There are foods that make us sick and, according to folklore, there are foods that cause allergies and digestive upsets such as cow’s milk. For many, cow’s milk may not cause mucus but it is especially contraindicated for people who are allergic to cow’s milk. For those individuals, cow’s milk causes excessive amounts of mucus, sinus & postnasal drip, phlegm and what would appear to be a cold. We don’t actually catch colds, instead we eat them.
Several decades ago the effect of food in causing anxiety, irritability, mental confusion as well as other symptoms, was described by Walter Alvarez, an American scientist. Allergies are sensitivities to foods and other foreign matter. Allergies are undesirable reactions to food, baring other factors such as contamination or additives unrelated to the allergy. There is a phenomenon called “Fixed Allergies”. This is an allergic condition you would have experienced as a child. However, several years later, into your matured adult life, you partook of the same food only to find that it triggered a reaction after all the years.
Research has shown that certain allergic reactions cause mental illnesses such as neuroses and psychoses. This data have been long ignored. Hot until the 1970’s, clinical ecology introduced Orthomolecular nutrition & psychiatry did this information come to light. A research study looked at one hundred and sixty schizophrenic patients. The participants fasted for four days. At the end of the fast more than one hundred participants were found to be normal. It became clear that allergies were a majour factor in schizophrenia. Many holistic practitioners examine their patients for allergies. However, many classical allergists are more concerned with testing rather than what may have made the patient sick in the first place.
A practical way of identifying & eliminating the culprit food(s) is through the Elimination diet which includes a 3-4 day vegetable juice fast. Here is how the Elimination diet works i.e. what happens within the 3-4 days of fasting:
? The suspected food(s) are eliminated individually or in groups.
? When the suspected food(s) are taken out of the diet, the body stops responding and symptoms clear up.
? Once the reactions/symptoms disappear, the suspected food(s) can be reintroduced some months later as a challenge test.
? If the reactions/symptoms reappear, then a sensitivity to that food(s) would be established.
Once the sensitivity has been established, treating the sensitivity/allergy becomes a simple matter. The food has to be eliminated from the diet until the body regains the ability to digest it without reactivating the original reactions. Some foods may be reintroduced and consumed within months but be mindful of the fixed allergy phenomenon. You can identify your own allergies/sensitivities, once you understand the connection between food & your own health.
Treatment may be simple but for certain people; those who believe they can never fast, and those who do not follow the fast or elimination diet regime. It means going from an old established habit of eating one way to adopting a new way of eating. These individuals will need support, encouragement & proper nutritional education.
Those sensitive to sweets the holidays, Christmas and Valentine’s day, are particularly challenging. Anyone who decides to make permanent changes, and are motivated to establish a diet for health, it’s important to understand that during the initial stages of the Elimination diet, even a small amount of the culprit food(s) can trigger a severe reaction which you can use as a motivating factor. You will need to increase your intake of anti-allergic nutrients such as:
? Vitamin B3/niacin, in large doses (1000-1500mg daily). It reduces the allergic reaction to foods by releasing histamine from their storage sites.
? Vitamin C/Ascorbic acid, (3000-5000mg daily). Vitamin C & histamine cancels out each other, hence the reason why vitamin C is effective against insect bites.
? Vitamin B6/Pyridoxine, (1000mg daily). It quickly relieves allergic reactions, especially when administered intravenously.
? Vitamins A, (5,000-10,000IU daily) & D3, (10,000IU daily) which is prescribed for asthma. It also relieves the allergic reaction.
Vitamins are such that they are compatible to drugs. If there was a need for an antihistamine, the above mentioned vitamins can be used instead. Nutrient supplements are extremely safe. Over a twenty-year period there has been less than one death resulting from nutrient supplement use.
To contact Dr. Stan Horne:
1-264-582-7045
1-784-531-1150
Email: naturopathyplus@yahoo.co.uk
