Erik Hill wrote:
>
> I know you guys aren't doctors, but I must ask, and hopefully one or
> more of you will have some idea where to start.

Definately NOT a Dr.! But that doesn't stop me from having opinions. ;--)
>
> I have food allergies like the pope has religion.
>
> I believe my food allergies are getting worse but it's hard to tell as
> it would be quite gradual.  However, I can eat so few foods that losing
> even one is a complete disaster.
>
> Does anyone have any ideas?

Lots! First, a member of my family is in a similar situation, since
her mid-twenties. She only felt relief when pregnant, so she spent a
fair amount of time that way! I have lots of nice nieces and nephews.
Too bad you are not female (are you?). Fortunately she is better now.

She found that overeating one food tended to increase her sensitivity
to that food over time. So rule number one, hard as it is, is to try
not to eat the same food twice in one day, and as much longer between
as possible. Alternate different meats every meal. Beef at breakfast,
pork at lunch, chicken at dinner, then the next day go for
lamb/rabbit/duck, fish/venison/goose etc etc. Search out all the
ethnic and botique food shops in your vicinity, and stock up a big
freezer when you find an unusual ,meat. Learn to hunt and fill the
freezer with venison, rabbit, pheasant, pigeon, turkey, pig, goat etc.
Whatever is within a couple hundred miles of home. Fish too if you can
eat it. The finest meat I ever ate was armadillo. Really.

Next, from my own experience with allergies (far milder than yours),
eating high carb meals seems to bring on an attack. Also, I have never
heard of anyone being allergic just to fat. I seem to operate better
in the hay fever season on high fat very low carbs. I suggest trying
to substitute as much fat calories for carb calories as you can stand.
If you still have candida troubles this will also help alleviate them.

High calorie diets seem to bring on allergy attacks. Try cutting
calories till you begin to lose weight, then add a few back. Keep your
body temperature low.

Allergies are to foreign protein. Eat as low a protein diet as is
consistent with good health. If you are eating a lot of meat, go for
the highest fat meat you can find. If your allergies are in a serious
phase, try de-naturing the protein by cooking it (simmering) till it
disintegrates. Allergies are to specific forms of protein, not to the
constituent amino-acids. Cooking destroys the protein leaving the
amino-acids that constitute it. These should be a lot less allergenic
than the original proteins.

So my advice boils down to: eat a mainly fat diet, with just enough
protein to keep up muscle and body tissue. Eat as few calories as you
can stand without losing weight. You will need to be very careful to
eat what high vitamin/mineral foods you can to avoid deficiencies.
Take hypoallergenic supplements if you can.

I realise this is very similar (in some ways) to the restricted
calorie diet some people believe prolongs life (it works for fruit
flies). I would not advise anyone to do that unless they have serious
multiple food allergies. This is also not particularly paleo, it is
desperation. Whatever works. Of course I happen to believe paleo works
best for most people.