Food Sensitivities at the Root of Chronic Symptoms

I recently wrote about seeing a Naturopath Doctor for Evan’s croup. The ND’s perspective and solutions helped a great deal for Evan so I decided to consult him on Liv’s recurring cough. This cough had been coming and going since September. It would persist for 2 weeks and then go away for a week. Then it came again. It was mostly coughing at night and tended to sound dry although on a few occasions she was also coughing up stuff. Other than the cough, she did not seem unwell.

At first I credited the chronic cough to her two mornings each week at Waldorf playschool and thought it would pass as we got further into the season. I like to think I do a pretty good job at covering our bases with good food, sleep, water, outside play and low stress days so it does not make sense to me that her immune system can not kick it.

The first thing the ND did was test her for food sensitivities. He explained that in Traditional Chinese Medicine the large intestine and the lungs are related so lung related illnesses such as chronic coughs, asthma etc can be triggered by what is happening in the intestine. He explained that food sensitivities are like a finger print and generally stay with you for life although the sensitivity may diminish somewhat after a period of elimination. The reason we have food sensitivities in the first place is a whole other discussion.

Wheat and Dairy Free discusses food intolerance in more detail. I also enjoyed reading this article about integrated health which lists many of the symptoms related to food sensitivity.

“The symptoms associated with food sensitivities are very broad. The following are some of the major symptoms: fatigue; lethargy; needing to sleep after you have eaten; drowsiness; poor memory; poor concentration; mental agitation; mood swings; compulsive eating; food cravings; sugar craving; carbohydrate and starch cravings; water retention; weight problems; mood swings; depression; restlessness; irritability; headaches; migraines; swollen and painful joints; muscle pain; stiffness; gas; bloating; flatulence; indigestion; heartburn; constipation; blurry eyes; spots in front of eyes; restless sleep; broken sleep.”

Sure enough the VEGA test showed a high sensitivity to cow dairy and wheat. I’ve known about wheat sensitivities for a long time but have never taken the final step to eliminate it from our diet. I first became suspicious of cow dairy when Liv was diagnosed with baby eczema. Over time we reintroduced cow dairy (yogurt and cheese) and then we began our raw milk journey in December 2009. Kamut, spelt, corn and millet also came up as high sensitivities along with a couple of veggies. All fruit was OK. What is interesting is that I began weekly baking in September with wheat, kamut and spelt when Liv began preschool. Thankfully she tested OK for gluten because we make a mean breakfast oatmeal. A wheat allergy we can deal with, Celiac disease we can do without!

Our first step was an elimination diet for 4 weeks minimum. We decided to do this as a family since it would be pretty hard to explain why daddy can have toast and not her. We bought all goat dairy instead (as this tested fine) and let go of pancakes, muffins and bread. (sob)

After 3 weeks here is our news. The elimination diet has been fairly easy. Thankfully our return to eating “real food” has helped a great deal as there have not been many packaged foods to eliminate.

The cough went away on day 6 of the diet. One day it was there, and the next it was gone. Completely. Not any lingering hacks at all. Usually when one is getting over a virus there are a few lingering coughs before it all clears. Her cough disappeared and has not returned since. Because she has been hacking for such a long time (months) I am totally convinced the food sensitivities test is spot on. I believe the cough is wheat related.

The other interesting discovery is in her moods. She seems to have come down a notch. Her moods have smoothed out. She has always been super energetic. She still is but seems, I don’t exactly know how to describe this, a little more comfortable in herself. xShe is more agreeable. While Liv does not have any learning or mood issues (hyperactivity, ADHD)I think it would be interesting to see the results of gluten free diets instead of drugs  for these children. Of coarse Jenny McCarthy made news by discussing how a gluten free diet cured her son of Autism.

Now look at her skin. The two pictures are take about 2 weeks apart. Right before the diet and right after.  (a rare shot of her smiling without making a clown face!) The results speak for themselves.

I researched around for more stories like our that showed a dramatic improvement in health by eliminating wheat and dairy or at least wheat. Dr William Davis discusses the unexpected benefits of eliminating wheat and also lists a balancing of moods and skin. He regards bipolar as a wheat related disease, which I found interesting. He write further on his blog about wheat (he is a cardiologist) and shares a testimonial from a patient who eliminated wheat. CatYork also writes about her poor history of health and going gluten free.

I also have taken the test and eliminated my specific food sensitivities. Many of my high sensitivities are similar to Liv’s. I’m not sure about the whole testing and why the foods come up, all I can say is that I have never felt better. Although my sleep has not improved much (currently up every 1.5 hours)  I awaken each day feeling bright. The best way I can describe it is the fog has lifted and I have more clarity, literally! My vision is better. I wrote about letting go recently and this has been huge in helping me feel great each day, but after 3 weeks I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop! My moods have balanced out and I wonder, no, I’m sure wheat/dairy play a role in depression. My skin has improved. My energy is coming back and I no longer feel tired mid afternoon (remember i am not getting much sleep!) I am a slender woman but have always had issues with my belly. Not a muscle tone issue but more like bloating. This has also diminished and I can feel the return of the flatter belly coming soon! Also, some flaky bits around my nose and on my scalp are gone.

So that’s our food saga. Let’s hear from you! Have you managed to resolve chronic issues through an elimination diet, specifically wheat or dairy?

Tagged as: Food sensitivities