Are Food Sensitivities Troubling Your Child?

Are food sensitivities troubling your child? Here are 10 symptoms to look out for.

Most parents know if their child has a true food allergy because the symptoms are obvious and immediate. For instance, your child’s throat may swell shut after eating peanuts, or he may break out in hives after eating eggs. Unfortunately, most food reactions are not so easy to determine. The vast majority of food reactions are actually more of a “sensitivity” than a true allergy. 

Food sensitivities differ from true allergies in that the reactions are more delayed (up to 72 hours after exposure) and the symptoms are generally more vague and harder to detect. They often develop over time due to repeated exposure to a specific food, or to changes in the environment in the gut. However, just because the initial reaction is less severe than a full-blown, potential life-threatening allergy does not mean that food sensitivities should be taken lightly. The ultimate outcome of repeated exposure to these foods can result in a host of serious health issues including depression, obesity, arthritis, and autoimmune disorders.
Here is a list of the most common signs to look for.

10 Signs Your Child Has a Food Sensitivity

1. Stomach ache, constipation, and diarrhea
2. Asthma/chronic runny nose
3. Fatigue, joint pain, and muscle pain
4. Frequent infections, especially of the ears, tonsils, and throat
5. Skin irritation such as eczema, acne, and rashes
6. Behavioral issues, ADD/ADHD, or other problems with concentration
7. Headaches
8. Unexplained weight gain or loss
9. Frequent bed wetting
10. Depression

The Top Six Food Sensitivities I See in Kids

There are six foods that cause 90% of the food sensitivities in my patients. These include:

1. Gluten
2. Dairy
3. Corn
4. Soy
5. Peanuts & Tree Nuts
6. Eggs

Testing For Food Sensitivities

In my experience, the single best method to test for food reactions is to follow an elimination diet. I have patients eliminate a whole list of inflammatory and highly- reactive foods for at least three weeks, and then gradually reintroduce each food one at a time. By eliminating all the potential offenders for a full 21 days, the digestive tract, immune system and nervous systems all have time to reset, and you are left with a clean slate. In most instances, many of the annoying (and potentially alarming) symptoms have improved, if not totally disappeared. As foods are brought back into the system one at a time, it becomes clear which foods are causing the problem. Then patients are instructed to limit their exposure to (or completely avoid) these foods as much as possible.

In my practice, I no longer recommend food sensitivity blood or saliva testing because of the inaccuracies of this type of testing. I have seen far too many false negative tests— the results come back negative for a particular food, but the patient has symptoms when they eat this food. When a patient receives their lab test and sees that they have “no reaction” to a particular food, it can be very challenging trying to convince them that this food may still be causing a problem. This has happened more times than I can remember. The elimination diet removes this all-too-common occurrence, and the patient (or parent) can judge for themselves if the food is causing a reaction.

5 Tips to Get Your Kids on Board

Parents are often overwhelmed when they start the food sensitivity identification and/or elimination diet process, and I completely understand. When my wife and I discovered that our son was sensitive to wheat, corn, and eggs, we knew we had to make some changes, and it wasn’t easy. We definitely faced our challenges. But we were determined to help our son thrive, and now it’s just the way we eat. I would like to share some tips that helped us and have helped many of my patients throughout their transition.

1. We don’t have “kid meals” and “adult meals.” Everyone eats the same meal. If one person in the family is sensitive to a particular food, we don’t have it in the house.
2. Family meals are more about “family time” and less about the meal. Make a point to connect and engage with your child during meals. Research shows that regular family meals boosts a child’s self-esteem, improves their ability to make healthy food choices, and decreases the likelihood of risky behavior as an adolescent.
3. Get the kids involved.  Kids love to be part of something. Allowing your child to participate in meal planning, shopping, preparing, and even cleaning up helps them to develop a healthy relationship with food. Children will also learn environmental awareness and the importance of supporting organic and grass-fed food sources.
4. Find a support system outside of your family. There are a growing number of helpful resources for parents to turn to. There are some great blogs that have amazing recipes for families with dietary restrictions. Two of my favorites are Nom Nom Paleo and Against All Grain. Another site that I recommend is Meetup.com. It’s a great place to find local families dealing with similar issues. Also, stay connected by visiting my Facebook page!
5. Be consistent! This may be the most important tip. Kids thrive on structure and routines. If you stick with the program, your kids will feel better and will even enjoy the process.  

Stay the Course, Be Diligent, and Have Patience

While embarking on a new health journey may bring about uncertainties and cause moments of frustration, with diligence, patience, and perseverance, you WILL see your child’s health and overall well-being start to flourish. Identifying the signs and symptoms, adhering to a 21-day elimination diet (which includes the top 6 potential food allergens listed above), and following through with the practical tips mentioned will definitely help get your child’s health steered in the right direction. If, along the way, the going gets tough, just remember that we want our kids to thrive, not merely survive!

If you want to learn more about about keeping your kids healthy and avoiding the common childhood ailments affecting so many kids these days, then I’d like to invite you to attend one of my upcoming complimentary trainings entitled Disease-Proof Your Family. You can sign up hear for a date and time that works with your schedule.

I want to hear from you! Do you have a child with identified food sensitivities, or do suspect a food allergen? How have you overcome it? What have been your biggest struggles? Leave a comment below!