Could Your Symptoms Actually Be a Food Intolerance?

May 10, 2018Alexis Reid

Food intolerances or "sensitivities" can affect you in so many ways.

And they are a lot more common than most people think.

I'm not talking about anaphylaxis or immediate allergic reactions that involve an immune response. Those can be serious and life-threatening. If you have any allergies, you need to steer clear of any traces of foods you are allergic to, and speak with your doctor or pharmacist about emergency medication, if necessary.

What I'm talking about, is an intolerance, meaning you do not tolerate a specific food very well and it causes immediate or chronic symptoms anywhere in the body. Symptoms can take up to 72 hours to show themselves. And symptoms can be located just about anywhere in the body.

This is what makes them so tricky to identify.

Symptoms of food intolerances

There are some common food intolerances that have immediate and terribly painful gastrointestinal symptoms, such as lactose intolerance or celiac disease. These can cause stomach pain, gas, bloating, and/or diarrhea; symptoms can start immediately after eating lactose or gluten.

On the other hand, other more insidious symptoms may not be linked to foods in an obvious way.

Symptoms like:

Acne and eczema

Sweating, or increased heart rate or blood pressure

Headaches or migraines
Chronic muscle or joint pain

Exhaustion after a good night's sleep

Autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto's or rheumatoid arthritis
Rashes or eczema
Inability to concentrate or feeling like your brain is "foggy"
Gas, bloating, diarrhea or constipation

If your body has trouble digesting specific foods, it can affect your hormones, metabolism, or even cause inflammation and result in any of the symptoms listed above. And these can affect any (or all) parts of the body, not just your gastrointestinal system.

How to prevent these intolerances

The main thing you can do is to figure out which foods or drinks you may be reacting to and stop ingesting them.

I know, I know...this sounds so simple, and yet it can be SO HARD.

The best way to identify your food/drink triggers is to eliminate them.

Yup, get rid of those offending foods/drinks. All traces of them, for three full weeks and monitor your symptoms.

If things get better, then you need to decide whether it's worth it to stop ingesting them, or if you want to slowly introduce them back one at a time while still looking out to see if/when symptoms return.

Alternatively, you can see a Naturopathic Doctor, like myself, for food sensitivity testing.

Start Here: Two Common Food Intolerances

Here are two of the most common triggers of food intolerances:

Dairy- NOT LACTOSE - milk, cheese, yogurt, butter. Dairy is frequently found in baked goods, and some sauces. Many people react to either casein and whey which are the proteins in dairy. These proteins are still present in lactose-free products. Try nut or coconut milk as an alternative. For more dairy substitutes, and more information on dairy sensitivity, see my blog "Is Dairy The Devil?"

Gluten (in wheat, rye, and other common grains - look for a "gluten-free" label - try gluten-free grains like rice, quinoa & gluten-free oats). Gluten is a definite "no-no" for anyone with a thyroid issue. More about that here

This is by no means a complete list, but it's a good place to start because dairy intolerance is thought to affect up to 75% of people, while "non-celiac gluten sensitivity" can affect up to 13% of people.

So, if you can eliminate all traces of dairy and gluten for three weeks, it can confirm whether either or both of these, are a source of your symptoms.

Yes, dairy and grains are a part of many government-recommended food guidelines, but you absolutely can get all of the nutrients you need if you focus on replacing them with nutrient-dense foods.

A reliable way to monitor how you feel after eating certain foods is to track it. After every meal or snack, write down the foods you ate, and any symptoms so you can more easily spot trends.

And, as mentioned earlier, symptoms may not start immediately following a meal. You may find, for example, that you wake up with a headache the morning after eating bananas.

You might be surprised what links you can find if you track your food and symptoms well!

IMPORTANT NOTE: When you eliminate something, you need to make sure it's not hiding in other foods, or the whole point of eliminating it for a few weeks is lost. Restaurant food, packaged foods, and sauces or dressings are notorious for adding ingredients that you'd never think are there. You know that sugar hides in almost everything, but did you also know that wheat is often added to processed meats and soy sauce, and dairy can even be found in some medications or supplements?

When in doubt you HAVE to ask the server in a restaurant about hidden ingredients, read labels, and consider cooking from scratch.

What if it doesn’t work?

If eliminating these two common food intolerances doesn’t work, it is a good time to consider doing a Food Sensitivity Test. I see many patients who have intolerance to foods they would never expect, like almonds, potatoes, and eggs.

You may need to see a Naturopathic Doctor for help, and that's OK. I don't want you to continue suffering if you don't need to!

Recipe (dairy-free milk): Homemade Nut/Seed Milk

Makes 3 cups

½ cup raw nuts/seeds (almonds, walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, or sesame seeds)

2 cups water

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Soak nuts/seeds for about 8 hours (optional, but recommended).
Dump soaking water & rinse nuts/seeds.
Add soaked nuts/seeds and 2 cups water to a high-speed blender and blend on high for about one minute until very smooth.
Strain through a small mesh sieve with 2 layers of cheesecloth. Squeeze if necessary.

Serve & enjoy!

Talk soon!

Dr Alexis

Dr Alexis practices in Kanata and has a special interest in Acne, PCOS, Women in their 20's and 30's with Low Energy, and Female Athletes. She is currently accepting new patients. Click here to schedule your appointment.

Dietary Supplements Shown to Help Eliminate Postpartum Blues

June 27, 2017Alexis Reid

This week I wanted to take some time to expand on the recent Facebook Live Video I did on the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto’s study on Postpartum Blues. To read the study, please click here. I think this research is great in that brings to light simple interventions that new moms can do at home to help ease their transition after giving birth.

Postpartum Blues are quite common after giving birth, and usually start around 4-7 days postpartum. Postpartum Blues and Postpartum Depression are not the same thing, but when the blues get severe it significantly increases a woman’s risk of being diagnosed with Postpartum Depression. Many women do not suffer depressive symptoms at all but are afflicted with a strong Postpartum Anxiety. Postpartum Blues are caused by a surge in the enzyme monoamine oxidase, which breaks down our “happy neurotransmitters” dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. Having less dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine can lead to feelings of sadness and lack of motivation. An increase in monoamine oxidase is also observed in people who suffer from depression, so trying to reduce this surge soon after it starts is an essential component of successful treatment of Postpartum Blues. The typical peak for monoamine oxidase levels in women is 5 days postpartum.

The supplement that they used in this study contained 3 key ingredients

Tryptophan- Building block of serotonin
Tyrosine- Building block of dopamine
Blueberry Extract- Anti-inflammatory effects

The participants were given the supplements in the following manner

Night of Postpartum Day 3- Blueberry extract and Juice

Morning of Postpartum Day 4- Blueberry extract and Juice

Night of Postpartum Day 4- Blueberry extract and Juice and 2g L-tryptophan

Morning of Postpartum Day 5- Blueberry extract and Juice and 10g L-tyrosine

The levels given of L-tryptophan and L-tyrosine are higher than you would get from diet alone, but they were determined to be safe for breastfeeding.

Results: On postpartum day 5 the women underwent tests to assess their mood. One of the ways they were tested is via sad mood induction, which measured their ability to be resilient against sad events. The women read statements that expressed pessimism, dissatisfaction and lethargy, and listened to sad classical music. Depressive symptoms were measured both before and after. There was a stark difference in the women who received the supplements and those who did not. The women who received the supplements did not experience any depressed mood, while the women who did not receive the supplements had an increase in depression scores.

These results are very impressive! Having worked with many postpartum moms in my practice, I know it is considered common place for moms to feel very down and out mood wise for the 4-10 days after giving birth. This simple intervention can help to stabilize mood in these moms which could help to smooth out their transition to mother hood and would make them more resilient to the challenges that early breast feeding can present.

This study is great example of how our moods can be so greatly impacted by the foods we eat.

Another well studied intervention for Postpartum Blues and Postpartum Depression is fish oil. Fish oil, specifically the DHA component of the oil can help to stabilize mom’s mood and helps with baby’s brain growth postpartum.

One great way to help a new mom is to feed them! Here is a recipe for a postpartum smoothie that is high in the nutrients necessary to help reduce the symptoms of Postpartum Blues

Postpartum Blues Smoothie

Serves 2

2 Cups Water

2 Cups Baby Spinach

1 ½ Cups Frozen Blueberries

3-4 Chunks Frozen Pineapple

1 Avocado

¼ Cup Cashews (soaked in water)

¼ Cup Hemp Seeds (soaked in water)

Combine Cashews, Hemp Seeds and Water and allow to soak for 10-20 min before blending. Blend until very smooth
Add in Baby Spinach, Frozen Blueberries, Frozen Pineapple, and Avocado. Blend again until smooth. Divide into glasses and enjoy!

Did you suffer from Postpartum Blues? Please share in the comments below

Dr Alexis

Dr Alexis practices in Kanata. To schedule your appointment, click here

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