food sensitivity testing
Food sensitivities are considered by some experts to be one of the most common sources of illness. The foods most commonly causing sensitivity are wheat, corn, yeast, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, citrus fruits, chocolate, tomatoes, strawberries and nuts. If you suspect that you suffer from a food sensitivity, the most accurate and least expensive way you can discover the cause is to follow an elimination diet and test the suspected foods one by one. The elimination diet will give highly effective results with no serious side effects and little, if any, expense. The diet consists of the foods that are least likely to cause an allergic reaction. The order and sequence of the foods in the diet is crucial. About 5 days are needed to completely clear the bowel of foods that were eaten before the diet was begun. By this time, most people will be relieved of the problems caused by their food sensitivities. Another week is then needed to test the suspect foods.
step by step procedure for testing:
1. Office visits during the period: schedule twenty-minute appointments on the 7th day, the 14th day and one week following the end of testing.
2. Be sure to eat the test foods prior to the elimination diet: once your doctor has confirmed from your diet survey which foods will be tested, make sure you eat all the test foods at least once on each of three successive days prior to the beginning of the elimination diet. This is most important for the testing to be successful. In addition, if you normally eat a lot of sugar, you should cut down by at least one-half the amount you eat several days prior to the beginning of the elimination diet. A smoker should abstain during the entire period. Tobacco, which can be an allergen itself, complicates interpretation of the elimination diet and testing results.
3. Diary: keep a careful diary of everything you eat beginning three days prior to the beginning of the diet until the testing is ended.
4. Elimination diet: you will be on the elimination diet for twelve days. The timing of foods during the elimination diet is very important and has been very carefully worked out. If you break the diet, you will have to start all over again. So do it right the first time. Even one little bite of a forbidden food will distort the results. Make no additions, changes, or substitutions in the diet.
5. During the elimination diet: you may feel worse on the second or third day. These withdrawal symptoms may be relieved by taking two tablets of Alka Seltzer Gold up to four times a day. You may also take an enema. Put strained juice of one half lemon in enema bag with warm water.
6. Testing suspect foods: the 6th day of your diet is the first day of testing. Eat the breakfast scheduled for the 6th day on your diet menu. One, and only one, test food will be eaten on the 6th day. Just prior to eating the test food, ask yourself "How do I feel? Do I hurt in places? Am I tired, stressed? Do I have low or high energy? Is my nose running, itchy? Am I mentally confused, spacey, okay, happy, depressed? Be thorough with your questions. Write your findings in a diary. Be sure to take pulse and record it now before eating the test food.
1st test: At least one hour before breakfast eat a large portion of the test food all by itself. (See paragraph 8 below) Watch closely for any reaction. After 30 minutes take your pulse and record it again in your diary. Take your pulse again one hour after eating the test food and record it.
What kind of reactions might the test produce? Reactions are highly variable. Does your nose feel different? More stuffy or runny? How are your mouth and throat? Is there any mucous, coughing, itching, or burning? Does your skin feel cold or flushed? Do you have any cramps anywhere? Gas? Does your head feel different? Is there any pressure, pain? Is a your voice raspy? Does your stomach hurt? Do you have different sensations in your arms, legs, muscles? Is your vision affected? Do your eyes burn, sting or tear? Has your energy increased or decreased? Is there any noticeable mood change? Lethargy, anxiety, depression, lack of ability to concentrate? Virtually any type of reaction may occur. There probably will be no uncertainty about whether you are reacting. If you know you are reacting, record your symptoms and discontinue testing that food.
2nd test: If you are not certain or definitely have no reactions, continue testing one hour after initial eating of the test food by eating one-half portion more. Watch for reactions for 30 minutes. Record any symptoms you observe. Take pulse and record it. Again, if there are any reactions, discontinue testing.
3rd test: If no definite reaction has occurred, then eat the scheduled lunch. If no definite reaction occurs during the afternoon and prior to your evening meal, include the test food in the evening meal. Watch for reactions during the evening, through the night and upon awakening in the morning. Record all reactions in your diary. If you have definite symptoms the next morning, record them, but do not test for the second test food until all your symptoms are gone.
7. What to do if you have a reaction to a test food. While you are having a reaction to a test food, it is impossible to accurately test any other foods. You must normalize your system before testing for any another food. There are two ways to do this:
(1) Continue eating the rotation diet, omitting any suspected test foods, and wait until your system normalizes. This can take up to 2-3 days.
(2) In many persons it is possible to more quickly normalize your system by following one or more or all of the following:
a) Take two tablets Alka Seltzer Gold in 8 oz water up to 4 times a day.
b) Take one to two quart enema of tap water with strained juice of one half lemon.
c) Limit diet to primarily vegetables with small amounts of fruit allowed on the rotation diet until your symptoms clear. If you are hypoglycemic or otherwise affected adversely by eating only fruit and vegetables, then include items as prescribed in your rotation diet.
Do not resume testing foods until your system has normalized.
8. Test foods: All test foods must be eaten in their pure form and nothing else should be eaten except pure water.
Wheat: Eat cream of wheat made with water with nothing on it
Corn: Eat popcorn cooked in pure corn oil
OR corn on cob with nothing added
OR cornmeal mixed with water
Yeast: Drink 1/2 tsp. baker's yeast in 1/2 glass warm water
OR if testing for brewer's yeast, drink 1 tsp. in 1/2 glass water
Milk: Drink a glass of milk
Eggs: Eat soft boiled eggs
9. Remainder of testing: continue testing all the foods in this manner with the last day of testing the twelfth day. Discontinue testing the 13th day even if you have not tested all the scheduled test foods.
(Cropley)
footnotes