CAUSES

CAUSES RELATED TO FOODS

* If you could not tolerate milk formulas or breast milk as an infant, regardless of your present age, there is a good possibility that milk and dairy continue to be a problem. This is especially true if you love dairy, or hate milk but love cheese or ice cream.

* Foods that caused symptoms when a person was young often cause problems later in that person's life but in a different way or in a different part of your body. For example, cow's milk or dairy often cause colic and ear infections in infancy, tantrums in toddlers, hyperactivity, bed wetting after the age of 5 years, asthma and nose allergies in childhood, and constipation, arthritis, fatigue, headaches and bowel complaints in adults.

* Think of foods as the cause if you have intestinal symptoms, which occur shortly after eating or drinking. If your symptoms occur prior to eating, think of hypoglycemia. Yes, you can have both problems and it can be missed for years.

* Your five favorite or highly craved foods or beverages are the ones that are most apt to cause symptoms if you have a food allergy. In adults, coffee, tea, alcohol, and tobacco can be the sole cause of chronic illness. Suspect any food or beverage you crave. Diet soda pop is a common unsuspected cause of chronic illness.

* If you remove a problem food from your diet, it is typical for your symptoms to become worse for two to four days before you improve. This is why food sensitivities are called addictions.

* If you tend to feel best is you eat one meal, late in the day, you might have food sensitivities. This means your reactions tend to occur at night and they will not interfere with your daytime routine.

* The foods women crave premenstrual are frequently major offenders. Do you hide chocolate to prevent panic? If you do, YOU PROBABLY HAVE A CHOCOLATE SENSITIVITY!

* Many who have food allergies are not absorbing and metabolizing their foods properly. Digestive enzymes can be helpful.  Nutrients, if they are absorbed, can also help. Google - "intestinal dysbiosis."

* The food you taste when you belch is the one to which you are sensitive. Similarly, rectal gas is a clue that your gut is unhappy. An antacid is not the answer. Determine the cause of the problem. If you get rid of the cause, there is nothing to treat. If your abdomen swells up after you eat, think of what you ate. Similarly gas, belching, or rectal gas is clues that your gut is unhappy. If it your abdomen is too large all the time, sure, you can just be overweight, but maybe the cause is a yeast overgrowth in your gut and body due to the use of too many antibiotics. You also might have parasites. Check with your doctor and read some of the books that discuss this topic. Read Sherry Rogers' book, “No More Heartburn.”

CAUSES RELATED TO YOUR HOME
 

Clues To Problems Inside Your Home:

* You feel worse when you are home and better when you travel. You are typically ill within hours after you arrive back home.

* You feel worse in some way in certain parts of your home, work, or school area.

Clues To Problems Outside Your Home:

* You feel worse when you are outside, especially on windy days when the pollen count is high. This can recur each year at almost the same time for a week or two. Think of pollen allergy as the cause.

* You feel worse whenever it is damp and rainy outside. Think of mold allergy. (Also watch out for moldy foods, such as mushrooms). Many with mold-related arthritis know when it will rain.