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At-home allergy test to assess in four easy steps whether a particular food might be triggering intolerance or sensitivity issues. Not appropriate for severe situations that may trigger anaphylaxis.
Food sensitivities and allergies in children are clearly on the rise. Official estimates put the number at about 6% of children under the age of three. This sure seems low to me.
In my child’s preschool class, 10 of 12 children suffered from at least one food allergy!
When I went through elementary school in the 1970s, I barely remember one child with a food allergy of any kind.
Food Allergies, Intolerance, and Sensitivities
In years past, genetic predisposition was a clear and primary contributor to the development of allergies.
However, the modern-day tendency for children to eat just a few types of foods all the time like pizza, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, boxed cereal and peanut butter sandwiches is a big reason for the skyrocketing allergy trend.
Exclusive eating requires a constant demand for the same types of digestive enzymes over and over. This can eventually lead to digestive exhaustion, food addictions, and biochemical disruptions.
Poor diet in infancy and childhood which is devoid or low in animal fats such as egg yolks, cream, and butter is also a contributor to the development of allergies.
Arachidonic acid and beneficial cholesterol in these nourishing animal fats promote the development of an intestinal wall that is strong with much integrity.
The nutritionless, carb-heavy, rancid vegetable oil-laden processed foods most allergy-prone children subsist on can lead to weakness in the intestinal walls. Another name for this is leaky gut syndrome.
These microscopic perforations allow partially digested food particles to enter the bloodstream. At that point, the trigger is set for an unpredictable mix of auto-immune and behavioral disorders.
What to do if you suspect a food allergy in your child or yourself but you wish to avoid expensive testing?
Home Pulse Test
As it turns out, it is rather easy to test for a food allergy at home.
Note that this is not appropriate for any situation where anaphylaxis might occur.
The four simple steps include the following:
- Avoid the suspected food for at least 4 days.
- Eat a moderate amount of the suspected food on an empty stomach. Consume no other food within the previous 2 hours (drinking water is fine).
- Measure pulse rate (beats per minute) before and 5-10 minutes after eating the food in question.
- Calculate the difference in pulse rate. Did you find a significant rise of more than just a few beats per minute? If so, then an allergy or intolerance is likely even if you do not identify any other symptoms.
Besides an increased or racing pulse, food sensitivities and allergies can be identified via rashes, fatigue, insomnia, headaches, joint pain, and even hoarseness.
How to Heal
Once one or more food allergies are identified, a diet such as GAPS would need to be followed.
Over a period of time, usually 18 months to about 3 years, the gut wall will heal and seal. At that point, offending foods can be gradually reintroduced into the diet.
If the allergies are not severe, simply eating a varied and best traditional diet may be all that is necessary to put them in remission. This means no refined or stimulating foods.
“Refined” and “stimulating” foods would include anything made with white sugar, white flour, rancid vegetable oils like canola or soy, sodium, and caffeine.
In addition, a variety of traditionally fermented foods and beverages like home-brewed kombucha help tremendously with supplying friendly bacteria and food enzymes to keep the intestinal tract in optimal function.
These vital foods help maintain the integrity of the gut wall. This prevents compromise where undigested foods spill into the blood and trigger symptoms of sensitivity or intolerance.
Prevention is the Best Policy
Ultimately, it is best to never have to “undo” allergies if at all possible.
Eating a nourishing, traditional diet while pregnant and breastfeeding and ensuring that growing children receive regular and sufficient quantities of optimal growth encouraging foods.
These include cream, butter, ghee, egg yolks, fish eggs, grassfed and organ meats for development of a sturdy intestinal system.
This is the best insurance policy against ever needing any sort of special diet to combat allergy or other autoimmune issues.
Reference
Nourishing Traditions, About Food Allergies and Special Diets
Sarah, i’ve had food sensitivity testing. I am also presently reading the GAPS book by Natasha McBride. Any thoughts on her recommendation of dabbing an egg yolk (for example) on your wrist and letting it dry overnight? I haven’t tried it yet but via testing, i have an extreme IgE response to yolks and whites
thank you!
I healed my RA 90% using a GAP’s type program for about 45 days, to include coffee enemas…I am on no medications now and feel 90% better…it is a miracle…I also juiced and use glutamine vit c carnosine to heal gut…
Our oldest had a blood test for allergies, and of course they all came back negative. The doctor expected this to happen. Still it was clear she had a lot of issues…and we did GAPS to fix it. So if you’re talking about sensitivities (not anaphylactic) these tests are often a waste of money anyway because they come up “normal” when truly they should not.
Too many people aren’t in tune with their bodies enough to interpret their reactions.
My child is allergic to eggs. I tested at home and ended up in urgent care. Don’t self test, just stay away from the triggers. I refuse allergy testing not because of the money but because its not always accurate. Money is no issue when it comes to my childs health. That’s what payment plans are for.
What about allergies in a breastfed baby? He is not necessarily allergic to the same foods I am. He has bad eczema and cradle cap that we are controlling with cortisone (not ideal, but he was in a lot of distress). His doctor suggested a milk-protein allergy, but his condition seems to have worsened since I eliminated dairy (I only used raw milk, and cultured dairy like yogurt, sour cream and cheese). I suspect wheat may be the culprit, but I’m not sure how to eat if I eliminate every possibility (wheat, eggs, nuts, dairy, soy).
I have a huge appetite while breastfeeding, and just meat and vegetables don’t really satisfy.
Laura,
I went through the same thing with my children when I was breastfeeding them. The skin issues like eczema and cradle cap were very bad for them also, and a host of other distressing things. With my first I had to cut out over 16 foods, of course everything I ate. All milk, soy, corn, wheat, tomatoes, onions, eggs, chocolate, beans, nuts, eggplant, spinach, chard, any supplements, and more. It was so confusing at first figuring out what was causing all the problems that I did have my baby’s blood drawn and sent to a lab for IGG reaction testing. The test was not completely accurate (none are), but it gave me a starting point and by following a rotation diet I was able to figure out the rest. At the time I ate a very GAPs like diet, although I had not heard of it at the time, only I included potatoes and rice. I have always needed lots of carbs to feel good and keep my weight up and potatoes fried in beef fat probably saved my life, lol. I also juiced a lot for the first time. Since all my favorite vegetables were on the “no” list it was the only way I felt like I was getting enough good nutrients. I also made lots and lots of smoothies. When you are in that situation it is critical to have food prepared in advance to feel satisfied. You can also focus on all the foods you love that aren’t on the no list. Since we had to curb all eating out and travelling and such anyway we spent a little extra on groceries so I could indulge in crab legs and steak and such when I needed a treat. Coconut flour and such makes pretty good pancakes and breading, and ANYTHING fried tasted good and if you are using healthy fats the extra fat is good for you and will help you feel satisfied. My kids healed and outgrew the allergies by the way! Other children in my family in the same situation at birth have chronic asthma and other serious health issues, so all the sacrifice I made while breastfeeding them was entirely worth it. Now you can Google search and find all kinds of recipes without whatever you can’t have and find the recipes and reviews of them all over the place, so it’s a lot easier than it was 18 years ago when I was first dealing with it!
She did say sensitivity and non severe. I’ve done this myself and have eliminated foods my body doesn’t handle well. I would Not do this with my son who’s anaphylactic to nuts, eggs, and oats. There’s definitely a difference here.
@Melissa this at home method is so helpful also for those without insurance or low on funds for trips to the doctor, testing which is many times partially out of pocket. Much progress can be done with simple techniques at home.
But if you suspect a severe allergy, do NOT attempt to confirm its existence at home since this is dangerous, especially with a child. Also, you write like you know definitively what causes food allergies…this is just wrong. Nobody knows for certain and to say that food allergies are caused simply by not having a varied or healthy diet is short-sighted to say the least. My son is anaphylactic to peanuts and I’m pretty certain he was born with the allergy or it developed when he was VERY young, before he was eating a significant amount of solid food.