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The Online Slimming Club web site has been developed to offer everything that a
local slimming club can provide and much more, but without the time, expense, the
travel and the embarrassing public weigh in.
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Food Allergies And Food Intolerance
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A food allergy is an immune response to a food that the body believes is/can be harmful. Food allergy symptoms and reactions i.e. anaphylactic shock can be life threatening and very serious. These allergies can be triggered at any age however are usually genetic but can also be brought on by stress.
Food intolerance is usually caused by a lack of a digestive enzyme or damaged intestine, which causes insensitivity to a certain food/food group. Food intolerance symptoms are not as severe or serious as an allergy but can have similar symptoms that take longer to manifest.
90% of all allergic and intolerance reactions are caused by these foods: Milk, Gluten, wheat, nut, Soya, fish and egg, however the first four are the most common threat.
Milk Intolerance/Allergy
People can react to the lactose found in milk as they have a lack of the enzyme lactase which results in the inability to digest lactose properly this is especially common in cows milk as goat or sheep milk have lower levels of lactose per ml, symptoms can include: Bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and constipation.
A milk allergy is different as the person’s immune system reacts to a protein found in the milk, this causes much more severe symptoms-.the protein which causes this can also be found in milk derived products like cheese, yogurt and cream and products such as skimmed milk which also contain casein, whey and caseinate- the guilty proteins.
Gluten
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats, a person who is gluten intolerant on a permanent or more serious nature is said to have coeliac disease- this disease causes inflammation and damage to the bowel which reduces the ability to absorb nutrients from food. This also causes symptoms like: Diarrhoea, weight loss, vomiting, mouth ulcers and abdominal pain and this may also cause long term nutrient deficiencies, problems with osteoporosis and an increased sensitivity to other high % intolerant foods like Soya or milk.
Gluten as it is a protein found in flour can also be found in flour based foods so coeliacs need to watch out for all foods that contain wheat, barley or rye flour as well as the more obvious food sources.
Wheat
Wheat is different to gluten intolerance; people intolerant to wheat are intolerant to wheat grain and starch. Symptoms are very similar to gluten intolerance. As wheat is a staple food it is very hard avoiding all wheat, but stay away from: wheat flour, pasta, cakes and biscuits especially.
It is worth noting that gluten free products may not always be suitable for a wheat free diet as wheat starch can be found in gluten free bread.
Nut
A nut allergy can develop at any age, it is essential to avoid contact with all nuts that cause allergies as reactions tend to be very serious- even nut dust can cause anaphylactic shock. If you have a nut allergy it may be useful to carry an epi-pen as this contains adrenaline to counteract a nut allergy. People with nut allergies may be more prone to reactions if they have asthma or high stress levels.
Once you have identified the problem food the only way to control the allergy or intolerance is to eliminate it from the diet, this is easier said than done though especially with gluten or wheat. It is always best to get medical advice from your GP who can help you plan a balanced diet and confirm food allergies or intolerances.
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