Food Sensitivities Blog Archive...
Food sensitivities. 95% of the population is unaware of food sensitivities that they have. These sensitivities can cause inflammation in the system, immune difficulties, irritable bowel problems, and yes, weight gain. Many times, the foods that we do not tolerate well are the ones that we crave. The reason that we don't identify food sensitivities, is that they have a delayed immune response, and don't necessarily make us exhibit symptoms from an hour after we eat the food up to a few days after. This is different than a food allergy, which causes an immediate response from our immune system. The effect that eating foods that you are intolerant to has on weight loss is twofold. First of all, eating these foods slows the metabolism. This in turn causes issues with enzyme function in the system and your body is unable to break down fats. When testing with EDS, some of the foods that tend to cause the most issues for people are corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, soy, some grains, cane sugar, pasteurized milk, food additives such as monosodium glutamate and food dyes. This list definitely does not cover all sensitivities. The most healthy of foods can cause problems for some people. Rotating foods is a good way to avoid food intolerances. For example, if you eat soy on one day, wait another four or five days to eat it again to allow your system to heal in between servings. A note on soy - most soy is genetically modified, so if you want soy in your diet, look for organic, fermented soy products.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have spent a lot of time on my blog and web site talking about food sensitivities. Food sensitivities can be caused by a leaky gut and also by toxins that are in our system. So many of the issues that we have to deal with can be traced back to the foods that we eat. I am very impressed with the book "Spent" by Frank Lipman. He hits on the majority of the topics that I have on my web site. When he discusses food sensitivities, he gives the following signs that foods are causing health problems:
The above list pretty much covers all of the bases as to health problems that people experience. The difficult aspect of food sensitivities is that the symptoms can show up from an hour up to days after you have eaten the offending food. You can find out more information about food sensitivities in my blog and on my web site. If you have any of the above symptoms, I would recommend either an elimination diet, muscle testing or electrodermal screening to determine what foods you are sensitive to.
====================================================================================================================
I have probably spoke about monosodium glutamate (MSG) recently, but I found some new information that I wanted to add. In the book, "Eat This and Live", by Don Colbert, MD, Dr. Colbert gives an extensive list of symptoms and ailments that can be caused by ingesting MSG. A partial list of side effects can be found below:
* Stomach cramps
* Diarrhea
* Migraine headaches
* Heart palpitations
* Rapid heartbeat
* Extreme rise or drop in blood pressure
* Shortness of breath
* Facial swelling
* Numbness/burning in and around the mouth (I experience this)
* Frequent urination (food sensitivities can cause the bladder to swell, leading to more urination)
* Depression
* Anxiety/panic attacks
* Light-headedness/loss of balance/dizziness
* Blurry vision
The difficulty with determining if there is MSG in foods is caused by the numerous names that food companies use to disguise the use of MSG. Some common names that you find on an ingredient list would be glutamate, hydrolyzed protein, autolyzed yeast extract and many more. MSG is a food flavor enhancer. It tricks the taste buds into thinking the food tastes better than it does. An interesting fact that I found in Dr. Colbert's book was that MSG can damage the hypothalamus in the brain. The hypothalamus regulates our hunger and thirst mechanisms, which can lead to eating being out of control. The hypothalamus is sometimes regarded as the master gland, and damage to this gland can affect the entire endocrine system. MSG is just one more reason to move toward more whole foods in our diets.
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Lately, I have found helpful information in the information for dummies books. Today I hit the wall on this resource when I was skimming through the book "Food Allergies for Dummies", by Robert A. Wood. The author spends a generous amount of time on putting down natural treatments for food allergies. I always find it interesting to look at points of view that are in opposition to what I believe in. This book kicks it up a notch. The author makes strong recommendations that people with food allergies avoid herbal and homeopathic treatments. He does not believe that leaky gut issues can be a factor in food sensitivities. He definitely does not think that alternative options can be helpful in determining what foods you may be sensitive to. When I find a book that is skewed so blatantly in one direction, I am leery of the information presented. I think that people need to investigate all of their options when treating any ailment. From my experience, many people have found relief from food sensitivities through the use of homepathic remedies and from giving the gut the nutrients it needs (enzymes and probiotics) to function properly. If you are looking at traditonal testing to determine food allergies and sensitivities, I would recommend what is known as IGe and IGg testing which can pick up a broader range of foods that may be an issue. You can also do your own testing by eliminating foods that you suspect may be causing you issues and slowly reintroducing them in to your diet to see if they cause any symptoms. Overall, whether you are experiencing environmental or food allergies or sensitivities, keep in mind that there are treatment opitons available that can help alleviate the symptoms to improve your quality of life.
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I was trying to come up with a topic for a blog - and I decided to spend some time talking about specific food sensitivities and allergies. I have written about food sensitivities in general, but each food tends to have specific symptoms it invokes. If you are able to figure out what foods you are sensitive to, and eliminate them from your diet, you can see quick results and changes in health. The first food that I am going to focus on is dairy. Interestingly, 70% of people are actually sensitive to dairy products, so it is actually unusual to be able to eat and drink dairy products. We have been led to believe that dairy is a health food, but that is generally not the case for anyone over toddler age. Even toddlers struggle with dairy products - resulting in ear infections and recurrent sinus problems. According to Don Colbert, MD in the book The Seven Pillars of Health, dairy can cause the following symptoms in people who are sensitive or intolerant to dairy:
* Skin rashes
* Eczema
* Fatigue
* Spastic colon
* Excessive mucus production
* Nasal allergies
* Chronic sinus infections
* Diarrhea
Also, besides a spastic colon, if you experience irritable bowel syndrome, excessive gas and bloating, or headaches, it may be worthwhile cutting out dairy products for a week to see if you find some relief. Some people are lactose intolerant (the enzymes in milk are destroyed by the pasteurization process) and some people have difficulties breaking down the casein (protein) in milk. If you don't want to totally eliminate milk from your diet, you may find some relief from taking digestive enzymes with protease and lactase in them. Some people are better able to tolerate yogurt and some cheese products due to the difference in processing. Be careful with yogurt - you may find that it is packed with corn syrup and other sweeteners.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I am going to continue with the topic of food sensitivities and intolerances and how to tell if a specific food may be an issue for you. A food additive that is used to enhance flavor and make you want to eat more is called monosodium glutamate (MSG). MSG is found naturally in foods such as tomatoes and cheese in small amounts, but is best known for being in Chinese foods. It can also be found in many processed foods, such as soups, doritos, and ranch dressing. The trouble with MSG is that it goes by many names on the labels of processed products. Some of the most common names that you will see on a label are as follows:
* Monosodium Glutamate
* Glutamate
* Yeast extract
* Autolyzed yeast
* Hydrolyzed protein
* Gelatin
It gets even trickier because MSG can be hidden in the ingredients list under such names as artificial flavors, seasonings or even natural flavors. If you have any of the following symptoms after eating a food (even up to a couple days after eating a food), there may be hidden MSG in the food:
* Headache/migraine
* Stomach cramps
* Nausea
* Diarrhea
* Heart irregularities
* Shortness of breath
* Anxiety/depression/panic attacks
* Joint achiness
* Burning around the mouth (this is actually very common)
* Urinating frequently
* Fatigue
The list actually goes on, but anytime that you find that you have an unusual reaction to food, it is worthwhile digging into what may be causing the issue. I can tell if I have eaten MSG - I get a tingling around my lips and then I feel the need for a nap. MSG is an excitotoxin, which means that it affects the brain - and you can get a toxic build up from getting to much MSG in the diet. It is recommended that pregnant women stay away from MSG. Now it is becoming more common for it to be recommended that everyone stay away from MSG.
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Today's topic is gluten. A severe gluten allergy is called Celiac's disease. This has become a very common malady, but the problem is that the majority of people that have it, do not realize that this is the issue they are dealing with. They may have been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome, colitis or other digestive issues. With Celiac's disease, if you eliminate gluten from the diet, you can avoid the symptoms involved with this disease. Gluten is a protein that is added to or found in many grains. The most common grains are wheat, barley and rye. If you would like more information about Celiac's disease, you can go to www.celiac.org. In addition to gluten issues, many people are intolerant to specific grains - whether it be wheat, rice, oats, etc. This intolerance can be even more specific - a person can be sensitive to whole wheat flour and not white flour because of the processing of the grain. Some of the symptoms of a grain intolerance include gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, skin issues, headaches, bladder incontinence, fatigue and more. This can be very tricky to figure out - you can try an elimination diet - stop eating all grains for a week, and then slowly add them back in to your diet. Try one grain every three days. Once again, the tricky part of food intolerances is that the symptoms can show up a day or two after you have eaten the offending food. If you have the option, you can get IgG food sensitivity testing by your doctor or electrodermal screening can help point you in the right direction as to what foods agree with your system. The one thing to remember is that you don't have to feel rotten all of the time. Sometimes we look for a big solution when our health issues can be as simple as what we are eating on a daily basis.
Two foods that I find that more and more people are sensitive to are soy and corn products. There appear to be a couple of reasons that this is the case: First of all, corn and soy make up about a third of our diets. Corn and soy are added to most processed foods either in their whole forms or as oils. Corn takes many different forms, including corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup (you can find a ton of information on corn syrup in my blog archives). Because the majority of us have leaky guts (food passes through the lining of the gut and goes into the blood stream where it is recognized as a toxin), corn and soy become major contributors to the food intolerance list. Another reason that corn and soy cause issue is because the majority of these products that are grown in the United States are genetically modified. The jury is currently out as to what genetically modified foods do to your systems, but other countries have begun to ban these products from their shelves, so my guess is the verdict won't be good. If you eat corn, stick to organic products. If you eat soy, look for fermented, organic soy products. The corn and soy industries are doing a fabulous job of convincing us that their products are good for us. If you have a food intolerance to these products, you will find that they are not good for you. Some signs and symptoms that you are sensitive to these products include - fatigue, headaches, bladder incontinence, bloating, gas, digestive disorders, sinus issues and more. Eliminating corn and soy from the diet is a great thing - it will move you very quickly to a whole food diet. When eliminating corn, make sure you eliminate corn in all of its forms - corn syrup, corn oil, corn meal, popcorn...after a week, try to add corn back in to see how your body reacts. Remember, you can see symptoms up to a day or two after eating the offending food.
Food sensitivities. 95% of the population is unaware of food sensitivities that they have. These sensitivities can cause inflammation in the system, immune difficulties, irritable bowel problems, and yes, weight gain. Many times, the foods that we do not tolerate well are the ones that we crave. The reason that we don't identify food sensitivities, is that they have a delayed immune response, and don't necessarily make us exhibit symptoms from an hour after we eat the food up to a few days after. This is different than a food allergy, which causes an immediate response from our immune system. The effect that eating foods that you are intolerant to has on weight loss is twofold. First of all, eating these foods slows the metabolism. This in turn causes issues with enzyme function in the system and your body is unable to break down fats. When testing with EDS, some of the foods that tend to cause the most issues for people are corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, soy, some grains, cane sugar, pasteurized milk, food additives such as monosodium glutamate and food dyes. This list definitely does not cover all sensitivities. The most healthy of foods can cause problems for some people. Rotating foods is a good way to avoid food intolerances. For example, if you eat soy on one day, wait another four or five days to eat it again to allow your system to heal in between servings. A note on soy - most soy is genetically modified, so if you want soy in your diet, look for organic, fermented soy products.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have spent a lot of time on my blog and web site talking about food sensitivities. Food sensitivities can be caused by a leaky gut and also by toxins that are in our system. So many of the issues that we have to deal with can be traced back to the foods that we eat. I am very impressed with the book "Spent" by Frank Lipman. He hits on the majority of the topics that I have on my web site. When he discusses food sensitivities, he gives the following signs that foods are causing health problems:
- Unexplained fatigue
- Unexplained dermatological symptoms
- Unexplained neurological symptoms
- Unexplained gastrointestinal symptoms
- Unexplained joint and muscle pains
- Unexplained urological symptoms (food sensitivities can make your bladder swell)
- Unexplained ear, nose, throat, and respiratory symptoms
- Fluid retention and daily fluctuations in weight
- Chronic mucus production
- Recurrent infections
- Anxiety, irritability, hyperactivity, inability to concentrate, and mood swings
The above list pretty much covers all of the bases as to health problems that people experience. The difficult aspect of food sensitivities is that the symptoms can show up from an hour up to days after you have eaten the offending food. You can find out more information about food sensitivities in my blog and on my web site. If you have any of the above symptoms, I would recommend either an elimination diet, muscle testing or electrodermal screening to determine what foods you are sensitive to.
====================================================================================================================
I have probably spoke about monosodium glutamate (MSG) recently, but I found some new information that I wanted to add. In the book, "Eat This and Live", by Don Colbert, MD, Dr. Colbert gives an extensive list of symptoms and ailments that can be caused by ingesting MSG. A partial list of side effects can be found below:
* Stomach cramps
* Diarrhea
* Migraine headaches
* Heart palpitations
* Rapid heartbeat
* Extreme rise or drop in blood pressure
* Shortness of breath
* Facial swelling
* Numbness/burning in and around the mouth (I experience this)
* Frequent urination (food sensitivities can cause the bladder to swell, leading to more urination)
* Depression
* Anxiety/panic attacks
* Light-headedness/loss of balance/dizziness
* Blurry vision
The difficulty with determining if there is MSG in foods is caused by the numerous names that food companies use to disguise the use of MSG. Some common names that you find on an ingredient list would be glutamate, hydrolyzed protein, autolyzed yeast extract and many more. MSG is a food flavor enhancer. It tricks the taste buds into thinking the food tastes better than it does. An interesting fact that I found in Dr. Colbert's book was that MSG can damage the hypothalamus in the brain. The hypothalamus regulates our hunger and thirst mechanisms, which can lead to eating being out of control. The hypothalamus is sometimes regarded as the master gland, and damage to this gland can affect the entire endocrine system. MSG is just one more reason to move toward more whole foods in our diets.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Lately, I have found helpful information in the information for dummies books. Today I hit the wall on this resource when I was skimming through the book "Food Allergies for Dummies", by Robert A. Wood. The author spends a generous amount of time on putting down natural treatments for food allergies. I always find it interesting to look at points of view that are in opposition to what I believe in. This book kicks it up a notch. The author makes strong recommendations that people with food allergies avoid herbal and homeopathic treatments. He does not believe that leaky gut issues can be a factor in food sensitivities. He definitely does not think that alternative options can be helpful in determining what foods you may be sensitive to. When I find a book that is skewed so blatantly in one direction, I am leery of the information presented. I think that people need to investigate all of their options when treating any ailment. From my experience, many people have found relief from food sensitivities through the use of homepathic remedies and from giving the gut the nutrients it needs (enzymes and probiotics) to function properly. If you are looking at traditonal testing to determine food allergies and sensitivities, I would recommend what is known as IGe and IGg testing which can pick up a broader range of foods that may be an issue. You can also do your own testing by eliminating foods that you suspect may be causing you issues and slowly reintroducing them in to your diet to see if they cause any symptoms. Overall, whether you are experiencing environmental or food allergies or sensitivities, keep in mind that there are treatment opitons available that can help alleviate the symptoms to improve your quality of life.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I was trying to come up with a topic for a blog - and I decided to spend some time talking about specific food sensitivities and allergies. I have written about food sensitivities in general, but each food tends to have specific symptoms it invokes. If you are able to figure out what foods you are sensitive to, and eliminate them from your diet, you can see quick results and changes in health. The first food that I am going to focus on is dairy. Interestingly, 70% of people are actually sensitive to dairy products, so it is actually unusual to be able to eat and drink dairy products. We have been led to believe that dairy is a health food, but that is generally not the case for anyone over toddler age. Even toddlers struggle with dairy products - resulting in ear infections and recurrent sinus problems. According to Don Colbert, MD in the book The Seven Pillars of Health, dairy can cause the following symptoms in people who are sensitive or intolerant to dairy:
* Skin rashes
* Eczema
* Fatigue
* Spastic colon
* Excessive mucus production
* Nasal allergies
* Chronic sinus infections
* Diarrhea
Also, besides a spastic colon, if you experience irritable bowel syndrome, excessive gas and bloating, or headaches, it may be worthwhile cutting out dairy products for a week to see if you find some relief. Some people are lactose intolerant (the enzymes in milk are destroyed by the pasteurization process) and some people have difficulties breaking down the casein (protein) in milk. If you don't want to totally eliminate milk from your diet, you may find some relief from taking digestive enzymes with protease and lactase in them. Some people are better able to tolerate yogurt and some cheese products due to the difference in processing. Be careful with yogurt - you may find that it is packed with corn syrup and other sweeteners.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I am going to continue with the topic of food sensitivities and intolerances and how to tell if a specific food may be an issue for you. A food additive that is used to enhance flavor and make you want to eat more is called monosodium glutamate (MSG). MSG is found naturally in foods such as tomatoes and cheese in small amounts, but is best known for being in Chinese foods. It can also be found in many processed foods, such as soups, doritos, and ranch dressing. The trouble with MSG is that it goes by many names on the labels of processed products. Some of the most common names that you will see on a label are as follows:
* Monosodium Glutamate
* Glutamate
* Yeast extract
* Autolyzed yeast
* Hydrolyzed protein
* Gelatin
It gets even trickier because MSG can be hidden in the ingredients list under such names as artificial flavors, seasonings or even natural flavors. If you have any of the following symptoms after eating a food (even up to a couple days after eating a food), there may be hidden MSG in the food:
* Headache/migraine
* Stomach cramps
* Nausea
* Diarrhea
* Heart irregularities
* Shortness of breath
* Anxiety/depression/panic attacks
* Joint achiness
* Burning around the mouth (this is actually very common)
* Urinating frequently
* Fatigue
The list actually goes on, but anytime that you find that you have an unusual reaction to food, it is worthwhile digging into what may be causing the issue. I can tell if I have eaten MSG - I get a tingling around my lips and then I feel the need for a nap. MSG is an excitotoxin, which means that it affects the brain - and you can get a toxic build up from getting to much MSG in the diet. It is recommended that pregnant women stay away from MSG. Now it is becoming more common for it to be recommended that everyone stay away from MSG.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Today's topic is gluten. A severe gluten allergy is called Celiac's disease. This has become a very common malady, but the problem is that the majority of people that have it, do not realize that this is the issue they are dealing with. They may have been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome, colitis or other digestive issues. With Celiac's disease, if you eliminate gluten from the diet, you can avoid the symptoms involved with this disease. Gluten is a protein that is added to or found in many grains. The most common grains are wheat, barley and rye. If you would like more information about Celiac's disease, you can go to www.celiac.org. In addition to gluten issues, many people are intolerant to specific grains - whether it be wheat, rice, oats, etc. This intolerance can be even more specific - a person can be sensitive to whole wheat flour and not white flour because of the processing of the grain. Some of the symptoms of a grain intolerance include gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, skin issues, headaches, bladder incontinence, fatigue and more. This can be very tricky to figure out - you can try an elimination diet - stop eating all grains for a week, and then slowly add them back in to your diet. Try one grain every three days. Once again, the tricky part of food intolerances is that the symptoms can show up a day or two after you have eaten the offending food. If you have the option, you can get IgG food sensitivity testing by your doctor or electrodermal screening can help point you in the right direction as to what foods agree with your system. The one thing to remember is that you don't have to feel rotten all of the time. Sometimes we look for a big solution when our health issues can be as simple as what we are eating on a daily basis.
Two foods that I find that more and more people are sensitive to are soy and corn products. There appear to be a couple of reasons that this is the case: First of all, corn and soy make up about a third of our diets. Corn and soy are added to most processed foods either in their whole forms or as oils. Corn takes many different forms, including corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup (you can find a ton of information on corn syrup in my blog archives). Because the majority of us have leaky guts (food passes through the lining of the gut and goes into the blood stream where it is recognized as a toxin), corn and soy become major contributors to the food intolerance list. Another reason that corn and soy cause issue is because the majority of these products that are grown in the United States are genetically modified. The jury is currently out as to what genetically modified foods do to your systems, but other countries have begun to ban these products from their shelves, so my guess is the verdict won't be good. If you eat corn, stick to organic products. If you eat soy, look for fermented, organic soy products. The corn and soy industries are doing a fabulous job of convincing us that their products are good for us. If you have a food intolerance to these products, you will find that they are not good for you. Some signs and symptoms that you are sensitive to these products include - fatigue, headaches, bladder incontinence, bloating, gas, digestive disorders, sinus issues and more. Eliminating corn and soy from the diet is a great thing - it will move you very quickly to a whole food diet. When eliminating corn, make sure you eliminate corn in all of its forms - corn syrup, corn oil, corn meal, popcorn...after a week, try to add corn back in to see how your body reacts. Remember, you can see symptoms up to a day or two after eating the offending food.
