By Sholeh Loehle

I took a class once where I had to write a business plan to start a company. I decided to create a restaurant that was sensitive to those with dietary restrictions, food allergies, and food intolerances. When my group presented the idea to the class, most people wondered if there was actually a market for such a thing in Chicago. It surprised me to hear these doubts, because in my experience, growing numbers of people are educated about what foods can be harmful for their systems, or simply want to take better care of their bodies. Off the top of my head, I can count at least 20 people I know who have various food intolerances and allergies.

I decided to speak to some of these people, to share their insights and stories in their words. I talked with my friend Jessica, who can't eat any grains except brown rice; sugar; starchy vegetables such as potatoes, beets, carrots and squash; cheese from cows; and corn. I asked her what it's like to go grocery shopping. She told me, "I buy the same things over and over: spinach, eggs, sausage, tofu. I stand there with my cart, and have five things in it, and I think, 'There has gotta be more than this!'" 

"There are a lot of easy prepared foods," Jessica continued, "but the majority of these I can't eat, so it takes me longer to prepare food. One of the happiest days of my life was when I found out I could eat brown rice. It was like a whole new world had opened up to me. It meant that I could eat baked goods, pasta, cereal. These were all things I had not eaten in seven years."

How did Jessica discover what foods were bad for her, I wondered? "When I ate certain things, my blood sugar would plummet," Jessica explained. "Conventional Western doctors were never able to help me. The people who were included a kinesiologist, a colon hydrotherapist, and a traditional African doctor. And myself: just listening to my body, and watching it." In place of sugar, Jessica recommended stevia as a substitute.

People have different body types and needs. One person, for example, may need to eat more protein, while another person is allergic to milk. Discovering what your body needs to sustain itself is important to your daily functioning. Sometimes people self-diagnose when they learn that eating a certain food makes them feel sick or break out in a rash. An elimination diet, for example, can lend clues as to what may have caused the discomfort.

However, there is a difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance. An allergy is triggered by the immune system, and is often a lot more serious than an intolerance, as it can lead to illness or death. Certain allergies are life-threatening, as some foods can be a poison to a person's system. I find that food allergies are more widely acknowledged now than they used to be, but there is still a lack of knowledge and resources for people with these issues.

Grocery shopping, cooking meals, and eating out can all be frustrating for someone who can't eat certain foods. Individuals with celiac disease, for example, are unable to eat foods with a protein called gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, and barley. Those who are lactose-intolerant can't drink milk or dairy products, and may even be allergic to products like face lotion that contain milk. And so on.

Another friend, Carolyn, told me, "My mom raised us on a lot of very healthy foods—a very fresh and healthy diet. When I moved across the country to go to college, I began to eat the dorm food, which is obviously made very cheaply. In this country, since corn is very cheap, it is in everything," she added. "While eating the dorm food, I always felt that I shouldn’t waste anything, and my meals included soda and I drank a lot of it. With all of that, and the stress of being a freshman in college, I got really sick."

"It took me a long time to actually figure out what it was," Carolyn continued, "and the doctors did not really help. Two or three years later, I am still figuring out things that have corn products in them. For example, baking soda has corn starch in it."

Through her family, Carolyn explored some of the roots of the sensitivity issues: "My dad went to a doctor a long time ago and found that he had sensitivity to a few things. Through his and my uncle's experience—he has an intolerance to soy—I've learned that the sensitivity seems to be a combination of different factors. Their bodies have chosen a substance that becomes an issue because of stress factors, or an emotional imbalance. When they balance the stresses in their life, the problems with those foods lessen."

What are some of the solutions when emotion affects the body's ability to process certain food? "Spiritual things—prayer, psychologically letting go; not being attached or terrified of the food," Carolyn offered. "Figuring out things that are out of balance. I'm finding how to grow out of those things, and the food becomes less of an issue for my body."

"It is more empowering," Carolyn added. "Instead of letting food be a strange enemy, out to 'get me,' I have to learn when my fear or stress is going to my gut." Carolyn noted that she makes an effort "to notice why I'm afraid or upset. That alone helps me digest better."

For some general information about food and health, I spoke with Ann R. Blair, a registered nurse. She came up with a wealth of information. "Our culture wants everything to be fast and instant," Ann said. "The correlation between prevention and nutrition is something that the medical community is just starting to pay attention to. We want to prevent illness and maintain health. Nutrition is the best key for that."

Ann pointed to the need for iron in our diets. She told me that rather than go for the quick fix of an iron pill, people with anemia (low iron) would do better to get their iron from food they consume. "The kind of iron that is on the market—ferrous sulfate—is the hardest kind of iron to digest. If you take an iron pill, there are three types: ferrous sulfate, which is the hardest; ferrous gluconate, which is a bit gentler and easier; and ferrous fumarate, which is very easily absorbed—and is a little more expensive, usually found only in health food stores."

So how do we get iron from a food source, if that's preferable? "An easy food to get iron from is molasses. One teaspoon per day will pretty much take care of your iron needs," Ann told me. "If you take the molasses with something acidic, like orange juice, it will increase the absorption of any iron source. A vitamin C pill with it works as well." Not into molasses? "Another source is liverwurst—a sandwich meat," Ann continued, and then warned, "If you take your iron source with dairy, it will decrease your absorption. Iron and calcium will bind to each other, rather than to you. This is especially important for women, since they need to replenish their iron."

Ann explained that food consumption is more effective that supplements, like vitamins and pills, in giving our bodies their required nutrition because "our bodies understand food; they don't understand isolated nutrients. There are literally thousands of nutrients in any fruit or vegetable. There are over 10,000 phytonutrients—naturally occurring nutrients—in one apple. Our bodies know how to translate that," Ann said. "Often when people take multi-vitamins, they get indigestion or stomach aches, because it wasn't food. A lot of it doesn't get absorbed. Some of it does: our bodies are clever."

"The American Cancer Society says we need five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day," Ann told me, "which is hard unless you have a garden in your back yard. They are now increasing it, saying nine to 13 would be better. Part of the reason is the soil has been depleted because of farming methods," Ann elaborated. Fruits and vegetables are better, she said, because "they are a prime source of antioxidants. They help our bodies combat normal damage from breathing, exercising, and stress." Without antioxidants, Ann explained, we are more susceptible to heart attacks and strokes as well as all forms of cancer, thanks to the accumulation of free radicals, which are like the "smoke" to the energy we burn. "Nature set up a system so that we have a solution," Ann said. "The solution to free radicals is anti-oxidants. This is why it is so important to get our fruits and vegetables every day."

Ann also emphasized the importance of a balanced diet, and consuming enough water. "When you eat, it is helpful to eat several different things at once—fruit and nuts, for example," Ann explained. "It is about having different layers of nutrition in the meals we eat." As for water, Ann underlined that it is very basic, but we seem to have lost track of its significance to our bodies. "Water in your body is like oil in your car—it just doesn't run without enough. Adults should drink at least eight to 14 cups a day. Most Americans are clinically thirsty; they just don't know it."

These are helpful pointers for overall health. But when you have a food intolerance or sensitivity, you may need additional pointers.

There are increasing resources for people with dietary restrictions. Not only are there books and Web sites, but there are also cooking classes and support groups. Grocery stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and Fruitful Yield cater to an expanding market of people looking for healthier or rare alternatives to foods found in conventional grocery stores. Establishments such as Diamond Organics will deliver organically grown food to your doorstep. Each individual needs to discover what foods make their body function as they should.