Posted 1/24/2011 1:56 PM (GMT -7)
Keeping a food and medicine journal/log is free. Try it for a couple of months to see if you can pinpoint specific foods that bring on your symptoms.
If your symptoms are not life-threatening you can probably do challenge testing with suspect foods or ingredients, although I would recommend a doctor's OK on that. Challenge testing is free and simple. Start with a teaspoonful (or a TBSP if you are not highly sensitive), wait 20 minutes, not in your log any symptoms. If none, take 2 tsp and wait another 20 minutes. If no reaction, take 4, then 8 then 16 and stop. Wait at least a couple of hours before moving on to the next food. I did 2 a day because I had a pretty good idea which ones would give me symptoms.
I had to break down my foods further than just the hamburger. The meat was fine, but the bread, ketchup, mustard, onion and pickle all gave me varying degrees of reactions. I didn't have problems with a waffle, but the maple syrup made me sick immediately. I had to give up brown sugar on my oatmeal ....
Wtih food intolerances, the only "cure" is avoidance.
Do you have a problem with chicken soup? Have you tried organic chicken? Chicken protein does trigger for some people allergies or intolerances.