When No One Listens: The Dismissal of Food Allergy Sufferers & What Makes the FoodClues™ Approach Different

If you’ve ever visited a doctor about your food allergies or intolerances, you might have heard something like: “Your tests came back normal.” Or worse, “It’s probably just in your head.” Over time, hearing these responses can leave you feeling dismissed, frustrated, and stuck. Many of my clients tell me the same story: they felt unheard, as though no one was willing to take their symptoms seriously.

I get it—it’s infuriating when you know something is wrong, but no one seems interested in digging deeper. You’re told to avoid the foods that trigger reactions, but you’re never given a real path forward beyond that. The message you receive, loud and clear, is: "Just learn to live with it."

Yet, ironically, when people come to me and I tell them I don’t rely on lab tests but instead dig deep into their symptom history—asking a ton of questions, finding patterns, and decoding the clues hidden in their food reactions—they often react with skepticism.

Why the FoodClues™ Approach Doesn’t Rely on Lab Testing Alone

Here’s the truth: lab tests can be helpful, but they’re rarely the full answer. Many times, they don’t tell the whole story. A negative test doesn’t mean your symptoms aren’t real, and a positive test doesn’t always explain why your reactions are happening. What's most meaningful is your personal experience—how your body reacts to specific foods, along with symptoms and other conditions, under specific circumstances, and in specific combinations.

That’s why I developed the FoodClues™ approach. I don’t just look for a diagnosis. I ask questions—lots of them. I dig deep into your food symptom history and medical background. Why? Because every food you avoid is a clue to your health, and often the missing link in your food allergy treatment is what connects the two. Understanding your food reactions isn’t about finding a single culprit; it’s about uncovering what’s missing in terms of your overall health and performance.

How Asking the Right Questions Can Unlock the Mysteries Behind Your Food Reactions

How can simply examining your food triggers and asking a few questions unravel the complex reasons behind your food reactions? Let’s dive into a classic example of the FoodClues™ approach in action—using mushrooms.

Natural survival instincts tell us to avoid things that could harm us. In this case, a reaction to mushrooms is essentially your body’s way of signaling that something about mushrooms seems unsafe. The question then becomes: What about mushrooms makes them unsafe for you?

Understanding Mushroom Reactions: Two Key Characteristics

To understand why your body may react to mushrooms, we need to look at their nutrient profile. Spoiler alert: the two most common characteristics that drive mushroom avoidance are their vitamin D content and fungal properties. This is where symptom history and medical background become crucial.

1. Vitamin D Processing Issues

Vitamin D in mushrooms has an acidic chemical structure and requires processing by the liver and kidneys before it can be utilized by the body. If someone has difficulty processing acids or managing liver and kidney functions, this could trigger a reaction to mushrooms. Symptoms that might indicate issues with vitamin D processing include:

Difficulty managing acids: heartburn, reflux, menstrual issues, or avoiding other fatty or acidic foods.

Liver and kidney challenges: high cholesterol, chest pain, urinary issues, or back pain.

Interestingly, many of my clients have had blood tests showing low vitamin D levels. This makes sense when you consider that if the liver and kidneys are struggling to process vitamin D, it won’t circulate effectively in the blood, leading to low readings on lab tests.

2. Fungal Sensitivity

As most people know, mushrooms belong to the fungal family. A second common reason for mushroom reactions is related to high fungal loads in the body. Symptoms that might point to fungal sensitivity include:

Avoiding other fungal foods, such as blue cheese.

A history of fungal infections, such as oral thrush, yeast infections, or frequent athlete’s foot.

In these cases, either an underlying issue with vitamin D processing, an increased fungal load in the body, or both could be contributing to your reaction to mushrooms.

The Power of the Right Questions

All of this information—your body’s response to vitamin D, its sensitivity to fungi, and the signals from your symptoms—can be uncovered by simply asking the right questions and carefully listening to your answers. By combining those answers with an analysis of your food triggers and your chronic signs and symptoms, we can identify the hidden causes behind your food reactions.

This is exactly what makes the FoodClues™ Approach so effective: it goes beyond surface-level lab results and instead focuses on truly understanding your body’s unique needs.

When No One Else Will Listen, I Will

I know it’s hard to believe in a process that feels so different from what you’ve been taught to expect. You’ve been trained to trust a lab result more than your own experience. But here’s the thing: your body is always sending you signals. It’s just a matter of learning how to listen to them.

So, if you’re tired of feeling dismissed, unheard, or stuck in a never-ending cycle of restrictive diets, know that there's someone who is willing to listen and help you finally uncover the roadblocks of your food allergy freedom experience.

You're Invited to Pick My Brain

Doctors may not listen, but your body’s clues do. If you're tired of walking on eggshells around food, join me at my next virtual Meet and Greet event. It’s a chance to ask your burning questions, learn more about the FoodClues™ approach, and start discovering what’s truly behind your food reactions.

Let’s put the power back in your hands. You deserve real answers, real solutions, and the freedom to enjoy life without fear of your next meal.

Ready to take the first step? Visit https://myfoodclues.com/meetandgreet to RSVP for the next meet and greet session.