What Food Sensitivities Are Telling Us
Millions of people find that they are sensitive to various foods. The top two foods that people are intolerant of or sensitive to are foods made with conventionally processed dairy or wheat products. In addition, corn products are often highly problematic to people.
Food sensitivity may have a number of different effects depending upon the person.
Here are some of the ways food sensitivities manifest:
- Headaches or migraines
- Bloating or gas
- Stomachache or abdominal pain
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Irritable bowel symptoms
- Trouble focusing
- Feeling unwell after eating the offending food
- Anxiety or agitation
- Irregular or more rapid heartbeat
- Mood swings
- Brain fog or memory issues
Why is it that people often develop food sensitivities, and some people don’t develop them until adulthood?
Personally, as a kid, I felt like I could eat pretty much anything without any issues. Then around the age of forty, I started to notice significant digestive issues. For me, it started with headaches, abdominal pain, gas, and bloating. Then brain fog, fatigue, irregular heartbeat, and a diagnosed low-functioning thyroid were added to my troublesome list. It was around this time that I had my last Culver’s turtle sundae. After having just one spoonful of the frozen custard, I doubled over with a sharp, stabbing pain in my gut like I had never experienced before. It was clear – I should not eat that!
Conventional labs showed no reason for my symptoms. A practitioner that used applied kinesiology or muscle testing showed me that my body did not respond well to wheat and dairy. Eliminating these foods from my diet was an important, but not easy, part of my healing journey.
I recall that I felt sad and a little angry that I couldn’t have these foods that I really enjoyed. Those turtle sundaes were my favorite food! I even went through a stage of denial. Seriously, do I really have to avoid wheat AND dairy? I was not a very happy camper.
But honestly, when I listened to my body, I could tell that I felt much better when I avoided these foods. So I had to admit that my body was stressed by food products containing wheat and/or dairy. I didn’t mind missing milk, yogurt, or cheese. But man! It was hard watching everyone else eat ice cream! Thankfully, I discovered a coconut milk ice cream that I enjoyed and that my digestive system seemed to be okay with. (I did this until I found a good source for unprocessed milk.)
This is key. If you have food sensitivities, find some healthier foods that you can switch to. This will make avoiding the problematic foods easier. If dairy is an issue for you, you could seek out a clean organic dairy farm from which you can get unprocessed, clean milk to drink and make your own ice cream. In most states, like Minnesota, you will not find unprocessed dairy products in the grocery store. You will need to do some talking around with people who know local farmers, or you can go to realmilk.com to find a farm near you.
Years ago, while avoiding wheat and dairy products, I started to give my body key nutrients in the form of digestive enzymes, liver and kidney supplements, and some betaine hydrochloric acid. (Along with other supplements that were part of the program developed for my specific issues by my practitioner.) I also regularly incorporated castor oil packs for my gut and light exercise for overall wellness. Not at the same time, though – LOL!
With the use of targeted supplementation, castor oil packs, and lifestyle/dietary changes, I began to see improvement within a few months. My digestive system was much happier. The pain, bloating, and more embarrassing stuff, like gas, diminished significantly.
I often wondered why I developed these sensitivities. What were these sensitivities trying to tell me? Today we are going to delve into possible answers to these questions that many people seem curious about.
First, let’s explore some possible reasons why people develop food sensitivities or digestive issues:
1. Some people’s digestive systems may not be equipped to metabolize certain troublesome food substances. Perhaps this resulted from overeating the offending foods, or perhaps it happened because these foods, over time, depleted the body’s resources that were needed to break them down. Or if their mother’s microbiome was imbalanced, it is likely that their children’s microbiome will be imbalanced.
2. Another possible reason for food intolerance is the use of antibiotics for strep, ear infections, or other types of infections. Antibiotics kill bacteria indiscriminately, so after people use them, the gut microbiome balance will likely be negatively impacted. This could hinder the digestive system and lead to the third issue listed below.
3. The gut may not have a healthy, diverse microbiome. If the gut lacks the needed enzymes, beneficial bacteria, and digestive juices to metabolize and utilize nutrients within the problematic food source, then there will likely be symptoms that could be seen as sensitivities or trouble digesting certain foods or food groups.
4. Wheat is a highly processed grain before it is added as an ingredient in our foods. The processing often destroys the natural enzymes within it, making it harder to digest. This may contribute to sensitivities.
5. Dairy products are also highly processed. They are heated to high temperatures, killing all the natural enzymes, nutrients, and healthy bacteria. This leaves a white-colored product that we still call milk, but it is devoid of all the natural nutrients and enzymes needed to make it healthy, nutritious, and readily digestible. This denatured product is then used in all dairy products. Common sense tells us that this could be problematic for our digestive systems and our health.
6. Many crops, such as wheat and corn, may be sprayed with chemicals, like glyphosate, prior to harvesting. This chemical can then be absorbed by the plant and potentially end up in the grains of wheat or kernels of corn. Because this chemical and other farm chemicals have been used repeatedly for years, they are in the soil. It is believed that these chemicals may remain in the soil for three to over twenty years. These chemicals can potentially cause all kinds of problems within our bodies. One of these problems could be sensitivity issues to wheat or corn because of the chemicals that we may unknowingly be consuming when we eat food products made with chemically produced wheat or corn.
7. There may also be some emotional issues a person has that impact their ability to digest food, and when more stressful foods, like wheat, dairy, or corn, are consumed, they are not fully able to digest the more problematic foods. When a person is in fight-or-flight mode, their body will not be able to digest and absorb nutrients like it is meant to. Prayers of thanks are a wonderful practice to have before meals. A thankful heart puts the body in a better place to digest food.
There may be other reasons in addition to what is listed above, but these are good starting points.
Now on to the next question: “What are sensitivities trying to tell us?”
Here are some things that the sensitivities may be trying to tell us:
1. The offending food contains something that is hard on the body, and the body would appreciate that the offending food be avoided as much as possible, or you may develop bigger problems.
2. The body needs help. Generally, it needs support from specific enzymes and nutrients that are perhaps deficient.
3. It is also likely that targeted supplement support is needed to help the body remove the toxic chemicals that have unknowingly been consumed with the problematic foods. (Just as these chemicals remain in the soil, they remain in our bodies unless we give our bodies the tools needed to remove them.) The body may be in need of specific binders, liver support, kidney support, and so on to be able to function better. A person’s body may also need help to rebuild a healthy microbiome by using supportive foods and, potentially, targeted prebiotics and probiotics.
4. If the use of targeted supplements does not completely resolve the digestive issues associated with the food sensitivities within a few months, or if it helps for a while but digestive issues return, then the body may need a deeper dive into what else is hindering its function. There may be some parasites, mold or mycotoxins, and other toxic chemicals that the body needs help to get out. Any of these troublemakers can hinder the body’s ability to successfully utilize food nutrients. When we don’t absorb nutrients, we can develop deficiencies that can eventually lead to malnourished organs and far more serious neurological and systemic health issues.
Thankfully, there are natural solutions to food sensitivities and digestive issues that affect our brain and our quality of life. When we listen to what our bodies are trying to tell us, we can start to take better care of ourselves and overcome challenging health issues associated with sensitivities, and we can potentially ward off worrisome brain conditions and unwanted diseases.
It’s exciting to know that there are techniques that can reveal food sensitivities, and that God has given us the know-how to provide targeted support to help us resolve these issues. Find out about food sensitivity screening here. Reach out to get the help that you need to sort out what foods are problematic to your system and what steps you can take to have a happier and healthier digestive system and brain.
Thankful for what God has given us and grateful to serve,
-Anita
