Modern Approaches to Comprehensive Healthcare 352.406.2109

ALLERGIES
Hidden Food Sensitivities: It is a good rule of thumb that those foods you love, really love, that you crave and can’t do without, like milk/cheese/dairy or bread or eggs or pasta or coffee or a particular soda are probably foods you are allergic to. Try totally, 100% eliminating these for a few weeks. You won’t die and may be surprised if you can succumb to the craving how much better you feel.

Recommended supplementation and lifestyle changes (not meant as a diagnosis or to replace the advice of a health care practitioner):

DOCTOR’S A-Z food supplementation: Querceten & Bromelain ( 2 - 30 min before meals), Balance B 100(1 day), Flax oil (1 tbsp. BID), Antioxidant HP(2TID), Ester C w/ Bioflavanoids 1000mg.(1BID or TID, Digestive Enzymes (2TID)

Or BIOTICS food supplementation: 1 HistoPlex (3x each day)
3 IPS (2x each day)
1 Bio-Immunozyme Forte (3x each day)
1 Bio-C Plus (3x each day)
2 Cytozyme-AD (2x each day)
1 Basic Nine (3x each day)

PLEASE READ ALL INFO PRESENTED BELOW for important data!

Avoid the Following:

· Common allergens: Reducing the total allergic burden will help to bring symptoms under control and to improve health. The foods that people are commonly allergic to are foods that are eaten every day. Eliminating frequently eaten foods (for most Americans this includes: wheat, dairy, corn, and so on) often works when testing is not an option.
· Refined sugar: Refined sugar stresses the adrenal glands, feeds yeast, and increases dysbiosis.
· Refined starches (all grains consumed should be whole grains): Refined grains create the same health problems created by refined sugar.
· Chemical additives: The average American consumes ten pounds of food additives each year. This stresses the liver and the immune system.
· Hydrogenated oils and fried foods: Hydrogenated oils promote inflammation (and create many other health problems).
· Repetitious eating: The foods that you become sensitive to are usually those that you eat on a daily basis. A simple rotation diet helps minimize stress to the immune system from hidden allergies.

Follow Some Basic Rules about Eating and Lifestyle:

· Chew your food thoroughly: Eat slowly and put down your fork between bites. Allergies often begin with poor digestion. The easiest and often most effective thing that you can do to improve your digestion is to chew your food.
· Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day: You need water to eliminate toxins. (not with your meals)
· Most of the food you consume (more than 50% by volume) should be vegetables: Vegetables are high in antioxidants, trace minerals, fiber, vitamin C, and other nutrients.
· Eat a variety of foods with a balance among fat, carbohydrate, and protein.
· Exercise (according to your doctor’s suggestions).

Additional Recommendations (general advice is listed above, your primary doctor may want to individualize the program for you):

Can A Good Food Be Bad For You?

Sometimes eating whole foods and following a good diet is not enough to achieve good health. It may be necessary to take your wellness program a bit farther by finding foods to which you are sensitive and eliminating them from your diet.
You can be allergic to a food that you crave. Sugar cravings, the desire for junk food and the inability to lose weight can be the result of hidden food allergies. This is very different from the familiar kind of food allergies. People commonly think of an allergic reaction as being immediate and severe, like breaking out in hives from eating strawberries.
Hidden allergies and sensitivities don't usually have a sudden and obvious reaction. The reaction to the offending food can take as long as 72 hours. People with this type of allergy often have a chronic health problem that they can't link to any particular food. Sinus problems, digestive problems, eczema, headaches, and obesity are examples of the health problems that can be caused by hidden allergies.

The Addictive Allergy

This concept is based on the ideas of Theron Randolph, MD. Dr. Randolph looked at allergies in an entirely new way. Here are some of his ideas.
· A person can take up to 72 hours to react to an offending food.
· Food allergies can cause symptoms of chronic conditions and seem to have nothing to do with consuming the offending food. Symptoms like migraine headaches, sinusitis, eczema, digestive problems, asthma, and obesity are examples of the problems caused by hidden food allergies.
· People with food allergies are commonly addicted to the food that is causing their health problem.
· Commonly, when the offending food is avoided, the individual's symptoms become worse initially. Symptoms usually flare up for 4 or 5 days, but this reaction can last longer. After the reaction passes the individual will feel much better—chronic symptoms disappear, energy increases and excess weight begins to come off.

Avoidance Is Not the Only Way To Bring Hidden Allergies Under Control

There are many well-documented cases of people who have been exposed to chemicals and developed many sensitivities. Physicians using natural health care are well aware of the fact that these patients respond to vitamin therapy. Vitamin C can reduce histamine levels. Trace minerals can support the liver in its effort to get rid of toxins. Supporting the adrenal gland and improving digestion are also useful strategies for bringing allergies under control. Companies like Biotics Research have developed special products to support the immune system and help bring allergies under control.
In his book, Brain Allergies: The Psychonutrient Connection Including Brain Allergies Today (Keats Publishing, 1988), Dr. William Philpott has some case histories of patients with mental problems who, by removing food allergens from their diet, experienced great improvement in their psychological symptoms. Many of the patients could tolerate their allergic foods after vitamin supplementation.
Avoiding Common Allergens
(one easy way to eliminate most allergens)

Often different people suffer from hidden allergies to the same foods. Allergies to wheat and dairy are especially common. It is not that dairy and wheat are intrinsically bad foods (although many people believe that dairy foods are bad for everyone), but rather that people tend to become allergic to foods that they eat every day. Poor eating habits, drug therapies, pollution and other things create problems with liver and digestive function. This causes the intestines to allow things into the body that really should be kept out (leaky gut). The result is that the immune system ends up reacting to foods that are eaten day-in and day-out.
The following diet avoids the foods that people are commonly allergic to. You may not be allergic to some of the foods, and you may be allergic to other foods. This is a good general approach to allergies without doing any testing. It will work for most people. You will learn how to find food allergies by using your pulse later in this handout. This diet is still useful because it offers low-allergy meal suggestions and recipes.
Allergies Aren't Always Forever

If the thought of never having wheat, dairy or corn again distresses you, don't worry. The allergy avoidance part of this diet only lasts for six weeks. After six weeks, challenge your system with your suspected allergens, one day at a time. Six weeks from now, pick a day when you have wheat at every meal—then see how you feel. If you bloat, feel tired, gain weight or have any symptoms, it probably is a good idea to continue avoiding wheat. Of course a simpler approach is to use the Cocoa Pulse Test to find out if any foods are still a problem. Wait a few days and do the same thing for corn; a few days later do dairy and so on. If you tolerate any of these foods, then you can permanently add them to your diet, but don't eat them more than once every four days.

What About Other Food Allergies?

Keep a dietary diary. If there is a particular food that you eat every day, there is a good chance that the food is causing you some health problems. You need to avoid it during the first six weeks of the program. Be slightly suspicious of foods that you eat more than three times per week. Your doctor will teach you the Cocoa Pulse Test to help you find other hidden allergies.
Notice how you feel after eating. If you feel bloated, tired or your pulse races after eating, there is a chance that something in the meal didn't agree with you. Keep a dietary diary throughout the program with notes on how you feel after each meal. Read the information about the Cocoa Pulse Test and use it to find other foods you need to avoid.

Foods to be Avoided on The Initial Part of the Program

Dairy products: Milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, cream cheese, and butter. Read labels—whey, casein, sodium caseinate, and calcium caseinate are all dairy products.

Corn: Corn oil, corn sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, corn chips, corn tortillas, popcorn. Read labels—vegetable oil is usually corn oil, fructose from an unspecified sources is usually from corn; avoid dextrose, glucose and corn starch (common thickener in sauces and gravies).

Wheat: Spaghetti, pasta, noodles, most breads (even rye bread often has some wheat in it), most flour. Durum, semolina and farina are all wheat. Most gravies are thickened with wheat. Flour on a food label usually means wheat flour.

Eggs: Egg whites and egg yolks—many baked products are made with egg.

Nightshades: Tomatoes, potatoes (not sweet potatoes or yams—these are permitted), eggplant and bell peppers.

Refined sugars: Table sugar, candy, soda pop, pies, cake, cookies, etc. Read labels—sucrose, glucose, dextrose, corn syrup, corn sweetener, fructose, maltose, and levulose are all sugar.

Food additives: Additives that are particularly bad are aspartame (NutraSweet), BHA, BHT, THBQ, MSG, brominated vegetable oil (BVO), sulfites (dried fruits, unless otherwise specified, contain sulfite and should be avoided), any color followed by a number (Red #40, Yellow #6, etc), mono and diglycerides, sodium nitrite, potassium bromate, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil, artificial colors or artificial flavors. Any packaged food with chemical additives is to be avoided.

Sample 7-Day Diet

The following program includes a one-week dietary plan. While it is not absolutely necessary that you follow the program exactly as presented below, many people find it easier to make dietary changes when all the meal planning is already done for them. You can follow it exactly, or, if you prefer, make selections from the meal selections in the following section.
Do not restrict your calories. Eat all meals, especially breakfast. Eat frequently throughout the day. Not eating enough may give you the symptoms of low blood sugar—fatigue, irritability, headache, and too-rapid weight loss.

Day One

Breakfast:
· Apple, cut in quarters with the core removed with almond butter spread on the quarters
Snack:
· Raw almonds
· Apple or pear
Lunch:
· Tuna (packed in water)—Drain water, add virgin or extra virgin olive oil, chopped celery and onions
· Rice crackers
· Large green salad with virgin or extra virgin olive oil and vinegar dressing
Snack:
· Celery with almond butter
· Carrot and celery sticks
· Apple or pear
· Almonds
Dinner:
· Grilled tuna steak or other fish
· Large green salad with virgin or extra virgin olive oil and vinegar dressing
· Brown rice
Snack:
· Apple or pear
· Almonds
Day Two

Breakfast:
· Oatmeal (unless gluten is a problem)
· Grapes and bananas
Snack:
· Walnuts
· Grapes or raisins (sulfur-free)
Lunch:
· Hummus
· Grapes
· Goat feta cheese
· Cucumber slices
Snack:
· Walnuts
· Raisins
· Grapes
· Cucumbers
Dinner:
· Broiled chicken (or Greek chicken)
· Cauliflower and broccoli
· Sweet potato
· Large green salad—walnuts, goat cheese, pears, raisins and mixed greens.
Snacks:
· Walnuts
· Grapes or raisins
· Cucumber slices and hummus

Day Three

Breakfast:
· Buckwheat cakes
· Plums or unsulfured prunes
Snack:
· Rice cake and cashew butter
· Raw cashews
· Plums or prunes
Lunch:
· Turkey
· Buckwheat groats or brown rice
· Large green salad
Snack:
· Cashew butter and rice crackers
· Plums or prunes
· Carrots or celery sticks
· Celery with cashew butter
Dinner:
· Turkey
· Brown rice
· Green beans
· Large green salad
Snack:
· Raw cashews
· Prunes or plums
· Carrots or celery sticks
· Celery with cashew butter

Day Four

Breakfast:
· Quinoa with chopped peaches
· Peaches or apricots
· Almonds
Snack:
· Almond butter on apple
· Almonds
· Apples
Lunch:
· Lamb kabob
· Avocado
· Quinoa
· Large green salad
Snack:
· Apple
· Almonds
· Raw broccoli or cauliflower

Dinner:
· Lamb chops
· Broccoli and cauliflower
· Sweet potato
· Large green salad
Snack:
· Avocado
· Almonds
· Apple

Day Five

Breakfast:
· Berries (strawberries, blueberries and/or raspberries)
· Oatmeal (unless gluten is a problem)
Snack:
· Walnuts
· Pears
· Berries
Lunch:
· Large green salad
· Sliced roast beef
· Asparagus
· Hummus
· Cucumber slices
Dinner:
· Salmon (or other broiled fish)
· Large green salad
· Asparagus
· Quinoa
Snack:
· Walnuts
· Pears
Day Six

Breakfast:
· Buckwheat pancakes
· Any melon
Snack:
· Pecans
· Grapes or raisins
Lunch:
· Chicken breast
· Spelt bread
· Large green salad
Snack:
· Any melon
· Grapes or raisins
· Pecans
Dinner:
· Roasted chicken
· Asparagus
· Large green salad
Snack:
· Any melon
· Grapes or raisins
· Pecans

Day Seven

Breakfast:
· Kamut flakes and rice milk
· Any berries
Snack:
· Any berries
· Cashews
Lunch:
· Sliced turkey breast
· Large green salad
Snack:
· Any berries
· Cashews
Dinner:
· Turkey
· Sweet potato
· Okra or other cooked vegetable
· Large green salad
Snack:
· Any berries
· Cashews

Alternatives to the 7-Day Diet

You do not have to strictly follow the diet as outlined. Some people find it easy to have their meal choices already made for them. You can replace any of the meals listed with another appropriate meal. This section will give you a variety of choices.

Fast Breakfast:
1. For cereal and milk fans, there are a number of wheat and corn-free cereals such as kamut flakes and kashi. These are made by companies like Health Valley and Arrowhead Mills. Milk alternatives include nut milks, and rice milk.
2. You can actually have toast. There are breads made with spelt, millet or other grains that are free of corn or wheat. On your toast you can have a nut butter or a fruit spread. Smuckers Simply Fruit or Polaner All-Fruit are examples of jellies that are sugar and additive-free.
3. Several packaged hot cereals are available that are made from grains other than corn or wheat. Arrowhead Mills and other companies make these.
4. You can have protein such as meat, chicken or fish for breakfast. This is a good breakfast if you are Blood Type O.

Snacks:
1. Nuts and nut butters can be eaten with spelt or other wheat-free bread or crackers.
2. Any fruit. You do not have to stick to the suggested fruits on the 7-day program.
3. Any vegetable. Raw vegetables make an excellent snack. Cut up and cleaned they can be put in a small plastic bag and taken anywhere. You do not have to stick to the suggested vegetables on the 7-day program.
4. Guacamole. Take an avocado and blend it in a food processor, add finely chopped onion (1/2 small onion), cilantro (1 tablespoon) and a teaspoon of vinegar. It can be eaten on cucumber slices. Of course an avocado has about 30 grams of fat, but this is not a low-fat diet. The main concern is to keep fat consumption down to about 20-30% of your calories.
5. Make trail mixes and carry them around with you. You can mix dried fruits, nuts, and seeds. Make several combinations and eat them on different days. It will help you to avoid repetitious eating. When buying dried fruit, make sure that you get sulfur-free fruit. Get raw nuts wherever possible. They don't look as nice, but taste fine. Below are some suggested combinations (of course you can make your own).
· Pineapple, almonds, figs
· Cashews, currants, sunflower seeds
· Mangos, walnuts, shaved coconut
· Nuts, raisins, peanuts, apricots
6. Rice crackers, for that matter any bread or cracker that is corn- or wheat-free is acceptable. Watch out for hydrogenated oil and other chemicals when buying any packaged foods. Rice crackers can be eaten with nut butters or lunch meat. Lunch meat that has nitrites (salami, bologna, etc.) is not acceptable. Plain roast beef, turkey or chicken are OK. You can have salmon or tuna with some avocado on your rice cake. Guacamole is also a good spread to have on a rice cake.
7. Wrap a piece of turkey, chicken or beef around a carrot, celery stick or other piece of raw vegetable.

Lunch and Dinner:
1. Any broiled or baked poultry, fish or meat. Most animal products are not on the avoidance list. You may want to keep red meat to a minimum. Animal fats frequently contain environmental toxins. This, added to the fact that many farmers indiscriminately add antibiotics and other drugs to animal feed, make red meat a possible source of toxins. Chickens are kept in cages and force-fed, their beaks removed. Factory farming makes most meats a poor dietary choice. It is a good idea to buy meat, poultry and fish from animals that are allowed to roam and are not given drugs. Try shopping at grocery stores or health food stores that feature organic produce and meats from animals that were allowed room to move and not given drugs. Avoid shellfish. They are bottom-feeders and consume many pollutants. They are quite literally the cockroaches of the ocean.
2. Any cooked or raw vegetables. Vegetables should accompany every meal. More than half of the food (by volume) that you eat should be fresh (preferably) vegetables. Vegetables help to detoxify the bowel. They are also a source of carotenes, bioflavonoids, vitamin C and trace minerals. They help to nourish the normal bowel bacteria and to feed and heal the lining of the intestines, keeping them healthy.
3. Any grains other than wheat or corn. Brown rice, millet, barley, oats, amaranth, quinoa or spelt. You can buy rice noodles in health food stores and Oriental grocery stores. Select only whole grains.
4. Sandwiches can be made with spelt, millet or 100% rye bread. You can use nut butters, unsweetened jellies, chicken, turkey, beef, salmon or tuna as filler. You can make vegetable sandwiches using things like avocado, refried beans, hummus, sprouts, cucumber, onion, tofu, zucchini or other vegetable.

RECIPES

Salad Dressings:
Tahini Cream
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup vinegar
6 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
3/4 cup tahini
Crush the garlic with a little of the vinegar in a mixing bowl. Mix in the tahini and the rest of the vinegar. Mix well until it is the consistency of a thick, smooth cream. If it is too thick, you can add cold water and mix until it becomes the desired thickness. Season to taste with salt and cumin, if desired.

Basic Oil and Vinegar

3 tablespoons virgin or extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1 clove of crushed garlic
Salt and pepper
Use a garlic press or crush garlic clove with a fork, mixing in the olive oil and vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste.

Honey Mustard Dressing

4 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon virgin or extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
Heat vinegar and honey in a saucepan. Stir until the honey is dissolved. Let cool and combine the remaining ingredients.

Egg-Free Mayonnaise

1 cup soft tofu, drained
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
3 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 cup canola or other vegetable oil
Place tofu and mustard in a blender. Blend at high speed. Slowly add the oil and vinegar, a little at a time. Add a few drops of oil, then a few drops of vinegar, while blending, little by little until all the oil and vinegar has been added. Stop from time to time to scrape the sides of the blender.

Italian

1/2 cup extra virgin or virgin olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, crushed or pressed
2 teaspoons oregano (fresh, if possible, chopped finely)
2 teaspoons basil (fresh, if possible, chopped finely)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Mix ingredients. Serve.

Salads:
Jerusalem Salad

Cut the following into small chunks or cubes.
1 small cucumber
1/2 sweet onion (like Walla Walla or other sweet onion)
1/2 cup black olives (sliced, or whole, if you prefer)
1 avocado
Mix with the Tahini Cream Dressing and serve.

Walnut and Cheese Salad

Any greens (3 cups)—Romaine, Boston bib, spinach or, preferably, a combination.
One pear, sliced thin
1 cup walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
Mix all of the ingredients with the Basic Oil and Vinegar Dressing.

Finely Chopped Salad #1

Finely chop the following ingredients with a knife:
3 cups Romaine lettuce
1 large cucumber
1 sweet onion
1/2 cup olives
6 tablespoons parsley
2 tablespoons dill
3 tablespoons mint
Mix with the Basic Oil and Vinegar Dressing. Serve immediately--this salad does not keep well.

Finely Chopped Salad #2

In a food processor, place the following:
1/2 head of cabbage
4 carrots
8 radishes
Finely chop the ingredients, mix with Basic Oil and Vinegar Dressing. Serve immediately--this salad does not keep well.

Note: Finely chopped salads are especially good for healthy digestion; they help to nourish normal bacteria and to sustain the intestinal lining. You can use any combination of ingredients.

Carrot Salad

1 cup walnuts, chopped
7 medium carrots, cleaned and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup raisins (unsulfured)
3/4 cup Egg-Free Mayonnaise Dressing
Place carrots in a blender or food processor at a low speed (add water if using a blender). Coarsely chop the carrots. Add raisins and run blender briefly. Drain (if necessary). Add nuts and stir in dressing. Chill and serve.

Three Bean Salad

1 cup fresh green beans cut into 1-inch pieces and cooked
1 cup cooked kidney beans
1 cup cooked navy beans
1 large Bermuda onion
2 stalks celery
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup of Italian Dressing
Combine the beans and dressing, mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight. On the next day, thinly slice the onion and celery, mix into beans. Top with parsley and serve.

Soups:
Soup Stock

Chop onions, celery, carrots (one cup each) and crush two garlic cloves, place in 8 cups of water. Add 1 pound of any one of the following:
Pork neck bones
Chicken (use the neck, wings, back, and other cheap parts)
Beef (once again, cheap parts like neck bones, etc.)
Bring to a boil, skim off the scum. Cover and simmer for about 3 hours. Directly add other soup ingredients or separate liquid and freeze for later.

Lentil Soup

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery (with leaves), chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 cups lentils
8 cups of pork or beef stock
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 marrow bone, halved (or cracked)
Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion, crushed garlic, celery, and carrot. Sauté until softened. Add the stock and the bone. Simmer gently, covered for1 - 1-1/2 hours (until lentils are soft). Salt and pepper to taste. For a Middle-Eastern taste, add one teaspoon of cumin when adding the stock and the bone.

Split Pea Soup

2 cups yellow or green split peas. Soak overnight and drain. If there is no time to soak, wash them well, and just simmer the soup a bit longer.
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 medium carrots, sliced
8 cups of pork or chicken stock
Salt and pepper
Sauté onion, garlic and celery in a large saucepan with the olive oil. Add stock, peas and carrots. Bring to a boil. Simmer until peas are soft and disintegrating (1-2 hours).

Finding Hidden Allergies: Cocoa Pulse Test Procedure:

1. Establish your baseline pulse by counting your pulse for a full minute before trying a particular food.
2. Put a food in your mouth (on your tongue). Do not swallow it. Taste it for at least 1 minute.
3. Retake your pulse while the food remains in your mouth. Take the pulse for a full minute. A change of four or more is considered a sensitive reaction. The greater the degree of allergenicity, the higher the pulse will be.
4. Spit out the tested ingredient (do not swallow it). Rinse your mouth and retake your pulse. When it returns to baseline, you can test another food.
This test may not be valid if you are taking a drug that controls your heart rate, such as a calcium-channel blocker or beta-blocker.

Rules for pulse testing:

· Because accuracy is important, you must always take your pulse for 1 full minute.
· If your pulse count when standing is greater than that when sitting, this is a positive indication of food or environmental sensitivity.
· If at least 14 pulse counts are being taken each day, and if your daily maximal pulse rate is constant (within one or two beats) for three days in succession, this indicates that all food sensitivities have been avoided on those days.
· If the ingestion of a frequently eaten food causes no acceleration of your pulse (at least six beats above your estimated normal maximum) that food can be tentatively considered nonsensitive for you.
· Your pulse reaction to an inhaled allergen (particularly dust mites) is more likely to be of shorter duration than that to a major food allergen.
· Pulse rates that are not more than six beats above the estimated normal daily maximum should not be blamed on a recently eat food but on an inhalant or recurrent reaction.
· If your minimum pulse rate does not regularly occur before rising, after the night's rest, but at some other time in the day, this usually indicates sensitivity to dust, dust mites or something in the sleeping environment.

A Few Final Words About Food Allergies and Sensitivities

Allergies can cause over 200 different symptoms—usually chronic problems that the patient doesn't associate with the offending food. While they can cause symptoms, they are also the result of other problems such as chemical exposure and digestive problems. Allergies are both a cause and an effect.
Many holistic health offices treat hidden allergies and little else, and they get good results with many of their patients. Avoidance of allergens will provide relief from many symptoms, but it may still be necessary to find underlying causes. The more pieces of the puzzle that are found, the better the results




© 2001 Dr. Paul Mach Design: Sotelo Design