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Food Sensitivities
Food sensitivities can be challenging to recognize because symptoms are often delayed and may vary depending on stress, portion size, gut health, and other lifestyle factors. A comprehensive assessment, combined with evidence-informed testing when appropriate and a structured elimination and reintroduction plan, can help identify potential food triggers and guide a personalized nutrition approach.
Food sensitivity symptoms: are foods working against you?
Food sensitivities and intolerances are different from food allergies. Rather than causing an immediate immune reaction, food sensitivities may contribute to delayed symptoms that can develop hours, or sometimes days, after eating. These symptoms vary from person to person and may include bloating, digestive discomfort, headaches, skin concerns, fatigue, or changes in energy.
Delayed food sensitivity symptoms can make it difficult to identify true food triggers. As a result, many people either eliminate foods unnecessarily or continue avoiding foods that aren't contributing to their symptoms. A personalized assessment helps minimize unnecessary restriction while supporting a balanced, nutrient-rich diet.
You may benefit from an assessment if you experience:
- Bloating, gas or discomfort after meals with no clear pattern
- Skin flares, congestion or headaches you suspect are food-linked
- Fatigue or fogginess after eating
- Symptoms despite already cutting out several foods
- Years of trial-and-error elimination without answers
- A diet that keeps shrinking while symptoms stay
- Digestive symptoms alongside stress or hormonal shifts
~20%
Hours
What causes food sensitivities?
Enzyme Deficiencies
Some food intolerances occur because the body doesn't produce enough of a digestive enzyme. For example, lactose intolerance develops when there isn't enough lactase to break down the natural sugar in dairy. These intolerances can develop at any stage of life.
FODMAPS and Fermentable Carbohydrates
Some carbohydrates are poorly absorbed in the gut and ferment as they're broken down by bacteria. For people with conditions like IBS, this can contribute to bloating, gas, abdominal pain, and changes in bowel habits. Symptoms often depend on the amount eaten and your gut's sensitivity at the time.
Immune-Mediated Sensitivities
Some people experience delayed symptoms that may involve the immune system. Because the science in this area is still evolving, food sensitivity test results are never interpreted in isolation. They are considered alongside your symptoms, health history, and, when appropriate, a structured elimination and reintroduction process.
Gut Health Itself
An irritated gut reacts to more foods. Sometimes the food list isn't the real problem; the state of the gut is, and supporting gut health may help improve tolerance over time.
Histamine and Other Food Chemicals
Some people are sensitive to naturally occurring compounds such as histamine, which is found in foods like aged cheeses, cured meats, fermented foods, and wine. When histamine isn't broken down efficiently, or intake exceeds the body's capacity, symptoms such as flushing, headaches, itching, hives, or digestive discomfort may occur.
How are food sensitivities tested?
There isn't one test that can diagnose every food sensitivity. Assessment starts with understanding your symptoms, when they occur, your usual eating pattern, and any foods you've already noticed may be contributing. A detailed health history often provides the most valuable clues.
Depending on your symptoms, we may recommend targeted testing to rule out other conditions or gather additional information. In some cases, IgG food sensitivity testing may be considered as one piece of the puzzle, but results are always interpreted alongside your symptoms and clinical history and they’re never used on their own to diagnose a food sensitivity.
When appropriate, we guide you through a structured elimination and reintroduction process, which remains one of the most reliable ways to identify whether a particular food is contributing to your symptoms.
How are food sensitivities treated?
The goal isn't to eliminate as many foods as possible: it’s to help you eat the widest, most nourishing diet your body comfortably tolerates. Treatment depends on what's contributing to your symptoms and may include supporting gut health, addressing digestive enzyme deficiencies, using a time-limited elimination and reintroduction plan, and ensuring your nutritional needs continue to be met throughout the process.
How Somewhere Health helps
Care starts with the bigger picture rather than a single test. If you've already been diagnosed, we build on what you know. If you suspect something deeper but have never had a full workup, we can order the testing that gets you clear answers.
Your first visit is 75 minutes with a licensed naturopathic doctor who has reviewed your full intake. Together you'll create a plan that may include nutrition and lifestyle changes, targeted supplementation, and functional testing where appropriate. Bloodwork happens at any LifeLabs or Dynacare, and specialty panels like the DUTCH test ship to your door.
Appointments are completely virtual, so you can access care from anywhere in Ontario, and visits are covered by most extended health benefits plans.
Our Approach
- Nutrition and dietary guidance
- Lifestyle recommendations
- Stress and sleep support
- Targeted supplementation
- Functional or laboratory testing when appropriate
- Ongoing monitoring and treatment adjustments
- Collaborative care with your broader healthcare team when needed
How it Works
Dr. Courtney Ranieri is a licensed naturopathic doctor with Therapeutic Prescribing authorization, in practice since 2018. She holds a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and an Honours BSc from Western University, and her clinical focus is women's health: hormones, fertility, digestion, pelvic floor and metabolic care. She sees patients across Ontario virtually.
