As a chef I'm extremely anxious that my customers have an exceptional dining experience. However, nothing puts a damper on a meal quite like an adverse reaction to your meal. Many people are quick to blame "food poisoning." Can there be a more common cause to gastric distress following a meal?
I'm a chef not a doctor, but, for years I’ve had issues with particular foods, especially at certain restaurants or fast food chains. At first I assumed that I had gotten food poisoning. Later when the incidents of distress became more common, I assumed that I had a food allergy. My symptoms ranged from mild discomfort to a whole range of violent reactions including: gastro-intestinal issues, headache, and nausea, and even extreme brain fog—disorientation.
By trial and error it took a long time to narrow down the culprit. Besides ultimately identifying my own particular culinary demons, I learned that there is a difference between food poisoning, allergies and food intolerance.
Food allergies and intolerances are different from food poisoning. Food poisoning is caused by some sort of food-borne pathogen (contamination), which generally results from spoiled or tainted food and affects more than one person eating the food. You can generally distinguish between food poisoning and other sensitivities by the length of time it takes to get over the incident. Incidents of food intolerance are generally much shorter in duration, while cases of food poisoning usually are both longer in duration, and much more virulent, often requiring hospitalization.
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Though food allergies and food intolerances are generally treated in a similar manner --- by avoiding the food that causes symptoms, there are several differences between the two. The main differences between a food allergy and intolerance are in the way the body reacts to food in these two disorders. Food allergies are usually caused by an immune system response, where as a food intolerance is generally caused by a digestive enzymatic disorder (not having enough of the specific enzymes required to digest a particular food).
While food intolerance is generally problematic in that the person affected experiences certain and varying levels of symptoms, food allergies can sometimes prove fatal. Allergies causes what is known as anaphylaxis where the body produces elevated, and possibly even dangerous levels of “histamines,” which in the very worst cases causes swelling to the point that breathing becomes impossible. While many foods can be linked to both allergies and food intolerance, the most common foods that cause allergic reactions include: dairy, soy, eggs, nuts, wheat, and seafood.
Probably the most common food sensitivity we are aware of would be lactose intolerance. Lactose is found in milk products. In my experiences over the years I’ve come across people with a wide variety of items that they should avoid including: Gluten (wheat and some other grains), chocolate, onions, alcohol, and many food preservatives and additives such as nitrates, nitrites, sulfites, monosodium glutamate, soy lecithin, and others. For a really good article on the subject check out the link below
Top Ten IBS “Trigger” Foods
Experience has shown me that even “nutritious” foods can cause sensitivities in certain people. While almost any food can cause an allergic reaction, some foods cause more problems than others -- milk, eggs, wheat, and corn are probably highest on the list.
Your health care provider can help determine if you have a food allergy or intolerance, as well as help you establish a plan to help control your symptoms.
Most food intolerances are found through trial and error to determine which food or foods cause symptoms. As was my case, you may be asked to keep a food diary to record what you eat and when you get symptoms, and then look for common factors.
Another way to identify problem foods is to go on an elimination diet. This involves completely eliminating any suspect foods from your diet until you are symptom-free. You then begin to reintroduce the foods, one at a time. This can help you pinpoint which foods cause symptoms. Seek the advice of your health care provider or a registered dietitian before beginning an elimination diet to be sure your diet provides adequate nutrition.
Whether you have a food allergy or sensitivity, the best defense is to discover your triggers, and avoid them! Where possible I try to avoid cooking with foods that I know are triggers here in the hospital. I recently removed a particular “mystery oil” that I found to contain soy lecithin. I no longer thicken my soups with flour. One of my goals is to produce my own cured meats so that I can serve more sausages etc without nitrates.
A good chef takes the time to understand the ingredients he uses, it is just part of our basic training. When it comes to eating here in Bethel Alaska, at the YKHC cafeteria please don’t hesitate to ask the Chef about the food if you have a particular allergy or sensitivity. I’ll be sure to let you know what is safe or potentially problematic from a culinary perspective!
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