Monthly Archives: November 2014

Understanding Food Intolerance Testing

by Miraallergies, health, immune system, testing

Food sensitivities, or food intolerance, can cause a number of different health-related issues. Some people refer to food sensitivities as food allergies. It's important to note that a sensitivity is different than an allergy, sometimes referred to as a True Food Allergy. A true food allergy, such as a life-threatening response to peanuts, can be dangerous and may require the use of medication or, in extreme circumstances, an epi-pen. Food sensitivities can cause significant discomfort but, to the best of my knowledge, are not life-threatening.

Symptoms of food sensitivities

One of the issues when it comes to diagnosing food sensitivities is that there may be a delayed hypersensitivity response, meaning it can take several days for symptoms to appear.

Symptoms are varied and often can be misdiagnosed as being something else. These include:

Bloating
Coughing or continual throat clearing
General Malaise (feeling “under the weather”)
Hives
Headaches/Migraines
Irritable bowel symptoms
Sinus issues
Stomach ache
Repeated sneezing for “no reason”
Runny nose

My story

I noticed several significant changes in my health that lead me to believe I might be developing some food sensitivities. I realized that I was getting frequent rashes or flushes on my neck, my sleep was more interrupted (I kept waking repeatedly for no particular reason), I also noticed occasional low level aches in my small joints, and I realized I had developed a craving for cheese. Sadly when we “crave” foods it often turns out that this is because we have developed a sensitivity and become intolerant of them.

Because it had been a while since I've had food sensitivity testing I decided it was time to go ahead and retest myself. Here is my thought process after I received my results and read the report:

Strong reaction – honey – “Darn! My favorite sweetener to deal with seasonal allergies. I often take a spoonful of raw, local honey in tea to help me through the winter allergy season. Oh well, I guess I'll have to give that up for now.”
Strong reaction – fusarium vasinfectum (an agricultural fungus) – “Rats! Hard to deal with. I'll really have to be extra vigilant about washing produce and drying it carefully before use. Time to get out the humidity monitor and make sure the house isn't too damp.”
Strong reaction – sodium benzoate (a preservative) – “Say what?!?! I'm guessing my exposure is coming from eating on the road because I KNOW I am not eating it at home.”
Moderate reaction – Blueberry – “Darn! My favorite berry. Luckily there are lots of other berries, I'll just have to switch for a while.”
Moderate reaction – Canteloupe/Honeydew – “Huh? Another fruit? I don't even eat that much fruit to begin with.”
Moderate reaction – Cottonseed oil – “Again probably from eating out, I certainly don't have this at home.”
Moderate reaction – Cheese (cow) – “Dagnabit [and yes, I do say this, it's my favorite “swear” word followed closely by dagnabitall] I was afraid of that. NO CHEESE! Seriously!” [That's when I realized the craving part was worse than I had thought]
Moderate reaction – Raspberry – “Excuse me?? What??? No berries????” [note: a food sensitivity to more than one thing in a food group often means that there is a reaction to the group as a whole. For me the berry sensitivity means no acai, blueberry, blackberry, boysenberry, cranberry, elderberry, goji berry, gooseberry, raspberry, and strawberry for six months.]
Moderate reaction – FD&C Yellow #10 – “Oh man I seriously need to look at how much I am eating out or away from home.”
Moderate – Dibutyl Phthlate – “hmmmm, time to look more closely at my personal care products.”
Moderate – Ethylene Dibromide (a chemical solvent) – “no earthly idea where I could be getting exposed to this but I'll have to be more aware of my surroundings.”

These reactions are very similar to the sort of mental gyrations that many of my clients go through when we review their results. Although a significant reaction requires a six month avoidance of the substance and a moderate one only three months. I often just ask that they avoid everything for six months. We also embark on a healing gut protocol.

In my case I'm already doing most of what the healing gut protocol involves, however there are some gaps, especially when I travel. I'll be working hard to address those.

However, I'm going to confess that none of this will take place until after Thanksgiving. The results came after I had planned my menu, purchased food, and started cooking. I'll admit that I'm human and not able/willing to completely revamp my holiday menu with just a couple of days notice. I'm also not thrilled about mashed potatoes with no butter or cream, no homemade cranberry orange relish (made this year with kumquats picked fresh off the tree instead of oranges), no whipped cream on the pumpkin pie/custard. But believe me, I know how much better I will feel once I start on my new eating plan and clean up my food intolerances. I also know that the more compliant I am the better I will feel and that in six months it is highly likely that most if not all of these food sensitivities will have gone away.

Testing for food sensitivities

If you suspect you have food sensitivities you can talk with your doctor or order a test online. The test I used looks at 212 different potential allergens. You can see them listed below.

One of the reasons I like this particular company is because their test comes with a dietary rotation plan (you can get more information about what a dietary rotation plan is and how it works here). The report also comes with a laminated wallet card. The wallet card is so you can take it with you to the grocery store or when you are on the road to help you remember what exactly you are supposed to avoid.

Goats Milk Soap

by Miraingredients, personal care, reviews

Recently I went to a health and wellness event at a retreat center in Montgomery, TX, Three Goats Farm. Melissa Humphries, the owner of Three Goats Farm is a Nutrition Therapy Practitioner and in the process of building her retreat center is connecting with holistic wellness providers of all kinds. It was a great event and I can't wait to see what else she offers out at the farm.

One of the people I met there was a lovely woman named Traci who runs Four French Hens, a skin care company. She makes fabulous soap from goats milk (from the lovely goat-girls at Three Goats Farm), beeswax candles, bath products and more. We had a wonderful conversation.

I was given a couple of bars of soap as a gift, to try them. The scent is clean and, I know this sounds odd, delicious, even the unscented version. I'm really enjoying using this soap. Made from fabulous clean ingredients and naturally homogenized, it lathers well and is very moisturizing. With just a few simple ingredients — Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Sodium Lardate, Goats Milk, Lye, Essential Oils. Honey Oatmeal: Also contains Raw Honey, Oats — the allergen possibilities are lower and the chemical burden is very low.

As my long time readers know, I advocate eating clean and avoiding as many chemicals as possible in our food. However I am also a big proponent of clean personal care products. Our skin is our largest body organ, what we put on it gets into our system. Making sure you have chemical free personal care products is an important part of health. Enjoying a hand made, locally sourced product, in my opinion, is even better. For those who don't want to make their own soap (or don't have access to such fabulous ingredients) this is a really good option.

What’s Vitamin B12 For?

by Mirahealth, nutrientsb12, Vitamins

Recently at a pharmacy I saw a sign "Do you have low energy? Trouble with weight loss? Foggy thinking? Anemia? Get your B12 shots here!"

Many people may be deficient in B12; as a water soluble vitamin we tend to go through it pretty quickly. As we age we tend to lose our ability to process B12 optimally which may lead to deficiency. And deficiency is often found in those who are smokers, pregnant, or breast feeding. Then there are those who have a variety of disorders such as crohn's, celiac disease, SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), or pernicious anemia. In some cases it can take five or more years before you see signs of deficiency.

The largest population with a tendency toward low B12 is vegetarians and vegans. This is due to the fact that animal foods such as sardines, salmon, tuna, cod, lamb, scallops, shrimp, and beef provide the highest levels of B12. It is possible to get it from other food sources, however those are the best ones.

B12 is vital for optimal many body functions. The body uses it to convert carbohydrates into glucose which our body uses for fuel. If we don't have enough, or if we aren't converting properly this can cause fatigue. It also supports a healthy nervous system, helping us to balance stress and contributes to a balanced circulatory system, supporting good cholesterol levels and blood pressure. B12 is also vital for healthy hair, skin, and nails.

But is taking shots the right things to do? There are some claims that the shot can be taken as often as twice a week. However there can be side effects up to and including diarrhea, stomach upset, headache, joint pain, or even flushing, rashes, or hives.

Before simply taking a B12 injection it would be prudent to obtain a comprehensive micronutrient panel to determine if you are actually low. If you are deficient in B12 consider modifying your diet to include more B12 rich foods, supplement orally, and also evaluate if you need appropriate digestive support to ensure you are absorbing what you are putting into your body.