Tips to deal with a food intolerance

You’ve probably noticed the labels when you’re at the grocery store.

Foods that are gluten free and lactose free, it's for people with food intolerances.

Jason Bosley-Smith a nutrition coordinator with the Maryland Athletic Club says,  

"Some of the common examples that are out there are soy, wheat or gluten based products as well as milk or dairy based products like lactose

Bosley-Smith says a food intolerance will usually cause digestive problems. "It's usually digestive in nature. Most people have some type of digestive discomfort, maybe nausea or bloating or gas, something where they just don't feel right from a digestive standpoint."

A food intolerance is different from a food allergy. Bosley-Smith says, "Food allergies are full blown allergic reactions you would have rashes, swelling, throat closing, those types of immediate reactions to food."

For some, a food intolerance can be just as serious. Those who suffer from celiac disease are not able to eat foods containing gluten, which are the proteins found in wheat.

If you think you might have a food intolerance, don't ignore it. Bosley-Smith says, "Certainly see your physician if you suspect a food intolerance so are a little more trickier to diagnose than others but there are some tests that are available now... to diagnose intolerances."

And try doing an elimination diet if you suspect you have a food intolerance.

"Completely eliminate the suspected food for a certain period of time and then reintroduce the food to see what kind of change happened when you eliminated the food."

The MAC will be holding an August workshop on food intolerances. To learn more, you can email Jason Bosley-Smith at jbosley-smith@macwellness.com