Food and Allergies

By Charlene Doak-Gebauer

Food allergies are very difficult for doctors and parents to determine. Children react in many ways to an allergen that is causing their bodies distress.

Many of my clients have had severe constipation when they come for a consultation. Children as young as 9 months to five years will have bowel movements either biweekly or once per week. People need to realize that bowel movements should happen daily. If a child is having bowel movements as infrequently as biweekly, they are severely constipated. This indicates that whatever they are consuming is causing a disturbance in their entire digestive system. They are very toxic, which will affect their overall health, particularly sleep and mood.

Indicators for children that there is an allergy can be a headache, hyperactivity, irritable mood, stomach upset, gas, alternating constipation/diarrhea and the like. Children will have a heightened mood after consuming foods that irritate their system. A food diary is extremely helpful when trying to determine what foods might be causing an issue.

The food diary should include breakfast, lunches, dinners, and snacks. Also recorded should be mood changes, bowel movements, amount of fluid consumption (preferably water). Bowel movements should be recorded by time of day, and if solid or diarrhea. 

Determining food allergies is a family/nutritionist team effort with children. Too many children in schools are labeled hyperactive and it is suggested that they be medicated. MEDICATION should be the last choice, if ever a choice. The pediatric clients in my practice who have been able to avoid medication after having a nutrition consultation, has been ALL of them. Parents need to avoid being “forced” into medication as being the only option. Nutrition should be considered the first issue for hyperactivity, concentration issues and the like.

I have also determined food allergies for adults, as old as 75 years of age. Their symptoms all of their lives have only escalated because of unknown allergens. It is never too late to feel better!