Food Intolerances

 

Food intolerances can lead to various health issues including digestive, immune, energy, skin, and mood disturbances. Often mistaken for food allergies due to similar symptoms, food intolerances are different in that they cause systemic, gradual effects, whereas allergies trigger immediate reactions.

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Recognizing food intolerance can be challenging as it's often overlooked by healthcare professionals and can have a cumulative effect due to our habitual consumption of the same food groups.

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BEST testing aids in identifying your body's reactions to common foods, simplifying meal planning. Testing can also detect issues with natural chemical substances in foods, providing more effective dietary guidance.

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It's crucial to understand that food reactions aren't necessarily allergies, making allergy testing less useful in diagnosing them. A personalized assessment, incorporating a comprehensive review of your medical history, response to treatments, and functional testing, is the most effective method to pinpoint the causes of food reactions.

 

Symptoms

Six key areas are often affected by Food Intolerance.

 

1. Gastro-Intestinal –bloating, nausea, reflux, GORD, constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, cramps, mucus with stools, encopresis (soiling) and more.

 

2. Skin – eczema, dermatitis, acne, hives, itching, excessive dryness and psoriasis.

 

3. Respiratory – Many people don’t realize that food intolerance can affect your respiratory system. If you have sinusitis, rhinitis, asthma, or even a sore throat that doesn’t seem to go away, you just may have a food intolerance.

 

4. Endocrine System – Food intolerances can take a toll on the body, making it more likely that you’ll end up with thyroid problems, increased PMS, endometriosis, period pain, hormonal acne, PCOS, fertility issues. It can even increase the risk of a a food-related disease such as hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia and with time, diabetes.

 

5. Immune System – issues with food impact the immune system through the Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue, where 80% of the immune system resides. This can make a person increasingly susceptible to immune issues such as : Auto-immunity, frequent colds, runny nose, sinus and a general loss of immune resilience causing the above issues.

 

6. Weight – If you’re experiencing a significant weight loss or weight gain issue, then your body may be reacting to a particular food by holding onto fluid and fat. Food intolerance can also impact metabolism and detoxification, influencing the way your body manages calories and waste clearance.

 

7. Sleep problems.

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8. Growth delay - failure to thrive in children

 

Treatment involves the identification of the foods and substances to avoid as part of a comprehensive Naturopathic Program. Programs are tailored to the individual, often incorporating an elimination diet along with a digestive and microbiome recovery plan. This has the effect of improving the health and resiliency of the digestive system, regulating gut mediated immune health, improving detoxification, energy production and overall system functioning. The gut-brain axis is an important link between diet, nutrition and mental and emotional health.

 

The gut is central to the health of the entire body, so improving health at this level can have a beneficial effect on the entire system. People often report improved energy, clarity of thinking, improvements in memory, skin health, stronger nails and hair, clear shiny eyes, improved mood, enhanced immunity and a general improvement in resilience for life.

 

Food Sensitivities - Case Study 1

Eliza was 7 years old and complained of tummy aches frequently. She had dark lines under eyes, slept poorly, couldn't concentrate and suffered from belly distension and mild constipation. Her health review and functional testing revealed a number of problematic foods along with nutritional depletion, and she embarked on a twelve week Naturopathic health recovery program. Within two weeks she stopped bloating and her demeanour became more relaxed and resilient. Over the next few weeks her bowel habits became regular, sleep improved giving her a more restful and restorative sleep, her teacher began to comment on her ability to concentrate and complete tasks. Her sibling relationship improved as she became more tolerant with her younger sibling, and the dark circles cleared by the end of her program. It became very clear to both Eliza and her parents when she had foods that didn't suit her body, as her sleep became disrupted and her behaviour reverted for a short time to how she used to be. Knowing how to support their daughter's wellbeing was a great blessing to her parents, and the benefits of a healthier diet filtered through to improve the wellbeing of the entire family.

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Food Sensitivities - Case Study 2

Jenny, 33, was having digestive problems that were interfering with her quality of life. She would wake with a flat stomach but as soon as she ate she would become bloated, which increased over the day. She had pain, wind, variable bowel movements, had indigestion and felt nauseous often. She also had problems with her hormones, energy, weight, clarity of mind, memory, mood and sleep.  She came for testing and found that she had some important nutrient deficiencies, and some significant food intolerances. As a result of her testing she knew what nutrients were low, and what foods to avoid in her diet as she undertook a gut repair program.

 

We found that she was okay for gluten, but sensitive to wheat and wheat products. She had issues with cow's milk products, yellow cheese, cream cheese and whey, but was okay for feta, plain Greek yogurt, ice cream,  and margarine, but was okay for butter.  She needed to avoid canned tomatoes, but was okay for fresh tomatoes, and had a specific list of other foods to focus on. 

 

In two weeks she experienced a vast improvement in her digestive system, she stopped bloating, experienced improved energy, her mental motivation improved, sleep became more refreshing, and she lost 2kg and 5cm from her waist. Jenny reported that it was so much easier to feed herself because she knew what to avoid and what to focus on instead.

 

After two months she had lost 10kg and found that she no longer struggled to remember things, her blood pressure went down, she stopped snoring, had vastly improved energy, a more stable mood, her skin cleared up, and her menstrual cycle became less painful and problematic. Her friends and family couldn't believe the change in her.