Understanding Food Intolerances & Allergies
A Personal Introduction from Maggie
Food can affect our bodies, emotions and everyday lives in deeply individual ways. In this resource, I explore a personal introduction from maggie with compassion, curiosity and respect for the person behind the symptoms.
If someone had asked me twenty years ago whether I thought food could influence how we feel physically, mentally and emotionally, I probably would have said yes—but I don't think I truly understood just how significant that relationship could be.
I developed ARFID when I was just nine years old, long before anyone recognised it as an eating disorder. At the time, I was labelled a fussy eater. People assumed I was simply being difficult or stubborn, but the reality was very different. Food felt overwhelming, unpredictable and, at times, frightening.
Years later, I was diagnosed with autism and ADHD at the age of 50. Suddenly, so many of my experiences made sense. My sensory sensitivities, my need for predictability and my relationship with food were no longer isolated experiences—they were connected pieces of the same puzzle.
As I became more curious about my own health, I also started noticing something else.
Certain foods seemed to leave me feeling physically unwell. Some affected my digestion. Others left me feeling exhausted, mentally foggy or simply unlike myself. Those experiences led me to explore food intolerances in more depth.
That journey wasn't about finding the "perfect diet" or following the latest trend. It was about understanding how my own body responded to different foods and recognising that what works well for one person may not work well for another.
The aim is not to create fear around food or encourage unnecessary restriction. It is to help people notice patterns, understand the difference between allergy and intolerance, and make informed decisions with appropriate support.
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Testing should be considered alongside symptoms, clinical history and appropriate professional advice. A food allergy can be serious: suspected immediate allergy symptoms require medical assessment. IgG food-reactivity testing is different from diagnostic IgE allergy testing and remains debated, so results should not be used alone to diagnose illness or begin a highly restrictive diet.
By Maggie Learoyd
Psychotherapist | ADHD, Autism & ARFID Specialist
Founder of Space to Breathe Therapy
