According to research, around 50% of the ailments seen in a doctor’s office can be attributed to food sensitivities!! Reactions to the food that you eat can show up in just about any part of your body. You could have traditional testing done and it does not show up that you have a sensitivity to a food. Traditional Food allergies are easy to pick up: you get an immediate response to something that you eat or are exposed to. In addition, the testing can generally find the allergy. An example of this is lip/face swelling right after eating strawberries. Food sensitivities, on the other hand, typically have a delayed reaction. These reactions can occur hours or even days after consuming the offending food. Food sensitivities can cause a variety of symptoms: joint aches, abdominal distress, fatigue, brain fog, depression, muscle aches, rashes, etc. Thus, food as a cause of your symptoms can be easily overlooked.
Gluten is one of those easily overlooked sensitivities. I know that it seems like it is a crazy fad to eat gluten free. Actually, gluten sensitivity is predicted to affect 1:3 people. Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, rye, and barley. The problem in our society today is that gluten has inundated our diets!! Remember that grains have only been in our diets for about 10,000 years and in the past several decades gluten has made its way into our breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks.
Ask yourself these simple questions: Do you feel tired most of the time? Do you have joint aches/pains? Do you injure yourself easily? Do you get bloated easily after meals? Do you get depressed or anxious or have mood swings? Do you have trouble with your weight? The list could go on and on. If you answered yes to one or more of these questions it could be from gluten sensitivity. Look at your diet and see if you have eaten breads, crackers, pasta, cookies, pizza, bagels, etc. If you are not actively avoiding gluten, you are consuming gluten.
Here is a simple solution: try one month of a 100% gluten free diet. What does it hurt? It is healthy and easy to follow. Listen to your body and see how it feels. If a gluten free diet solves your problems then you know that is the issue. If you continue to have ailments, then a deeper look into food sensitivities may be in order.
Treating the whole patient involves looking into nutrition as a cure and also as a culprit for the cause of diseases. Do not just rely on taking prescription medicines to help you feel well. When you consume the proper nutrition for you, avoid foods that you are sensitive to, get good sleep, exercise regularly, and balance your hormones you can help prevent osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer, dementia, etc.
