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Food sensitivities - how do you know?
I am not quite sure how to ask this without (at first) sounding awful - but how do you know that you are really sensitive to certain foods and it isn't all in your head? The reason I ask, I am suspecting an egg sensitivity in addition to the whole gluten thing (plus we are also currently dairy free). I started suspecting eggs a couple weeks ago, cut out eggs completely and then had 2 scrambled eggs as a test. My stomach did start hurting but I honestly don't know if it was psychosomatic or if eggs really do bother me. I need to repeat the test but I am afraid of my mind giving me the stomach ache. I suppose I could have my husband try to sneak some eggs in something but since I do most of the cooking that makes it challenging.
So has anyone else dealt with this or am I just really strange?
So has anyone else dealt with this or am I just really strange?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jenifer Bremehr on -
I recently have gone through this. It is with corn. I knew something was up when i started getting horrendous stomach aches but couldnt figure it out. For 6 weeks I was literally in agony day in day out. Not to mention the nausea. So.......I would drink 7 up. WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, I went and had a test done called Bioset testing (its based off the meridians and chi of your body). I knew I had something but didnt know what it was. Well, this showed that it was definitely the corn. I have an addiction to Coke. I love it and dont want to give it up. So......I quit drinking for a couple of days and unconsciously grabbed one out of the fridge one night when we had friends over. WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I swear I thought I was dying. withing 15 min I was doubled over. So.....you would think that this would be my last experience with the dreaded corn. NOPE. Got one more for you. The other morning I made pancakes. Been craving them for a year and finally found a decent box of pancake mix. Ohhhhh, they turned out so nice and brown,very nice tasting, lathered them in butter (my fav way) literally inhaling it, and got the bright idea that it needed a little something...... MRS BUTTERSWORTH! My fav syrup. If we dont have this, I dont eat it! Oh yea, high fructose CORN syrup. I didnt even finish eating before I started feeling the bloating, (thinking its the pancake swelling in my belly....duh) then the undistinguished nasty stomach ache that put me into a fetal position. oh yea. Been there, done that. I knew I had done a no no. Excruciating pain. My doctor had given me Bentyl for the off chance of getting contaminated with gluten. I took one, crawled into bed with a heating pad on my gut in a fetal position, and stayed that way for a whole day taking the bentyl every 4 hours. I am suppose to take it 4 times a day if contaminated, but every 4 hours seemed to work better. By the evening, I could sit up and walk around. I am currently taking it 4 times a day. The corn seems to hit me for the same amount of time as the gluten does, 5 days to recoop. Today I am on my 4th day, so today and tomorrow I will take the Bentyl and hopefully that will be enough. It stops the spasming really well but causes constipation. NOT good! So, have I learned my lesson to be just as diligent with the corn as with gluten? YOU BET YA! Moral of my story.....if eggs give you a tummy ache now, it will only get worse. Save yourself the hassle of the pain and suffering! I hope this helped you!
Have a gluten free, corn free, dairy free, egg free.........yada yada yada.......day!
Jen
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Permalink Reply by luce on -
It's not strange, and don't let you doubt yourself. I've been there, too. You know you better than anyone else, don't second guess yourself, especially if others may be questioning your suspicions. More than likely you are correct, so why put yourself and your body in harm's way just for food? When doing things like that, like Jen said, could lead to worse damage, even unknown damage, and make you sicker, it is totally not worth it. You are not strange. Many people on this site and out there in the world have loads of intolerances/allergies/sensitivities and what have you. May I suggest grabbing some really good vegan cookbooks and adjust the recipe's that aren't GF to GF and the rest of your problems are solved- no dairy, no eggs. That would help open the world up for using other ingredients that act like eggs and dairy so you won't feel deprived. You can always add meat to recipe's if you'd like. "Babycakes" is a wonderful cookbook that takes all of the questions about substitutions out of your hands and makes for easy yummy treats (just read the cookbook front to back, b/c people complain that don't and have missed out on important directions) I've had success with these recipes and they are scrumptious. There are lots of others out there, too, that one just caters to sensitivity sufferers. That all being said, you don't have to be medically tested to tell you you have food sensitivities, etc. since you are sensitive and attuned to your body and have figured it out on your own. However, that being said, you may want to get tested to ease your mind and/or possibly discover even more. Best of luck to you!
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Permalink Reply by Liz Heath on -
I wonder this too sometimes but agree with the other posters -- take some time off of eggs. Your body is telling you something! I think myself into circles at times but take a month or so vacation from the eggs, and when you're feeling less "thinky" about the whole thing, try them again. The mind-body connection is powerful. I think lessening stress in all of our lives will help us care for ourselves well, too. If you are calm (get some exercise, take care of any little nagging things going on), and you eat an offensive food and get symptoms, well, it probably is bad for you!
Good luck and you are not strange!
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Permalink Reply by Marissa Carter on
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You aren't strange! I go through the same thing, even considered having hubby contaminate me! I came to the conclusion awhile back that part of the reason I kept thinking it was all in my head was that I was HOPING it was. If I could prove that it was my imagination, then there would be no reason to deny myself the foods I love. (Talk about a mind game :)
Thing is, I know deep down that it is my body and not my head telling me to lay off certain things. Listen to your body and stay away from eggs. It will thank you!
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Permalink Reply by Dr. Peter Osborne on -
Christi,
Food sensitivities are very real. The best way to determine them is through testing. I recommend using Elisa ACT Biotechnologies Labs.
Watch this video to get a firm understanding of the whole concept. Don't let the title fool you. The video goes into food allergies and intolerances:
http://www.glutenfreesociety.org/video-tutorial/gluten-sensitivity-...
In good health,
Dr. O
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Permalink Reply by Estee Rosenberg on -
Hi Dr.O,
Just finished watching this video. Things that didn't make sense are starting to! How do I go about getting tested for the food and gluten sensitivity? I'm in South FL (FT.Lauderdale area).
Thx,
Estee
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