Food allergy is one of the most common medical problems today and its growing! One study by the National Institute of Health (NIH) on just four of the most common food allergens, peanuts, shrimp, milk and eggs found that 7.5 million or almost 3 in 100 people have a life threatening allergy to one or more of these foods. Millions more have less severe allergies or intolerances to these and many other foods and chemicals.
A serious allergic reaction can also develop because of a wasp or jellyfish sting, chemicals, over-the-counter or pharmaceutical drugs. This reaction is your immune system deciding that these foods, venom stings, chemicals or medicines are enemies of the body and need to be attacked. With this type of allergy, the immune system produces massive amounts of the chemical histamine that leads to anaphylaxis. This potentially fatal condition may cause red, itchy skin rashes, acute sinus attack, swollen eyes and stomach pain or can swell the throat and esophagus cutting off air from the lungs.
People with a life threatening allergy should speak to their doctor about carrying an, “EpiPen®“, or auto-injector of epinephrine, available by prescription to stop the body’s release of life threatening histamines and give the person time to get emergency care. A blood test called, IgE can check for this type of allergic response, but only when you have an attack.
On the other hand, an inability to tolerate foods and environmental factors, also known as a sensitivity or intolerance, causes the immune system to work less severely, but constantly. This constant or chronic inflammation has been linked to countless conditions, including: digestive disorders, migraines, obesity, chronic fatigue, ADD, depression, aching joints, skin disorders, arthritis and many more.
A major development in food sensitivities came through the work of Doctor Karl Landsteiner. In 1902 Dr. Landsteiner discovered the ABO blood group system. Landsteiner saw that the blood from one type thickened the blood of an individual with a different blood type. Thick blood causes circulation problems and increases the possibility of heart attacks and strokes. Not only did Landsteiner’s work permit successful blood transfusions and save thousands of lives, it also led to the discovery that specific foods will thicken the blood of specific blood types. Based on this initial work, blood type diets have been developed. For over ten years our clinic has witnessed positive changes in the health of our patients that follow blood type diets.
Beyond thickening of the blood, less acute and obvious reactions of the body to foods, food additives, chemicals, pharmaceutical drugs, molds, even herbal medicine are difficult to diagnose. In a food and chemical intolerance your immune system is working needlessly. Modern, synthetic foods, overuse of pharmaceuticals and chemicals, electrometric fields (EMF’s), all contribute to an over stimulated immune system. This over stimulated immune system makes a “mistake’ and fights otherwise harmless foods. That “mistake” continues unless you eliminate that food response and break the cycle. When your immune system is working continually, it produces inflammation which has been linked to countless chronic conditions, including: digestive disorders, migraines, obesity, chronic fatigue, ADD, aching joints, skin disorders, arthritis and many more.
Symptoms of food intolerance vary greatly, and can be mistaken for the symptoms of a food allergy. While true allergies are associated with fast-acting responses, it can be difficult to determine the offending food or chemical causing intolerance because these responses generally take place over a prolonged period of time. Thus, the offending food or chemical and the response are separated in time and may not be obviously related. Food intolerance symptoms usually begin about half an hour after eating or drinking the food in question, but sometimes symptoms may be delayed up to four days!
The blood type food lists are good, but based on the generalized blood types. Since it would be difficult to eliminate and then reintroduce all the foods in a person’s diet to check for sensitivity, a comprehensive blood test is available using blood from the individual person that checks a large panel of foods and chemicals for these slower reactions.
Although there are allergy skin tests, these tests only check one type of body reaction and there are several. Therefore an allergy skin test is not reliable. For 25 years, the ALCAT© worldwide, Food and Chemical Sensitivity/Intolerance Testing has provided patients and nutritional healthcare professionals with a tool to successfully overcome a wide variety of conditions, such as digestive disorders, migraines, obesity, chronic fatigue, skin disorders, arthritis, hyperactivity, sinus, asthma and body pain which result from food and chemical sensitivities.
At Viana Healing Center, we have seen amazing results with many of these disorders including better insulin management and individuals who had previously been unable to lose weight, finally loose and maintain a healthy weight with a nutritious varied diet. Using ALCAT © and other blood test results, Viana Healing Center prepares a personal diet for each patient. After a period of supervised eliminating and detoxing from “trigger” or offending foods, individuals are able to reintroduce many foods back into the diet while increasing energy and successfully maintaining weight.
Get the Point! What you eat, drink, put on your skin and clean your house with all affects your health. If you want to check if food and chemical intolerances are negatively affecting your good looks and health, check in with a Certified Clinical Nutritionist or holistic physician trained in nutrition. Put “better health at the top of your “to do” list. ALCAT (www.alcat.com) Food and Chemical Sensitivity/Intolerance testing with a personal meal plan and counseling is available through Viana Healing Center.
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