Lindsay McMahon
"The English Adventurer"
American culture allergies how to say in English loaf of bread

Do you have a gluten intolerance or any dietary restrictions?

Do you hear friends or family talking about food allergies?

Chances are that you have heard people talk about food issues, and this is because it has become such a common topic of conversation.

We’re talking about how Americans tend to keep developing food aversions and restrictions.

You will learn how to talk about these food issues, so whether you have them or not, you will know how to discuss them in conversation.

Get Your Transcripts Today!

English transcripts

Make sure you understand every word you hear on All Ears English.

Bring your English to the advanced level with new vocabulary and natural expressions.
Subscribe and get the transcripts delivered by email.

Learn to speak naturally with the American accent.

Click here to subscribe and save 50%

A Recently Common Issue To Talk About

Is this a trend just within the US?

Does it have to do with the way that our food is processed?

Is this a new thing or just a trend?

Perhaps the way that our food is processed these days has lead more and more people to develop food issues.

It may be that our bodies never really did well with foods such as wheat, but we never really picked up on it until it became an issue in the news.

The more that people talk about something, the more that you may find that it affects you.

If you have symptoms that you can’t explain, it may be that you have some sort of food sensitivity.

You may hear a lot of words about food issues, and so it can help if you know which ones to use.

One you may hear is GI Tract, which means Gastrointestinal Tract or your stomach.

If you have food issues or know somebody that does, this is bound to come up in conversation quite a bit.

You will learn what to say and how to talk about a very common topic of conversation, particularly within the US.

Talking About Food Issues

If any of these words apply to you, then you can use them to talk about yourself and your life.

This is a very personal thing, and these words are a perfect reflection of that and how you can talk about things that apply to just you.

Highlight the difference between the adjective and the noun, because the gramma

  • Allergy vs. Allergic: When you intake something your body automatically reacts negatively to that substance. Allergy is the word or the actual condition, and allergic is what you are to that particular substance. This is the most extreme or potentially dangerous of the conditions. You will see this listed a lot on menus and at restaurants. So you might see “if you have a peanut allergy, please let your server know.” There is a gluten intolerance and then there’s an allergy, which is Celiac Disease. There’s a big difference between an intolerance or a sensitivity, and then an actual allergy. If you have an allergy, you can’t eat even a little of that substance or you will have a horrible reaction.
  • Sensitivity vs. Sensitive: The condition is known as the sensitivity. You are sensitive to that food, and are therefore aware and try to avoid it. It’s slightly less disruptive than an intolerance, and is not as severe at all as an allergy. It means that if you eat this substance, it may upset your stomach or your system. It may be that you are more prone to develop something like stomach upset if you eat that substance. You may not necessarily notice any issues with that food until you try to pinpoint symptoms that you may be having.
  • Intolerant vs. Intolerance: This is heavier than a sensitivity, but perhaps not as strong as an allergy. It may be in line with an allergy as well in terms of symptoms. The biggest difference though is that an allergy may cause an allergic reaction that is potentially very serious. An intolerance may cause symptoms and a great deal of discomfort, but isn’t usually critical or life threatening. You could say something like “I need to look at a menu and special order my food because I have a wheat intolerance.”

There are obviously varying degrees of food issues, and now you know what the right terms are.

Knowing how to talk about these conditions or issues can be quite helpful since this is such a hot topic of conversation.

Living With This Condition

These conditions existed years ago, but you just didn’t hear as much about them.

Now that they are so common and are talked about so much, it can make living with a food issue much easier.

You might have to buy special foods if you have an actual condition.

If you have Celiac Disease for example, you have to buy products and foods that are free of gluten in any form.

If you have a dairy allergy or intolerance, then you likely need to buy foods that are free of dairy so you don’t get an upset stomach.

There are so many foods and products out there today in response to the fact that people have intolerance and allergies.

It’s much easier to find what you need since this is such a common issue.

It does make you wonder if this is prevalent only in the US or if food sensitivity is a worldwide issue.

The only good news is that living with a sensitivity, an intolerance, or a true allergy can be much easier now than it used to be.

Takeaway

It seems that you may know many people who have food sensitivities or issues these days.

This may be due to the way that food is processed, or it may just be due to heightened awareness.

In any case, you want to know how to talk about these food issues since they are so common.

Whether you have any food issues or not, now you know how to talk about this hot topic.

These are the words that you will hear in conversation a lot, and now you know how to use them–you may even connect over a shared issue in the process.

If you have any questions, please leave them below in the comments section.

We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

  • Badges (1)
  • Badges-1 (1)
  • Badges-2 (1)
  • US_ListenOn_AmazonMusic_button_black_RGB_5X
  • App-Store-Button
  • google-play-badge
  • Badges (1)
  • Badges-1 (1)
  • Badges-2 (1)
  • US_ListenOn_AmazonMusic_button_black_RGB_5X