Do you ever have a meal or eat something and right away you notice heartburn, gas, bloating, Diarrhea/constipation, sudden drop in mood or energy? These are all key signs you have a food intolerance. The most common food intolerances are:
-Milk Products
-Glutinous Grains (there are over 50 peptides that trigger gluten allergy, only 2 or 3 are tested for by doctors for Celiac Disease)
-Soy
-Eggs
-Nuts (tree nut category)
-Occasional allergies to nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers etc), Beef, Pork, Misc.
Food intolerances are far worse than just the symptoms you get from ingesting them. Food Intolerances are a lead factor in triggering chronic disease, a lot of times completely eliminating the harmful food is enough to reduce or eliminate your chronic condition altogether. It requires commitment from you to eliminate said food forever, ingesting any amount is enough to bring back your chronic condition. One serving of gluten will wreak havoc on your GI tract and trigger systemic inflammation for 6 days, and it can take up to 3 months to remove gluten from your body. The reason we bloat after eating certain foods is that we have a sensitivity/allergy to an ingredient in that meal and our body reacts to it by creating antibodies to attack and eliminate the problem food, which causes inflammation that is evidenced by our tummy bloating and looking almost pregnant after a meal. Approximately 80% of children with chronic constipation are allergic to milk solids/Milk. Studies have shown that around 90-100% of cases of these conditions are triggered by food intolerance:
-Some digestive disorders (Chronic GERD, Poor appetite, chronic nausea, chronic bloating, constipation, diarrhea, lower bowel issues aka colitis & crohns, Irritable bowel disease
-Connective tissue autoimmunity (Lupus)
-Fibromyalgia
-Chronic Lymphadenopathy
-chronic URI (sinus, sore throat, bronchitis etc)
-Migraines
-Chronic inhalant allergies & asthma
-UTI's
-Cervical dysplasia
-Chronic muscle pains
-Vague neurological complaints
Chronic Insomnia
-Chronic anxiety/panic disorders
-Chronic depression
-Skin disorders (psoriasis, eczema, acne)
-Inflammation and joint pain
-Thryoid disorders (mainly Hypothyroid, some cases of hashimotos)
-Some cases of MS
It takes 3-6 weeks of complete elimination of the intolerant food (40 days and 40 nights as the saying goes), and upon complete removal you'll notice changes in your body, your energy should return, skin will improve, digestion will improve, bloating weight will disappear, joint pain will subside etc. The best way to do this is by eating whole foods (fresh fruit and vegetables), meat, fish and eliminate processed foods, grains, legumes, beans. I have an elimination menu plan on my website, as well as paleo diet which is crucial in repairing gut health from a food intolerance. Note: Beware of hidden allergens in products, go online and look up lists of hidden food sources of gluten, dairy etc.
