1. Make a paste of 1 teaspoon pure sulphur powder, 2 tablespoon fuller’s earth and 1 egg white.
Use this mask everyday to cure acne. Some people are allergic to sulphur, so a skin test behind the
ear should be conducted before use.

2. Mash and sieve the onion, and mix onion juice with a paste of 1 tablespoon of fuller’s earth and 1
teaspoon of honey. It is good to prevent blemishes.

3. Milk mask is one of the cheapest masks. Damp some cotton wool with milk and rub it on face. It
helps in getting acne free skin and enhances the complexion.

4. Mixture of neem leaves with turmeric has been effective in many cases of acne removal.

5. Make a paste of orange peel and water. Apply it on the affected area.

6. Mix 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and cinnamon powder and apply on the affected area.

7. Drink at least four cups of nettle tea in a day.

8. Mix 8 ounce of water and 11 drops of propolis extract. Apply it on the face.

9. Intake of aloe Vera juice is always helpful.

10. Mix 1 tablespoon potato juice in fuller’s earth and apply it on the face for blemish free skin

11. Soap your face well, adding a small handful of sugar to lather. Massage this in for couple of
minutes, then rinse of with warm water. This scrub is useful for acne and spotty skin.

12. Use an oatmeal or almond mask- Mix oatmeal or almond powder with rosewater to make a paste.

Apply on the face with special emphasis on the affected area. Leave for 15 minutes. Wash it away
with cold water.

13. Make a paste of mint leaves and applies it on acne .As mint has cooling nature; it will help to
heal acne.

14.Neem is known as an antiseptic herb and applying neem to the acne can cure it in few days.

Steaming is beneficial for cleaning all types of skin. It cleans the skin all surface dirt, stimulates the
circulation and unclog blocked pores. The steam will open the pores and loosen blackheads. To
make steaming more beneficial add a tablespoon of herb to the water such as elderflower,
camomile, thyme, lavender and rosemary.
These are few homemade recipes which can really do wonders on skin. These all can whip up the
circulation by freshening the skin and leave it soft and glowing.
Camphor, sulphur, onion, garlic, curds, yeast, fuller, earth, herbs and vegetable juices are useful in
treating a blemished pimply skin.
So let’s enter into the world of clean, beautiful and youth skin.

Starters

Why offer the ubiquitous onion dip with limp potato chips (and watch your shady neighbour double-dunk), when healthier, more flavourful options abound? Skewer shrimp and pineapple chunks on the grill for low-fat nibbles, or mix grape tomatoes and watermelon balls for a vibrantly coloured first-course salad. Alternatively, David suggests rolling newspaper, wax paper or white construction paper into cones to fill with grilled asparagus and green beans. Your friends can mingle as they nosh.

Sip Lightly

Party drinks needn’t be a choice between decadent pina coladas (mega calories, morning-after bloat) and deprivational diet soda (it’s a party, after all). Strike a delicious compromise with white wine sangria brimming with fresh fruit. Or, try David’s signature swill: Blend Belvedere vodka, seltzer and a splash of diet lemonade. Garnish with mint.

Main Courses

“You don’t need to be at the beach to have a clambake,” says David, who steams lobster, mussels, clams, shrimp and low-fat turkey sausage along with corn, leeks and onions for a summer seafood classic. You could also serve grilled mahi mahi or tuna brushed with honey on a bed of greens with a side of grilled fruit, fruit salsa or mango chutney. It’s an an entrée with a lot of plate appeal and without the hamburger hangover of old-school barbecue fare.

Sweeten the Deal

Fruits and fresh berries topped with low-fat crème fraiche or low-fat whipped cream will satisfy your guests’ sweet tooths without sending them spiraling into sugar shock, says David. For a cool finale, scoop a trio of sorbets into a glass or an oblong dish and top them off with a sprig of mint or basil.

Set the Scene

“A lot of people think summer parties are just about being outside,” says David, adding that in entertaining, as in life, it’s the little things that count. So pick a fabulous tablecloth to set the mood, sub your paper plates for colourful plastic, load up on candles (but keep smelly citronellas away from the food) and finish with pots of sunflowers or a tray of natural grass.

Get Moving

“Music is the heartbeat of any party,” says David. Not only is it salve for the dreaded awkward silence, but the right soundtrack is bound to get your friends burning off their meals faster than your can say merengue. Pop in a crowd-pleasing compilation like Buddha Bar, Aria 1 or 2, Hotel Coast or Pottery Barn’s party mixes, and you’re good to groove.

Understanding Food Allergies
First of all let’s take a look at food allergies. What exactly are these allergies? Well, an allergy is when the immune system responds and when the body thinks a food ingredient is harmful and begins to fight it off with antibodies. Then the symptoms occur as the body battles off the food. Usually this allergy is to some type of protein. Common foods that cause food allergies include soy products, peanuts, shellfish, milk, tree nuts, wheat, and eggs. Food allergies are not very common. In fact, they only affect between 2-4% of adults, and slightly more children.

For those who deal with food allergies, the symptoms can be severe or quite mild. Some people only need a small amount of food to trigger the response, while others have to eat a bit more. Some of the symptoms that can occur when you have a true food allergy include itchy skin, pain in the chest, hives or other rash, stomach pain, nausea, difficulty breathing, the airways swelling up, diarrhea, and anaphylaxis.

Understanding Food Intolerance
Food intolerance is quite a bit different than an actual food allergy, although many people seem to confuse them. Instead of this being a response by the immune system, it is a problem that occurs in the digestive system. When a food causes irritation to the digestive system or people are not able to break down or digest certain foods, then this is known as an intolerance. One very common type of food intolerance is lactose intolerance, which actually affects about 10% of the population today.

Symptoms of a food intolerance are quite different than those of a food allergy. Some of the symptoms that can occur if you have a specific food intolerance include heartburn, stomach pain, nausea, headaches, nervousness, vomiting, irritability, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and cramps.

The Causes of a Food Allergy
Wondering what causes an intolerance or a food allergy to occur? Well, when it comes to food allergies, these are caused when the body is very sensitive to the chemical compound that is in the food, which usually is a protein. They can start to occur after the body is exposed to a protein in food that the body believes is harmful for you. The body begins to create antibodies that fight off disease and once you eat the food in the future, then it will trigger these antibodies to be released to try to get the chemical compound out of the body. This then causes the symptoms of the allergy to start occurring when the histamine is released in the body. The area that the symptoms occur will depend on where these histamines are released. In many cases these allergies tend to run in the family.

The Causes of Food Intolerances
Food intolerances have different causes and there are a variety of things that can cause them. In some cases the body may not have the chemicals within the body to help digest certain proteins that are in the foods. There are intolerances to certain chemicals for coloring or preserving food as well, such as MSG and certain dyes.

Knowing the Difference
Now that you understand a bit more about food allergies and food intolerances, you probably want to know how you can tell the difference between the two. Usually food allergies are brought on even when you only get a tiny amount of the food and they’ll happen each time you consume that particular food. You need to avoid foods that cause an allergy. Food intolerances often have to do with the amount you get. Many people don’t even see the symptoms of the intolerance unless they eat a whole lot of the food or they eat it on a regular basis. Some people with milk intolerances can have a small amount of milk and may only see symptoms if they drink a lot of the milk.

Isn’t it oddly shocking that America is so well-advanced in everything except health and fitness? While the fitness industry tells us to count calories and exercise for fat loss, we grow fatter and fatter as a nation.

Running parallel to the fitness industry is the fast food chains, doing their best to keep on the top of “healthy eating” trend. It seems the fast-food industry can tailor to anyone’s dieting needs with “fat-free,” “low-calorie,” and “low-carb” menu items.

Today, fast food is considered a normal eating venture among the average person. People aren’t just eating out on special occasions or weekends anymore; they are eating out all the time. But is it the calories in fast food that’s so destructive to the body and waistline or does the problem lie deeper?

Fast Food and Obesity

Fast food is simply tasty, ready-cooked meals packed to go. Fast food has been around since the early 1900’s, but its popularity sparked and grew in the 1940’s with the birth of good ole’ Mickey D’s; quick food priced cheaply. Within a few years similar fast-food operations popped up everywhere in the blink of an eye.

With the compelling rise in fast-food restaurants since the 1940’s, oddly, too, started the rise in obesity and cancer during that same time period. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to do the math and link fast food to the obesity and cancer crisis.

Fast Food and its Nutritional Value

To say fast food has a “nutritional value” is an oxymoron. There is absolutely nothing nutritional about fast food. Fast food simply feeds hunger and/or your immediate craving. Fast food does not feed your body in the form of usable lasting energy or building materials, the essence your body thrives on for life itself.

Fast food is highly processed with a wide array of additives. The concept of fast food is obviously, food ready-to-eat and served quickly. To ensure fast food’s low cost to the consumer, the fast food products are made with highly-processed ingredients to give it shelf-life, to hold consistency, and to enhance flavor. Fast food is altered from its original healthy form it was meant to nourish the body with, to a denatured form that lacks any nutritional value whatsoever.

According to Diana Schwarzbein, M.D., “The FDA Total Diet Study found that fast-food hamburgers, across the board, contained 113 different pesticide residues.” So my question is why does the FDA want to regulate the sale of vitamins, minerals, and herbs that are actually beneficial for the body when there’s a linking fast-food / cancer / obesity crisis on our hands?

Why Fast Food is Fattening and Dangerous

Wake up people. It’s not the calories in fast food that’s damaging to your health and waistline, it’s the chemical additives such as aspartame and MSG (monosodium glutamate). These chemical additives are approved by the FDA and studies show that they lead to weight and disease issues.

Synthetic chemicals added to processed food, including fast food, damage your body’s cells. Your body is made up of nutrients found in plants and animals you eat. Man-made food items loaded with pesticides, as well as aspartame, margarine, and other man-made chemicals do not nourish your body. If your body can’t use what you put into it you will gain fat and decrease health.

Since we can’t visually see what actually happens at the molecular level when we eat processed food, we discount it and rely on the FDA to do our thinking for us. After all, if its FDA approved, it MUST be okay to eat, right? Not at all.

Nutrients from the food we eat allow us to burn fat and be healthy. Your body cannot process synthetic chemicals. If a food item can’t be processed, it will end up lodged in areas of your body, primarily fatty areas and tissues, creating an acidic pH.

A simple fast-food chicken breast can contain everything from modified corn starch to hydrolyzed corn gluten. Hello? Chicken comprised of corn? A fast-food chicken nugget is nearly 60% corn, and corn is what farmers use to fatten up cattle.

Michael Pollan, author of, The Omnivore’s Dilemma says it perfectly – “How did we ever get to a point where we need investigative journalist to tell us where our food comes from?”

A good visual that Dr. Mark A. Gustafson found is that it takes fifty-one days to digest fast food chicken nuggets or French fries. FIFTY-ONE DAYS! Does that sound healthy? I could care less about the caloric, fat, or carbohydrate content. That’s not the problem, people. The problem with fast food is that it’s void of nutrients and loaded with chemicals not recognized by the body.

What’s even more devastating is the book The Fast Food Diet written by Stephan Sinatra, M.D. This is a sad state when a doctor promotes eating chemically-altered food with addictive chemicals and damaged fats that scars the artery walls and contribute to total metabolic damage.

Eating Good and Avoiding the Hidden Dangers

Granted, calories do count to an extent, but what counts more is the quality of the calorie. If you want to lose fat then you have to change your eating habits. This doesn’t mean opt for Healthy Choice® and Smart One’s® frozen meals because they appear to be healthy. Food manufacturers use deceptive marking tactics to create an illusion to make people buy their product.

To lose fat and keep it off you should choose foods in their natural state, such as fresh organic cuts of meat, fresh organic fruits and vegetables, essential fats, and plenty of filtered water. It’s vital that you go back to the basics.

Make eating fresh and organic food choices the bulk of your diet. If you do that, you will never have to count calories again. The quality of food outweighs the quantity every time.

References: Schwarbein, Diana M.D. The Schwarzbein Principle. 1999. 287 Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore’s Dilemma. 2006. 1

The foods that adults or children react to are those foods they eat often

A Food Allergy is defined as an individual’s adverse reaction to food. Almost any food can trigger a reaction in a person who is susceptible. Other terms for Food Allergies are “Food Intolerances and Food Sensitivities.”

For adults, the common foods that cause allergic reactions include: shellfish such as shrimp, crayfish, lobster, and crab. (Of note; if you are allergic to one of the shell fish, you are probably allergic to others or all of them.); peanuts, a legume ; tree nuts such as walnuts; fish; and eggs. Adults usually do not lose their allergies.

Children are somewhat different. The common food allergens that cause problems in children are eggs, milk, and peanuts. Children can sometimes outgrow them. Children are more likely to outgrow allergies to milk or soy than allergies to peanuts, fish, or shrimp.

These food allergies can cause catastrophic events to happen . Reactions range from rashes, pain, to anaphylactic shock.

When trying to figure out if and what food you have a problem with, it is very important to keep an accurate diary of your daily food and drink intake. You also need to write down in detail the symptoms that you are felling. Without doing this, there is no hope in finding what is ailing you. Keep detailed records!

Can drug allergies affect the way you eat? Absolutely!. For instance, Any of you who has an allergy to penicillin for instance must be careful when buying and eating penned animals such as chicken, turkey, pork, etc. These animals who are kept in tight quarters climb over each other constantly and scratch each other causing skin infections. These animals can not be sold with these infections. Their keepers are known to give these animals penicillin to clear up these infections so that they can be sold.

The quantity of the drug can remain high in some of these animals. Anaphylactic reactions and even death from penicillin allergies have occurred from people eating these animals. Just be careful. Buy the meat from penned animals that has no antibiotics and you will be fine.

I can’t believe that I’m allergic to food! Could it be something else? Absolutely! Its a little thing called preservatives. Preservatives are placed in food so they last a longer time so that their financial value will be realized.

Currently, canned foods for instance have a shelf life of 7 years. What does that mean? It means that the can of food can be eaten and therefore sold for that period of time. Years ago, the shelf life for canned foods was 3 years. How did they prolong the time? Preservatives!.

Did you know for instance that a popular brand of peanut butter has over 120 preservatives in it. Doesn’t that sound astounding? It does to me. Individuals like you can be allergic to any of these preservatives. Its very difficult to find the one preservative that you are allergic to.

Also, don’t forget food colorings. Many individuals are allergic to the different food colorings. Most common is red dye #3

How do you find out if you have an allergy or sensitivity to a food, preservative or food coloring?

The first thing that you have to do is have a suspicion that you have a problem. There is a difference between an overt allergy and a sensitivity. The allergy will cause overt symptoms such as hives, rashes to in some cases anaphylaxis. (Hypersensitivity especially in animals to a substance, such as foreign protein or a drug, that is caused by exposure to a foreign substance after a preliminary exposure.). A food sensitivity will cause subtle discomforts such as a generalized uneasy felling. Maybe an increase in your heart rate, excessive belching or flatulence or stomach distension. You may also feel fatigued.

The next thing that you have to do and maybe its the most important is to read the labels of the foods that you buy. You must become a detective! Most food items use the same preservatives. If after reading the labels you identify a preservative that stands out, by that I mean a preservative that is only in one of the foods that you eat, that preservative may be the culprit. Simply eliminate that food. You will know after 4 days if that is the food and preservative that is causing your problem. Now to discern if you are sensitive to the food or the preservative, eat the food fresh and see if it causes you to have the same sensitivity reactions. If the answer is yes, then your sensitivity is to the food. If the answer is no, then the sensitivity is to the preservative. At that point, you need to then eliminate that preservative from your diet. The only way to do that successfully is to read all the labels.

Simple Test!

There is a simple and effective way to determine a food either alone or with a preservative may be causing you a problem. Its not 100% effective. However, it will give you an indication. Its the “Pulse Test.” Its simple to perform. Prior to eating the food, take your pulse for a complete minute. Simply count the number of times that your heart beats in a 1 minute period. Now take a small potion of the food that you are planning to eat. Place it in your mouth. Don’t chew it, simply place it in your mouth. Wait about 30 seconds and then start counting your heart beats again for another minute. If your heart rate increase 4-5 beats per minutes, then there is a good chance that the food you are about to eat will cause you to have a sensitivity reaction.

Not That Easy?

If what we described above doesn’t help you identify your culprit food or preservative, then you need to resort to the Elimination Diet. The Elimination Diet is very effective. However, it takes time. As the diet’s name states, you need to eliminate foods from your diet. You do this one food at a time.

We suggest that prior to making your first elimination that you write down exactly how you are feeling. Then eliminate that one food. This food needs to be eliminated for 4 straight days to determine if it is causing you any problems. Each day of the elimination, you need to journal how you are feeling. At the end of the forth day, compare your journal entries. If you are feeling the same at the end of day 4 as you did before the elimination, then that food is not the culprit. You need to keep trying different food one at a time for the 4 day period until you find the culprit. It could take a while.

Remember, your problems may be caused by more than one food. That is why the journal is so important. If say prior to the first food elimination you had 6 symptoms. Now after the elimination of this food, you have 3 symptoms. Then you need to eliminate that food from your diet. Don’t stop there though! You now need to eliminate another food. If you feel the same after that food is eliminated for 4 days, then try another food. This process can take over a month to complete!

I think a quick lesson is in order…
A food allergy occurs when an individual ingests a food (usually containing a protein) that the body sees as a “foreign” or threatening substance – known as an ANTIGEN or ALLERGEN.
The person’s immune system responds by mounting an attack, producing large amounts of IgE antibodies, which attach themselves to specialised white blood cells. These cells release histamine and other inflammatory substances, producing “classic” allergic symptoms of swelling and inflammation. Conditions and symptoms such as rhinitis, asthma, wheezing, lip swelling, itchy skin, hives, and eczema involve this type of “allergic” reaction. The allergens involved could be anything from a food protein, pollen from flowers or grasses, house-dust mite or animal dander.

A food “intolerant” reaction also occurs when the body “reacts” to the ingestion of a food. This reaction however may or may not involve the immune system, and may be caused by a food protein, a starch or sugar molecule, other food component, or by a contaminant found in the food (e.g. food colouring, preservative etc.). If the immune system IS involved, it is usually a different class of antibody that is produced, which is why standard food allergy tests can produce negative results, yet noticeable food-related symptoms persist. Many symptoms related to food intolerance are caused by a local inflammatory response in the gut, and a sign of underlying “inflammation”.

With food “intolerance”, it is worth understanding, that it’s rarely the food that is the problem – it is the person’s response to it!
Foods containing wheat or milk for example are getting reputations as “bad foods” due to the reactions they can produce in some people. While they can very well be “problem foods” for some, they can also be very healthy foods for others. Food intolerance could be re-named as “poor digestion”, as reactions to food are often the result of poor or compromised digestion!

So what can cause food intolerance?
Food intolerances are often caused by stress! Food-intolerant people often have low levels of secretory IgA, a class of protective antibodies found in the gut. IgA antibodies protect the body against the entry of foreign substances. Stress leads to a decrease in secretory IgA… a bit of vicious cycle really, but it certainly explains the relationship between stress and food intolerance!

Underlying digestive problems (e.g. low stomach acidity, gut bacterial overgrowth, a “leaky” or damaged gut lining, yeast infection or poor digestive enzyme production) are common “causes” of food intolerance and must be addressed before avoiding foods unnecessarily.
Gallbladder disease, gallstones, and pancreatitis may also be underlying causes of reactions to foods, but these will produce other symptoms too.

It is usually large food particles that cause allergic reactions, so proper breakdown of food (especially protein) via cooking and chewing is vitally important. Digestive enzymes or probiotics can often help too to ensure complete digestion, and once digestion is corrected, things can improve quite dramatically.

Signs and symptoms of food intolerance can be quite diverse, depending on how long the person has been ingesting food allergens and how the body has “adapted”. Common symptoms include bloating, stomach cramping, diarrhoea or constipation – yes commonly known as “IBS”!
Long term food intolerance may produce symptoms totally unrelated to the digestive system and may include fatigue, joint and muscle aching, depression, headaches and migraine, hyperactivity in children, and even certain autoimmune disorders.

Diagnosing a food intolerance rather than an allergy (via IgE antibody blood testing) is not easy, simply because reactions to foods can occur from anywhere between 12-36 hours after eating… coupled with the fact that an individual may be reacting to more than one food!
Exclusion/reintroduction diets are the “gold standard” of tests and the most useful when done properly. They do need to be adhered to for at least 2-4 weeks initially, and are always best done under the guidance of a registered nutritionist or dietician with experience in food allergy and intolerance.

Various blood tests are now available (most useful are IgG antibody tests – available now via pin-prick blood sample) which may prove useful in many cases – but only when there are noticeable symptoms.
Vega testing (measuring energy flow) and kinesiology (muscle strength testing) are entirely reliant on the skill of the practitioner, so how effective they actually are is very difficult to measure. Whatever the test, none are 100% accurate, and changes to a person’s diet based purely on the results of a test cause more confusion than clarity, and very often lead to unbalanced eating, unnecessary food phobias, and possible nutrient deficiencies.

What to do if you suspect you have a food intolerance

1) Keep a food diary and note when symptoms occur

2) Try and identify the possible problem foods

3) Seek advice on how to adapt the diet to improve digestion

4) Eat a varied, fresh and nutritious diet

The most commonly allergic foods…
Cow’s milk, cheese, soya, eggs, peanuts, wheat, gluten, yeast, corn, rye, chocolate (often the milk in chocolate!), coffee, tea, alcohol (it is the chemicals and preservatives in alcohol, not the alcohol per say), citrus fruit (lemons, oranges), white potato, beef, various spices, tomato, malt, pork, chemical additives, colourings and preservatives in food (especially tartrazine, sodium benzoate, aspartame).

Food intolerances are best dealt with by avoidance of the offending food for a prescribed period of time, followed by a “rotation” diet, in which problem foods are only eaten every three to four days, instead of daily.
Young children can often re-introduce foods after three months of avoidance, whereas adults may require six to twelve months of avoidance.

Much food intolerance and even some food allergy problems settle down after long-term avoidance, and especially when digestion is improved.
When a problem food is only eaten sparingly, symptoms are less likely to return. The importance of rotating foods varies from person to person and may be related to the severity of the allergies.

The following foods are the least likely to provoke allergic reactions:

Beverages:

Almond milk, Quinoa milk, herb teas, apple juice and other pure or freshly squeezed fruit juices without sugar or additives (dilute 50:50 with water).

Roasted grain beverages may be used as coffee substitutes. If you like fresh coffee, Dandelion root which you can grind in a coffee grinder.

Soya milk is fine UNLESS you have an allergy to soya!

Cereals:

Oats (unless you have diagnosed Coeliac disease or are known to be “sensitive” to gluten)

Oatmeal and Oatbran

Quinoa porridge

Puffed rice and millet cereal

Homemade mueslis

Grains and flours:

Chick pea flour

Potato flour

Buckwheat flour

Rice flour

Cooked whole gains:

Oats, millet, pearl or pot barley, buckwheat groats (also known as Kashi), brown rice, basmati rice, amaranth, quinoa, 100% buckwheat soba noodles, rice noodles.

Breads:

Sprouted grain breads, rice bread, 100% rye or spelt bread (often fine with wheat-sensitive individuals), other wheat and yeast-free breads

100% rice cakes

100% rye crackers

Legumes:

Haricot beans

Chickpeas

Black-eye beans

Kidney beans

Lentils

Navy beans

Pinto beans

Peas

String beans

Tofu (soya bean curd)

Dried beans should be soaked overnight. Pour off the water and rinse before cooking for allotted time. Canned beans often contain added sugar or other potential allergens, so if used they must be rinsed well.

Nuts and seeds
Almonds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds – eat raw with no salt etc.
Nut butters are highly nutritious spreads to use in place of butter or margarine, e.g. Tahini, almond butter, hazelnut or cashew butter.

Oils:

Use cold-pressed or expeller-pressed oils (available from health food stores), as they are safer. Do not use corn oil or “vegetable oil” from an unspecified source, as this is usually corn oil.

Rapeseed oil

Linseed (edible linseed or flaxseed) oil

Olive oil

Safflower oil

Sesame oil

Soya oil

Sunflower oil

Protein:

Fresh white fish, salmon, mackerel and tuna and most canned fish, lamb, poultry and fowl.

Vegetables and fruit

All vegetables except corn are generally acceptable on a low-allergen diet, as is all fruits with the exception of citrus fruits. Tomatoes can often cause problems and should be avoided by susceptible individuals. Other food members of the nightshade family (potatoes, aubergine, peppers) may prove problematic with arthritis sufferers.

Many people experience unpleasant reactions to foods they have eaten and suspect they have a “food allergy”. However, only 2–5% of adults and 2–8% of children are truly “allergic” to certain foods.
The remainder of people may be experiencing food intolerance, or food sensitivity, rather than true food allergy.

I think a quick lesson is in order…
A food allergy occurs when an individual ingests a food (usually containing a protein) that the body sees as a “foreign” or threatening substance – known as an ANTIGEN or ALLERGEN.
The person’s immune system responds by mounting an attack, producing large amounts of IgE antibodies, which attach themselves to specialised white blood cells. These cells release histamine and other inflammatory substances, producing “classic” allergic symptoms of swelling and inflammation. Conditions and symptoms such as rhinitis, asthma, wheezing, lip swelling, itchy skin, hives, and eczema involve this type of “allergic” reaction. The allergens involved could be anything from a food protein, pollen from flowers or grasses, house-dust mite or animal dander.

A food “intolerant” reaction also occurs when the body “reacts” to the ingestion of a food. This reaction however may or may not involve the immune system, and may be caused by a food protein, a starch or sugar molecule, other food component, or by a contaminant found in the food (e.g. food colouring, preservative etc.). If the immune system IS involved, it is usually a different class of antibody that is produced, which is why standard food allergy tests can produce negative results, yet noticeable food-related symptoms persist. Many symptoms related to food intolerance are caused by a local inflammatory response in the gut, and a sign of underlying “inflammation”.

With food “intolerance”, it is worth understanding, that it’s rarely the food that is the problem – it is the person’s response to it!
Foods containing wheat or milk for example are getting reputations as “bad foods” due to the reactions they can produce in some people. While they can very well be “problem foods” for some, they can also be very healthy foods for others. Food intolerance could be re-named as “poor digestion”, as reactions to food are often the result of poor or compromised digestion!

So what can cause food intolerance?
Food intolerances are often caused by stress! Food-intolerant people often have low levels of secretory IgA, a class of protective antibodies found in the gut. IgA antibodies protect the body against the entry of foreign substances. Stress leads to a decrease in secretory IgA… a bit of vicious cycle really, but it certainly explains the relationship between stress and food intolerance!

Underlying digestive problems (e.g. low stomach acidity, gut bacterial overgrowth, a “leaky” or damaged gut lining, yeast infection or poor digestive enzyme production) are common “causes” of food intolerance and must be addressed before avoiding foods unnecessarily.
Gallbladder disease, gallstones, and pancreatitis may also be underlying causes of reactions to foods, but these will produce other symptoms too.

It is usually large food particles that cause allergic reactions, so proper breakdown of food (especially protein) via cooking and chewing is vitally important. Digestive enzymes or probiotics can often help too to ensure complete digestion, and once digestion is corrected, things can improve quite dramatically.

Signs and symptoms of food intolerance can be quite diverse, depending on how long the person has been ingesting food allergens and how the body has “adapted”. Common symptoms include bloating, stomach cramping, diarrhoea or constipation – yes commonly known as “IBS”!
Long term food intolerance may produce symptoms totally unrelated to the digestive system and may include fatigue, joint and muscle aching, depression, headaches and migraine, hyperactivity in children, and even certain autoimmune disorders.

Diagnosing a food intolerance rather than an allergy (via IgE antibody blood testing) is not easy, simply because reactions to foods can occur from anywhere between 12-36 hours after eating… coupled with the fact that an individual may be reacting to more than one food!
Exclusion/reintroduction diets are the “gold standard” of tests and the most useful when done properly. They do need to be adhered to for at least 2-4 weeks initially, and are always best done under the guidance of a registered nutritionist or dietician with experience in food allergy and intolerance.

Various blood tests are now available (most useful are IgG antibody tests – available now via pin-prick blood sample) which may prove useful in many cases – but only when there are noticeable symptoms.
Vega testing (measuring energy flow) and kinesiology (muscle strength testing) are entirely reliant on the skill of the practitioner, so how effective they actually are is very difficult to measure. Whatever the test, none are 100% accurate, and changes to a person’s diet based purely on the results of a test cause more confusion than clarity, and very often lead to unbalanced eating, unnecessary food phobias, and possible nutrient deficiencies.

What to do if you suspect you have a food intolerance

1) Keep a food diary and note when symptoms occur

2) Try and identify the possible problem foods

3) Seek advice on how to adapt the diet to improve digestion

4) Eat a varied, fresh and nutritious diet

The most commonly allergic foods…
Cow’s milk, cheese, soya, eggs, peanuts, wheat, gluten, yeast, corn, rye, chocolate (often the milk in chocolate!), coffee, tea, alcohol (it is the chemicals and preservatives in alcohol, not the alcohol per say), citrus fruit (lemons, oranges), white potato, beef, various spices, tomato, malt, pork, chemical additives, colourings and preservatives in food (especially tartrazine, sodium benzoate, aspartame).

Food intolerances are best dealt with by avoidance of the offending food for a prescribed period of time, followed by a “rotation” diet, in which problem foods are only eaten every three to four days, instead of daily.
Young children can often re-introduce foods after three months of avoidance, whereas adults may require six to twelve months of avoidance.

Much food intolerance and even some food allergy problems settle down after long-term avoidance, and especially when digestion is improved.
When a problem food is only eaten sparingly, symptoms are less likely to return. The importance of rotating foods varies from person to person and may be related to the severity of the allergies.

The following foods are the least likely to provoke allergic reactions:

Beverages:

Almond milk, Quinoa milk, herb teas, apple juice and other pure or freshly squeezed fruit juices without sugar or additives (dilute 50:50 with water).

Roasted grain beverages may be used as coffee substitutes. If you like fresh coffee, Dandelion root which you can grind in a coffee grinder.

Soya milk is fine UNLESS you have an allergy to soya!

Cereals:

Oats (unless you have diagnosed Coeliac disease or are known to be “sensitive” to gluten)

Oatmeal and Oatbran

Quinoa porridge

Puffed rice and millet cereal

Homemade mueslis

Grains and flours:

Chick pea flour

Potato flour

Buckwheat flour

Rice flour

Cooked whole gains:

Oats, millet, pearl or pot barley, buckwheat groats (also known as Kashi), brown rice, basmati rice, amaranth, quinoa, 100% buckwheat soba noodles, rice noodles.

Breads:

Sprouted grain breads, rice bread, 100% rye or spelt bread (often fine with wheat-sensitive individuals), other wheat and yeast-free breads

100% rice cakes

100% rye crackers

Legumes:

Haricot beans

Chickpeas

Black-eye beans

Kidney beans

Lentils

Navy beans

Pinto beans

Peas

String beans

Tofu (soya bean curd)

Dried beans should be soaked overnight. Pour off the water and rinse before cooking for allotted time. Canned beans often contain added sugar or other potential allergens, so if used they must be rinsed well.

Nuts and seeds
Almonds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds – eat raw with no salt etc.
Nut butters are highly nutritious spreads to use in place of butter or margarine, e.g. Tahini, almond butter, hazelnut or cashew butter.

Oils:

Use cold-pressed or expeller-pressed oils (available from health food stores), as they are safer. Do not use corn oil or “vegetable oil” from an unspecified source, as this is usually corn oil.

Rapeseed oil

Linseed (edible linseed or flaxseed) oil

Olive oil

Safflower oil

Sesame oil

Soya oil

Sunflower oil

Protein:

Fresh white fish, salmon, mackerel and tuna and most canned fish, lamb, poultry and fowl.

Vegetables and fruit

All vegetables except corn are generally acceptable on a low-allergen diet, as is all fruits with the exception of citrus fruits. Tomatoes can often cause problems and should be avoided by susceptible individuals. Other food members of the nightshade family (potatoes, aubergine, peppers) may prove problematic with arthritis sufferers.

Many people experience unpleasant reactions to foods they have eaten and suspect they have a “food allergy”. However, only 2–5% of adults and 2–8% of children are truly “allergic” to certain foods.
The remainder of people may be experiencing food intolerance, or food sensitivity, rather than true food allergy.

I think a quick lesson is in order…
A food allergy occurs when an individual ingests a food (usually containing a protein) that the body sees as a “foreign” or threatening substance – known as an ANTIGEN or ALLERGEN.
The person’s immune system responds by mounting an attack, producing large amounts of IgE antibodies, which attach themselves to specialised white blood cells. These cells release histamine and other inflammatory substances, producing “classic” allergic symptoms of swelling and inflammation. Conditions and symptoms such as rhinitis, asthma, wheezing, lip swelling, itchy skin, hives, and eczema involve this type of “allergic” reaction. The allergens involved could be anything from a food protein, pollen from flowers or grasses, house-dust mite or animal dander.

A food “intolerant” reaction also occurs when the body “reacts” to the ingestion of a food. This reaction however may or may not involve the immune system, and may be caused by a food protein, a starch or sugar molecule, other food component, or by a contaminant found in the food (e.g. food colouring, preservative etc.). If the immune system IS involved, it is usually a different class of antibody that is produced, which is why standard food allergy tests can produce negative results, yet noticeable food-related symptoms persist. Many symptoms related to food intolerance are caused by a local inflammatory response in the gut, and a sign of underlying “inflammation”.

With food “intolerance”, it is worth understanding, that it’s rarely the food that is the problem – it is the person’s response to it!
Foods containing wheat or milk for example are getting reputations as “bad foods” due to the reactions they can produce in some people. While they can very well be “problem foods” for some, they can also be very healthy foods for others. Food intolerance could be re-named as “poor digestion”, as reactions to food are often the result of poor or compromised digestion!

So what can cause food intolerance?
Food intolerances are often caused by stress! Food-intolerant people often have low levels of secretory IgA, a class of protective antibodies found in the gut. IgA antibodies protect the body against the entry of foreign substances. Stress leads to a decrease in secretory IgA… a bit of vicious cycle really, but it certainly explains the relationship between stress and food intolerance!

Underlying digestive problems (e.g. low stomach acidity, gut bacterial overgrowth, a “leaky” or damaged gut lining, yeast infection or poor digestive enzyme production) are common “causes” of food intolerance and must be addressed before avoiding foods unnecessarily.
Gallbladder disease, gallstones, and pancreatitis may also be underlying causes of reactions to foods, but these will produce other symptoms too.

It is usually large food particles that cause allergic reactions, so proper breakdown of food (especially protein) via cooking and chewing is vitally important. Digestive enzymes or probiotics can often help too to ensure complete digestion, and once digestion is corrected, things can improve quite dramatically.

Signs and symptoms of food intolerance can be quite diverse, depending on how long the person has been ingesting food allergens and how the body has “adapted”. Common symptoms include bloating, stomach cramping, diarrhoea or constipation – yes commonly known as “IBS”!
Long term food intolerance may produce symptoms totally unrelated to the digestive system and may include fatigue, joint and muscle aching, depression, headaches and migraine, hyperactivity in children, and even certain autoimmune disorders.

Diagnosing a food intolerance rather than an allergy (via IgE antibody blood testing) is not easy, simply because reactions to foods can occur from anywhere between 12-36 hours after eating… coupled with the fact that an individual may be reacting to more than one food!
Exclusion/reintroduction diets are the “gold standard” of tests and the most useful when done properly. They do need to be adhered to for at least 2-4 weeks initially, and are always best done under the guidance of a registered nutritionist or dietician with experience in food allergy and intolerance.

Various blood tests are now available (most useful are IgG antibody tests – available now via pin-prick blood sample) which may prove useful in many cases – but only when there are noticeable symptoms.
Vega testing (measuring energy flow) and kinesiology (muscle strength testing) are entirely reliant on the skill of the practitioner, so how effective they actually are is very difficult to measure. Whatever the test, none are 100% accurate, and changes to a person’s diet based purely on the results of a test cause more confusion than clarity, and very often lead to unbalanced eating, unnecessary food phobias, and possible nutrient deficiencies.

What to do if you suspect you have a food intolerance

1) Keep a food diary and note when symptoms occur

2) Try and identify the possible problem foods

3) Seek advice on how to adapt the diet to improve digestion

4) Eat a varied, fresh and nutritious diet

The most commonly allergic foods…
Cow’s milk, cheese, soya, eggs, peanuts, wheat, gluten, yeast, corn, rye, chocolate (often the milk in chocolate!), coffee, tea, alcohol (it is the chemicals and preservatives in alcohol, not the alcohol per say), citrus fruit (lemons, oranges), white potato, beef, various spices, tomato, malt, pork, chemical additives, colourings and preservatives in food (especially tartrazine, sodium benzoate, aspartame).

Food intolerances are best dealt with by avoidance of the offending food for a prescribed period of time, followed by a “rotation” diet, in which problem foods are only eaten every three to four days, instead of daily.
Young children can often re-introduce foods after three months of avoidance, whereas adults may require six to twelve months of avoidance.

Much food intolerance and even some food allergy problems settle down after long-term avoidance, and especially when digestion is improved.
When a problem food is only eaten sparingly, symptoms are less likely to return. The importance of rotating foods varies from person to person and may be related to the severity of the allergies.

The following foods are the least likely to provoke allergic reactions:

Beverages:

Almond milk, Quinoa milk, herb teas, apple juice and other pure or freshly squeezed fruit juices without sugar or additives (dilute 50:50 with water).

Roasted grain beverages may be used as coffee substitutes. If you like fresh coffee, Dandelion root which you can grind in a coffee grinder.

Soya milk is fine UNLESS you have an allergy to soya!

Cereals:

Oats (unless you have diagnosed Coeliac disease or are known to be “sensitive” to gluten)

Oatmeal and Oatbran

Quinoa porridge

Puffed rice and millet cereal

Homemade mueslis

Grains and flours:

Chick pea flour

Potato flour

Buckwheat flour

Rice flour

Cooked whole gains:

Oats, millet, pearl or pot barley, buckwheat groats (also known as Kashi), brown rice, basmati rice, amaranth, quinoa, 100% buckwheat soba noodles, rice noodles.

Breads:

Sprouted grain breads, rice bread, 100% rye or spelt bread (often fine with wheat-sensitive individuals), other wheat and yeast-free breads

100% rice cakes

100% rye crackers

Legumes:

Haricot beans

Chickpeas

Black-eye beans

Kidney beans

Lentils

Navy beans

Pinto beans

Peas

String beans

Tofu (soya bean curd)

Dried beans should be soaked overnight. Pour off the water and rinse before cooking for allotted time. Canned beans often contain added sugar or other potential allergens, so if used they must be rinsed well.

Nuts and seeds
Almonds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds – eat raw with no salt etc.
Nut butters are highly nutritious spreads to use in place of butter or margarine, e.g. Tahini, almond butter, hazelnut or cashew butter.

Oils:

Use cold-pressed or expeller-pressed oils (available from health food stores), as they are safer. Do not use corn oil or “vegetable oil” from an unspecified source, as this is usually corn oil.

Rapeseed oil

Linseed (edible linseed or flaxseed) oil

Olive oil

Safflower oil

Sesame oil

Soya oil

Sunflower oil

Protein:

Fresh white fish, salmon, mackerel and tuna and most canned fish, lamb, poultry and fowl.

Vegetables and fruit

All vegetables except corn are generally acceptable on a low-allergen diet, as is all fruits with the exception of citrus fruits. Tomatoes can often cause problems and should be avoided by susceptible individuals. Other food members of the nightshade family (potatoes, aubergine, peppers) may prove problematic with arthritis sufferers.

Many people experience unpleasant reactions to foods they have eaten and suspect they have a “food allergy”. However, only 2–5% of adults and 2–8% of children are truly “allergic” to certain foods.
The remainder of people may be experiencing food intolerance, or food sensitivity, rather than true food allergy.

I think a quick lesson is in order…
A food allergy occurs when an individual ingests a food (usually containing a protein) that the body sees as a “foreign” or threatening substance – known as an ANTIGEN or ALLERGEN.
The person’s immune system responds by mounting an attack, producing large amounts of IgE antibodies, which attach themselves to specialised white blood cells. These cells release histamine and other inflammatory substances, producing “classic” allergic symptoms of swelling and inflammation. Conditions and symptoms such as rhinitis, asthma, wheezing, lip swelling, itchy skin, hives, and eczema involve this type of “allergic” reaction. The allergens involved could be anything from a food protein, pollen from flowers or grasses, house-dust mite or animal dander.

A food “intolerant” reaction also occurs when the body “reacts” to the ingestion of a food. This reaction however may or may not involve the immune system, and may be caused by a food protein, a starch or sugar molecule, other food component, or by a contaminant found in the food (e.g. food colouring, preservative etc.). If the immune system IS involved, it is usually a different class of antibody that is produced, which is why standard food allergy tests can produce negative results, yet noticeable food-related symptoms persist. Many symptoms related to food intolerance are caused by a local inflammatory response in the gut, and a sign of underlying “inflammation”.

With food “intolerance”, it is worth understanding, that it’s rarely the food that is the problem – it is the person’s response to it!
Foods containing wheat or milk for example are getting reputations as “bad foods” due to the reactions they can produce in some people. While they can very well be “problem foods” for some, they can also be very healthy foods for others. Food intolerance could be re-named as “poor digestion”, as reactions to food are often the result of poor or compromised digestion!

So what can cause food intolerance?
Food intolerances are often caused by stress! Food-intolerant people often have low levels of secretory IgA, a class of protective antibodies found in the gut. IgA antibodies protect the body against the entry of foreign substances. Stress leads to a decrease in secretory IgA… a bit of vicious cycle really, but it certainly explains the relationship between stress and food intolerance!

Underlying digestive problems (e.g. low stomach acidity, gut bacterial overgrowth, a “leaky” or damaged gut lining, yeast infection or poor digestive enzyme production) are common “causes” of food intolerance and must be addressed before avoiding foods unnecessarily.
Gallbladder disease, gallstones, and pancreatitis may also be underlying causes of reactions to foods, but these will produce other symptoms too.

It is usually large food particles that cause allergic reactions, so proper breakdown of food (especially protein) via cooking and chewing is vitally important. Digestive enzymes or probiotics can often help too to ensure complete digestion, and once digestion is corrected, things can improve quite dramatically.

Signs and symptoms of food intolerance can be quite diverse, depending on how long the person has been ingesting food allergens and how the body has “adapted”. Common symptoms include bloating, stomach cramping, diarrhoea or constipation – yes commonly known as “IBS”!
Long term food intolerance may produce symptoms totally unrelated to the digestive system and may include fatigue, joint and muscle aching, depression, headaches and migraine, hyperactivity in children, and even certain autoimmune disorders.

Diagnosing a food intolerance rather than an allergy (via IgE antibody blood testing) is not easy, simply because reactions to foods can occur from anywhere between 12-36 hours after eating… coupled with the fact that an individual may be reacting to more than one food!
Exclusion/reintroduction diets are the “gold standard” of tests and the most useful when done properly. They do need to be adhered to for at least 2-4 weeks initially, and are always best done under the guidance of a registered nutritionist or dietician with experience in food allergy and intolerance.

Various blood tests are now available (most useful are IgG antibody tests – available now via pin-prick blood sample) which may prove useful in many cases – but only when there are noticeable symptoms.
Vega testing (measuring energy flow) and kinesiology (muscle strength testing) are entirely reliant on the skill of the practitioner, so how effective they actually are is very difficult to measure. Whatever the test, none are 100% accurate, and changes to a person’s diet based purely on the results of a test cause more confusion than clarity, and very often lead to unbalanced eating, unnecessary food phobias, and possible nutrient deficiencies.

What to do if you suspect you have a food intolerance

1) Keep a food diary and note when symptoms occur

2) Try and identify the possible problem foods

3) Seek advice on how to adapt the diet to improve digestion

4) Eat a varied, fresh and nutritious diet

The most commonly allergic foods…
Cow’s milk, cheese, soya, eggs, peanuts, wheat, gluten, yeast, corn, rye, chocolate (often the milk in chocolate!), coffee, tea, alcohol (it is the chemicals and preservatives in alcohol, not the alcohol per say), citrus fruit (lemons, oranges), white potato, beef, various spices, tomato, malt, pork, chemical additives, colourings and preservatives in food (especially tartrazine, sodium benzoate, aspartame).

Food intolerances are best dealt with by avoidance of the offending food for a prescribed period of time, followed by a “rotation” diet, in which problem foods are only eaten every three to four days, instead of daily.
Young children can often re-introduce foods after three months of avoidance, whereas adults may require six to twelve months of avoidance.

Much food intolerance and even some food allergy problems settle down after long-term avoidance, and especially when digestion is improved.
When a problem food is only eaten sparingly, symptoms are less likely to return. The importance of rotating foods varies from person to person and may be related to the severity of the allergies.

The following foods are the least likely to provoke allergic reactions:

Beverages:

Almond milk, Quinoa milk, herb teas, apple juice and other pure or freshly squeezed fruit juices without sugar or additives (dilute 50:50 with water).

Roasted grain beverages may be used as coffee substitutes. If you like fresh coffee, Dandelion root which you can grind in a coffee grinder.

Soya milk is fine UNLESS you have an allergy to soya!

Cereals:

Oats (unless you have diagnosed Coeliac disease or are known to be “sensitive” to gluten)

Oatmeal and Oatbran

Quinoa porridge

Puffed rice and millet cereal

Homemade mueslis

Grains and flours:

Chick pea flour

Potato flour

Buckwheat flour

Rice flour

Cooked whole gains:

Oats, millet, pearl or pot barley, buckwheat groats (also known as Kashi), brown rice, basmati rice, amaranth, quinoa, 100% buckwheat soba noodles, rice noodles.

Breads:

Sprouted grain breads, rice bread, 100% rye or spelt bread (often fine with wheat-sensitive individuals), other wheat and yeast-free breads

100% rice cakes

100% rye crackers

Legumes:

Haricot beans

Chickpeas

Black-eye beans

Kidney beans

Lentils

Navy beans

Pinto beans

Peas

String beans

Tofu (soya bean curd)

Dried beans should be soaked overnight. Pour off the water and rinse before cooking for allotted time. Canned beans often contain added sugar or other potential allergens, so if used they must be rinsed well.

Nuts and seeds
Almonds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds – eat raw with no salt etc.
Nut butters are highly nutritious spreads to use in place of butter or margarine, e.g. Tahini, almond butter, hazelnut or cashew butter.

Oils:

Use cold-pressed or expeller-pressed oils (available from health food stores), as they are safer. Do not use corn oil or “vegetable oil” from an unspecified source, as this is usually corn oil.

Rapeseed oil

Linseed (edible linseed or flaxseed) oil

Olive oil

Safflower oil

Sesame oil

Soya oil

Sunflower oil

Protein:

Fresh white fish, salmon, mackerel and tuna and most canned fish, lamb, poultry and fowl.

Vegetables and fruit

All vegetables except corn are generally acceptable on a low-allergen diet, as is all fruits with the exception of citrus fruits. Tomatoes can often cause problems and should be avoided by susceptible individuals. Other food members of the nightshade family (potatoes, aubergine, peppers) may prove problematic with arthritis sufferers.