It's an unfortunate fact of food intolerance that the 'culprit' food or foods will frequently be a particular favourite! However, because of the unpleasant symptoms that food intolerance can produce, it is unfortunately normally necessary to eliminate problem food altogether once it has been identified.

Food intolerance is when certain foods make a person feel unwell when they are ingested. The symptoms of food intolerance can vary widely from one individual to another in terms of severity and actual reactions.

Food intolerance symptoms can range from slight bloating to more serious problems like migraines and irritable bowel syndrome. The trouble is that it is not always obvious which foods are making a person feel unwell.

Food intolerance testing is a cheap and easy way to find out which foods you are sensitive to. Food intolerance tests can be bought online or from your GP. The most popular food intolerance tests are simple skin prick tests.

Once you have carried out a test and discovered if you have food intolerance and if so what is causing the trouble, the next step is to eliminate the food from your diet.

As a practitioner, I am frequently asked 'When can I eat my favourite food again?' In the case of foods which provoke an immediate allergic response, generally, these foods will have to be excluded permanently. Food intolerance is a little different.

After excluding the reactive foods for a period of one to three months, the foods can be reintroduced and response carefully monitored. In a clinical trial involving a group of people with food intolerances, 72% of the group found that their symptoms returned when they reintroduced the reactive foods into their diet.

The remaining 28% were able to resume their previous diet without any negative effects. Professional nutritional support and advice is recommended for anyone planning to either exclude certain key foods from their diet or reintroduce foods which have not been eaten for a while.