Testing for food allergies can be complicated because the immune system reacts in such a way that symptoms often do not appear until several days after the problem food is eaten.  Because we are creatures of habit, we often eat similar foods after a few days, so one cannot tell what one is allergic to unless they carry out a precise experiment.  Blood tests for food allergies are not always accurate, therefore not dependable.  The method I have found most useful in identifying and resolving food allergies is known as the elimination/challenge diet.  The directions follow.

Begin with the cleanse diet for 1-2 weeks.  This diet is hypo-allergenic, meaning it leaves out most the foods to which people are usually allergic.  This gives the body a break from an aggravating food and it is able to rest and normalize a bit.  Most people experience a relief of allergic symptoms during this time.

After 1-2 weeks, the testing period begins.  Make a list of your top five favorite foods.  It is likely you are allergic to something in that list.  Pick the foods you suspect the most and begin testing one at a time.  In my experience, wheat and dairy are usually at the top.  Pick one, say dairy, and eat or drink milk, cheese, or whatever dairy product you desire for an entire day.  For the next 2-3 days, return to the cleanse diet and observe if any symptoms appear.  Symptoms may include fatigue, headache, mucus congestion, irregular bowel movements, or skin outbreaks.  You may notice mental or emotional changes like irritability or hyperactivity. Carefully note any of these experiences.  If you have them, you are probably allergic to that food.  You may continue testing other foods in the same way, eating the food for an entire day and then back to the cleanse diet for 2-3 days while observing symptoms.  If you have no change in symptoms, you are probably not allergic to the food.

This method is very effective in identifying food allergies and gives you experience and skills to work with them.  The best way to heal from food allergies is to avoid the offending food.  This allows the gut to heal and symptoms resolve.  After a month or two, one can re-try the offending food to see if they are still reacting to it.  Often, the gut heals sufficiently that a person can go back to eating the food in moderation.  There are specific nutrients that help heal the gut and can speed up the recovery process.  Talk to you practitioner for specific advice about this.