Your first step in investigating any potential food allergy or intolerance is speaking with your trusted family GP or naturopath, who should ensure your symptoms are not caused by any other illness.

They will initially try and diagnose the problem by asking you questions regarding your diet and lifestyle and whether you have noticed if symptoms are worse at any particular times, so take note at the time of your symptoms and have the information ready for your practitioner.

The medical profession varies in its attitude and approach to the treatment of allergies. I saw 3 different “doctors” (General Practitioners) before I was properly diagnosed. So it pays to get a second, if not a third opinion, if you feel you are not been taken seriously or if their approach is not holistic and well-informed.

You may need to be referred to a special hospital unit or clinic for further investigation or you may be advised to speak with a dietician, if dietry changes are to be considered.

There are various ways to test for allergies and not all of these methods are recognized by medical professionals as providing reliable results.

THE RAST (RADIO ALLERGO SORBENT TEST)

This test has been used to identify acute allergies when there is an immediate reaction. It measures the levels of IgE (immunoglobulin E) antibody in your blood.

THE SKIN PRICK TEST

By gently placing a few concentrated drops of the suspected allergen on the patients skin, the area is then pricked and the allergen seeps in. Signs of a reaction are then observed. This can be somewhat un reliable for food allergies as often reactions can be delayed by up to 24 – 48 hours.

THE HOMOEPATHIC VEGA TEST

In this test, an electrode is placed on an acupuncture point or held in the hand. Samples of allergens are placed on the connected machine and it reads for reactions.

EXCLUSIONS & CHALLENGE DIETS

Arguable the most effective method for testing your sensitivity to foods, the exclusion of suspect substances from your every day diet, waiting to see if there is any improvement, and the re-introduction of the food can take weeks and requires strict commitment. ** COMING SOON ** Click here for more information regarding exclusion and elimination diets.

Allergic reactions, intolerances and sensitivities can take many forms, make life frustrating and prove difficult to pinpoint.

Although they are not thought of as an illness, they can sometimes make the sufferer feel extremely uncomfortable and unwell.

Depending on the nature and severity of your symptoms, the problem can be either a mild, short-term irritation or a more serious, long-term condition, such as coeliac disease.

I am luck, I do not suffer from coelic disease but I am allergic to a particular protein in wheat and cow’s milk. I am also highly intolerant to potatoes and slightly sensitive to other night-shades. This combination has made eating (in and out) complicated and incredibly limited. One benefit: it has highlighted the overwhelming amount of wheat, diary and starch-based fillers that exists in our everyday food. And I am grateful for at least reducing these in my general intake.

Once you have investigated your symptoms and tracked down the causes of your reactions, you can adapt your your diet to be nutritionally balanced while excluding anything suspect to which you are sensitive.

CAUSES & REACTIONS
An allergy is a reaction that occurs when the body’s immune system overreacts to a normally harmless substance, causing irritation, disability and sometimes even fatality.

A substance that causes an allergy is called an allergen and can be anything either ingested, inhaled or that touches the skin, that causes an adverse reaction.

Our immune system usually defends us from harmful foreign invaders such as viruses and bacteria that otherwise might cause illness. In the person suffering from allergies, however, the system believes that the allergen is damaging and reacts to it accordingly. A special type of anti-body called IgE (immunoglobulin E) is produced to protect from the threatening substance.

“Mast” cells in our body then release other chemicals, the most commonly known as histamine, which join the IgE antibodies in fending-off the invaders.

The result is an allergic reaction, with its associated symptoms.

The site of the reaction depend on the location of the mast cells, and is often in places such as the nose, skin, lungs or intestines.

Typical allergic reactions and their symptoms include:
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Hayfever
Asthma (coughing & wheezing, breathlessness)
Runny & blocked nose
Hives & skin rashes
Eczema

It is not known exactly how many people react badly to certain substances, since many cases are mild enough to go undetected or may be misdiagnosed.

Allergies, in general are on the rise and this may be a consequence of aspects of contemporary living, such as increased air pollution, the over use of chemicals, additives, preservatives and pesticides.

It has also been suggested that because modern medicine has reduced our risk of infection from “naturally” harmful foreign invaders, such as bacteria, our immune systems are now inadequately challenged, leading to a reaction, in genetically susceptible people, to ordinarily harmless substances.

There is a strong genetic link with allergies, for example, if someone in your family, particularly a parent, has an allergy to something, it is likely that this susceptibility may be passed on.

Greater awareness and recognition of allergies may also be a factor in our perception of the problem.

The onset of an allergy or intolerance can occur at any stage in life and the culprit substance may be something that had previously been tolerated.

The most serious symptoms took affect when I was 29 years old and I had never experienced any sensitivity to wheat, diary or potato before this time. In fact, potato was (and honestly, still is) my favourite food and while I did not overdoes on any of the perpetrators, I did consume them regularly.

It has been a relief to learn that such sensitivities can also be outgrown and either through periods of exclusion or certain treatments, troublesome symptoms can also completely disappear.

Soy is not a miracle health food. It is a rip-off and dangerous.

Don’t believe the hype, soy is about BIG, BIG profits, not about your health. In traditional Asian cultures they do NOT use the kind of soy foods that are being promoted now. They only used fermented soy and in small amounts.

Soy is a bean. Nothing more. To make soy food and soy milk it is highly processed. So it’s a 100% man-made food and as usual such foods are junk.

The finished processed soy products have a lot wrong with them. They are even promoted on TV as increasing the female hormone levels for middle aged women. So even if you believe the advertising, do you really want to be eating something that has female hormone effects?

If you are lactose intolerant, or allergic to cow’s milk (like I am) there are a number of viable, affordable and even healthy alternatives to both cow-derived and soy milk, such as; almond, oat, rice or goats milk.

Whenever I am out and having a coffee with friends, I always ask the Brewister if they have almond, oat, rice or goats milk. More often than not, they do not, but i believe by always asking I help raise awareness, as often the Brewister or cafe owner will ask me why?

I explain about my personal allergies and about the evils of soy. Some of my regular cafes have even changed their buying/selling habits and have stocked alternatives to soy/milk.

Don’t forget to ask your local cafe to stock a soy/milk alternative.

If you insist on sticking with Soy please ensure you only buy certified organic, Australian-grown Soy bean milk that is GMO-free!

HERE IS A LIST OF WHY SOY IS BAD NEWS:

• It contains high levels of phytic acid. These block the assimilation of minerals in the body. The phytic acid is not neutralized during the processing of soy foods. This is bad enough on it’s own.
• Soy leads to deficiencies in calcium and Vitamin D due to it’s mineral blocking actions.
• Soy interferes with normal protein digestion in the body due to its trypsin inhibitors.
• The soy phytoestrogens (the so called good factors) disrupt your bodies endocrine functions and cause infertility. They are also anti-thyroid agents that can cause thyroid problems and potentially cancer. It’s like taking female birth control pills. Do you really want a flood of a female hormone like substance in your body?
• Soy protein is full of damaged and denatured proteins from the complicated processing process.
• Soy contains high levels of aluminum.
• The use of soy milk instead of real milk or tufo instead of real meat means you are replacing nutrient dense foods with nutrient poor foods. Just like eating too much sugar or white flour this provides the body with calories but vary vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.

Soy is going to be responsible for a lot of health problems in the future.

Here is some more information, I have had passed onto me regarding the dangers of Soy:
 
This “Health Food” Makes You Fat and Unhealthy – by Shin Ohtake, author of Max Workouts
 
It’s kind of crazy to think that soy products have really only been around in the U.S. food industry since the early 1990’s, unlike many of the Asian countries where it’s been a food staple for thousands of years.
 
So what made soy become so popular so fast here in the U.S.?
 
Well it certainly wasn’t coincidence. Like in most industries, if you follow the money…it’s a pretty good bet that you’ll end up at the truth. And soy is no different. Soy is cheap to cultivate and when consumed in whole “fermented” forms it has real health benefits.
 
Notice the terms “whole” food and “fermented”…see that’s key.
 
It’s bad enough that whole foods have become foreign in vast majority of North American diets, but throw in fermentation…and you’re looking at a population smaller than people living on Easter Island that would even take a second look at consuming soy in this form.
 
Fear not however, if there’s profit to be had, we can make anything palatable…or at least edible…sort of.
 
Which is why almost all soy produced in US is processed and converted into two prosperous commodities – soybean oil and soy protein.
 
See…now we can get the benefits of whole fermented soybeans without having to inflict our palates with foul smelly fermented foods. We all win..right?
 
Uhhh…NO
 
Here’s the problem:
 
Processing anything is bad and it’s no different for soy. Soybean oil is heavily refined and most have trans fats in them, making them one of the unhealthiest oils around. And unfortunately, it’s in pretty much all processed foods.
 
Soy protein is the other culprit and it’s also processed, although not as heavily as soybean oil. All possible health benefits of soy are completely taken out in the course of processing, making it a pretty poor source of protein.
 
But this is where the confusion and conflict begins. The FDA claims that soy protein is very healthy and they recommend consuming 25 g of soy protein a day to help reduce the risk of heart disease.
 
I know…once again more conflicting information…I don’t blame you for wanting to tear your hair out with frustration.
 
Okay…before you take FDA’s recommendation, let’s take a little closer look at the relationship it has with the soy industry
 
According to Soy Food Association of North America, the sales of soy food products exploded from 300 million dollars in 1992 to 4 billion dollars in 2006. It only took just over a decade to make soy one of the world’s most cultivated crop. In fact, the soy industry is growing so fast that in order to keep up with the demands, it’s clear cutting forests (yep…deforestation) to make more room for soy farms.
 
But that’s not enough…there’s too much at stake here…too much money to be made. The soy industry wants it all and nothing’s going to stop them…not even mother nature. Enter…GMO – genetically modified organism. Soybeans that are genetically modified to grow faster, bigger and be resistant to pretty much anything you throw at it.
 
In the U.S. about 90 % of all soy used is genetically modified (GM). GM soy is resistance to toxic herbicides and pesticides, which is great because they can keep pumping out soybeans without worrying about crops being destroyed by insects. Sounds dandy, except these toxic chemicals are being passed down the food chain into to animal feeds and you guessed it…you and I, the consumers.
 
I won’t get into the tyranny of the Big Agra (ie. Monsanto) in the farming industry as a whole, but getting non-GM foods have become alarmingly difficult and our right to get natural whole foods is diminishing quickly.
 
So what does any of this have to do with the FDA?
 
Well, it just so happens that the executives that run Big Agra, which produce both the GM seeds for soy as well as the toxic chemicals that they spray the crops with, coincidentally happened to serve on the board of execs on the FDA as well. It’s like a merry-go-round of execs just switching seats. Conflict of interest? Oh right…this is politics…profit and power over human rights and safety.
 
According to stats between 2000 – 2007 there were more than 2700 new soy-based foods that were introduced into the commercial market. And it hasn’t slowed down one bit. One of the biggest reason for the continual push for soy-based products is the FDA. It’s been unequivocally supporting soy as a healthy source of food since the very beginning. So, yes I think it’s fair to say that FDA is committed to the success of the soy industry and so far it’s been wildly successful.
 
That said, I’m not saying that the study done on the soy proteins reducing heart disease was false. It’s pretty easy to manipulate studies to get a desired outcome anyway, and knowing the intimate relation FDA has with the soy industry, I think it’s best to take (all) FDA’s recommendation with a grain of salt.
 
Health facts about soy:
 
Soy has many detrimental characteristics to your health:
 
Soy contains anti-nutrients which hinders the ability of digestive enzymes needed to for proper digestion.
 
Soy contains phytates (phytic acid) like nuts, which prevent absorption of certain important minerals like zinc, magnesium and calcium.
 
Soy is full of isoflavones which are phytoestrogens. They’re plant compounds that resemble human estrogen and have been known to disrupt endocrine function. It’s also been linked to infertility and breast cancer.
 
Soy also contain goitrogens which block the synthesis of thyroid hormones. So if you have thyroid issues, it’s definitely not recommended.
 
These are just the negatives health effects soy has in it’s natural state. Now combine that with the effects of genetic modification (GM) and you’ve really got a mess on your hands.
 
What effects genetically modified soy has on your health?
 
GMO is fairly new, so currently there’s only one published human study and a few published studies conducted on animals.
 
Although companies that produce GMO products claim that it’s completely safe for human consumption, all the studies done on animals fed GM soy have had seriously negative outcomes including infertility and even death – infant mortality.
 
The process of genetic modification in soy involves placing a gene from a bacteria that produces protein that’s completely foreign to humans. And if that doesn’t sound bad enough, the one human fed study done on GM soy, found that the gene inserted into the genetically modified soy transfers into the DNA of our gut bacteria and continues to function.
 
This means that even years after you stop eating GM soy, there’s a real good chance that foreign protein will still be produced in your gut. Sounds like a premise from a cheesy sci-fi movie…only it’s actually happening!
 
So what can we do about this awful situation?
 
First and foremost assume that most soy products are genetically modified, especially those meat and dairy substitutes like soy burgers, soy dogs, soy cheese, even soy milk.
 
Make sure to stay away from anything that has soybean oil in it, which shouldn’t be hard to do if you’re avoiding processed foods.
 
It’s best to stay away from so-called healthy foods with soy protein in them such as vegan protein bars, soy chips, soy nuts, and believe it or not…even tofu.
 
Tofu has been the go to source of soy protein for many vegans, however the negatives health factors outweigh the positives, so it’s best to avoid them.
 
As I mentioned in the very beginning of the article, soy is not bad for you as long as it’s prepared properly. And the key to getting the health benefits of soy is fermentation.
 
All whole soybean that’s been fermented is good to eat. The key is fermentation. The fermentation process takes out most of the negative health effects listed above. Although it doesn’t completely eliminate it, in fermented form the benefits outweigh the negatives.
 
Here’s a list of fermented soy foods that I recommend:
 
Tempeh – Fermented, firm textured, soybean cake
Miso – Fermented, salty, soybean paste usually used for soup stock
Natto – Fermented soybean with sticky, slimy texture often consumed with rice
Soy Sauce – Fermented soybean in liquid form used as condiments in many Asian dishes (not all brands are fermented, only the highest quality… also limit heavy use due to extremely high sodium levels)
 
So there you have it. The story of soy is heavy on politics and falls well short of being the panacea of health that it’s claimed to be. GM soy is just the tip of the iceberg, and it’s very frightening. Our body’s were meant to eat real whole foods…period. The consumption of processed foods have wreaked havoc to our health and now engineered food is about to over take our food supply.
 
Our best defense is knowledge so we can make the right food choices for the benefit of our own health, as well as the health and well being for our future generations.