About this session
Bloating after dairy. An itchy mouth after eating a particular food.
Headaches someone believes are linked to an ingredient. Digestive discomfort after certain meals.
These experiences can easily get grouped together as a "food sensitivity," even though the underlying causes — and the level of risk — can be very different.
This session helps participants understand the important distinctions between food allergy, food intolerance, and the broader language often used around food sensitivities.
A food allergy involves the immune system and can potentially cause serious reactions, while many food intolerances primarily involve difficulty digesting or processing particular foods and do not carry the same risk of anaphylaxis.
Participants also explore lactose intolerance, reactions to particular food components, digestive symptoms, elimination diets, food labels, symptom tracking, and the limits of commercial intolerance testing.
The emphasis is on helping people become better informed without encouraging self-diagnosis or unnecessarily cutting multiple foods from their diet.
What your people take away
- Understand the key differences between food allergy and food intolerance
- Explore what people may mean when they use the term "food sensitivity"
- Recognize why similar symptoms can have very different underlying causes
- Understand when food elimination may be useful and when unnecessary restriction can create new problems
- Learn how symptom patterns, food records, professional assessment, and appropriate testing can contribute to investigation
- Know when symptoms should prompt medical advice rather than continued dietary experimentation
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What each length covers
30 minutes
30 Minutes — Key Points: Understand the DifferenceA focused 30-minute session on three key points from Understand the Difference: food allergy involves the immune system, food intolerance is different and "sensitivity" can mean different things.
- Food allergy involves the immune system
- Food intolerance is different
- "sensitivity" can mean different things
Covers 3 of 4 points in Understand the Difference.
60 minutes
Allergy, Intolerance or Something Else?A practical introduction to the differences between allergies, intolerances, sensitivities, digestive symptoms, food elimination, and when to seek professional guidance.
- Module 1: Understand the Difference
- Live Q&A
Covers 1 of 4 parts: Understand the Difference.
90 minutes
Investigate Food Reactions More CarefullyThe extended session adds deeper exploration of immune reactions, digestion, lactose intolerance, symptom patterns, food labels, elimination and reintroduction, commercial tests, and conditions that can sometimes be mistaken for food intolerance.
- Module 1: Understand the Difference
- Module 2: Understand Common Food-Reaction Patterns
- Live Q&A
Covers 2 of 4 parts: Understand the Difference and Understand Common Food-Reaction Patterns.
3 hours
Covers 3 of 4 parts: Understand the Difference, Understand Common Food-Reaction Patterns and Investigate Symptoms Without Over-Restricting.
Full day
Build a More Informed Approach to Food ReactionsThe full-day format covers all four modules with practical exercises around symptom patterns, food records, label reading, dietary restriction, professional assessment, workplace eating, and building questions to take to an appropriate healthcare professional.
- Module 1: Understand the Difference
- Module 2: Understand Common Food-Reaction Patterns
- Module 3: Investigate Symptoms Without Over-Restricting
- Module 4: Testing, Labels & Knowing When to Seek Help
- Food Reaction Comparison Guide
- Food & Symptom Pattern Tracker
- Elimination Diet Questions Checklist
- Food Reaction Appointment Preparation Sheet
- Live Q&A
Covers all 4 parts.
Also available as a 4-week program, for change that lasts. Ask us about it.
What’s covered
Understand the Difference
Every length- Food allergy involves the immune systemA food allergy occurs when the immune system reacts to particular proteins in food, and reactions can range from relatively mild symptoms to potentially severe reactions such as anaphylaxis.
- Food intolerance is differentFood intolerance generally does not involve the immune mechanisms responsible for food allergy and often produces predominantly digestive symptoms such as bloating, abdominal discomfort, gas, or diarrhea.
- "sensitivity" can mean different thingsThe term food sensitivity is widely used but does not always describe one specific medical mechanism.
- Similar symptoms do not always mean the same conditionAbdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, or other symptoms may appear in several different conditions, including allergy, intolerance, and gastrointestinal disorders.
Understand Common Food-Reaction Patterns
90 minutes and longer- Lactose intolerance & digestive capacityLactose intolerance occurs when the body does not have enough lactase to digest lactose effectively.
- Dose can matter in some intolerancesSome intolerances produce symptoms only once a certain amount of the trigger has been consumed, which differs from the risk framework used for food allergy.
- Food additives & naturally occurring compoundsSome people report symptoms associated with particular food additives or naturally occurring food chemicals, although these reactions do not all involve the same mechanisms.
- Other conditions can look like food intoleranceDigestive symptoms may sometimes relate to conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, or other gastrointestinal problems rather than a simple intolerance.
Investigate Symptoms Without Over-Restricting
3 hours and longer- Look for patterns rather than single eventsOne episode of bloating, fatigue, or discomfort after eating does not necessarily identify the responsible food.
- Use a food & symptom record purposefullyA short, structured record can help capture what was eaten, approximate quantity, symptom timing, and other relevant factors for discussion with a healthcare professional.
- Be cautious with large elimination dietsRemoving multiple food groups at once can make it difficult to understand what is actually causing symptoms and may reduce nutritional variety.
- Reintroduction is part of the questionWhen foods are removed as part of a properly planned investigation of suspected intolerance, carefully considering whether and how they are reintroduced can be important.
Testing, Labels & Knowing When to Seek Help
Full day only- Not every "intolerance test" answers the right questionConsumers may encounter commercial tests that promise to identify long lists of foods they should avoid.
- Food labels matter differently for allergyFor people with diagnosed food allergies, ingredient and allergen information can be critical for avoiding exposure.
- Know when symptoms need medical attentionSymptoms involving breathing difficulty, swelling of the throat or tongue, significant dizziness, collapse, or other signs of a serious allergic reaction require urgent action rather than dietary investigation.
- Prepare better questions for a professionalParticipants bring together symptom history, suspected foods, timing, quantities, previous diagnoses, and dietary changes into a concise summary they can take to a doctor, dietitian, allergist, or other appropriate professional.
Who it’s for
- Employees who want clearer understanding of food allergy, intolerance and sensitivity
- People unsure whether symptoms reflect allergy, intolerance or something else
- Anyone considering elimination diets or commercial intolerance testing
- Anyone who needs practical food-reaction education with clear clinical boundaries
How booking works
- Book online. Create a free Workbliss profile, then pay with session credits, by card or by invoice.
- Pick a date. Choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or book now and set the date later.
- Choose your expert. Within 3 working days, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date.
- We deliver it. Your expert is briefed on your people and goals, then runs the session live online or at your site.
Questions about Food Allergy, Intolerance or Sensitivity?
How long is Food Allergy, Intolerance or Sensitivity??
Food Allergy, Intolerance or Sensitivity? runs as 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, 3 hours or full day. You choose the length when you book. A 30-minute session covers three key points from Understand the Difference: food allergy involves the immune system, food intolerance is different and "sensitivity" can mean different things. A 60-minute session covers Understand the Difference in full, with a live Q&A. A 90-minute session adds Understand Common Food-Reaction Patterns. A 3-hour session adds Investigate Symptoms Without Over-Restricting. A full-day session adds Testing, Labels & Knowing When to Seek Help. It is also available as a 4-week program.
Can Food Allergy, Intolerance or Sensitivity? be delivered online or in person?
Yes, both. It runs live online, so every office can join at the same time, or in person at your site, in any country.
How do we book Food Allergy, Intolerance or Sensitivity??
Create a free Workbliss profile with your work email, then open Food Allergy, Intolerance or Sensitivity? to see the price for each length and book it. You can pay with session credits, by card or by invoice, and choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or set it later.
Who leads the session?
A vetted Workbliss expert, briefed on your people, culture and goals before the session. After you book, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date within 3 working days, so you can choose who leads it.
Can it be tailored to our company?
Yes. Every session is shaped around your goals, your people and the benefits you already offer, and delivered by experts in your people’s languages.