Are you feeling overwhelmed, drained, and physically unwell, yet doctors can’t seem to pinpoint what’s wrong with you? If so, you may have a hidden problem – food sensitivities.
Every day, millions of people suffer from the effects of food sensitivities. Still, with the right actions, you can gain relief and start to experience the incredible transformations that come from managing your food sensitivities. In this article, you’ll learn about the signs and symptoms of food sensitivity, possible reasons for its development, and strategies for getting relief and improving your quality of life. With 1 in 5 Americans suffering from food sensitivities, it’s a problem that can’t be ignored any longer, and this information can give you the power to take back control of your health.
So what exactly ARE food sensitivities?
For many, there is confusion around food allergies and food sensitivities. They are very different. An allergy is a response from your immune system, which causes symptoms like:
- Hives
- Dizziness
- Trouble Breathing
- Swelling
Food intolerance or sensitivity indicates that for whatever reason, the body does not have the things it needs to actually process a food or product or protein of that food. It can also be caused by something within that food that the body is particularly sensitive to, causing a symptom.
Identifying Food Sensitivities
There are several ways of identifying foods that you may be sensitive to. There are ways to measure the levels of IgE (which are antibodies in your blood) to find out which foods are causing your issues.
These tests can be done by your physician or at home with an easy finger prick test that you mail in. Results are generally available in about 10-14 days. My recommendation is to review them with a provider to better understand what is a real problem versus what might be a mild irritant.
If you don’t want to hassle with a blood test, there are also hair analysis tests available at home. The nice thing about these tests is they also can include sensitivities to certain metals and vitamin/mineral deficiencies.
Finally, there are ways to do an elimination diet. You simply remove the suspected foods that you think may be the culprit and avoid them for two weeks. Then slowly add food back one at a time. Write down how you feel over the next 72 hours, as many food intolerances don’t show up immediately. Watch for symptoms and these may include:
- Brain Fog
- Joint Pain
- Muscle Aches
- Insomnia
- Chronic Fatigue
- Anxiety/Depression
- Abdominal (belly) pain
- Diarrhea
- Gas and bloating
- Headaches or migraines
- Dizziness
- Runny nose
- Chronic Dry Cough
- Heartburn/Reflux
- Nausea/Belching
- Upset stomach
You don’t need to stay away from most food sensitivities for the rest of your life. Often by giving your gut a break and working towards decreasing inflammation in the body, letting your immune system rebuild, you can slowly reintroduce these foods back into your diet.
Again, my recommendation is to work with a health practitioner to ensure that you have eliminated the right foods and that you stay away from them for the correct amount of time, depending on how reactive your body is to them.
As you slowly reintroduce one food at a time, take at least three days to decide if you are still feeling well or if symptoms are creeping back in.
Food sensitivities can greatly impact your life, so it’s important to identify and manage them. Knowing how to recognize and treat food sensitivities can improve your health, energy, and even your wallet. With the proper knowledge, you can lead a healthier, happier life and experience incredible results from managing your food sensitivities.
If you think you may have food sensitivity, consult a medical professional for advice and treatment.
Food sensitivity testing is also available through my website with consultation and a free patient guidebook to help you keep track of your symptoms as well as food recommendations of what to avoid and what is generally helpful to eat as you work to heal your body!
Share this post with your friends and family who could benefit from this information.
By understanding your food sensitivities, you can make changes that positively affect your health and well-being. You can save yourself from digestive discomfort and from the depletion of energy that arises from improper nutrition.
It boils down to this: understanding your food sensitivities means eating foods that work with your biology, not against it. Knowing which foods your body can tolerate and which ones it cannot is essential for achieving a higher level of health and satisfaction.
It’s more important than ever to make sure the food we put in our bodies is beneficial, not detrimental. So, don’t wait to make the necessary changes to feel your best—the decisions we make today can have an incredible impact on our health and future. As Hippocrates famously said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
In conclusion, food sensitivities are an important part of understanding our health, and the knowledge gained can provide us with the power to heal ourselves. By eating in accordance with our body’s needs, we can make sure the food we eat is truly the medicine we need. So, use the knowledge you now have and make sure your meals provide the nourishment your body needs.
