“What is food to one man is bitter poison to others”
― Titus Lucretius Carus (99 BCE to 55 BCE)
The topic of this blog is Food Sensitivities, NOT Life Threatening Food Allergies
It seems so many people are dealing with sensitivities to various foods these days, myself included. Even as we travelled through Italy (the land of the Mediterranean diet, where ‘slow food’ was invented for goodness sake!) there were signs advertising gluten free options, ‘health food’ restaurants, and organic gelato to cater to those of us with ‘special needs’ around foods. This is not only big business, but a growing health concern for many.
My Story:
Here are a few of the reasons why I ended up with a food sensitivity:
- I was raised on processed food, name brand colourful containers guaranteed to offer a wide variety of foods, quickly and conveniently. Italian food one day, curry the next, all conveniently packaged and on the table in under 15 minutes.
Chemicals are used in processed foods to help increase shelf life and enhance flavour. These chemicals can stress the gut lining which is only one cell thick, over time increasing the permeability of the gut and possibly resulting in a ‘leaky gut’. Reading labels can help you to avoid nasty chemicals, but keep in mind that the words ‘natural’ and ‘no artificial additives’ do not mean that chemicals were not used in the processing and production. In fact, the word ‘natural’ is nothing but a deceptive marketing ploy, so if you want to eat something that is truly natural it is best to consume something without a label at all.
- In my 20’s I became a lacto-ovo vegetarian, but I eventually discovered that simply removing meat or animal products from one’s diet does not make it healthier. You have to be very aware of what your body’s particular needs are and make adjustments accordingly. In my case removing meat led to an over-consumption of wheat and dairy, I basically became a ‘grainatarian’.
Lack of Enzymes: When too much of any one food or element of a food is consumed several times a day 365 days a year, it is difficult for the body to produce enough enzymes to breakdown the nutrient. (For example, gluten in grains or casein in dairy.) If undigested particles of food pass through a ‘leaky gut’ (see above) the body can launch an inflammatory attack and the body can develop a sensitivity to that food.
- To top it off I’m a bit of ‘stress junkie’ – you know a typical Type A – ambitious, competitive and impatient. 🙄
Stress: The inner ecology of the gut (the microbiome) changes when a person becomes stressed. The bacteria in our guts can actually read stress in our bodies, which can transform good bacteria into pathogenic. At the same time the stress can shut down our digestive and immune systems, which are responsible for protecting us from disease. Once the gut becomes imbalanced, the door opens up for a wide range of health conditions including food sensitivities.
As you can see it’s pretty easy to develop a food sensitivity in today’s fast paced, high-stressed environment. If you too, think you may be dealing with this, stay tuned to my upcoming blog post where I will review the symptoms (and there are many) and I will give you strategies to help you overcome a food sensitivity.
Until then, check out below for a quick tip on how to get started.
Arriverderci!
Back to Italy for a moment (there we are watching the sunset over Florence) – Even the greatest food connoisseurs of the world often embrace the simplest methods of food preparation.
Would you like to know how to dress a salad like they do in Italy -“All’italina”? It’s really very simple, delicious and helps you to avoid the preservatives found in bottled salad dressings. Click here for the recipe. http://glendabritton.com/recipe/simplest-italian-salad/
REFERENCES:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/what-natural-can-really-mean-on-food-labels-in-canada/article18593631/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3945755/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3418802/
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/food-additives-alter-gut-microbes-cause-diseases-mice
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3705319/
http://bodyecology.com/articles/is-your-stress-causing-leaky-gut-and-candida