<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Growing up, I never had allergies.  I'm 51 years old now & didn't start to
develoop allergies until a few years ago about the same time I began to
develop gluten sensitivity.  I became so sensitive to so many foods, at one
point I could only eat about 10 basic foods: chicken, a few veggies &
fruits.  my list of "can't eat" foods was twice as long as my list of "can
eat" foods!  I visited a naturopath, Dr. P. Donovan in Seattle, who put me
on the path to wellness.  So based upon my successful experiences & reading
many, many books & articles on this subject, this is what I'd recommend for
anyone suffering from allergies of all types:

(1)  I'd recommend you try goat milk kefir.  I am sensitive to cow's milk
but tolerate goat's milk kefir very well.  Kefir made from real kefir grains
also contains lactobacillus Paracasei as well as about 29 other beneficial
microorganisms.  L. Paracasei is proven to boost the immune system & prevent
formation of allergies.  (In my case it helped eliminate allergies.)  I
believe kefir is superior in it's probiotic activity to all commercial
probiotics.  Kefir is also very, VERY cheap to prepare at home.  I've been
making & drinking my own kefir at home now for over 15 months & am happy to
report that I now enjoy most of the 23 foods that used to give me allergic
reactions just a couple years ago.  Beneficial microflora helps boost the
body's immune system against allergies.  (To learn more about kefir, search
the web for Dom's kefir website.   It's the most comprehensive.)

If kefir is totally not an option for you, I'd highly recommend Primal
Defense, a good probiotic preparation made by Garden of Life.  It contains
quite a few beneficial bacteria including lactobacillus Paracasei.  The
capsules are expensive to use, but the bulk powder is reasonably priced.

(2) The other thing I'd recommend is to avoid ALL acid reducing medications:
TUMS, Rolaids, Prilosec, Nexium, Axid, Zantac, etc.  These medications have
been found to upset intestinal microflora & trigger allergic reactions by
reducing normal acid balance of the GI track.  Normal amounts of stomach
acid are important for properly digesting the foods you eat as well as for
maintaining healthy gut flora, which is essential for a normal immune
system.  You may also consider supplementing stomach acid with one of the
many HCl supplements sold over the counter.  People with food allergies &
celiac disease have abnormally low stomach acid production which often
causes indigestion & heart burn.  I've taken 4 Thorne Bio-Gest capsules per
meal for 2 1/2 years.  (I'd recommend you buy & read, WHY STOMACH ACID IS
GOOD FOR YOU by Dr. Jonathan Wright MD.  This important book will help you
understand why reducing stomach is NOT a healthy thing to do.)

(3) I recommend a whole food diet.  Avoid refined starches & sugars,
especially GF baked goods.  Refined foods promote the overgrowth of
pathogenic bacteria & yeasts in the gut which will trigger leaky gut & food
allergies.  Stick with fresh meats, fresh fruits & veggies, brown rice,
yams, sweet potatoes, etc.  Avoid sauces, corn syrup, sugars, gooey pastas,
cookies, breads, chips, etc.  For snacks eat nuts, cheese, beef jerky, crisp
fresh fruits & veggies.

So my formula for restoring and mainting gut health in a nut shell is:  a
whole food diet, goat milk kefir and Thorne Bio-Gest.  I also have recently
started using Primal Defense, but I got well w/o it.

Valerie in Tacoma

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