Understanding the basics of MFPI (multiple food Protein Intolerance) in babies toddlers & children

I would love to say that I knew nothing about MFPI, and have to be educated by some other loving Mom out there, and then never have to think about it again. But it's not, and I have 2 sweet, darling little girls that both live with MFPI. So, I'm just going to do a breakdown for those mommies out there that are new to this food world, and hope it helps someone, even if it's just some one single person. :)
MFPI, commonly misunderstood, is not an "Allergy", and is your bodies inability to deal with several particular proteins. And, typically it is the absence of particular digestive enzymes that is the problem. It most often has the largest affect on the digestive system, with mild reactions in other areas of the body (seldom). A few of the typical signs are excessive gas, excessive diarrhea, fresh blood in the stools, abdominal cramping, general fussiness.  These signs, depending on how long the culprit is eaten for, will typically clear up within about 6-8 weeks. If your little one has had digestive issues for quite some time, it may take several months to clear up after they have been removed from your or their diet, as the foods their body is intolerant to agitate both the small and large intestines when present, and cause cause a lot of swelling in tissues for a while.  Think of it like any reaction, say, a rash. It just starts out with your skin not liking something. Then your skin gets itchy. You scratch, then you scratch some more... The more you scratch, the more it itches, and the worse it gets, and in turn, the longer it takes to heal. Make sense. Well, our insides are the same way. The longer it's the there, the more it "itches" and the worse it gets, and... the longer it takes to heal.
From what the GI specialists and pediatricians have said MFPI normally isn't all that there is. Normally this is just a chip off the O'l iceberg. Like my girls, and myself, proteins are not the only thing we have to avoid, but it opens the door to understanding what is going on, and how to make it better. With MFPI, the typical things to avoid are as follows (These are normally the first things to be removed from the diet of the mother who is nursing or the child who is eating solid foods, or both):

Cows milk and products containing milk/dairy
Soy (in all it's tons of forms)
Eggs (both the yolk and the whites)
Wheat/Gluten

Avoiding these foods is crucial in aiding the digestive tract of you, the baby, or the child. I know that even the slightest amount of any one of these, can be torture for my little one, so we read the label of EVERYTHING. This is a must, and not to be sharp, but if you're not good at it.... Get good at it, now! No excuses! Food companies are required to print EVERY ingredient on the box/package for you, so they have made it as easy as it could get to make sure you aren't having something in the diet that shouldn't be there.  If you want to make it easier, learn to start making things from scratch. I have a wonderful recipe for muffins avoiding all of these "types" of foods, as well as a bread recipe. We make taco seasoning and chili seasoning from scratch... So, hopefully you get the point here. A good rule of thumb is, if it's packaged, and not from a health food store (but even these tend to have stuff you can't have), you probably can't have it.  I'll be doing a post on soy soon, and I urge you to read it. Not only will it help you learn how to avoid it, if it is a MFPI, but some great info on why it's not good for anyone! I'll also be doing another post on "favorite snacks" that are actually packaged, that avoid all 4 of the things listed above. I hope this helped open the door of understanding Multiple food protein intolerance, for you or your child, and as always... If you have questions, or would like me to touch on a subject feel free to email me or make a comment, and I'll get it out there asap!

*Just a side note to answer some of the emails I've received... When a label says "vegetable oil", this is 99% of the time going to include soybean oil. If you're avvoiding soy, avoid it unless it specifically states what oils it's using. :)