse reaction to a food, food ingredient, or additive that does not involve the immune system. It typically involves the digestive system.
Food sensitivity includes both allergy and intolerance.
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Why do so many people have food allergies these days? They didn't seem to be so prevalent years ago.
Plausible
theories for the cause of these changes span the spectrum from too much cleanliness in our lives, on the one hand, to the lack
of it (in air quality, for example). We explore these possibilities and more in chapter 1.
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How can I find out if I have a food allergy?
There are many tests available. Standard laboratory tests include blood tests and
skin tests. However, these are not always accurate. One of the best ways to pinpoint food allergies is to perform a food challenge, which is
described in detail in chapter 4.
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How can I find out if I have a food intolerance?
As with food allergies, performing a food challenge-if done right-may be
successful in identifying foods you're sensitive to but not necessarily allergic to. There are also novel, cutting-edge tests that are relatively
non-invasive and may be quite accurate. Such tests
are described in chapter 4, including where to get them done.
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It seems like everything I eat makes me sick! Can I really get to the bottom of my health problem and feel better?
Yes,
it is certainly possible to be proactive with your health, identify
problem foods, and design a health-supporting diet based on foods you can
tolerate. In chapter 4, you will learn how to pinpoint problem foods. In
chapter 3, we cover a myriad of health conditions that are often associated
with food sensitivities and provide no-nonsense management techniques and
treatment therapies. In chapter 10 you will find over 150 delicious recipes
that will keep your energy high and help keep your body healthy.
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Can I really trust what food labels say about the product's ingredients?
For the most part, yes. But label reading involves a bit of
background knowledge on your part. For example, did you know that barley malt contains gluten? If a food contains barley malt, the product label must
say so, but the label is not required to state that the product contains gluten. (However, due to a law that was recently passed, this will change
in 2006.) Another potential problem with packaged food is cross-contamination. For example, a chocolate chip cookie may have no peanut ingredients,
but may have traces of peanuts because peanut butter cookies are made in the same facility. Most manufacturers voluntarily state, "May contain
traces of peanut," but such actions will not be mandatory until 2006. For more detailed information, check
out chapter 5.
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Do you have any tips about eating out? How can I avoid problem food ingredients?
In chapter 5, we show you how to avoid problem foods, even those that are
"hidden," and we show you how to manage your diet without the foods that you cannot tolerate.
In chapter 7, you will learn how to live day to day in a
way that fosters a positive, confident outlook and happy life.
In chapter 8,
you will see how easy it can be to design a diet and menu plan that fit your needs and preferences.
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Which health conditions may be related to food allergy or intolerance?
Some of the conditions that may be related to food sensitivity
include arthritis, asthma, ADHD, candida, dermatitis, depression, digestive disorders, fatigue, and migraines. We discuss the implications of these
conditions in great detail in chapter 3.
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My baby seems to react to everything. Where do I start in trying to figure out what foods are causing her distress?
It is challenging
enough to figure out our own food sensitivities, but trying to discover the source of our children's—especially young children's—food sensitivities
can be downright exasperating, because we so badly want to take away their discomfort.
In chapter 1, we outline the foods that babies and children
are most likely to react to, and give tips on scouting out the culprits in chapter 4.
In chapter 8 you'll find advice on how to eat during breast-feeding, plus
a whole section on meal planning for children and babies with food sensitivities. We even review the latest research on what pregnant women can do
to minimize the risk of food allergies in their newborns. And of course, don't forget the wonderful
recipes in chapter 10, including kid-tested snacks and treats.
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I'm ready to change my ways, to start eating better and deal with my food sensitivities head-on... but I don't know where to start!
In
chapter 9, you will find all the information you need to make either small or large
changes in the kitchen, leading to a better diet and optimal health! From grinding your own gluten-free flours to the different ways to cook unusual (and common)
grains and beans, we give you the tools you need to get started.
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