Posted 12/21/2014 12:21 PM (GMT 0)
Just thinking -
Moving to a "healthy" diet may not be as healthy as you'd think. A lot of people have allergies or sensitivities to perfectly good food or chemicals contained naturally in certain food.
First, of course, is see the allergist and get some testing. Blood testing isn't worth much, but skin testing might pick up something to which you react strongly.
Second, no, actually right now while waiting for that allergist appointment - start a food journal. Look up "Food Journal" in the search box at the top of the page. It's free and easy. Just get a half-size notebook and write down on each page the time, what you eat or drink, medicines, and any reactions noted.
Some people react as long as 2 days after eating certain things they don't tolerate - which is why you need the notebook. I've gone back in my "food log" months later to check out if I had any small reaction to something I hadn't previously paid attention to.
When you get a list of foods/meals that are suspect, you have to break down those meals into ingredients. That's called "challenge testing." Look that one up too, but that's at least a couple of months down the road.
When I got my list of foods, drinks and medicines, I listed them and put in "food allergies" into Google and came up with a specific chemical. Mine was sulfites. Other people have different "food triggers" like MSG, salicylates. My reaction was not hives either, although some people with this intolerance can have the "true" allergic reaction (hives).
Elvie - You've got that right! Find out what you're treating first! We'd love for you to start your own thread and introduce yourself.
selenh - Yes, Aloe might be helpful. I've had several good experiences with it treating burns. Do you have any experience with it treating hives? We'd love to have you start your own thread too.