Food Intolerence Vs. Food Allergies
Note that food intolerances are different than food allergies. Food allergies only affect about 1 to 2 percent of the population, whereas food intolerance occurs in up to 20 percent of the population, and that number could be even higher.
“With allergies, symptoms can be very dangerous and even life-threatening. A food intolerance, on the other hand, is more likely to present itself with symptoms such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), eczema, migraine, fatigue, hives and asthma,” says Muriel Simmons, Chief Executive of Allergy UK.
And to be honest, food intolerances can be a huge reason many people are trying “everything” to lose weight with NO results.
If someone is allergic to a food, you can see it pretty quickly…hives, itchy throat, severe reactions that manifest themselves outwardly. Whereas, the symptoms of food intolerance – bloating, gas, fatigue, inability to lose weight – can take several hours or even days to show up, making you feel like you’re in a constant state of digestive distress.
A food intolerance will also create a chronic state of inflammation inside the body making it a less-than-ideal environment for your metabolism to burn off unwanted fat…and that’s exactly what you DON’T want when you’re trying your best to change your body and change your health.
How Do You Know If You Have a Food Intolerance? 
The best way to discover if a food intolerance is the root cause of your inability to lose weight is to temporarily remove those foods from your diet for two weeks. You can then slowly introduce those foods back into your diet and see how your body responds. You can do this with the help of Dr. Green at Lake Norman Integrative Wellness& Wellness, along with the Repairvite protocol, which consists of a restricted dietary program (to reduce intestinal inflammation) as well as targeted nutritional supplements that are required for several days to help support intestinal membranes.
The most common food intolerance culprits are wheat, gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, and corn.
It may sound a bit overwhelming to think about eliminating all of those foods from your eating plan, but it will help lead to feeling better in the long run! Here is a sample of some foods you could be eating:
Breakfast: Fresh fruit with chicken sausage (nitrite and nitrate free).
Snack: Turkey slices (nitrite and nitrate free) with carrots and cucumbers
Lunch: Roasted chicken, shredded carrots and celery with olive oil and vinegar dressing, sauteed spinach and kale
Snack: Smoked salmon over sliced tomatoes
Dinner: Broiled talapia, steamed cauliflower and broccoli, baked sweet potato
Notice there is no wheat, gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, or corn included above, and the day consisted of a variety of delicious foods.
Another strategy that is effective and may be a bit easier for you to implement immediately is to begin taking digestive enzymes with each meal. Digestive enzymes assist the body in breaking down and processing different types of foods. some enzymes are designed to help the stomach produce and use HCL, or stomach acid, better to help initial digestion. Other enzymes help digest vegetables and grains, and even others are made to help you digest animal protein. Many times the enzymes in our body get damaged and we need to take these digestive enzymes as a supplement to help the damage.
Not only do digestive enzymes have the ability to enhance your body’s own ability to digest your food, they can also help you resolve any inflammation you may have lurking in your body due to food intolerances.
Ask Dr. Green if digestive enzymes would be indicated for your health and which ones would be best for you to use.
For a more specific program, call Dr. Akiba Green at Lake Norman Integrative Wellness& Wellness, serving the greater Charlotte area. Dr. Green is widely recognized as a leader in the non-drug treatment of chronic and autoimmune conditions. Address: 21000 Torrence Chapel Road #101, Suite 103, Cornelius, NC. Phone: 704-987-3993.]]>
