Gillian McKeith's Food Bible (80 page)

Eating too much of the common allergens corn, wheat, dairy products, citrus fruits, shellfish.

Lactose intolerance.

Candidiasis (see page
219
).

Chemicals added to processed foods.

Lack of stomach acid.

SYMPTOMS

Symptoms of allergies include eczema, asthma, hay fever, runny nose, itching, skin rashes, bloating, tiredness, migraines and arthriticlike complaints, to name a few. Food intolerances can be extremely difficult to detect, as they usually result from reactions to commonly eaten foods, but classic symptoms include diarrhea, constipation, bloating, nausea/vomiting. Other symptoms can be irritable bowel syndrome (see page
315
), frequent infections, mood swings, fatigue, aches, skin complaints, rhinitis, and palpitations.

Action plan

You need to reduce histamine production and support your immune system to curb allergies.

EAT/DRINK

Water—half a gallon a day. The body produces more histamine when it is dehydrated.

Nettle tea. This can normalize the body’s own production of histamine. It is particularly good to drink it in the spring to minimize hay fever.

Different-colored foods that have different immune-supportive properties (although don’t consume if you know you are allergic or intolerant to any of these):

* Red—tomatoes, strawberries, pink grapefruit, raspberries, cherries, watermelon, red peppers, goji berries, cranberries, pomegranates.

* Orange—carrots, apricots, papaya, mangos, orange peppers, pumpkin, squash.

* Yellow—melons, yellow peppers, bananas, corn, yellow tomatoes.

* Green—salad greens, lettuce, broccoli, kale, cabbage, celery, avocados, brussels sprouts, spinach, chard.

* Blue/purple—blueberries, blackberries, red cabbage, beets, red grapes, red kale, purple-sprouting broccoli.

Vitamin C-rich foods. Vitamin C has an antihistamine effect, and there’s lots of it in berries, cherries, kiwis, peppers, broccoli, and goji berries.

Foods high in quercetin, which has an antihistamine effect, such as apples, onions, parsley, kale, and buckwheat.

Hemp seeds. Raw shelled hemp seeds contain the omega-3 and -6 essential fats that have an anti-inflammatory effect. Many people with allergic reactions do not break down fats particularly well. Hemp seeds contain GLA, the broken-down
form of the omega-6 fats as found in evening primrose oil. You can also use hemp seed oil in salad dressings.