4 Signs You May Have a Food Intolerance

With the holidays recently passed, those of us with food intolerances were cringing at the thought of family dinners that involved turkeys from the grocery store, glutinous breads, and heavy cream topping on the pumpkin pie. The holidays can be something of a nightmare for people who suffer from food intolerances.

While some people have the notion that food intolerances don’t really exist, I’d like to beg the differ. People can have allergic reactions to foods as well as other reactions that don’t have quite the same urgency as an allergic reaction but can be every bit as detrimental and even life threatening.

Before I found out I had a gluten intolerance, I couldn’t walk, I had an irregular heartbeat, and my immune system was basically going haywire while my muscles destroyed themselves. And then I have people tell me that I’m not “really” intolerant to gluten despite the fact that all my symptoms disappeared after less than a week of going gluten-free. Thanks for the support, guys.

Anyways, if you’re experiencing any adverse health symptoms, no matter how minor or severe, here are some ways to tell if you have a food intolerance.

Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is awful. You feel like you do everything you can to make it go away, but nothing quite works and if it does work, the pain always returns. Chronic pain can have a huge impact on your life. It can make even small activities seem impossible and other physical activities such as sex or exercising are often not even considered as a result of your pain.

When our bodies cannot tolerate a certain food, they react. One of the most common causes of this reaction is inflammation, which can cause chronic pain. Your chronic pain could be anywhere—joints, lower back, legs, shoulders, neck. You could also have migraines. If you’re experiencing chronic pain, it’s time to get a food allergen panel done by a holistic doctor. 

Skin Rash or Acne

Some people have more sensitive skin than others, but the skin can tell us many things about our health. If you’re experiencing any type of weird skin rash or even have bad acne, you could have a food intolerance.

One of the most common food intolerances when it comes to skin rashes or acne or eczema is dairy. With all the hormones in cow’s milk and products such as ice cream and yogurt, your skin could be having a reaction to these growth hormones, giving you teenager-type skin well into adulthood. Get tested or eliminate diary or gluten for at least two to six weeks to see if you notice a difference.

Gastrointestinal Symptoms

While many people with food allergies or intolerances experience gastrointestinal symptoms, many of them do not! Gastrointestinal symptoms could involve upset stomach, poor digestion, belching/flatulence, diarrhea, constipation, and stomach cramps. These could happen immediately after you eat the food or hours after eating it.

If you’ve experienced gastrointestinal problems your whole life, or even just recently, your body could have developed an intolerance to something you’re eating. And yes, your body can develop an intolerance pretty much overnight (happened to me!), for those of you who say “But I’ve been eating dairy/eggs/gluten/corn all this time and I’ve been fine!”

Mental or Mood Disorders

Do you have ADHD, trouble concentrating, forgetfulness, brain fog, difficulty solving problems, thinking, or are easily distracted? You might actually have a food intolerance.

Food intolerances can also affect your food by altering your brain chemistry, making you easily irritable, or making you elated and then having a crashing effect, or just having mood swings. Gluten in particular is noted for altering brain chemistry and producing symptoms that can be linked to bipolar, schizophrenia, and depression.

The food we consume is fuel for our bodies. This is why it doesn't make a lot of sense that many of the top allergens are in all the foods we consume: dairy, eggs, soy, wheat (gluten), corn, and nuts. When we put fuel in our bodies that our body can’t work with, our body will not work as well as it should. Living with chronic pain, a mood disorder, stomach problems, or acne is not fun. Take charge of your health and wellness and get a food allergen panel done to understand which foods are best for you and your body. And remember, no one knows your body like you do, so listen to your symptoms.