Food allergies: Jo-Mari Janse van Rensburg

My name is Jo-Mari Janse van Rensburg and this is my story of how I realized that I have various food allergies and the huge impact it has on my daily life. I have struggled with my allergies for years. 

Since I was little I was often sick, and doctors and pediatricians have been treating me for allergic asthma since I was a baby. I was also frequently diagnosed with croup, and even ended up in the hospital with croup and asthma in 5th grade. The nursing staff were surprised because croup usually occurs in children under the age of 5. I always had to walk around with an asthma pump and later in my life I even had to carry a “nebulizer” around with me.

I was occasionally treated with cortisone which made me feel tired, nauseous and light-headed. At the age of 11 had a doctor do food allergy testing for the first time, and that’s when we found out about my various food allergies (which include wheat and other gluten products, soy and peanuts) in addition to my allergies to substances I inhale. I cut it out for a year and systematically went back to eating wheat etc.

When I went to high school and the hostel. It was convenient to only eat all the food on the hostel menu. I was happy and healthy again until grade 9 (15 years). I started to get depressed and I gained weight month after month no matter how little I ate. It was also during that time that I got sick and stayed sick. I couldn’t do sports because I was in bed all the time. I was treated for colds and sinuses for months. In my 11th grade year, my ‘illness condition’ was at its worst: I was overweight, I was constantly angry and sick.

Our new family doctor, after I told him my entire medical history since baby, decided that we should do full allergy tests again. The test results shocked everyone. An average total allergy score of 35 is already seen as high. My total allergy score is 217. Treatment for allergic conditions includes skin scrapings and the cultivation of an immune treatment specific to your body, but because I am allergic to so many
substances we decided to instead just monitor the food I eat. I started following a new diet (avoid ALL gluten, soy and peanuts).

I lost almost 5kg in just 2 months and even my mental health improved. After almost a year and a half, I can proudly say that I haven’t had any illness, shortness of breath or cold symptoms in months. I am truly healthy, proud and comfortable in my own body.

All foods are not bad, but some foods are bad for individuals. Notice how your body reacts to the food you eat. Without doing allergy tests I also realized that I cannot eat pineapple, avocado or watermelon.
The reaction to this fruit is vastly different from my body’s reaction to gluten. I immediately feel my throat tighten when I eat certain fruits, but I don’t immediately feel sick when I eat wheat or soy. My body systematically becomes ‘sick’ when I consume wheat and soy products.

Eating healthy and right for my body has given me confidence in how I look and feel.

Jo-Mari Janse van Rensburg