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New Choices in Natural Healing: Food Allergies

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Food Allergies

It may be wheezing from wheat or a rash from radishes. But while food allergies are rare, affecting only 1 percent of the population and usually outgrown by age six, the foods that can trigger them aren’t.

Cow’s milk, eggs, peanuts, wheat and soybeans lead the list of eats that can cause swollen lips, throat or tongue, eczema, hives, vomiting, fainting, nausea, diarrhea and other reactions. But they’re not alone. Even food additives such as yellow dye #5 and gum arabic can cause allergic reactions in some people, usually within a few minutes of consumption. Reactions range from minor to life-threatening, so see your doctor to pinpoint the cause and come up with a preventive strategy. But the natural remedies in this chapter—in conjunction with medical care and used with the approval of your doctor—may help relieve the symptoms of a food allergy, according to some health professionals.

See Your Medical Doctor When...
You experience any of these symptoms within two hours of eating a certain food:

Hives or another skin reaction
Swelling, especially of the lips or face
Vomiting or nausea
A tight feeling in your chest
Trouble breathing, whether from an asthmatic reaction or throat swelling
Nasal congestion
Diarrhea
Cramping or feelings of faintness

Ayurveda

What kinds of foods you’re allergic to depends on your Ayurvedic dosha, says Vasant Lad, B.A.M.S., M.A.Sc., director of the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Pitta people are allergic to hot, spicy foods, fermented foods, sour fruits, tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant, according to Dr. Lad. He says that kaphas develop allergies to dairy products and cold beverages. And, he says, vatas may have allergic reactions to hard-to-digest foods such as popcorn, beans and raw vegetables. No matter what your dosha, says Dr. Lad, the symptoms of food allergies include constipation, burping and hiccuping. (For more information about the Ayurvedic doshas, see “All about Vata, Pitta and Kapha” on page 28.)

To avoid adverse reactions to foods, “find out what your dosha is and follow the proper diet for that dosha,” says Dr. Lad. He also offers the following remedies.

For pitta allergies, Dr. Lad suggests eating cooked apple pulp (peel, core and mash the apples to make the pulp) with a pinch of cumin and one teaspoon of ghee, or clarified butter (for a recipe, see “How to Make Ghee” on page 26). Eat a small amount, about ½ cup, twice daily, at least an hour before or after a meal, he says.
For kapha allergies, Dr. Lad suggests drinking licorice tea. To make the tea, he says to blend ½ teaspoon of licorice (which is available in most health food stores), ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and ½ teaspoon of coriander, then steep the mixture in one cup of hot water for ten minutes. Don’t strain out the herbs before drinking, he says. His suggested dosage: Sip about an ounce of the tea every half-hour for the first few hours, then for the next few hours, sip an ounce every hour. Continue as needed, he adds.
For vata allergies, Dr. Lad recommends another variation of licorice tea: Mix ½ teaspoon of licorice, ½ teaspoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of ghee in a cup of hot water. As with the other tea, do not strain out the herbs before drinking. He says to sip an ounce of the tea every half-hour for the first two hours, then for the next few hours, sip an ounce every hour. Continue as needed, he adds.

One cautionary note from Dr. Lad: He says people with high blood pressure should not drink licorice tea. For them, Dr. Lad recommends cinnamon/clove tea as an alternative. His recipe: Steep ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and two or three cloves in a cup of boiling water for ten minutes. Sip an ounce of the tea every half-hour for the first two hours, then for the next few hours, sip an ounce every hour. Continue as needed, says Dr. Lad.

Yoga

Poor digestion may result in food allergies, especially as you get older, says Stephen A. Nezezon, M.D., yoga teacher and staff physician at the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. To improve digestion, Dr. Nezezon suggests trying an exercise called agni sara, or “strengthening the fire.”

Here are his instructions for performing the exercise: Stand with your feet about three feet apart, toes pointed slightly outward. Bend your knees slightly and place your right hand on your right thigh and your left hand on your left thigh. Your fingers should be pointing inward, toward the opposite leg. Bend your neck so that you’re looking down at your stomach. Breathe out completely. Then suck in and lift your abdomen without taking a breath. Now pump your stomach muscles, pushing your abdomen in and out without breathing. Pump this way 10 to 15 times, then relax, stand up straight and breathe. Repeat the exercise three times per day.

Dr. Nezezon says not to do this exercise during menstruation or pregnancy, after surgery, if you are bleeding or if you have heart disease or high blood pressure.

See also Allergies; Lactose Intolerance

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