Last time we gave some examples of how small changes can make a big difference in your health. This time we’re going to discuss food sensitivities and how detoxing can help to determine if you have them. Many people have allergies and some people simply have multiple sensitivities. I have both.
Allergies can be life threatening (for me its shellfish), while sensitivities (for me its dairy) are usually just an irritant (bloating/gas). However, they can become full-blown life-threatening conditions if they’re not identified and treated. While its always easy or possible, the best treatment is to avoid the item in question.
Allergies and sensitivities can cause dizziness, seizures, paranoia, eczema, headaches, and more. If you have any type of reaction going on that is bothering you, it may be a sensitivity issue.
So, how do you find the food or foods that are causing the sensitivity? By testing and by food elimination detoxes’.
There are certain foods that you know cause more issues than others, so those are the ones you want to get rid of those first. The following foods are usual suspects when it comes to food sensitivities:
- Nightshades – This includes potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, tomatillos and goji berries. Nightshades cause inflammation in some people. They can cause bloating, diarrhea, gas, joint pain, headaches, and even depression.
- Sugar – Table sugar in all its forms (coconut, white, brown and so forth) has either no or nearly no nutritional value whatsoever when consumed in normal serving sizes. All it offers is more calories and empty carbohydrate. While it can be a source of energy, the crash that comes after more than cancels out any value in eating it. Plus, for some people sugar can cause severe fatigue, feed cancer, and contribute to diabetes.
- Overt Fat – Fat that is not found naturally in plants is not good for you. Even cold pressed olive oil has as much saturated fat as chicken. Eating fat found naturally in the whole food, such as an avocado, is okay but eating fat that’s been processed out of a plant is not healthy and can cause a whole host of problems, from excess weight to high blood sugar and heartburn.
- Salt – While we all need a little salt and iodine for health, most of the time if you eat enough raw plants you’ll automatically get your quota without even trying. Too much salt causes high blood pressure, bloating, and general discomfort. If you use salt please use Celtic or Himalayan Sea Salt.
- Soy – Other than when it comes to food sensitivities, soy is relatively healthy. However, those who have issues with soy can have an increased incidence of skin problems and asthma.
- Nuts and Seeds – All nuts and seeds have a lot of fat, and are very prone to cause problems with people who have sensitivities. Some nut allergies are so bad that they can cause death. If you have stomach issues and eat nuts, eliminate them first.
- Meat and Fish – A lot of people have trouble digesting meat and fish. It can cause constipation, skin issues and other problems for those who are sensitive. If you have bumps on the back of your arms, this is likely caused by meat.
- Dairy – There isn’t enough room to note all the issues with dairy. This should be the first food eliminated on any elimination diet. Acne, eczema, stomach issues and more can all be made worse by dairy.
- Fake Food – Fake sugar, fake fat, processed food is rife with problems that can contribute to a multitude of health issues from headaches, to skin rashes, to stomach problems and more. If you can’t pick it, you shouldn’t eat it on an elimination diet.
- All Beverages – When you’re on an elimination diet, your only beverage should be water.
- Chocolate – As much as we love it, chocolate is an allergen for many people and can cause stomach issues, headaches, heart palpitations and more.
The book It Starts With Food and the Whole 30 Cookbook are great resources to try an elimination detox. Once you complete your 30 days you can try reintroducing each eliminated food back one at time to find out what causes a reaction. It’s really eye opener. I did it about a year ago and saw a huge difference in how my body functioned. But slowly but surely here and there a few foods have crept back into my diet which I can do without. I am seriously considering adopting whole 30 as a lifestyle change.
If you decide to try the Whole 30 plan, let me know. I love to know what you thought about it!
Next time we’ll talk more about the different types of detox diets (besides the elimination detox).
Wishing you
Health, Wealth & Success
