If you did then consider yourself one of the few, but for the rest of us, particularly those who may have a wheat allergy – this article is for you.

The complete dummies guide to wheat allergy symptoms and how to treat it.

Here I give you the low down on what a wheat allergy is, how it occurs, what the symptoms are and what you can do to get some relief!

What is a wheat allergy?

A wheat allergy is created when your immune system begins to identify something found in wheat as harmful.

These harmful substances that are usually detected in wheat are albumin, globulin, gliadin and gluten – these are all different types of proteins found in wheat. You can be allergic to one or more of these proteins.

How it happens

When you have a wheat allergy, after you have ingested or come in contact with wheat, your immune system will automatically release weapons to destroy the food every time you ingest as it has mistaken it as dangerous.

Usually this is not a normal response, but in your case your immune system has become confused and has instead mistaken wheat for something dangerous like a bacteria or virus.

In order for your immune system to do the job properly and protect you against danger, it must now destroy the invader by releasing IgE antibodies.

When the antibodies come in contact with wheat, it signals certain cells to release chemicals like histamine in nearby tissues in an attempt to destroy the invader.

As a result of this attack and the release of chemicals, you will begin to experience a range of symptoms that lets you know that you have ingested, inhaled or come in contact with wheat.

What are the Symptoms

If you are allergic to wheat, a reaction can occur immediately or a few hours later after inhaling, ingesting or coming in contact with wheat.

Depending on where the chemicals are released determines what sort of reaction you may experience. For example if the chemicals are released in the skin, you will experience skin rashes like hives or atopic dermatitis.

Symptoms can vary each time and can change in severity. Any one or more of the following symptoms may arise:

• Hives (Urticaria) – A rash that is characterised by circular welts on the skin that are usually itchy and occur most commonly on the legs, arms and trunk.
• Anaphylaxis – A life threatening reaction consisting of swelling of the mouth and throat followed by chest tightness, difficulty breathing and dizziness/fainting.
• Atopic Dermatitis
• Stomach cramping
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Difficulty breathing
• Nasal congestion
• Itchy eyes
• Itchy mouth and throat

Who is more prone to a wheat allergy?

A wheat allergy was found to be relatively rare amongst adults but is now increasing. Occupational inhalation of wheat flour in bakeries, the increased prevalence of wheat flour in a wider variety of foods and the overall increase of food allergies in general may be contributing factors to this growth.

Wheat allergy is still however much more common amongst children.

Wheat allergy is commonly found in infants when wheat is first introduced into their diet, as their immune systems aren’t fully developed.

Wheat allergy will commonly occur in infants who already have other existing food allergies and have parents with a history of food allergies.

Often a wheat allergy in a child is out grown between 4-12 years of age once their immune systems have fully developed. Unfortunately this may not always be in the case especially if there is a long family history of food allergy.

Do you think you may have a wheat allergy? Get Tested

If you are regularly suffering with one or more of the following symptoms that have been discussed after the ingestion or contact with wheat, it may be a good idea to get tested and receive an accurate diagnosis.

Skin Prick Test

Skin prick test is commonly the first test used by Doctors to determine an allergy. This type of test can be taken out on babies, children and adults.

The test is usually taken out on the inner forearm or back. It involves introducing a small amount of the allergens in question underneath the skin by first placing a drop of the allergen on top of the skin and then pricking the skin with a lancet.

This can feel uncomfortable but should not feel painful. If there is a positive reaction to the allergen, the skin will become itchy followed by a red swollen wheal after 15-20 minutes.

It does not represent the severity of the allergy, but just the presence of IgE antibodies to that particular allergen which are creating your symptoms.

NAET (Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Technique)

If you do not like the thought of the skin prick test, you may want to look into NAET which uses a non invasive, pain free test called muscle testing.

To learn more about NAET please click here.

How to treat your wheat allergy

If you have been diagnosed with a positive wheat allergy, the most important step you will need to make is to avoid all wheat derived foods.

Wheat can be hidden in almost anything including places you least expect like soups and sauces – wheat flour is commonly used as a thickener.

Looking out for foods that say gluten free (even though you may not be allergic to this type of protein in wheat) will guarantee there is absolutely no wheat used in their ingredients.

Wheat Free Grains

Gluten intolerance and wheat sensitivity are completely different to wheat allergy, so it’s important that you educate yourself on these two. This information will be coming soon.

Please post below and share your experiences and stories on wheat allergies!

References

1. Battais F, Richard C, Jacquenet S, Denergy-Papini S & Moneret-Vautrin DA. Wheat grain allergies: an update on wheat allergens. Eur Ann Allergy Clin Ummunol, 2008, Nov; 40(3):67-76

2. Niggemann B, Reibel S & Wahn U. The atopy patch test – a useful tool for the diagnosis of food allergy in children with atopic dermatitis. Blackwell Publishing 2000, Allergy, Volume 55, Number 3, pp. 2810285(5)

3. Keet CA, Matsui EC, Dhillon G, Lenehan P, Paterakis M, Wood RA. The natural history of wheat allergy. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunology, 2009, May;102(5):410-5.

4. Denise A. Moneret-Vautrin & Martine Morisset. Adult food allergy. Current Allergy and Asthma Reports, 2005, Volume 5, Number 1, pp. 80-85.

Related posts:

1. Common Animal Allergy Symptoms
2. Common Food Allergy Symptoms
3. Treat Allergies Yourself

Yes that’s right, you have just heard a Naturopath confess their ice cream addiction.

Why I Decided To Quit Ice Cream

For several years I had a very strict diet of a gluten free and dairy free diet and this I found easy because if I had one scoop of ice cream I would feel incredibly bloated and sick for hours on end.

But since then I had succesfully healed myself of my dairy sensitivity, so now when I eat ice cream I don’t get that previous sick feeling to indicate that I’ve eaten something wrong.

Now some of you may think this is absolutely amazing being able to eat dairy foods like ice cream again, but the reality is it isn’t! It makes it very hard to say no.

Ice cream isn’t good for me just because I’m not allergic to it – it is very high in refined sugar and fat, contains pretty much no nutritional value at all and has a lovely concotion of artificial flavourings and colourings.

As a result I have noticed I am breaking out in pimples on my forehead and my jaw line (usually an indication of what I’m eating is having a negative effect on my hormones) which is a direct result of my over consumption of sugar/dairy that I never used to have.

For the record I never had acne when i was a teenager and I’ve never had this many pimples until now and I am 24 and it’s definitely not something I want to continue.

So for this reason I have decided to give raw ice cream a shot because we all know that replacing something that you can’t have with a substitute is far easier than going cold turkey!

And in this case, raw ice cream is perfect as it doesn’t use cane sugar, it’s really good for you and it is dairy free (for those that have milk allergies).

If you have a milk allergy or are lactose intolerant, you can happily indulge in raw ice cream – without feeling sick afterwards and the best part of eating raw ice cream is that you can feel completely guilt free because all of the ingredients are super good for you.

My First Attempt at Raw Ice Cream

I was inspired to make my own ice cream when I came across a recipe from the Food Matters Detox and Rejuvenatation Guide that contains all sorts of recipes on raw food.

When I came across this recipe I had a light bulb moment – I can still eat ice cream while it benefits my body at the same time. Perfect I thought.

Raw Ice Cream Recipe

This recipe can be found in the Food Matters Detox and Rejuvenation Guide along with many other raw food recipes, a 3-10 day detox program and loads of information on the health benefits of a variety of super foods.

Berry Ice Cream with Raw Chocolate Sauce (serves 4)

• 3 frozen bananas
• 1.5 cups of frozen mixed berries
• 1 vanilla pod or 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoon of agave nectar

Sauce

• ½ cup hazelnuts
• 2 tablespoon raw cacao powder
• 1 tablespoon agave
• 2 tablespoons of tahini (the hulled version has a lot more nutrients)
• Pinch of sea salt
• 2 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil
• 1 cup of warm water
• ½ cup ice

Instructions

• Step 1. Peel the bananas and put them in zip lock bags and freeze them over night
• Step 2. Put the frozen bananas, berries, agave nectar and vanilla essence into a high speed blender (make sure your blender is able to mix up frozen fruit or you may be there for a while).
• Step 3. Remove the ice cream and put into a container. If the ice cream is a little too soft for your liking you can put it back into the freezer and serve it later.
• Step 4. For the sauce, mix the ingredients except for the ice in a high speed blender, once you have reached a creamy consistency you can then add the ice.
• Step 5. Serve the ice cream and pour the sauce on top!
• Step 6. Eat until your stomach is content

The Result

As it was my first attempt of making raw ice cream I can say that it definitely didn’t turn out as perfect as store bought raw ice cream!

The main problem I had with making this ice cream was purely the fact that the blades in my Breville blender were a little too small, so they had a very hard time getting through the frozen banana and mixed berries.

So I had to wait very patiently for it to defrost before the ingredients were soft enough to blend together.

Because of this problem, the consistency didn’t turn out as well as I had anticipated, and especially not like the picture in the e-book. I’ve posted the picture of my very sad attempt to make raw ice cream – but please don’t laugh.

After my failed attempt of making raw ice cream I have come to the conclusion that the best way to make ice cream is definitely in an ice cream maker – which I plan on purchasing.

That way i’m saving a lot more time on making the ice cream and instead spending more time eating the ice cream – yes I know i’m full of great ideas.

Now my problem is finding the perfect ice cream maker. If you have any suggestions or any other raw ice cream recipes please feel free to post!

More Raw Food Recipes

If you’d like to find more recipes like this one, you can visit the Food Matters website and check out their Detox and Rejuvenation Guide here. It can be found under the health resources tab and then under detox and weight loss section.

Related posts:

1. Lactose Intolerance: How To Avoid Dairy Without Avoiding The Taste

Genetic predisposition greatly increases your baby’s chance to atopic diseases such as atopic dermatitis (eczema), bronchitis, allergic rhinitis, asthma and food allergies.

If one parent has a past history of allergies, the possibility of your child also experiencing allergies is increased by two fold, and four fold if both parents have a history of allergies.

Is There Anything I Can Do About It?

Nobody wants to see their child suffer with bouts of eczema or breathing problems – it’s heartbreaking and can prove to be a very terrifying time.

Fortunately there has been quite a lot of research into finding preventative measures that reduce the possibility and severity of allergies in allergy prone children, and luckily several of these strategies are proving to be very effective.

Breastfeeding Prevents Development of Allergies

There have been several studies that confirm that breastfeeding for four to six months successfully prevents the early development of allergic diseases including asthma, atopic dermatitis, food allergy symptoms and allergic rhinitis up to 2 years of age.

Breastfeeding by far reduces allergic potential in babies in comparison to the use of formulas based on cow’s milk or soy protein that increases the chance of eczema and wheezing.

Unfortunately just simply breast feeding your child may not be the be all and end all to preventing your infant’s allergies later in life. In some studies, certain mothers who breast fed increased the chance of asthma in their child as opposed to non breast feeding mothers.

Allergies can be created from breast milk because your baby can become sensitised to foods that you are ingesting which are transferring through your breast milk, initiating allergies in your baby.

Avoiding Dietary Allergens in Breastfeeding Mothers

Research has confirmed that by reducing dietary intake of common food allergens whilst breastfeeding, increases the protective effects of breast milk against atopic disease remarkably.

Before breastfeeding, determining what foods you are allergic to through an allergy test is beneficial. This will make it much clearer to you, the foods that must be eliminated from your diet whilst breastfeeding up to 12 months so that you can reduce your baby’s allergy potential even further.

If you are not allergic to foods and it is your partner’s side that has the family history of atopic disease, then reducing dietary intake of the main dietary allergens may be suitable.

Cow’s milk in particular is a common dietary allergen that has been linked to the production of colic in infants. It is also a common trigger alongside egg ingestion in the development of eczema in infants during breastfeeding.

Soy, peanuts and wheat are also food allergens that are common in atopic disease in infants.

Probiotics in Breastfeeding Mothers and Infants Prevents Allergic Disease

Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria found in your digestive system that greatly influences the function of your immune system.

In allergic individuals, the amount of beneficial bacteria present in the digestive system is found to be lower in comparison to non allergic individuals.

This environment can greatly influence the correct functioning of the immune system, leading to more allergic tendencies.

Mothers with a family history of allergies who choose to supplement with a probiotic during pregnancy and breastfeeding have shown to reduce the incidence of atopic disease such as eczema in their child.

The protective effects of the probiotics have also demonstrated to prevent allergies beyond 5 years of age.

Choosing a Probiotic

Probiotics are usually kept in the fridge at your health food store. The species of bacteria that have shown to enhance immunity and reduce the prevalence of allergies are as follows;

• Lactobacillus Acidophilus
• Bifidobacterium lactis
• Lactobacillus rhamnosus

The benefits of starting supplementation during the third trimester, will enable the gut and vaginal flora in the mother to be influenced to a more positive and beneficial environment.

By doing so, as the baby is born, their digestive systems are inhabited with more beneficial bacteria than bad bacteria from the mother. This supplies the baby with the best possible start to a healthy immune system and better prevention of allergic disease.

Early Introduction to Solid Foods Increases Allergies in Infants

• Introduce foods from 6 months onwards – When introducing foods, introduce only one food at a time and in small amounts. Look out for any symptoms that could suspect a food allergy by waiting several days before introducing a different food. Symptoms you should look out for are; bloating, gas, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, refusal of food, colic or a rash.
• Introduce cow’s milk 12 months onwards – The casein found in cow’s milk is commonly linked to allergies in susceptible babies. Introducing yoghurt and cheeses don’t seem to cause such allergic reactions if introduced before 12 months old.
• Introduce eggs 12-24 months onwards – The white part of the egg is usually what triggers a food allergy in babies as it contains a variety of proteins that commonly trigger an immune reaction.
• Introduce peanuts, tree nuts, fish and seafood 36 months onwards

Low Levels of Essential Fatty Acids Can Initiate Allergies

Essential fatty acids also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids must be provided through the diet as the body is unable to manufacture it – thus their name ‘essential’ fatty acids.

These essential fatty acids are Omega 3 (linolenic acid) and Omega 6 (linoleic acid) of which EPA and DHA are found in Omega 3 and Arachidonic Acid and GLA (Gamma-linoleic-acid) are converted from Omega 6.

Unfortunately many people have an imbalance of essential fatty acids in their diet; with too much Arachidonic acid and not enough Omega 3 and GLA.

Arachidonic acid is commonly found abundantly in Western diets due to the excessive intake of animal products. In excess, this fatty acid favours inflammation and the production of IgE antibodies that creates a hypersensitive immune system and anaphylactic allergies, where as Omega 3 and GLA reduce inflammation.

Eating a balanced diet that contains Omega 3, Omega 6 and not too much Arachidonic acid (still very important for your babies growth, but not in excess) is vital not only for your babies immune system but also for brain and eye development.

Mothers are the sole source of essential fatty acids to their babies, if mothers are deficient in these essential fatty acids during pregnancy and breastfeeding, atopic diseases such as eczema and asthma will be more likely to occur.

If you would like to find out more accurate information on food sources of essential fatty acids, you can visit this website that discusses abundant sources as well as the benefits of fatty acids. Please visit Linus Pauling Institute – Essential Fatty Acids .

There Is Hope

By putting in place any of the guide lines that have been mentioned, it can give you peace of mind that you have contributed the best you can to reducing the likelihood of infant allergy in your baby.

If you have had any experience with preventing an infant allergy in your new born baby with any of the above treatment strategies or even others that have not been mentioned.

Please post below to share your story so that other expecting mothers can also benefit from your experience.

References

1. Furuhjelm C, Warstedt K, Larsson KJ, Fredriksson M, Bottcher MF, Faith-Mangusson K, et al. Fish oil supplementation in pregnancy and lactation may decrease the rick of infant allergy. Acta Paediatr 2009 Sep; 98(9): 1461 – 1467

2. Kull, I., Wickman, M., Lilja, G, Nordvall, S L., Pershagen, G. Breast feeding and allergic diseases in infants – a prospective birth cohort study. Arch Dis Child 2002; Volume 87, Issue 6; Pages 478-481

3.Gerrard, J W. Allergies in breastfed babies to foods ingested by the mother. Clinical Reviews in Allergy and Immunology 1984; Volume 2, Pages 143-149.

4. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1985;291:932-935 (5 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.291.6500.932

5. Cant A., Marsden, R A & Kilshaw P J. Egg and cows’ milk hypersensitivity in exclusively breast fed infants with eczema, and detection of egg protein in breast milk. Br Med J (Clin Red Ed) 1985, Volume 291, Pages 932-935

6. Kallimokai M., Slaminen S., Poussa, T., Arvilommi H & Isolauri, E. Probiotics and prevention of atopic disease: 4 year follow up of a randomised placebo controlled trial. 2003, Volume 361, Issue 9372; Pages 1869- 1871

7. Kankaanpaa, P., Suta, Y., Salminen S., Licbtenstein, A & Isolauri, E. Dietary Fatty Acid and Allergy, 1999, Vol. 31, No. 4, Pages 282-287

No related posts.

Continuous itching can breakdown the barrier of your skin, making you more prone to infections. Babies and young children are especially prone to infections as their immune systems aren’t fully developed.

Atopic Dermatitis most commonly occurs on the face, arms and legs in babies and young children whilst teenagers and adults tend to have it behind their knees and elbows. The skin condition usually shows its first appearance in children under the age of two, which then can lead to asthma, allergic rhinitis and food allergies later on in life.

Though Atopic Dermatitis is a genetic disorder, there are still many other factors that contribute to its development – and it’s these factors that you can influence to relieve and reduce your severity of eczema.

First Repair And Protect The Skin

To immediately prevent Atopic Dermatitis from worsening, an emollient must be used to inhibit the itch-scratch cycle so that the progression of the skin rash can be impeded.

Emollients also work to hydrate the skin preventing further water loss from occurring, as well as repair the impaired skin barrier function reducing the likelihood of infection.

Opting for emollients that use 100% natural ingredients over chemical based creams are ideal as synthetic chemicals can act as an irritant and create a worsening of the rash.

Emollients can and often clear up the rash remarkably if you use one that contains ingredients to get the job done properly. I have seen astounding results on many individuals with Atopic Dermatitis who have used these two emollients.

They are both a completely natural alternative to steroid and chemical based creams providing a safe and effective alternative.

Xma Therapy Cream

This cream has a combination of 15 different natural ingredients. These ingredients aim at hydrating the skin, restoring the damage that has occurred through scratching and protect it from any irritants or bacteria/viruses.

It reduces inflammation and redness with aloe vera and chamomile, hydrates the skin with a variety of nut, seed and plant oils whilst increasing collagen repair of the skin surface with vitamin C and A.

The company also supplies you with a 90 day satisfaction guarantee – so if you use it and do not see any improvement within this time period then you are entitled to a refund. I think this is a great bonus especially if you have spent a lot of money on emollients before.

To learn more information about this cream and read their testimonials, you can visit their website here.

Moogoo Eczema and Psoriasis Balm

This cream is wonderful for Atopic Dermatitis, Psoriasis as well as any sort of fungal or yeast based skin condition. It is designed to reduce the irritation by hydrating and keeping the skin well moisturised through ingredients like chamomile, sage oil, olive oil and squalene.

Find out more information by checking out their website here – you’ll be entertained by all of their adorable pictures of cows.

Food Triggers

Food allergens are constantly being demonstrated in many studies to induce eczema skin rashes.

In a controlled food challenge study, 40% of children with moderate to severe Atopic Dermatitis had their rash worsened by food allergens by producing skin inflammation.

The most common food triggers linked to Atopic Dermatitis are; eggs, milk, wheat, soy and peanuts. Reducing sugar including glucose, lactose and maltose have also been markedly linked with a dramatic improvement in Atopic Dermatitis.

Taking your child or yourself for food allergy testing will determine exactly what foods are causing the Atopic Dermatitis. By eliminating the food culprits, the skin rash usually tends to subside significantly.

Feed Your Gut with Good Bacteria

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that live in your digestive system and contribute positively to your well being and the regulation of your immune system. About 70% of your immune system is found in the gut associated lymphatic tissue (GALT) surrounding your digestive system, where the regulation of immune responses take place.

Beneficial bacteria are essential to modulate immune responses which in turn regulate allergic reactions.
Many controlled trials have demonstrated that taking a probiotic (good bacteria) supplement can greatly improve the extent and severity of Atopic Dermatitis.

Studies have demonstrated that children with atopic dermatitis have less beneficial bacteria in their digestive systems as opposed to children with allergies.

Supplementation of lactobacilli bacteria can modulate the immune system and inhibit the development of Atopic Dermatitis in genetically predisposed children. Existing Atopic Dermatitis has also been successfully reduced through the use of probiotics.

Eat Your Good Fats

If your body is deficient in good fats in particular the GLA (Gamma Linolenic Acid) converted from Omega 6 (Linoleic Acid) then your skin will become more prone to water loss as well as dry scaly skin.

Fats make up a vital part of the skin barrier, so if the structure of this skin barrier is altered through a deficiency then your skin will become more permeable to bacteria/viruses and outside allergens.

In studies connecting the link between this deficiency and Atopic Dermatitis, it has been detected that not only may there be a lack of Omega 6, but there also could be a dysfunction in the way your body converts Linoleic Acid to Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA).

A reduced activity in the conversion rate of Linoleic acid to Gamma Linolenic acid has been detected in Atopic Dermatitis individuals.

Supplementing with direct sources like Evening Primrose oil, Borage Oil and Blackcurrant Oil can be beneficial in Atopic Dermatitis by providing the GLA needed for proper skin barrier function.

Controlling Your Eczema Is Possible

Chemical based creams do not have to be the only answer to relieving your eczema. There are many other alternative routes that you can take that are much safer and will support your body to heal your skin.

I hope that the several connections to the causes of eczema that I have covered has opened up your horizons and given you further insights to treating this frustrating skin condition.

References

1. Y.M, D., Boguniewicz, M., Howell, M.D., Nomura, I., Qutayba, A.H. New Sights into Atopic Dermatitis, J. Clin. Invest. 2004; 113(5):651

2. Sampson, H., McCaskill, C. Food hypersensitivity and atopic dermatitis: Evaluation of 113 patients. The Journal of Pediatrics, Volume 107, Issue 5, Pages 669-675

3. Kalliomaki, M., Salminen, S., Arvilommi, H., et al. Probiotics in primary prevention of atopic disease: a randomised placebo-controlled trial
The Lancet, Volume 357, Issue 9262, Pages 1076-1079

4. Isolauri, E., et al. Probiotics in the management of atopic eczema. Clinical and Experimental Allergy, 2000, Volume 30, Pages 1604-1610

5. Schäfer, L and Kragballe, K. Supplementation with evening primrose oil in atopic dermatitis: Effect on fatty acids in neutrophils and epidermis. Lipids, 1991, Volume 26, Pages 557-560.

Related posts:

1. Preventing Allergies in Babies
2. Top Five Natural Allergy Treatments Youve Never Heard Of
3. Wheat Allergy Symptoms – A Dummies Guide to Wheat Allergy and How to Treat It

Food sensitivities and allergies are often early indicators of leaky gut syndrome, long before other more serious diseases may occur if the intestinal permeability continues to exist.

What Is Leaky Gut Syndrome?

Leaky Gut Syndrome is exactly how it sounds – partially undigested food and other fragments from your digestive system are passing what is supposed to be an impermeable intestinal lining, entering straight into your blood stream.

Ideally, only adequately digested food molecules that benefit your body should pass through the intestinal lining into your blood stream. The intestinal lining acts like a barrier to bacteria, endotoxins and undigested food matter blocking them from entering. These are then eliminated naturally when you go to the toilet – well that is what is supposed to happen.

But, if you have leaky gut syndrome, the garbage that should have been eliminated like large undigested food molecules and harmful bacteria, are instead absorbed through the intestinal lining since the holes are now big enough for them to fit.

In turn, this produces a massive burdern on your immune system and liver.

It’s Relation To Food Sensitivities

If you were your immune system and you saw weird looking molecules floating around in your blood stream that you had never seen before, what would you do?

Do you think attacking and destroying it before it could harm you would be a good idea? Well your immune system sure does think so – and that is exactly what it does.

Destroying bacteria and viruses are great but if your immune system identifies your food and attacks it like a harmful invader then a food sensitivity will be created.

As a result, your immune system initiates an attack every time it sees that same food molecule – and it’s got a pretty good memory.

Certain weapons are released to destroy it, and as a result inflammation occurs which creates the terrible symptoms of a food sensitivity such as bloating, stomach cramping, itchy skin, or joint pain.

What Causes Leaky Gut Syndrome?

Leaky Gut Syndrome occurs overtime from long term irritation to the lining of the intestinal wall. This irritation causes inflammation and ultimately tears the thin lining of the intestine creating the leaking of substances from the gut into the blood stream.

• Alcohol - Creates cellular damage in the intestinal wall when absorbed causing porous holes to form
• NSAIDS (Non Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs) – Cause gastrointestinal damage in the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract
• Overuse of antibiotics reduce the protective good bacteria (probiotics)
• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth

How To Heal Leaky Gut Syndrome

You can heal the damage created to your digestive system but not without hard work and persistance.

Step 1. Improve Digestion

As discussed in Part Three of “Food Sensitivity – What Causes It And How You Can Fix It,” addressing poor digestion (if present) is the primary step you need to take, to ensure you are digesting your food into small molecules. If this is not addressed first, your intestinal lining will take a lot longer to heal because the large undigested molecules will continuously create inflammation that maintains your leaky gut.

Step 2. Eliminate Foods You Are Sensitive To

Inititally eliminating foods you are sensitive, allergic or intolerant to are absolutely necessary to allow your leaky gut to heal. Yes this can be very hard work, but bare in mind this is only temporary.

Avoiding these foods over time will eliminate the IgG antibodies in your blood stream that have been produced by your immune system against these foods, thus inhibiting the reaction usually experienced when the allergic food is eaten.

Soon you will be able to tolerate a lot of these foods much better when re-introduced into your diet at a later date when your intestinal tract has healed.

Opting for a healthy balanced diet and eliminating the following will ensure a faster recovery

• Refined Sugar - Soft drinks, lollies, biscuits, sauce, white bread, fast food.
  Sugar can hide absolutely everywhere. Once you start looking for it in your ingredient labels you will shocked at how much sugar you could be consuming on a daily basis.
• Alcohol - This is a major irritant to the intestinal lining. When alcohol is consumed in leaky gut syndrome, the absorption rate is even greater straining your liver even further. Leaky Gut Syndrome and alcoholism is a good combination for chronic liver disease.
• Caffeine - Coffee, soft drinks, energy drinks, black tea. Try to substitute with herbal teas. Roasted dandelion is often used as a replacement for coffee. Not only that but it’s also a great digestive and liver detoxifier.

Realistically, you won’t be able to avoid all of these foods every day. But if you can cut them down so that you are only having them once a week instead of everyday then you will be on your way to a faster recovery.

Step 3. Use Natural Medicine To Heal Your Gut

Probiotics

Probiotics literally meaning for life, are beneficial bacteria found in your digestive system that exert a positive effect on your health. Such good bacteria that are commonly found are Lactobaccillus Acidophilus, and Bifidobacterium.

They inhibit the growth of bad bacteria which can contribute to intestinal permeability. They also assist with lactose digestion by producing the enzyme lactase necessary for it’s breakdown.

Probiotics most importantly control chemicals that induce inflammation of the intestinal lining, preventing intestinal permeability whilst inhibiting food allergy reactions in the gut.

Directions - Take 1 capsule 20 minutes before breakfast on an empty stomach, and 1 capsule before bed 2 hours after meals.

Glutamine

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid found in your digestive system, and the necessary fuel for the cells of your intestinal lining.

In many studies, glutamine has shown to stablize gut barrier function reducing the permeability of the intestinal tract that leads to increased allergy susceptibility.

Directions – Glutamine is best taken in a powder as it is more easily absorbed and at a higher therapeutic dose than most tablets or capsules. Placing 1 teaspoon in room temperature water on rising and before bed.

Slippery Elm

This herb has long been used in a number of digestive system problems including ulcers, IBS, heart burn, diarrhoea, constipation and abdominal pain. It’s a mucilaginous herb that acts to soothe and coat the digestive tract, reduce inflammation and enhance the secretions of mucous to protect the intestinal lining.

It is wonderul at repairing the impermeability of the intestinal tract, whilst also preventing further damage from occuring.

Directions - Place 1 – 2 heaped teaspoons in boiling water last thing at night.

*If you are on any medication, please talk to your Doctor before taking any of these natural supplements.

Though there are many other nutrients that are beneficial for healing Leaky Gut Syndrome, the three that have been mentioned seem to have the longest track record for benefiting intestinal permeability.

Your Road To Health

If you have read my four part series on “Food Sensitivity – What Causes It And How You can Fix It,” I hope that you feel empowered and better educated about the causes and actions necessary for self healing.

Treating food sensitivities and preventing further ones from developing can be a daunting task even after reading this information. So contacting a health professional that specialises in allergies and sensitivities will be able to supply you with a personalised treatment strategy to help you achieve the desired results.

Good luck on your journey to better health – and to eating anything you want without having a reaction!

References

1. Bjarnason, I., So, A., Jonatha, A, L., Peters, T., et al. Intestinal permeability and inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis: Effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The Lancet,1984; Volume 324, Issue 8413, Pages 1171 – 1174.

2. Pearson, A. D., Eastham, E, J., Laker, M. F., Craft, A. W and Nelson, R. Intestinal permeability in children with Crohn’s disease and celiac disease. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1982; Volume 285, Pages 20-21

3. Bjarnason, I., Ward, K & Peters, T. The Leaky Gut of alcoholism: Possible route of entry for toxic compounds. The Lancet, Volume 323, Issue 8370, Pages 179-182

4. Isolauri, E., Majamaa, H., Arvola, T., Rantala I., Virtanen, E., & Arvilommi, H. Lactobacillus casei strain GG reverses increased intestinal permeability induced by cow milk in suckling rats. Gastroenterology, 1993; Volume 105, Pages 1643-1650.

5. R.R.W.J. van der Hulst., M.F. von Meyenfeldt., N.E.P. Deutz., et al. Glutamine and the preservation of gut integrity. 1993, The Lancet, Volume 341, Issue 8857, Pages 1363-1365

6. A. Keshavarzian., E. W. Holmes, et al. Leaky gut in alcoholic cirrhosis: a possible mechanism for alcohol-induced liver damage. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 1998; Volume 94 Issue 1, Pages 200-207

7. V. Rosenfeldt, E. Benfeldt, N. Valerius, A. Pærregaard & K. Michaelsen. Effect of probiotics on gastrointestinal symptoms and small intestinal permeability in children with atopic dermatitis. The Journal of Pediatrics, 2004; Volume 145, Issue 5, Pages 612-616

8. Carratu, R., Secondulfo, M., Magistris, L., et al. Altered Intestinal Permeability to Mannitol in Diabetes Mellitus Type 1. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition, 1999; Volume 28 Issue 3, Pages 264-269

Related posts:

1. Food Sensitivity – What Causes It And How You Can Fix It Part One
2. Food Sensitivity – What Causes It And How You Can Fix It Part Two
3. Food Sensitivity – What Causes It And How You Can Fix It Part Three

Undigested Food Creates Abnormal Immune Responses

Your immune system identifies partially undigested food in your blood stream as harmful. In response, IgG antibodies are released which then attach to the food and tag it as harmful. This tagging initiates an immune reaction. An IgG reaction is not immediate nor is it severe like IgE antibodies, therefore symptoms can occur anywhere from 2 hours to 3 days after the food is eaten. This can make it very hard for you to detect what foods you are sensitive to.

If you continue to eat the foods your immune system has identified as harmful there will be a large build up of IgG antibodies in your bloodstream indicating a long term sensitivity, and a greater reaction to the food. As a result your symptoms will become worse and worse.

If you have poor digestion and it is not addressed and treated successfully, you may become prone to more food sensitivities and a wider range of symptoms that you previously didn’t have.

Reduce Your Allergic Potential by Strengthening Your Digestion

If you regularly experience the symptoms of poor digestion listed in Part Two of these articles, then I strongly suggest you follow the steps below to finally improve your digestion.

Hilde Hemmes Swedish Bitters

Swedish bitters is a herbal tincture that is mixed in water, taken half an hour before meals to stimulate stomach acid secretion and bile flow necessary for adequate digestion. In doing so, it will relieve indigestion such as heart burn, bloating, flatulence and abdominal discomfort.

The herbal formula also contains herbs senna and rhubarb which have laxative properties, therefore relieving constipation and maintaining regular bowel movements. Because laxatives should not be taken long term (9-12 months) as they can become addictive causing your bowel to become lazy, I would suggest taking a break every 1-2 months to reassess the adequacy of your digestion without the help of the Swedish bitters.

Depending on the state of your digestion, usually poor digestion can be rectified anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months with Swedish bitters. As long as the correct nutrients are also supplied through a healthy diet or supplementation needed for proper production of stomach acid and digestive enzymes.

*Contraindication: Pregnancy, breastfeeding, ulcers

Digestive Enzymes

Digestive enzymes are an alternative to Swedish bitters if you really can’t stand the taste of the herbal formula. Instead of stimulating your bodies own secretion of stomach acid and digestive enzymes, instead it supplies you with the enzymes needed to break down your food. Look for one that contains enzymes to digest a wide range of foods these include;

• Trilactase – Digests lactose found in dairy products
• Lipase – Digests fat
• Protease – Digests protein
• Amylase – Digests carbohydrates

Digestive enzymes can be used for quite some time without being habit forming. As it enables you to break down your food, the absorption of the nutrients in your food will be optimized which will assist with your bodies own production of stomach acid and enzymes.

Eat Raw Vegetables

Raw vegetables are filled with naturally occurring enzymes that help your digestive system to break it down, reducing the need for your body to produce it’s own enzymes. As soon as you cook your food whether it’s through steaming, roasting, or microwaving you will reduce their vitamin and mineral content by half.

By eating a raw salad everyday, you are taking the burden off your digestive system and supplying your body with a multitude of nutrients needed for optimum health and the production of your digestive enzymes.

Initially, if your digestion is quite bad then you might find that salads will still make you feel bloated. By taking your Swedish bitters or digestive enzymes when you’re eating the salad, will greatly minimise those symptoms. If you persist you will notice you won’t need the extra help as your digestion re corrects itself.

Stop Eating Rubbish

Reducing your overconsumption of junk food; lollies, cakes, ice-cream, soft drinks, biscuits, white bread, chocolate and alcohol will also be a huge benefit not only to your digestive system but to your overall health. All of these foods are empty calories with absolutely no nutrition what so ever. These sugary processed foods greatly compromise your immune system creating erratic behaviour to over react to harmless substances.

If you need convincing to eat your vegetables and to cut out your junk food, you should have a look at the new DVD ‘Food Matters’ – trust me you will be very motivated once you watch this film! You can also check out my review on this documentary here.

Eat Smaller Meals But Regularly

Instead of eating three large meals throughout the day, try and eat five small meals every two to three hours. Large meals take a lot longer to digest, and it can leave your stomach feeling really heavy and bloated. You may even feel tired, as your body uses it’s energy to digest the big meal.

Small meals throughout the day also maintain your energy levels, blood sugar levels, metabolism and appetite. You will also be less inclined to eat those sugary processed snacks in between meals as you will constantly feel satisfied.

Don’t Eat While You Are Stressed

Eating while you are stressed greatly slows down your digestion by diverting all of the energy from your digestive system to your extremities. Avoid eating in front of the computer or the television, instead eat at the dinner table where you can relax and enjoy your meal. Focus on really chewing each mouth full to trigger the digestive enzymes released in your digestive system in preparation for further digestion.

Next Step To Healing Your Digestive System

I hope that you start utilizing these steps into your daily routine as soon as possible. The faster you begin these steps to correct your digestion, the faster you can reduce your allergy potential.

In Part Four I will look into the importance of an elimination diet to reverse your food sensitivities and how you can heal the lining of your digestive system to recorrect your hypersensitive immune system.

Stay tuned.

Related posts:

1. Food Sensitivity – What Causes It And How You Can Fix It Part Two
2. Food Sensitivity – What Causes It And How You Can Fix It Part One
3. Food Sensitivity – What Causes It And How You Can Fix It Part Four

But is it really possible to prevent all your ailments, allergies, cramps and cancers with the edible contents of your fridge and pantry? Can we finally say goodbye to a life of prescriptions and surgery once and for all? Or is this just another misguided and misinformed, controversy for controversy’s sake documentary?

Food Matters In A Nut Shell

In the documentary, doctors, nutritionists and natural health experts discuss the change for the worse in our health industry over many, many years.

Long before the pharmaceutical industry were a trillion dollar worldwide corporation, Hippocrates the father of medicine in 400BC laid down the foundations for modern medicine with a very different perspective. He had the understanding that the human body has an innate capacity for self healing, and believed we should ‘let thy food be thy medicine.’

Unfortunately today our health systems have turned away from these philosophies to a more chemical approach, by prescribing ‘a pill for every ill’ without addressing the cause of disease or supporting the body to heal.

As you continue throughout the film, the message begins to become clearer – has modern medicine gone completely down the wrong track? Why is it that terminal diseases like cancer are still increasing even with the amount of funding and donations consistently contributed to finding a cure? Was Hippocrates onto something, can healthy eating really help us get rid of disease?

According to the many experts interviewed on the Food Matters, the resounding answer to this question is a big yes and it has been proven time and time again! But how come it isn’t all over the news and in newspapers, and why aren’t our doctors recommending it ?

These concerns are addressed in the film and with a rather disturbing reality – “Good health makes a lot of sense, but it doesn’t make a lot of dollars,” Andrew Saul Ph.D, Therapeutic Nutrition Specialist and Author.

Are We Killing Ourselves?

The film discusses that our western diet primarily made up of processed, sugary, fatty, nutritionally depleted and chemically laden foods are the main cause to our disease states. Charlotte Gerson explains that we are both toxic and deficient in vital nutrients because of the quality of food we are eating, and it is no wonder our health is failing us.

Food matters echoes continuously throughout this film that there is only one way out of this mess we have created for ourselves and that is to take control of our health by changing our diet, detoxifying the poisons from our body and feeding our body the nutrients that it is so heavily depleted in.

What Food Matters Is Lacking…

There are so many benefits behind eating an organic, raw food diet and regular cleansing but do you know exactly how to achieve all of this after watching the film? Unfortunately no.

Food Matters fail to give examples of a raw food diet, or step by step instructions of a detoxification program that you can implement straight away which leaves you feeling a little disapointed and lost. If you are a newbie to detoxing and very clean eating, then you will most likely finish watching the film wondering where exactly do I begin?

Fortunately Food Matters didn’t completely let us down. I went onto their website and discovered their Detox and Rejuvenation Guide eBook which includes a 3-10 day detox program, information on raw living foods and superfoods, a 7 day meal plan as well as the recipes to prepare these meals. This eBook can be found towards the bottom of the page under “Detox & Rejuvenation Guide.”

A great bonus to these nutritious recipes are that they do not contain any common allergy causing foods, so you can prepare these meals with ease knowing you won’t react to them!

Since it’s the beginning of a new year and after the festive season I am definitely due for a detox. I am going to give their detoxification program a go and I will post the results.

Are You Serious About Your Health?

Food matters will open up your eyes to the truth behind the lies and deceit that we are fed by the medical and health establishments throughout the media. It will leave you feeling inspired and empowered – armed with the knowledge on the importance of a healthy diet, vitamins and detoxification that have also been scientifically proven to successfully treat chronic illnesses and terminal disease.

It is an absolutely inspirational film that will change the way you look at food forever! Stop being apart of the ever expanding sick industry and become educated about your health today.

There is no one who is better and more qualified at looking after your body than yourself – so start today by taking responsibility of your health and watch this documentary. You won’t be disappointed!

Start living sick free (and allergy free) today.

No related posts.

A variety of these natural treatments can be used to relieve a wide range of acute allergy symptoms whether it is hay fever, sinus congestion, itchy eyes, hives or an acute onset of eczema. They can be used in conjunction with one another if you are suffering from more than one allergy symptom.

1. Neti Pot

This is a great natural relief product that involves washing out your nasal passages with a salt water solution. It clears the allergens from the mucous membranes in the nose, as well as excess mucous that has been produced and any possible bacterial infections that may be thriving.

A neti pot looks like a small tea pot that involves mixing sea salt and warm water into the pot, followed by tipping the water up your nose and out the other nostril with your head over the sink. Even though it can be slightly uncomfortable it provides fast relief for nasal congestion.

2. Eyebright Herb

This is a powerful herb commonly used in decongesting nasal catarrh in hayfever and sinusitis when taken internally. It is also a great remedy for any sort of eye complaints; weepy eyes or an over sensitivity to light can both be relieved with eyebright. For eye complaints while using the herb internally, you can also use it externally in an eyewash or compress.

Eyewash or Compress

• In 500 ml of boiling water, place 1 tablespoon of the dried herb into the boiling water and let it steep for 10 minutes
• Use it as an eyewash repeating several times a day
• To use as a compress, soak cotton wool in the warm eyebright water and place it over your eyes for 15 minutes at a time.

3. Quercetin, Bromelain and Vitamin C

These three nutrients are potent anti-inflammatories and anti-allergic substances, inhibiting histamine production which will greatly reduce the severity of your allergies. Symptoms that are relieved well with this combination are hay fever, with itchy watery eyes and runny nose, as well as allergic rashes such as eczema and hives that commonly comes up when in contact with animals or grass.

Quercetin is a flavonoid which is a group of pigments found in fruit and vegetables. Bromelain is derived from pineapples and works extremely well in combination with Quercetin for allergy relief. Quercetin also helps extend the antioxidant and anti-histamine effects of Vitamin C.

4. Steam Inhalation

This is a great and simple technique that you can use to really clear up congested nasal passages.

Instructions

• Place a large bowl on a table and fill with 4 cups of boiling water.
• Add 2-3 drops of Eucalyptus oil or 3 teaspoons of Eucalyptus leaves.
• Put your head over the bowl and cover your head with a towel.
• Inhale the volatile oils for about 10 minutes through your nose.
• You can repeat this process 2-3 times a day.

5. Chickweed

This herb is very useful in skin conditions particularly eczema and psoriasis. It is most commonly used as an external remedy to relieve itching and irritation associated with these skin problems. In an ointment apply it to the skin rash 2-3 times daily. Chickweed can also be added to bathwater if the rash is wide spread. The herb is also a great healer of wounds and cuts.

Infusion for bath water

• Pour a cup of the boiling water on to 2 teaspoons of the dried herb
• Wait for 7 minutes and add to bathwater.

*If you are on any medications, please consult your health professional before using any of the supplements recommended.

An Extra Handy Tip

I hope that these natural remedies help give you some relief from those annoying allergy symptoms, particularly during the summer months when hayfever is at it’s worse. If you are looking for long term results I always suggest combining these natural remedies with a low allergenic diet which in turn prevents the build up of mucus.

Dairy products are one of the biggest allergenic culprits in relation to hay fever especially milk, yogurt and ice cream. If you are lactose intolerant or have a sensitivity to dairy products without knowing, and you continue to eat these foods in excess, you will create a build up of thick mucus in your sinus cavities.

During Spring and Summer, there a number of allergens in our environment such as pollens that can sensitize the mucus from your sinuses to come out creating the classic symptoms of hay fever.

A dairy free diet will prevent your hay fever best by beginning the diet at least a couple of months before hay fever season. But if you have just come across this information now whilst suffering from extreme hay fever in the middle summer, then reducing your dairy intake will still inhibit the build up of excess mucus and dampen your symptoms. Reducing your refined sugar intake, including lollies, chocolate, baked goods and soft drinks will also help as sugary foods greatly reduce the functioning of your immune system.

To learn about what you can use to replace your favourite dairy products, please visit my article on Lactose Intolerance: How to avoid dairy without avoiding the taste.

I’ve had great success with people suffering from hay fever or severe sinus congestion by just reducing their intake of dairy products all together. As a result, their hay fever has been completely prevented, and appointed sinus surgery has been cancelled.

Please feel free to post any feed back if you have tried any of these allergy relief treatments, thanks!

Related posts:

1. Natural Allergy Relief
2. Allergy Medication
3. Top Five Most Frequently Asked Questions About NAET