When it comes to investigating food chemical sensitivity there is still much to learn…

What have I found useful after 40 years of helping food sensitive patients?  All smells of any kind in the patient’s environment became an important addition to the diet exclusions.  Patients can use the idea of the Total Body Load to realize that they should take all factors into account not just concentrate on food chemicals, so they get maximum benefit from the diet. Detail of the Total Body Load is available in all my books. The Family sensitivity history helps individualise the initial diet, so it does not need to be very strict in all aspects. Diet can fit the patient, or family, not the symptoms such as excluding wheat & dairy for gut symptoms. For example, emphasise dairy if it is reported a problem in a family member at any age, and amines if smells of stale food, over-ripe bananas, or strong cheeses are mentioned. Note also that 25% of the research group reacted to vanilla.

The other ideas I have noted are those that apply to practice in all areas of dietetics. Anyone who is doing diet therapy is doing clinical research whether they are consciously or formally collecting data or not. Whatever diet you are using it is still the current hypothesis. It is not the same as was used 10 years before and it will not be the same as in 10 years time.  You begin noting what it is about those who do well with the diet and those who do not. 

Learn more in Joan’s recent webinar available on Dietitian Connection – Working on our own, and don’t we all? Using food sensitivity investigation as an example.