Avoid food allergens

If you suspect you or a loved one has a food allergy, there are eight top food allergens to look out for. Ninety percent of all food-allergic responses can be traced to these foods.

To isolate your allergy, try introducing each food one by one for a period of two weeks to see if there is any kind of response. Or, if you can easily live without these food, just keep up the elimination diet and enjoy allergy-free living.

Milk

Dairy products are widely known to cause varying degrees of allergic responses. You can substitute dairy with a number of soy-based products, but beware of soy because it is also on this list.

Soy

Soy allergies are very common in babies and children. Soy is found in baked goods, canned tuna, cereals, crackers, infant formulas, sauces and soups.

Eggs

Eggs are everywhere, so you must be very careful when eliminating this food from your diet. Check the ingredients in baked goods, foods with mayonnaise or anything containing albumin or albumen.

Peanuts

Peanut allergies get a lot of attention because the reaction can be fatal. But any food allergy can cause anaphylactic shock, not just an allergy to peanuts.

Due to peanut butter popularity among children, it is particularly challenging to get this product out of your life if you are around kids. Peanuts and peanut oil are found in everything from prescription drugs and lotions to salad dressings and baked goods.

Tree nuts

Interestingly, peanuts are not really nuts; they are legumes. Tree nuts include almonds, walnuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts and chestnuts. Tree nut allergies tend to be lifelong.

Fish

If you are allergic to one variety – or suspect you are – avoid them all. Salmon, tuna and halibut are the most common. Watch out for fish oils, which can be found in salad dressings and other marinades.

Shellfish

Shrimp, crab and lobster are the most common of shellfish allergies. Often, these are lifelong allergies.

Gluten/wheat

Gluten allergies are on the rise and are being attributed to a host of health problems including weight gain, eczema, runny noses and lack of concentration. Gluten can be used as a thickening agent, so look carefully on labels even in foods you would least suspect.

Source: FAAN