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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
I will be trying this very soon,,,thanks!!!
What if it’s an infant suffering from food allergies? How do I test her?
Get a referral to a paediatric allergist.
My first child was tested at 7 months old. The child doesn’t even care at that age. It’s the 2 year olds that it’s the hardest on. So it’s pretty easy in an infant.
Thank you again , Sarah!
it is my understanding that there are different pathways for food allergies and food sensitivities….if you have food allergies…you probably already know it….as you will be getting symptoms like hives, face swelling, asthma like symptom…food sensitiviies are different and produce just as or even more dangerous symptoms like joint pain, intestinal permeability, IBS and many other conditions….food sensitivities will not be detected using this pathway or test….you need a hair analysis…or just listen to your body and give up gluten, dairy, eggs and then add them back slowly over time to see if the symptoms return..this is known as an ilimination diet.most people with autoimmune disaes have food sensitivities rather than allergies and need to heal their gut with glutamine on an empty stomach each morning,…waiting for 1 hour befor eating…and give up culprit foods that inflame the stomach lining.
A timely post! I just commented on another one of your articles yesterday. My baby had been doing well eating egg yolk a few days a week for maybe a month, then suddenly reacted to it by vomiting. I wasn’t certain that it was the yolk itself, so I reintroduced it to her a little more than a month later and she had the same reaction. I don’t even know where to start looking at what could have caused this sudden reaction to egg yolks, but it seems the best thing to do until I can find more information is to stop all foods and keep going with exclusive breastfeeding.
If you have any suggestions, I am open to them.
I too have had the same problem. I fed my baby egg yolk one time a week for a few weeks and we did fine. Then the last two times he has reacted by throwing up.
I also am interested in suggestions.
Breanne Bishel
“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”….So what to do for an infant/child allergic to egg yolk, cream, and butter, like mine is?
I agree with Sandy. What you are describing is an excellent way to test for food intolerance NOT FOOD ALLERGIES. If I had tested my daughter this way for her peanut allergy, she would have died. I did test her for food intolerance this way AFTER we had an allergy test.
For the safety of everyone you need to change your terminology as there is a big difference between a food sensitivity, intolerance and allergy.
As a parent of a child with food allergies, I find your home test ridiculous and potentially life-threatening. If you suspect you or your child is allergic to foods, medications or anything else, TAKE THEM TO A DOCTOR FOR TREATMENT. Had I performed your test on my son when I thought he was allergic to eggs, he could have died. Shame on you.
Not sure that trusting doctors is a great idea either… Please read my post below. I am not advocating testing at home, but I certainly do not place blind faith in doctors any more. I went to school with many of them and their morals and ability to THINK shocked me:
Hi Sarah
Great post! I had this same exact test done when I was 13 and I DID go into shock. The scary thing was that I went into the parking lot to “cool off” I remember becoming very hot. A nurse coming on to duty saw me and asked me “What in God’s name I was doing by myself looking so sick?” She hauled me back into the clinic and Y E L L E D at the docs and nurses asking them how they could let a child who was going into shock be unattended. So, please be very very careful!
I don’t have time to read the article right now, but wanted to post about NAET. Most people don’t know about this method of testing and CURING allergies (all kinds!). My kids had anaphylaxis (sp?) with bananas, strawberries, melons (the list goes on) ONE TREATMENT and they were cured!! They are enjoying smoothies every day! We LOVE NAET! http://www.naet.com