Surrey Homes | SH21 | July 2016 | Interiors supplement inside

Adverse reaction
In a world of instant access to endless information, it can all get a
little confusing. We dispel a few myths and find out first-hand...
The Allergy uK expert
Amena Warner is the
Head of Clinical Services...
Is there a difference between food allergy
and intolerance? Allergic reactions to
food involve an abnormal response of the
immune system. Allergic symptoms can
vary from mild, to moderate, to severe.
Mild symptoms can include itching, rashes,
sneezing and a runny nose. Moderate
symptoms vary from swelling, vomiting,
stomach pains and coughing, with severe
symptoms being difficulty in breathing
or talking, which may lead to individuals
passing out. Severe allergic reactions can be
fatal, and are referred to as an anaphylactic
shock, which is an acute medical emergency
that needs prompt medical treatment.
Intolerances are different to food allergies
- they’re not caused by the immune system
and are not life threatening, although they
can reduce quality of life significantly.
Intolerances usually affect adults, rarely
infants, who are more likely to have
allergy. There are no validated tests for
food intolerances other than lactose.
Are there any common symptoms?
With a food allergy, symptoms usually
arise within a few minutes of eating the
offending food, although they may be
delayed by up to a couple of hours. These
can include rashes, wheezing, itching, severe
gut pain or, rarely, sudden collapse. The
rapid onset of symptoms, which always
occur in response to the same food, means
that most people will already recognise that
the food causes them a problem. However
intolerance reactions are usually delayed and
symptoms may take several hours or days
to appear. The most common symptoms
are gastro-intestinal bloating, wind, loose
stools or rashes, joint pain and headaches.
If someone thinks they might have an
intolerance, but is not sure what to, do
you have any advice? Food intolerances can
be diagnosed with the help of a registered
dietitian by a process of elimination of
the suspect food, resolution of symptoms
and monitored reintroduction. This
is often via the use of a food diary.
Allergy UK offer help and advice online or
over the phone so visit www.allergyuk.org or
call 01322 619898 for further information.
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Nut allergy
Hayley discusses day-to-day dealings...
When did you first realise you had an allergy to peanuts and what happened? I can’t
really pinpoint when I discovered my allergy, because it was always thought I just had
asthma. As a small child I vividly remember my aunt giving me a marathon bar out
shopping, but the change happened when I tried peanut butter. The next time I came into
contact with peanuts was at a Christmas party later that year. I had an asthma attack and
the doctor was called. Christmas was when I always suffered most due to nuts being out,
and I have to be careful at parties. It has been known for someone to kiss me on the cheek
and leave a lip mark having just eaten nuts!
What do you do now to avoid coming into contact with peanuts? I’m obviously careful
what I eat and check packets if I’m buying something different. My local Chinese restaurant
know I have an allergy so they are careful with my order and my daughter and fiancé
watch what they eat too. If we eat out I always let the waiter know, although sometimes it’s
unavoidable if someone has had nuts on the same surface. I’ll know about it shortly after!
Are you allergic to anything else/ any other nuts? I have a mild reaction to most
nuts but I don’t really test! Almonds make me sick and roasted chestnuts turn my
stomach. Walnuts make me itch, although I am fine with coconut. I do have to
be careful with beauty products as some contain nut extract which badly affects
my skin, so I use hypoallergenic cleanser, toner and foundation to be safe.
Wheat and gluten intolerance
Christian gives us an interesting insight...
What symptoms did you have that made you question celiac disease? Celiac disease
didn’t come to mind at all until much further down the line. At first I’d occasionally get
pain in the lower abdomen but there wasn’t an obvious correlation between what I was
consuming and the symptoms I had. Once fatigue crept in, the abdominal pain increased
and the constant feeling of general unease took over, I began the search to find out what
was actually going on. At that point it felt as if all food was off the menu because everything
seemed to make the symptoms worse.
What precautions do you take and how do you manage it? The obvious precaution
is avoiding gluten, but that task is a challenge if you like eating anywhere that isn’t a
specialized, quarantined facility where only you and your grain fearing friends have coded
access to. Most folk think being gluten free means replacing your bread with an overpriced,
over processed cardboard-like substitute, but the reality is that gluten protein is lurking in
places you wouldn’t expect. Foods that are naturally gluten free are often cross-contaminated
when they’re commercially processed. That’s why it’s imperative to be label savvy, or even
better, listen to the advice in the next question.
Do you have any advice for someone who thinks they may have celiac or an
intolerance? Celiac disease and any other food intolerance force an individual to become
more conscious about his or her food choices. It’s a chance for someone to reevaluate how
and what they define as ‘food’. However, the mainstream response to gluten intolerance
has created a huge market for speciality food-like products which imitate culturally popular
‘food-items’. Gluten free alternatives for processed boxed cereals, pastas, breads and biscuits
have flooded the supermarkets. Whether you choose to consume the regular version of
these items or its gluten free counterpart, they are sub-optimal for fuelling a vibrant, fully
functional human being. By keeping 95%-100% of your food shopping within the fresh
produce aisle, you take the first step in becoming much healthier and happier beyond the
management of your medical condition. In a nutshell, eat food and less food-like products.
Christian Hindley is a Personal Trainer & Remedial Therapist.
Contact him on 01580 211775.
100 www.wealdentimes.co.uk