“What we have learned from Margaret about the impact of food sensitivities has dramatically improved the overall health of our two young sons and our entire family. Every parent would benefit from this information. We will be forever grateful for her support.”
--Johanna Sedin and her husband Henrik Sedin (captain of the Vancouver Canucks)

• Does your child have chronic health problems, such as stomachaches, constipation, diarrhea, repeated infections, excessive fatigue, bed wetting, or asthma, that are making life challenging for both your child and your family?

• Is your child’s behavior making it difficult for them to develop friendships at school or making them feel isolated and alone?

• Are learning difficulties or disabilities resulting in your child falling behind at school and feeling “stupid”?

COULD IT REALLY BE SOMETHING THEY ATE? offers practical advice and support to identify the often hidden trigger food that can be the cause of health, behavior, and learning challenges in children. Once the trigger food is identified, Margaret leads parents through an organized and practical approach to ensure their success and offers a wealth of information on how to implement diet change in the midst of a busy and often overwhelming family life.

FOOD SENSITIVITY SIGNS AND SYMPTOM CHECK LIST
  One of the most effective tools in this book is the Signs and Symptoms check list I have developed that you will find on the following pages.  It is a common experience for clients of all ages to burst into tears when they see, often for the first time, a connection and common thread among the wide range of symptoms they have been experiencing.  Many of the symptoms on this list will be ones that you will not associate with food.  For example, while you may decide to try the diet because your child has chronic tummy aches, you may also find relief for his bed wetting, his crabby disposition and his difficulty learning to read.  

  You will likely see your child as well as other members of your family reflected on this list.  You may find yourself ticking boxes in almost every section or you may notice that you have ticked a number of boxes that relate to one particular body system.  Either way, this is indicative of a food sensitivity and taking further steps to identify the trigger food and remove it from your child’s diet will likely produce a dramatic improvement in his symptoms.  

  Below is a list of many of the symptoms that can be related to food sensitivities.  Along with a complete medical and family history and a diet evaluation, it is possible to identify an offending food that may be responsible for some of these problems.  Removal of this food can often result in dramatic improvement in many of these symptoms.  Mark the symptoms that are bothering your child now with a check mark, the ones that may have been a problem in the past with an X, and place the letter F beside symptoms that occur in you, your spouse, or other members of your extended family.

Food sensitivity signs and symptom check list
A. Skin
_____itching – any body part
_____eczema
_____recurrent hives
_____fungal infections (athlete’s foot or genital infections)
_____excessive sweating particularly at night
_____acne
_____family history of skin problems
_____skin rashes as a baby
_____recurrent red or flushed cheeks
_____dislikes being cuddled and touched
_____bright red buttocks as a baby or young child
_____small pimples on buttocks
_____”scalded”, red appearance on a baby’s buttocks
_____brittle nails
_____ hair loss

B. Nervous System and Behavior
_____headaches
_____migraines
_____difficulty sleeping
_____excessive tiredness
_____sensitivity to cold or heat
_____nightmares
_____mood swings
_____negative, apathetic attitude
_____difficulty learning sequential concepts such as telling time
 _____poor memory
_____weak organizational skills
_____unexplained crying spells
_____angry outbursts
_____restlessness
_____short attention span
_____unusual twitches or tics
_____diagnosis of Tourettes syndrome
_____outbursts of foul language
_____unusual repetitive behaviors such as cracking knuckles, blinking eyes
_____learning disabilities
_____hyperactive behavior
_____excessive sensitivity to being touched  
_____diagnosed with autism by a physician
_____ restless legs
_____ accident prone
_____ leading with the same foot when climbing stairs rather than alternating feet
_____stumbles and trips often and seems uncoordinated
_____excessively clingy as a child
_____craves a particular food excessively
_____anxiety
_____daytime sleepiness
_____desire to crouch or hide in small corners or under furniture
_____noticeable decrease in writing or reading ability after eating a specific food or being
& nbsp;          exposed to certain odors or chemicals
_____family history of alcoholism
_____reluctance to keep clothing on as a child
_____extremely active in utero before delivery
_____hyperactive behavior as an infant such a shaking crib, banging head, refusal to be held          
_____as an infant needed to be constantly walked or bounced in order to sleep

C. Eyes and Vision
_____increased sensitivity to light
_____excessive blinking
_____excessive rubbing of eyes
_____tired, watery eyes
_____itchy or red eyes
_____dark circles under eyes
_____bags under eyes
_____wrinkles under the eye
_____difficulty following moving objects with both eyes
 _____difficulty keeping place when reading   
_____crossed eyes
_____”spaced out” look and appear disconnected from their environment

D. Ears
_____chronic ear infections
_____decreased ability to hear
_____increased sensitivity to noise
_____ringing in the ears
_____repeated courses of antibiotics for ear infections
_____redness on the outside of one or both ears

E. Nose
_____chronic stuffy nose
_____chronic runny nose
_____repeated rubbing and itching of nose
_____excessive sneezing
_____repeated sinus infections
_____reduced or heightened sense of smell
_____recurrent nose bleeds
_____pain from blocked sinuses
_____hay fever

F. Mouth and Throat
_____bad taste in mouth
_____bad breath
_____chronic tonsillitis
_____hoarse voice
_____persistent and recurrent canker sores
_____constant clearing of throat
_____swollen, red, cracked lips
_____excessive thirst, particularly for carbonated drinks
_____sucking on fingers or clothes
_____ recurrent cold sores
_____thick white coating on tongue or inside of cheeks
_____relentless talking and rambling on and on without a great deal of meaning
_____stuttering
_____excessive drooling as an infant
_____unusual moans, groans, or strange sounds repeated often
_____history of mouth infections such as Thrush
_____history of recurrent dental disease
_____feeling of having a lump in your throat
_____diagnosed with enlarged thyroid or underactive thyroid

G. Lungs and heart
_____persistent cough during the day
_____persistent cough at night       
 _____family history of asthma
_____asthma (diagnosed by a doctor)
_____croup as a child
_____recurrent bronchitis
_____recurrent pneumonia
_____taking asthma medications
_____wheezing when exercising
_____wheezing in cold weather
_____shortness of breath when exercising or climbing stairs

Margaret Evans, RN, BScN, CPCC, is a nurse and life coach who helps families find solutions to the physical and behavioral challenges of their children. She successfully addressed food sensitivities in her own four children and has witnessed the life-changing impact it had on their lives and those of the hundreds of families she has worked with over the past twenty-five years. She lives with her husband of thirty-six years in Vancouver, British Columbia.