You’ve probably heard the words “food sensitivity”, “food allergy”, or “food intolerance” tossed around a bit these days, eh? In fact, maybe you’ve been using them yourself, for whatever reason.
The problem is, most people don’t actually know the difference – making it hard for those who do have food sensitivities to be treated according to their actual food issue. And this can be a potentially fatal mistake to make!
So, let’s do a quick break down:
FOOD SENSITIVITY
A food sensitivity can be either a food allergy or a food intolerance and at least 30% of people experience a food sensitivity at some point.
This can reflect your body’s response to an allergy, intolerance, or poor gut health. A lot of times these can be resolved by healing the gut (an important point to note!).
A reaction to food can happen right away, or up to 72 hours after consuming it.
FOOD ALLERGY
A food allergy is a toxic reaction to a food or food additive that involves the immune system. In other words, the body sees something as an antigen, causing it to produce antibodies to fight back.
Approximately 1 in 13 Canadians (and 1 in 13 Americans) have a food allergy.
The most common food allergens are:
- Cow’s milk
- Eggs
- Fish
- Peanuts
- Shellfish
- Soy
- Tree nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, chestnuts)
- Wheat
Sometimes a reaction isn’t to the food itself, but to how the food is prepared, packaged, or preserved, etc.
Common reactions are vomiting, diarrhea, blood in the stool, eczema, hives, skin rashes, wheezing, or a runny nose.
FOOD INTOLERANCE
A food intolerance is a toxic reaction to food which does not involve the immune system. It’s basically an inability to breakdown the food.
The most common food intolerances are:
- Gluten
- Lactose
- Preservatives and Additives
- Tyramine (substance found naturally in foods, especially aged or fermented foods – known for triggering migraines)
Common reactions are vomiting, diarrhea, blood in the stool, eczema, hives, skin rashes, wheezing, a runny nose, fatigue, gas, bloating, mood swings, nervousness, migraines, depression, anxiety, and eating disorders.
So, now what?
Well, if you’re suspicious that you or your child may have a food sensitivity of some sort, you can start by keeping a food, mood, and poop journal for 7-14 days. You can also get tested and work with a nutritionist (shameless plug) to do a food elimination.
All great ways to find out if you have any food sensitivities!
Next step? Working with a nutritionist (yup, another shameless plug, but we’re pretty awesome) to help you through healing your gut.
If you’re struggling to find foods to eat that work within your sensitivities – check out recipes like my Maple Blueberry Muffins (Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free) and other recipes in my recipe section.
