Symptoms of Food Intolerances - Healing Results
I’m sharing my personal stories of symptoms of food intolerances. When you have a sensitivity to certain foods, your digestive system may react negatively to them. Bloating, gas, diarrhea, and stomach pain are reactions due to food intolerances. These reactions vary in severity depending on the individual.
Finally, I discovered removing my food intolerances is the solution. If you suspect your symptoms are a result of food issues, consider getting the Carroll Food Intolerance Test.
Up Your G.I. - Gut Intuition
Most importantly, my naturopathic doctor taught me the best lesson – tune in to your body. Be aware of reactions after eating. Symptoms are the language of the body that something isn’t right.
I upped my gut intuition. Like many, I thought the symptoms were normal, subtle even. Now, I see my symptoms as red flags, an alert that something isn’t right. Finally, I learned to read the immediate feedback that my skin is inflamed by an improper diet with too much sugar, grease, or cheats. Plus, I feel great when I eat properly. I know which foods do and do not work for me.
Early Signs of Food Intolerances
There can be many early signs of food intolerances. Some symptoms present soon after eating i.e., stomach rumbles, bloating, excessive gassiness, diarrhea, acid reflux, congestion, sneezing, low energy, and rosacea. Other symptoms are delayed, presenting the next day or several days later. Delayed symptoms are allergies, acne, constipation, migraines, and weight management issues. This delay and variety of symptoms is one reason identifying food intolerances is difficult by most doctors or elimination diets.
Skin and poop issues are two visible, early indicators of food issues. Many skin issues are caused by the wrong diet for your body resulting in acne, rosacea, boils. Over time, symptoms worsen and can create conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. Poop is also a sign of health. Good poop is regular, daily, looks like a snake, not hard, not loose and not too dark or too light in color.
My skin and poop significantly improved once I added more veggies and fruits, hydrated properly, and eliminated my intolerant foods.
Food Intolerances Increase Inflammation
Most importantly, eating intolerant foods creates inflammation. In turn, inflammation can manifest in many different ways. Inflammation weakens the immune system. Long-term exposure to intolerant foods can create chronic conditions and ages the body.
Reducing inflammation is one important reason to completely remove food intolerances from your diet. Reduce and eliminate all sources of inflammation, stress, environmental, etc.
My Family’s Stories - Symptoms of Food Intolerances
I share my personal stories about my family’s symptoms of food intolerances. See the symptoms my mom, son, and I experienced. Most importantly, see my personal examples, how each symptom improved after my son and I both removed food intolerances. My mother, a nurse who served her community over 50 years never found the health answers she sought.
However, each of us is unique and the same intolerance can create a variety of symptoms. I’m sure there are many symptoms not listed. It is difficult to navigate all of these food intolerances. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, even recently.
I experienced the underlined symptoms, my mom experienced the italicized symptoms, and my son experienced the bold symptoms.
Gut Reactions to Food Intolerances
Acid Reflux, Cramps, Bloated, Gassy, Vomit
My first realization I may be gluten intolerant occurred when sharing with a friend that my stomach felt like “I had a lead ball” after spaghetti dinner. She suggested I may be gluten intolerant. I was shocked by this truth. I realized I was visibly bloated and gassy most of my life, normal right? Everyone has some gas, it is normal; excessive gas is not. When I eat incorrectly, I can feel my stomach roll slightly followed by excessive gas.
I’m dairy intolerant too. The last time I had milk, by mistake, it upset my stomach and I vomited.
My son is dairy intolerant. At times this upset his stomach. He didn’t like ice cream as a child.
My mother struggled with bloating and excessive gas all her life.
Skin Issues Caused by Intolerant Foods
Acne, Dry, Eczema, Hives, Itchy, Loss of Pigment, Pimples, Puffy, Rosacea, Ruddy, Small Benign Cysts,
Even in my fifties, my face looked ruddy, puffy, with frequent pimples. Prescriptions from the dermatologist never resolved my issues.
When I eat greasy foods, my stomach rolls a little and I’m gassy. The next morning, I usually get big, oily pimples. I know I’m intolerant to greasy foods. Now we use an air fryer. I love it!
Too much sugar and nighttime snacking result in itchy skin keeping me awake at night.
Another example, I added cashew-based ice cream to my diet. A persistent pimple on my “third eye” appeared. I ignored it for several months. Then, I reviewed my list of intolerant foods and saw cashews on the fruit list. So cashew ice cream is a fruit and sugar combination. I thoroughly studied my intolerant food list. After correcting my diet, my facial skin is clear.
In my early sixties, with a decade of diet corrections, my skin broke out with small benign cysts. I had a few old existing cysts too. In detective mode, I admitted I was eating too much refined sugar. I never addressed my life long sugar addiction. And I was still cheating with dairy and sugar desserts. Finally, I took my favorite gut healers’ advice and cut the sugar and the cheats. I’m also working with my naturopath. She is providing homeopathy and my cysts are clearing. Several cysts that are over 30 years old are healing.
My son breaks out with bad acne the next day when he eats incorrectly. He also experienced boils around his ear. He knows eating dairy or fruit with sugar, is not worth.
My mom suffered with rosacea all her life even though she searched for answers. I have her doctor’s recommendations, a long list of foods to avoid. Finally, melanoma developed. She was very fair. Her skin was one of her weak points.
Mouth Responses to Food Intolerances
Cavities, Dry Mouth
In my youth, most mornings I ate sweet cereal with milk. I had lots of cavities. Once I omitted my intolerant foods, I didn’t get cavities. Excessive cavities can be a sign of gluten sensitivity.
My mom also had excessive cavities.
Eyes and Ears Affected by Food Intolerances
Chemosis, Dry Eyes, Ear Infections Pink Eye,
Over the past six years, my vision has improved. A direct result of eliminating my Carroll food intolerances. Even my eye doctor is impressed.
I experienced chemosis, a clear bubble on the white of my eye. My research showed it can be caused by inflammation. I suspected my contacts or make-up. After days of no contacts or make-up, there was no change. In detective mode, I realized I added a new baking chip to my cookies. It was my new favorite dessert for six weeks. This cookie was extra healthy, the main ingredient is sweet potatoes. I checked the ingredients of the baking chip. Dang, sugar followed by non-fat milk. Dairy and sugar can be a bad combination, and for some, like my son, causes acne. Small pimples cropped up on my third eye area during this period. I had ignored all the signs. Once I removed this from my diet, the chemosis cleared.
I also experienced pink eye multiple times until I eliminated my Carroll food intolerances.
My son experienced many ear infections as a child. He almost got ear tubes. His intolerances to dairy, and the food combination of fruit and sugar, were drivers.
Brain Responds to Problem Foods
Brain fog, Depression, Headaches, Migraines, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson
Many experts refer to brain diseases, i.e., Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and dementia are Type 3 diabetes or diabetes of the Brain.
As I reflect, I experienced brain fog after eating wrong for my body. I rarely get headaches, but recently I ate dairy and sugar with a greasy meal. I got a tension headache and it upset my stomach.
Body Reacts to the Wrong Food
Arthritis, Joint Pain, Low Energy,, Muscle Aches, Weight Management Issues
When I eat improperly, my body goes in overdrive to fight the invasion, draining all my energy. I feel an immediate loss of energy after consuming intolerant foods.
Around the age of ten, I gained weight rapidly. I discovered processed snack cakes, sometimes eating four a day. After a year or so, I was very sick with mononucleosis. Somehow I realized I couldn’t eat snack cakes and stopped it completely. Having mono for months did take the extra weight off. That summer, I started exercising and swam daily.
Even though I was slim, my belly stuck out, it was never flat. During college, I stayed in decent shape and gained ten pounds by the time I graduated. The pounds began to creep up in my mid-twenties. Soon after being married, my husband made the best bread, I gained more weight quickly and asked him to stop making bread for me. But, I never cut out bread completely. It never occurred to me I’m gluten intolerant. Over the next three decades, I gained 30 pounds. I tried various exercises but didn’t stay with anything longer than a year. Now I enjoy generous amounts of healthy foods and don’t even think about my weight.
For me, low back and hip muscle aches are the result of eating intolerant foods (even small amounts), or too much sugar, especially late at night.
Respiratory System is Affected by Food Intolerances
Allergies, Asthma, Constant Throat Drainage, Excessive Sneezing, Frequent Colds, Persistent Cough, Runny Nose, Snoring,
I was a snotty kid, literally. For three decades I took allergy medicines. I had acute rhinitis, i.e., severe runny nose. I struggled with constant throat clearing, excessive sneezing and frequent colds. The last few years I took two allergy pills daily. One over the counter and one prescribed due to my persistent allergy symptoms. After all the diet corrections, my allergies are gone, except for mold. A bonus, I stopped snoring.
Bronchitis was my jam, the one recurring illness I got. Usually I needed an antibiotic to recover. Now after many lifestyle changes, I don’t get bronchitis.
My son also took allergy medicine daily. After all the dietary improvements, we don’t need allergy meds anymore.
My mom suffered with asthma all her life.
Immune System is Weakened by Food Intolerances
Mononucleosis, Sick Frequently, Tonsils Removed, Pneumonia
I grew up being sick often, mostly getting colds with lots of congestion. My tonsils were removed and pneumonia before first grade. I had mono as a tween and missed months of school. Looking back, I ate too much junk food, sugar, and foods with dairy and gluten. I’m sure this contributed to my tonsils, pneumonia, and mono. My diet inflamed my body, allowing germs to attack. Now I get sick less often. This one thought keeps me eating healthy.
My mom was often sick.
Elimination System Struggles with Food Intolerances
Bladder and Urinary Tract Infections, Colon Polyps, Constipation, Diarrhea or Very Loose Stools, Diverticulitis, Hemorrhoids, Kidney Stones, Night Sweats,
Just before learning about my food intolerances, I had a colonoscopy at age 51 and had some colon polyps removed. My doctor didn’t know why some people have them. Three years later, the next colonoscopy results were better with fewer polyps. By then, I had eliminated my intolerant foods for a couple of years. After five more years, my last colonoscopy results showed a healthy colon. My diet corrections and exercise made the difference. I learned that over time, intolerant foods deteriorate the colon resulting in polyps or diverticulitis. Unhealthy colons led to disease.
Constipation is still an issue for me if I cheat on dairy or eat too much grease. I used to get away with some cheats, but as I age, my colon is more sensitive.
Night sweats can be a sign of diet issues. I struggled with night sweats recently even after years of not eating my intolerant foods. Reviewing my diet, I realized I snacked after dinner, too much chocolate and nuts. I stopped snacking after dinner with immediate results, no more night sweats.
My son has diarrhea and suffers with hemorrhoids if he eats dairy or too much junk food.
My mom always had pooping issues from diarrhea to constipation. She had diverticulitis, hemorrhoids and kidney stones. I recall she was hospitalized several times for bladder and urinary tract infections.
Vascular System Affected by Toxins from Food Intolerances
High Cholesterol, Rosacea, Varicose Veins
All my adult life, my cholesterol was too high, over 200. In 2018, it was over 220 even though I had omitted my intolerant foods for over seven years. Still too high, I cut out chips replacing them with small amounts of nuts. This change improved my good cholesterol, but my numbers were still too high. My medical doctor instructed me to add an omega 3 and reduce my cholesterol or take a statin.
In just the last few years, I reduced fried foods and meats as recommended by my naturopathic doctor. I actually stopped eating french fries for a couple of months. Now we enjoy homemade fries. Six months later, my cholesterol went down by 20 points. I continued to focus on adding more veggies, especially dark leafy greens and reducing greasy foods. By the end of the year my cholesterol was 185, down a total of 40 points, lower than I can ever remember. The rest of my blood work is normal too.
My rosacea disappeared completely once I eliminated intolerant foods completely. An improvement that no prescription could achieve. My mom had rosacea and severe varicose veins, some had to be surgically removed.
Discover Your Food Intolerances
I hope our stories show how even healthy food can cause so many issues if you cannot digest them. We are programmed to believe there is a pill to fix any issue. Taking pills to overcome symptoms from food intolerances is not the solution. Naturopaths believe, and I agree, suppressing symptoms delays healing. Suppression can aggravate other issues and cause more serious illnesses over time. I wish everyone could get the Carroll Food Intolerance Test. You only need it once in your lifetime and it offers so much value.
So many people have health issues caused by dairy. See my doctor’s specific instructions on the Dairy Intolerance page.
Namaste,
Diane
Diane@GutHeal.net