Hi everyone, I am new here. I have not gotten the program yet, but I have read Lucinda's book many times and it has helped me a lot.

I just wanted to share with some of you, that food allergies may contribute to your anxiety. It does to mine. Especially, if any of you have had a lot of allergies and sinus problems your whole life. When I had a blood test for my allergies, it showed that I was allergic to a lot of foods (like wheat, soy, corn, peanut, etc.) The doctor said I was allergic to so much that I couldn't really avoid them and he did not spend a lot of time on the topic. I did take allergy shots for a few years which helped somewhat with the other allergy symptoms, but I didn't do anything at first about the food.

The more I read about anxiety I kept coming across books and articles that said that food allergies could cause anxiety and panic symptoms, so I decided to give it a try. Slowly, I started eliminating things from my diet and the anxiety began to get better. Now I am still anxious more than your average person but I do not have the nightly episodes that I used to. I've found that whenever I eat something I shouldn't have (like say if I ever go to an italian restaurant and have lots of pasta and bread) that I will wake up about four in the morning in a panic about something at work. Too much sugar has the same effect.

Now just a few years ago, I would never have thought I could change my diet the way I have, but it was relatively easy and it has helped me so much. You do have to seek out Internet shops, and whole food stores, but it is well worth the effort.

I hope this wasn't too long but I just wanted to share this with everyone in case there are some others like me out there.

Hey CC68,
I can relate to what you are saying. My situation is a little different but releates. I started having bacterial infection and oral thrust that wouldnt go away. I went to the doctor for the oral thrust (canker sores) in my mouth and they diagnosed me with Systematic Candida which is an overgrowth of yeast in your system from the foods we eat. But like you the doctor wasnt much help. They gave me antibiotics again which is one of the main culprits of contracting systematic candida and for women Birth control pills. I did a detoxification program (had to take these big hard horse pills)for 2 wks to help me get rid of the build up of yeast in my system. By cutting out sugars and yeast (very hard) and taking the pills to help me detox. I lost 8 lbs that I didnt need to lose and it got worst before it got better. I can honestly say that I havent got a canker sore since and my bacterial infections arent as frequent as they usto be. I have also notices that I cannot eat foods that I usto eat and this is part of the process. After the 2 wks you start incorporating foods back into your eating habits and if you notice a reaction then you are allergic to that food and you need to eliminate it. Stomache, headache, anxiety any type of reaction cut that food out. It is hard but It has helped. In many cases this also helps alot with anxiety ans stress. I am glad you shared this with us. Lynn

Thanks for responding, Lynn. I have done some reading about candida before. I am glad that changing your diet helped you. I just want to encourage everyone to start paying more attention to what you are eating and your moods. Changing my diet has really made a difference in my life. It is hard at first, but the benefits really pay off.

Hello there,

I am actually wondering myself if I have an allergy w/sugar and possibly a candida buildup in my system. Are there any symtoms for the candida? I have always had a strong sweet tooth and hypoglycemia, that afterwards sugar or excess refined carbs tend to put me in a funk, get really tired and need a nap, or makes me get a lot of anxiety and insecure troubles. What are all the tests I could take to determine if it is sugar/candida or a yeast growth? Could the brain be affected w/it too?

Any advice would be wonderful, plus good luck to you all who have taken the action needed to get rid of your allergies, etc.

~Amy

I suggest you go into the internet and search for "Sytematic Candida" and get the info you need. Candida can cause too many symptoms. Many mimic anxiety symptoms. I just bought a book called Chronic Candida and did a detoxing (not easy)...but I feel better. Good Luck to you and let us know how it goes.
Lynn

Hi, I just signed up today and I was reading all of your quotes on food allergies and candidiasis. I feel your pain. I'm allergic to everything from milk to beef to nuts and vinegars. I also am allergic to candida which you can consider that being an auto-immune disease. Candida and food allergies both cause major depression and anxiety. Candida also causes ADD symptoms. I suggest taking Juice Plus supplements and eliminating all refined sugars and yeasts and most fruits from your diet for at least 3 months, as well as all of your food allergies. Allergy medications for environmental allergies supress your immune system, too. I've actually been seeing an upper cervical chiropractor that is known for clearing up allergies and other menacing illnesses as well as anxiety. Maybe you should look into that. My thinking is getting a lot clearer since I've been to him..(sorry so long)

I just wanted to bump this topic back up for others to read. As I said above, changing my diet has really helped my anxiety and I want to share this with others.

Also, I wanted to add that there is an informative book called the "False Fat Diet" by Elson M. Haas that does a good job of explaining the effects food allergies can have on your total health.

I've developed major food allergies in my twenties that have added to the stress and anxiety for sure. I've become afraid to eat things if I don't positively know what all the ingredients are or how it was prepared (if there was cross-contamination). I also get frustrated when I can't eat my favorite foods anymore because I'm allergic to them. I want to believe that all these ailments stem from stress and will go away once the stress itself is under control, but I've been told adult allergies are less likely grown out of. Any input on this?

Hi Chloe, in just my own case I feel that the food allergies were causing my stress/anxiety rather than the other way around. In my situation, I suffered my whole life with sinus and allergy trouble (and asthma as a child). I did not have the blood test done until my late 20's and then it was maybe about 5 or 6 years after that before I decided to try cutting out the foods the test said I was allergic to. (My doctor had said I was allergic to so much it would be too hard to try to eliminate them so I didn't pay any attention to that part at the time.) It was only after reading repeatedly on the Internet that food allergies could contribute to anxiety that I decided to give it a try.

I agree with you that it is very frustrating not being able to eat your favorite foods. I have been able to find some replacement items using the Internet and at Whole Foods Market Grocery Stores. I have to drive over two hours to get to one of those stores but its worth it because I can actually find foods I can eat there.

I still have not been successful cutting out everything I am allergic to because it seems like wheat, soy, and corn are practically in everything. I just try the best I can.

I've read that some people can go back to eating the foods they are allergic to after staying away from them for awhile, but this has not happened in my case. If anything, I feel more sensitive to them! I think this is because before I was just sick all the time and now my body is healthier so I can feel the effects of certain foods on my body.

I also want to add that from things I've read, it seems that eating our allergic foods when there are other stresses on the body (such as airborne allergies)may make our reactions worse. This explains why sometimes I can eat a food and have little or no reaction and other times get a stuffy nose or later on an anxious episode.

Just wanted to say that I can relate to the food allergies and anxiety. I too have terrible anxiety and panic, but was also having a horrible time with my sinuses. Finally my ENT doctor, sent me to be allergy tested two weeks ago and I found out that I was allergic to chocolate, yeast, black pepper, crab, garlic, navy beans, lima beans,string beans, oatmeal, and oranges.Just by not eating these things for the past couple of weeks I have found that that only my sinuses are getting better but also my anxiety is not as severe. He believes I will probably have to go on allergy shots due to the other things I am allergic too, but that's ok. Just couldn't believe that these things that I had been eating was also making my anxiety much worse. I also have fibromyalgia and this is also helping the pain with this. It's a shame it took me 5 years to find this out but thank God I did.

Smama, I took allergy shots for a few years and they helped me. While it was not the cure-all I had hoped for, they did help me body in being able to heal itself. For example, before I took the allergy shots, if I got a sinus infection it never got better on its own, it always got worse and I ended up having to go to the doctor. Now if I ever get one, I can usually take care of it with some over the counter meds.

I am sure eliminating the food allergens will help you as well. I really do think there is an allergy/anxiety link. I don't know if it has to do with not breathing well or not, but when my allergies are really bad, I am always more anxious feeling.

Hi there. I too seem to have a problem with food (well gluten), and I'm feeling so much better with it out of my diet. I had pnd (post nasal drip) problems all my life. My anxiety has reduced like 85-90%. Sometimes I think that this is just fluke, but I can't deny the results. I have to try milk products next as my ears still ring (tinitus), but I'm still getting used to living without stuff with gluten in it. It really is something people should consider. I could bonk myself in the head for taking so long to try this (2 years of listening to my sister harp at me).

Good topic.

I can't help but to think that these problems could have been avoided if we didnt have all the chemicals in our food and around us like we do. With the pesticides, chemical fertilizers, hormones in the foods we eat, everything is just bombarded with chemicals. How else can our bodies respond? Our immune systems get overloaded and then we end up with food allergies, asthmas, etc. I am slowly learning but have decided to work into organics wherever possible. One thing I have learned is that growing things the way nature intended sure is costly. Its unfortunate. Everything in our supermarkets 'should' be organic, but I find very few items labeles as such.

Roses, Im so glad you are still feeling good. YOu are on the right track...YAY!

Just food for thought.

Reena

Hi Reena, I think you are right about all the chemicals, hormones, and unhealthy ingrediants we are getting in our diets without even knowing it. I have also been making the effort to go organic where I can.

In trying to avoid the things I'm allergic to, I've had to start reading food labels carefully and its unbelievable the unnecessary things that they are putting into our food supply.

Also, Food allergies (such as peanut and soy) are becoming more common because people are getting too much exposure to them.