I have a 2 year old patient who has been getting adjusted for almost a year now. A few months back, I noticed that she had a runny nose or congestion nearly every time she came in. I mentioned this to her parents, who had said someone else had mentioned the same thing. Since she was getting regular chiropractic care, we discussed possible food allergies.

Its estimated that up to 15 million Americans have food allergies. In fact, the CDC reports that the prevalence of food allergies in children has increased by 50% between 1997 and 2011. Allergies to certain foods are becoming more and more common with symptoms ranging from an itchy rash to full blown anaphylaxis. Now, I’m not going to discuss possible causes for this increase in food allergy cases. The point I want to make is that food allergies are becoming common and what to do about them. Not only that, but there is a difference between a food allergy and a food sensitivity. Both are harmful to the body, but in different ways.

With an allergy, food or otherwise, there is a body response, as stated above, that results quickly after exposure to the allergen. With a food sensitivity, you can still eat the food in small quantities and feel okay. These are sometimes harder to noticed because you may not be aware of the effect they are having on your body. Things like achy joints, body aches, mood swings, constipation, diarrhea, headaches or difficulty sleeping, can be due to food sensitivities.

In order to determine if you have a food sensitivity, you should eliminate that particular food from your diet for at least 10 days, sometimes up to three weeks, for it to completely clear from your body. After three weeks, you can reintroduce the food to see what effect it has for you.

Both my boys have a wheat sensitivity. We they were babies, they had digestive trouble. It wasn’t as bad for my oldest as it was for my youngest. My youngest, Silas, had constipation issues at 3 weeks old. Thankfully, we knew there was a wheat sensitivity in the family, so we cut wheat out of our diets. Since my wife was breastfeeding, it was especially important for her to not eat wheat since it could pass through her breast milk. We cut wheat out until they started school. Silas still has a sensitivity to wheat, though. If he eats too much wheat, he gets stomach cramps and constipation. As for the 2 year old patient I mentioned earlier, she has a dairy sensitivity. Her parents noticed a big difference when they cut dairy from her diet, plus her congestion cleared up.

In today’s market, there are plenty of alternatives for food allergies and sensitivities, between specially made products to recipe books. Or, you can eat like a caveman, with veggies, fruit and seeds, meat when you can. Of course, it’s incredibly important to make sure your spine is well-maintained. Your nervous system has to pass through your spine to be able to communicate with your body. If your spine is misaligned, then that communication is weakened. All the remedies in the world cannot help if your body isn’t able to communicate with itself. So make sure your spine is regularly evaluated. Give your body its best opportunity to thrive.

In health,
Dr. David