Health Food Stores Respond to Questions About Food Allergies

by Cliff Smith

At health food stores today, customers are constantly complaining about food allergies with statements like, “I can’t eat this”, or “I can’t eat that.” Why do so many people, especially health food store shoppers, believe they have food allergies?

It’s funny, I’ve never heard anyone say,  “I’m allergic to coffee, cookies, cakes, popcorn, pizza or candy”, and yet these are things that people ingest regularly without a second thought. So, what’s up with all these customers at health food stores who say they have food allergies?

What are symptoms of food allergies?

Food allergies occur when the immune system overreacts to a protein molecule in the offending food. This can happen even with those who stick to a strict health food diet.  The body is unable to break down that particular protein molecule, so it reacts by trying to “get rid of it”.  It produces a chemical called 'histamine' and symptoms appear in the form of rashes, hives, itching, wheezing, breathing problems, and lots of mucus being expelled through the mouth, nose, ears, lungs, or sexual organs.  More serious reactions from food allergies are: vomiting, diarrhea, loss of consciousness, drop in blood pressure, or even death.

Are food allergies different from food intolerances?

Intolerance to certain foods is different than true food allergies, and this is a more common reality at most health food stores. With food intolerances like lactose intolerance, where a person has difficulty breaking down the sugar in the milk, the symptoms are much milder. One may have some bloating, excess gas, cramping or diarrhea. While food intolerance is unpleasant, it is not life threatening like food allergies can be in some severe cases.  The usual distresses are intolerances to wheat, soy, dairy and anything that health food store shoppers feel is too expensive.

What food am I allergic to?

The real question customers should ask at health food stores is not, “What food am I allergic to?” But rather, “Why is my immune system reacting to what should be healthy food?”

How to determine specific food allergies

1.    What is the trigger food?
2.    When am I eating the trigger food?
3.    Am I improperly combining fruits and vegetables or grains or meat and dairy?

The list can be quite exhaustive to hunt down the offending trigger food and how it is being consumed. In fact, most expert advice regarding food allergies suggests that you keep a diary of everything you eat, and when you find the trigger food-just avoid eating it.

Well, that sounds simple, but if you react to many things, including those that should be healthy food, it’s not so simple? Of course, you can eliminate the most common triggers to food allergies like: corn, wheat, eggs, dairy, and peanuts, but if that doesn’t work, then what?

The truth is, your immune system can overreact to many substances. The best way to address food allergies is to strengthen your immune system and get in balance with all the systems of the body.  Find specific health food to feed your 5 main systems equally: immune, endocrine, digestive, circulatory and respiratory systems.  You will have more success searching online health food stores rather than typical health food stores for these products.

When you feed all your body parts with healthy, whole foods, and eliminate the fake, processed foods in your life, your 5 systems can come into a perfectly natural balance. Then you can eat what you know you should be eating. It is better to strengthen the body’s systems with properly combined health food and ward off illness and disease the natural way.  When you consume the right nutrients, the body operates at optimum levels for a more relaxed, healthy life.  You have access to so much good stuff at health food stores and plenty of options for avoiding food allergies or intolerances that it’s a shame to limit your choices unnecessarily.

Author Cliff Smith is one of the owners of an online health food store specializing in properly combined, concentrated whole food formulas that nourish, cleanse and balance the body.  Many customers have overcome their food allergies and intolerances with health foods not sold in typical stores