7. Diet and food allergies.
I often have joked that there is hardly a day in the office that I do not see a significant improvement in aspects of an individual’s health simply by improving their diet and by eliminating food allergies. I have also made humorous note that the month of January can often be a clinically busy one when many individuals may succumb to dietary indiscretion and take a symptomatic nosedive in their overall health following the holiday festivities. Many symptoms, often chronic, can improve. This is inclusive of mental focus, concentration, brain fog, inflammation, joint pain, chronic back issues, mobility, irritable bowel syndrome, GI disorders, chronic sinus problems, hives, breathing abnormalities including asthma, chronic cough, generalized fatigue, blood pressure, and mood and emotional sensitivity[to name a few!]. While obviously not a scientific analysis, I would speculate that food allergies and sensitivities might be present in at least half of the patients that I consult.
For many individuals their awareness of food reactions and allergy tendency is the result of the symptoms they notice when consuming certain food groups. Often they can be typical symptoms such as intestinal bloating or pain when eating wheat products. Sometimes these symptoms can be relatively severe. Recently a young patient described her wheat related symptoms, following pizza, as, “volcanic eruptions of the anus”. Not surprisingly the severity of symptoms for many can be a definite encouragement for dietary adherence. I have frequently found it helpful to measure a blood test for food allergies through ALLETESS Medical Laboratory. They offer a cost effective blood test designed to identify reactive food allergy components that may be contributing to an individual’s symptoms. The information gleaned from this panel can then be used to provide consultative guidance as it relates to dietary modifications. I have, over the years, found this test to be reproducible and clinically consistent. It often reminds me that sometimes the simple things are really still very central to complex(and simple) patient improvements.
– Dr. Guyer
