Food Sensitivity and The Total Elimination Diet
What is a Food Sensitivity or Food Intolerance?
Someone with a food sensitivity may have difficulty digesting or metabolizing certain foods. A sensitivity can develop as a result of repeated exposure to the same foods, overly eating processed foods, or eating out often. Those predisposed to digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or candida have a higher likelihood of developing a food sensitivity. Repeatedly eating foods that your body cannot tolerate can trigger inflammation within the body. Chronic inflammation can lead to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, auto-immune conditions, neurodegenerative disorders, and mental health issues. This is why it’s important to identify what could be causing your symptoms.
How to Test for Food Sensitivity
You can pinpoint the culprit by taking an at home food sensitivity test or by following a total elimination diet. The elimination diet involves either eliminating all suspected food triggers or most food altogether, and slowly reintroducing them back one by one over the course of 3 – 8 weeks.
Allergy vs Sensitivity
*Note that a food intolerance is different from a food allergy. An allergy is an immune system response that can cause dangerous reactions like anaphylaxis, while an intolerance is a digestive issue that will only cause mild discomfort and are not life threatening. See the associated symptoms below.
Food Allergy Symptoms
- Tingling
- Itching or swelling around the face area
- Hives
- Difficulty swallowing or breathing
- Wheezing
- Feeling lightheaded
Food Sensitivity Symptoms
- Gas
- Bloating
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Skin rashes
Food allergy symptoms usually appear immediately after the food is consumed, while food intolerance symptoms usually appear within 24 – 48 hours and can last several days.
If you suspect that you may have a food allergy, then consider getting a food allergy test or have your doctor do it for you. Buying an at home testing kit can be an affordable way of determining whether you may have a food allergy. You can also perform the total elimination diet to confirm your suspicions.
What Causes Food Intolerances
An unhealthy gut is most likely linked to the foods you’re eating. Food sensitivities have become more common in our day and age due to the overuse of certain ingredients in our food. Some of these ingredients include wheat, milk, soy, and corn. These ingredients are commonly found in prepackaged processed foods, as well as food prepared by restaurants. A food sensitivity can also occur as a result of poor digestive health. The intolerant person’s digestive tract is unable to break down and digest food. This is most likely due to an absence of an enzyme needed to fully digest the food.
Total Elimination Diet
To The Point - The Total Elimination Diet
- An intolerance can develop as a result of repeated exposure to the same foods, overly eating processed foods, eating out often, and predisposition to digestive disorders.
- A total elimination diet involves eliminating all suspected food triggers and slowly reintroducing them one by one over the course of 3 – 8 weeks.
- An allergy can cause dangerous reactions like anaphylaxis, while an intolerance will only cause mild discomfort and is not life threatening. An allergy usually appears suddenly, while an intolerance appears gradually within 24 – 48 hours and can last several days.
- Some common food sensitivities include dairy, gluten, corn, caffeine, sugar, peanuts, shellfish, eggs, red meat, chicken, soy, fructose, and wheat.
Ways to Avoid Developing a Food Intolerance
- Maintain a diversified diet
- Prepare food at home
- Avoid excessive amounts of caffeine
- Take a digestive enzyme with each meal
- Take a probiotic
- Drink bone broth
- Reduce inflammation
- Buy organic
- Supplement with colostrum
- Reduce irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms
- Eliminate candida
Most Common Food Intolerances
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten and affects the small intestine. Gluten can be found in wheat, barley, and rye. When someone with celiac disease consumes gluten, their immune system goes into attack mode. This causes damage to the small intestine, which is where nutrients are absorbed. Therefore, someone with celiac disease is most likely nutrient deficient. Nutritional deficiencies can lead to cognitive issues, such as confusion, lack of concentration, brain fog, depression, and anxiety.
Gluten Intolerance triggers inflammation which is usually what causes digestive discomfort. Gluten intolerance symptoms include gas, bloating, and diarrhea. Gluten intolerance doesn’t damage the small intestine like celiac disease does.
The reason more and more people have become gluten intolerant is because it’s used in just about every packaged or processed food. Gluten binds food together giving it a nice texture and making it stretchy. Overexposing yourself to gluten by eating lots of pre-packaged or processed food increases your risk of developing an intolerance or even celiac disease.
Those with celiac disease and gluten intolerance should incorporate a strict gluten free diet. Gluten can be disguised in many different foods, so you need to be diligent about checking food labels and eating at home as much as possible. *Try to avoid overly consuming prepackaged foods that have “gluten free” labels on them. Gluten is actually a healthy nutrient that contains vitamin B’s, D, iron, calcium, and more. Food packagers swap out this healthy nutrient with artificial ingredients to get the same effect.
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