Food Allergies: Adverse Food Reactions and Allergy Evaluation with Restore Health Center

Restore Health Center

Have you ever experienced dizziness, recurrent headaches, hives, and/or a swollen or itchy tongue after eating a certain food? Do you have consistent joint pain or tummy troubles? Have you experienced bloating, constipation, gas, cramping, or nausea repeatedly after eating? These symptoms could mean that you have a food allergy sensitivity or an intolerance to certain foods.  Negative reactions to food are more common than you might think, and if you suspect that you have adverse food reactions, you might be right. Here at Restore Health Center, we offer food sensitivity and allergy testing to help you discover which foods your body reacts to poorly and help you find ways to avoid them to live a healthy, symptom-free life. Additionally, we offer guided Elimination Diets, which can often be just as — if not more — helpful.

Adverse food reactions can be broken down into three basic categories: allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities. Food intolerances and sensitivities are more common than allergies. When you have a food allergy the reaction usually occurs within seconds to hours and symptoms result from your immune system increasing levels of a compound called IgE.  You might get hives, rash, or itchy feeling on your tongue or airways. This type of immune reaction has the potential to be quite severe, like with peanut allergies. When you have a food sensitivity, the reaction is still immune-mediated (by IgG and IgA) but can be slower than an IgE reaction and can occur within a few to 72 hours. That’s what makes identifying the source of these reactions so difficult! Unlike the potential danger of a food allergy, food sensitivities are not life-threatening but can lead to several uncomfortable or painful symptoms including belly pain, bloating, heartburn, headaches, joint pain, worsening skin issues like acne and eczema, as well as increased fatigue or sleep disturbances. Food intolerances are not an immune reaction and tend to result from poor digestion such as lactose intolerance because of the low production of the lactase enzyme that breaks down lactose.

Sometimes people don’t realize that they are experiencing adverse reactions to a specific food because of a delayed response and/or a reaction to multiple foods. Ongoing food reactions can also be a contributor to chronic health problems, such as digestive disturbances, chronic sinus congestion/drainage, mood swings, low energy, joint aches, and more. But this is often overlooked as a result of other health issues. Symptoms that have failed to respond to conventional medicine may often resolve by following an Elimination Diet, like the one used by the physicians at Restore Health.

Food Sensitivity Testing at Restore Health Center

Food allergy testing can be reliably helpful when you are trying to detect true food allergies. Food sensitivity testing is not always as dependable as allergy testing but it can definitely help reduce the guesswork in determining which foods your body may be struggling with. Doing a guided 21-30 day Elimination Diet is the gold standard for determining food sensitivities; however, testing takes less time and can be easier for some patients. 

At Restore Health Center, we prefer to use food sensitivity tests that examine your body’s reaction to the multiple peptides (the building blocks for protein) within specific foods that are common “offenders” such as eggs, dairy, wheat/gluten, corn, soy, and nuts. When you chew, digest and prepare/cook food many of the proteins are degraded or changed. General food sensitivity panels that test multiple foods are not examining how you react if the proteins change form. We have found that “peptide-level” tests better correlate clinically with the patient’s symptoms. 

As mentioned above, a great option for detecting food sensitivities, intolerances, or allergies is with the Institute for Functional Medicine Elimination Diet. An elimination diet removes certain foods that are known to cause uncomfortable symptoms. Then you reintroduce them one at a time no less than 21 days later while observing for symptoms. Once you have identified a food your body can’t tolerate, you can remove it from your diet to prevent any future uncomfortable symptoms. Unlike IgE allergies, foods you are only sensitive to can usually be reintroduced on a rotating basis after 9-12 months. 

During the three-week elimination diet, chronic symptoms should noticeably improve. After the three-week period, the food reintroduction process begins. You will add one food at a time back into your diet and observe if there are any negative symptoms associated with it. If a specific food continues to result in any negative symptoms, it is avoided for a longer period of time. Doing an elimination diet can seem daunting at first. At Restore Health Center, we provide patients with a comprehensive guide, weekly planner, and a shopping list to make it as easy as possible. Our health coach, Julie Michelson, can be a great resource to help patients through the whole process.

If you think you might have an adverse food reaction or sensitivity to a certain food, come to Restore Health Center for our food sensitivity testing. Our team of experts is dedicated to providing you with all of the tools and treatments to help you live your best and healthiest life. Contact us today to schedule your consultation and learn more about food sensitivity testing at Restore Health Center!

Top 3 Reasons to Visit Restore Health Center, Your Fort Collins Hormone Specialist

Fort Collins Hormone Specialist

Hormones are incredibly important for the overall function and health of our bodies. They are the messengers that tell other parts of our body when and how to work. When our hormones are out of balance, negative health symptoms can occur and impact:

  • Metabolism – how your body gets energy from the foods you eat
  • Sexual function – including libido, erectile function and vaginal dryness
  • Menstrual cycle irregularities – including heavy, painful periods
  • Perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms – including hot flashes, night sweats and weight gain
  • Reproduction
  • Energy and repair 
  • Mood

The physicians at Restore Health Center, your Fort Collins hormone specialist, can help with hormone imbalances through the use of bioidentical hormones.

Bioidentical hormones are man-made hormones but who’s chemical structure is exactly like the ones produced by our bodies, unlike synthetic hormones found in birth control pills and other hormone replacement drugs such as Premarin. Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA are matched and used for the treatment of men and women who have hormones that are low or out of balance. If you are experiencing weight gain or bloating, depression or anxiety, low libido, or chronic fatigue, it might be time to get your hormones checked. Restore Health Center’s Fort Collins bioidentical hormones can help!

  1. Personalized treatment plan – Our complete hormone replacement therapy starts with a consultation with one of our medical professionals. Then we do specialized testing and analyze your hormone levels. From this testing, our physician can determine and implement a treatment plan that is personalized to you and your needs. Additionally, we take into account other factors that might be influencing your symptoms such as how you eat, exercise and sleep. We never look at your hormones in isolation and take into consideration other systems that both impact and are impacted by hormone health, including cardiovascular, metabolic, gastrointestinal and immune health. Among other recommendations, your treatment plan could include bioidentical hormone injections, subcutaneous pellets, or topical creams to help your body regain balance. 
  2. Expert doctors –  Both our doctors provide in-depth hormone evaluation and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. Dr. Fischer is a 2006 graduate of the University of Utah School of Medicine and is trained in both internal medicine and preventive medicine. Dr. Howton completed his residency in Family Medicine in 1996 and practiced emergency medicine in Oklahoma until moving to Estes Park, Colorado. He has been using bioidentical hormones since the mid-1990s. With our Restore Health Center team, you are in the best hands. We have access to the latest technologies and devices, which allows us to meet the needs of our patients.
  3. Great results – We want to help you achieve your individual health goals to live your healthiest life. With everything we do, we strive to give you the best results possible. Restore Health Center, your Northern Colorado hormone replacement therapy clinic, uses only your body’s natural bioidentical hormones. We never replace hormones with synthetic chemicals. After the treatment, your hormones will be stabilized and your body will be better able to function at optimal health. 

If you are experiencing chronic fatigue, weight gain or bloating, depression or anxiety, or low libido, come see us at Restore Health Center, your Fort Collins hormone specialist. We can do a full hormone evaluation and help you bring your body back to optimal function. Contact us today to schedule your consultation and learn more about how bioidentical hormone therapy can help!

Restore Health: Your Local Fort Collins Functional Medicine Clinic

Fort Collins functional medicine clinic

Taking control of your health is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Restore Health is the premier Functional Medicine Clinic in Northern Colorado. We exist to help you take back your health. We offer Functional Medicine services to people living in Fort Collins, Loveland, and the greater Northern Colorado area as a better and more preventative alternative to traditional medical practices.

We are dedicated to a more effective model of health care that is focused on achieving optimal health rather than simply treating disease. We approach health challenges in a systematic manner, addressing underlying issues rather than chasing symptoms with medications. We are proactive, focusing on disease prevention, rather than reactive, focusing only on symptoms. At Restore Health Center, your local Fort Collins Functional Medicine clinic, we utilize a Functional Medicine approach to help you achieve optimal health and resolve issues poorly addressed under a traditional medicine approach.

Continue reading to learn more about Functional Medicine and what you can expect with your Fort Collins Functional Medicine doctor:

What is Functional Medicine?

Functional Medicine is a relatively new area of medicine that relies on the traditional tenets of science-based medicine, including lab-based analysis, tests, and studies, but instead of just treating the presenting issue, functional medical practitioners work to address the root causes of problems with a wide range of treatments at their disposal. These treatments include everything that traditional medicine offers as well as non-traditional remedies such as diet, meditation, stress reduction, exercise, and oftentimes nutritional supplements and herbal treatments, all based on the labs and studies doctors have come to rely on. We work intimately with you to find what works best for your body and needs. Health and wellness is your top priority, and as your Fort Collins Functional Medicine Clinic, we’re here to help provide you with natural solutions for your complete wellness.

Restore Health – Fort Collins Functional Medicine Clinic

Restore Health Center is an innovative medical practice focused on identifying and removing the things that push you toward disease while filling your life with the things that create wellness, so you can stay healthy or get healthy. Rather than simply relying on medications to treat symptoms, we work with you to help get your systems back to optimal function. We think in terms of how your body works within its genetic predispositions and how it interacts with food, environmental toxins, and stress. We use conventional medications and testing when they are needed, but we also use food as medical therapy along with targeted clinical approaches. With our complete wellness approach, we strive to identify the root causes of your symptoms and get you on a path to optimal wellness.

Fort Collins Functional Medicine Clinic Services

At Restore Health Center, we’re committed to your total health. We’re your partner in solving and effectively treating functional gastrointestinal disorders, cardiovascular disease, thyroid dysfunction, autoimmune diseases and more. We also offer specialized services and treatment options specific to both men and women.

To address all of your needs, we also offer services to address mental health issues, including adrenal issues, brain disorders, and chronic stress. We also provide services for your total body, including stem cell treatments, IV nutrient therapies, and hormone therapy.

As the new year rolls around, there is no better resolution than to commit to getting healthy, and staying healthy! Restore Health is here to help you achieve this goal. Ready to get started and take your health into your hands? Restore Health is your Fort Collins Functional Medicine clinic, and we’re here to help you. Please click here to learn more about our services and contact us to set up a consultation.