The word gluten actually means glue. It is protein from cereal grains such as wheat, barley and rye. The seeds of these grass grains are harvested and processed into food products. The protein duo of glutenin and gliadin are present in the seeds and as the starch is washed away it leaves behind the glue-like gluten. Probably the most familiar food product that has gluten is dough. The gluten gives the elastic quality to dough and the chewiness of foods such as bagels.

Gluten content of flours used for baking is manipulated to make flours that either have higher or lower gluten content. The higher gluten content flours promote better rising of the dough and make the baked products chewier. Flours low in gluten are used to make cakes. The glue property of gluten is still used today to make wallpaper paste. The old-fashioned way of making wallpaper paste was to mix up high gluten flour and warm water into a soupy paste that would be applied to the back of wallpaper to get it to stick to the walls. It’s that sticky!

As with other food intolerance issues, soy can manifest physical symptoms of intolerance with many of the same symptoms that indicate an allergic response such as pain in the gut, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, headaches, fatigue and wheezing and other asthma symptoms. In other words, if there are symptoms manifesting in the body that cannot be directly attributed to another cause, then suspect a food intolerance or allergy.

Soy is a good one to eliminate and see if symptoms improve because it is one of the most common food intolerances.

Soy comes from the soybean that is now used in the United States in so many forms and derivatives that the list would be exhaustive. Typically most think of soy as in Soy Sauce, but soy can be processed into everything from milk to animal feed to oil. Soy yields the largest amount of vegetable protein per acre than any other vegetable making it an important cash crop.

Unfortunately soy is in the Top 8 list of foods that produce allergic reactions. It is a common allergen producing symptoms in the population of those who consume it in its various derivatives and forms. Symptoms can range from mild to life-threatening (anaphylaxis) and can be acute (immediate) to chronic (perpetual if soy is continued to be consumed).

Intolerance of any food can cause the sufferer to endure some serious symptoms, but intolerance doesn’t involve the immune system as a food allergy does. Intolerance can change over a person’s lifetime. That intolerance to milk that was noticed as a child may or may not exist today, and there would only be one sure and certain way to find out. The person who had the intolerance to milk would have to consume some milk. That’s a simple thing to grasp and do.

A much tougher thing for adults to do is to consider that they have become intolerant of a food as an adult. Just saying, “I’ve eaten this my whole life and never had a problem,” doesn’t solve anything. Just as a prior sufferer of milk intolerance would have to test to see if they no longer have such an intolerance, an adult who is getting sick all of the time will need to eliminate a suspected food item in its entirety to be certain whether or not they have developed a new food intolerance. It can happen to anyone at anytime.

The thing about egg intolerance is that it may be the proteins in the yolk, the white, or both that is causing the symptoms of egg intolerance to occur. Symptoms of bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, dry skin, abdominal pain, dry skin, and others can be caused by many diseases, but they can also be a direct result of food intolerance.

We know our bodies. Our bodies tell us many things if we listen. How many times have you said, “I think that made me sick.” When it becomes a trend it is time to take notice and do something about it.

Egg intolerance is caused by a problem with our own bodies having difficulty, typically, with the proteins contained in the egg. The proteins are the main culprit for egg intolerance. Usually, for those with an egg allergy or an egg intolerance it is the white, or albumin, of the egg that is causing the problem. That is typically based on percentages, but you may be in the percentage of people who are intolerant to the egg yolk.

This is significant in that eggs are in so many food items that it would be a huge task to list even half of them. If you know for certain that your intolerance is caused by either the yolk or the white, it is easier to avoid symptoms of intolerance by focusing on eliminating food items that contain the offending yolks or whites of eggs.

If you suspect an intolerance to eggs that is causing symptoms then avoiding the consumption of any part of the egg would hopefully solve the problem. A simple way to test whether or not eggs are the culprit is to change your diet by only eliminating egg products of any kind. Don’t make any other changes because you won’t know which change let you be symptom free.

If after a period of several weeks of abstaining from anything with eggs in it you happen to notice there have been no recurrence of symptoms, now it is time to add back in the yolk first if you must have eggs. It would be wise to pick the yolk first because statistically more people are allergic and intolerant to the albumin (egg white).

If there are no symptoms after a few weeks of consuming egg yolks and foods that contain egg yolks, then you could add back to your diet a bit of egg whites. There may be an immediate return of symptoms, or the symptoms may not return until you eat a certain quantity of foods that contain egg whites. Your body may have a threshold where it starts to have symptoms of egg intolerance. This may make a difference between having an occasional slice of lemon meringue pie or not since the meringue contains egg whites.

Dairy Intolerance is not the same as lactose intolerance, nor is it the same as an allergic reaction to dairy. However each share some common symptoms. Lactose is a sugar found in dairy products, and for a person to be intolerant, it would require insufficient amounts of the enzyme lactase to break down the lactose. Dairy Intolerance is often a general gastric intolerance to dairy foods, while a dairy allergy triggers an immune response to the components of milk. Still, a dairy intolerance, can result in a variety of symptoms and disruptions in the body, sometimes just as severe as those related to a full-blown allergy.  The two main offenders are lactose and casein.

Casein (pronounced kay-seen) is a protein in milk and can be found in everything from potato chips to paint. Though one wouldn’t be consuming paint, it is mentioned to demonstrate how widespread the use of the substance is. Lactose is a sugar found in milk and can be in concentrations as high as 8 percent in milk by weight. The substances are a natural part of dairy and are not an issue at all until someone is either intolerant or allergic to them.

Though symptoms can be unique to the sufferer, there are some common symptoms of dairy intolerance with the top 5 being:

1. Nausea
2. Stomach pain/cramping
3. Bloating
4. Flatulence
5. Diarrhea

These symptoms would, of course, be noticed after consuming a dairy product. If someone is intolerant to dairy products and eats a big bowl of ice cream, then experiences some discomfort, it is likely that the discomfort was caused by the ice cream. Other common symptoms of a dairy intolerance are more serious conditions such as eczema, acne and other skin disorders, asthma, chronic fatigue, weakness, irritability, inability to concentrate, headaches, congestion, excessive mucus, and joint pain.

Allergic reactions to milk happen when our body’s immune system malfunctions and sees the dairy food as an invader. This then triggers a cascading chemical response as the body tries to fight off the perceived invader causing the sufferer to feel sick with symptoms. At the extreme end of an allergic response would be anaphylactic shock which is a life threatening condition.

It is estimated that upwards of 75% of the world population suffers of dairy intolerance (this would include the big, ugly lactose intolerance offender).  That means that of every ten friends and relatives, perhaps 7 are cannot tolerate dairy products to one degree or another.  It is often something that goes unnoticed and undiagnosed because the symptoms are so varied and are often mistaken for another condition or disease.

Avoidance and outright abstinence of any form of dairy product or its derivatives would solve the problem for one who suffers from sensitivity or intolerance, but it is often extremely difficult since so many products are made from or contain milk or components of milk. Since dairy products are an abundant source of calcium, this presents another issue if one is avoiding or abstaining from dairy consumption.

Consuming replacement foods in one’s diet with alternate sources of calcium is important.  Oranges, broccoli, almonds, and many other foods contain calcium, but supplementation is often a good idea as well. An 8 ounce glass of skim milk contains about 300 milligrams of calcium as compared to 1 fresh orange which contains about 52 milligrams of calcium. The minimum recommended daily intake of calcium for an otherwise healthy person is 1,000 milligrams. That’s about four 8 ounce glasses of milk compared to 20 oranges!

There are about 28.6 grams of carbohydrate in 1 ounce of sugar. That is 4 grams of carbohydrate per teaspoon of sugar, and there are about 10 teaspoons of sugar in a regular can of soda. For the 6 foot tall, 40 year-old, 175 pound male who is happy being at 175 pounds his daily carbohydrate requirement is roughly 299-350 grams of carbs in a day.  One can of regular soda is about one-eighth of his whole daily intake of carbs.  Two cans of soda and a candy bar is approaching a third of the daily amount of carbohydrate intake needed to maintain his weight, and it is all in the form of simple sugars! Many Americans finish off two cans of soda and a candy bar before lunch. And if it isn’t soda and candy bars, it is muffins, pancakes, doughnuts, milkshakes, sweet tea, pastries, pies, cakes and the list goes on.

Many people think it is very healthy to eat a yogurt for breakfast, but a single yogurt can contain 30-40 grams of carbohydrates, most of which are in sugar form.  Keep in mind that not all carbs are created equal.  The amount of fiber versus the amount of straight-up sugar is important.  So that single yogurt counts for a big percentage of the maximum amount of carbs you should get in a day!

Our bodies need carbohydrate for energy, but we don’t need all the sugar that comes along with the Standard American Diet.  You need at least 100 grams of carbohydrate a day to meet the needs of your brain and other body tissues that do not easily use other fuels.  Experts recommend that we get about 45-60 percent of our calories from carbohydrates.

Healthy forms of carbohydrate include fruits and vegetables and whole grains.  These foods also include some sugar.  Getting sugars from these forms is alright because those foods provide additional nutritional value.  Foods high in carbohydrate and sugar, such as sodas and candy bars are not because they do not provide any nutritional value or minimal at best maybe if the candy bar contains nuts.

Today, ask yourself, what kinds of carbohydrate do I eat?  Is there something I you could cut out?  Is there something I should cut out?  Is there something I could replace with an orange or an apple or a even a banana?

When you have an allergy or intolerance to anything, common sense tells you to avoid that item.  If you are allergic to peanuts, then you would not make yourself a PB&J for a midnight snack.  If you are allergic to penicillin, then your doctor would not prescribe any medications that have penicillin in them.  So common sense tells you to not have scrambled eggs for breakfast if you are allergic to eggs. If only it were that easy.

Eggs and egg protein are in more products than one might realize.  Eggs are used as an emulsifier in many products so they will mix better.  When at home, you can replace eggs with something such as applesauce or oil and baking powder and you will get the same results. If you are dining out, you can let the waitress or waiter know of your allergy or intolerance, and they can find out from the cook staff if your choices are free of that product.  When you are out grocery shopping, however, it can be a bit trickier if you aren’t sure what to look for.

As of January 2006, FDA labeling laws mandated that foods containing eggs must be clearly marked on food labels.  The problem with this is that not all foods and products are covered by the FDA, so you must know what to look for when reading labels.  Another problem is that the ingredients in a product can change without notice, so you don’t want to make the mistake of reading a label just once. If it is a regular item that you buy, check the label periodically to see if any ingredients have been added that might be harmful to you.

The following list contains ingredients where egg protein is present.  If you see one of the following on the label and you have an intolerance to eggs, you do not want to purchase it.  It is best to print a copy until you get used to all of them.

• Albumen
• Albumin
• Apovitellenin
• Globulin
• Livetins
• Lysozyme
• Ovalbumin
• Ovamucin
• Ovoglobulin
• Ovomucoid
• Ovotransferrin
• Phosvitin
• Silici Albuminate
• Simplesse
• Trailblazer
• Vitellin

The main rule of thumb is to not assume anything.  If a product comes in more than one size, it is possible the ingredients could be slightly different for each size.  If the same product is manufactured at more than one location the ingredients could slightly vary.  If the product is a food that is regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, then it does not need to clearly state that it contains eggs.

Also, there are over 70 different vitamins and minerals in eggs so they are used in products other than food items.  Medications, shampoos, pet products, mouthwash, etc. can all contain some form of egg, so make sure you check the label on non-food items if you will be in direct contact with them.

Carry your list with you, and if you are ever in doubt, call the manufacturer directly with your questions. The contact numbers are relatively easy to find on the Internet (or on the product itself).