Have you ever wondered if you have food sensitivities that you never knew about? This is one of my favorite aspects of being a clinical nutritionist because you have the power and ability to get into the science of what foods are fuel for your body and what foods are poison.
What are food sensitivities?
Well, they are very different than a food allergy. Certain foods can actually create what is called a “delayed food reaction.” These can occur up to several days after ingestion of the reactive food, making it difficult to link one’s symptom to the food eaten several days ago. These hidden allergies can create all kinds of problems in the body that don’t necessarily point to one specific problem. They can cause these “chronic” type of symptoms that people suffer from. Consuming foods that the body is sensitive to oftentimes invokes an immune response that in turn creates inflammation. Inflammation in the body, as we know, can create a myriad of symptoms including headache, eczema, joint pain, mental fog, gastrointestinal (GI) distress, etc.
I have had countless clients come to me with skin issues like acne or eczema as well as GI distress like bloating, and chronic constipation. After testing and removing the foods they were sensitive too, we almost always see dramatic healing and amazing results. Be sure to read Chelsea and Kim’s stories below!!
The top 5 most common food sensitivities are:
Gluten
Dairy
Soy
Corn
Eggs
If you have health concerns that you think might be caused by a food sensitivity, start here with noticing how much of the above foods you are putting into your daily diet. By reducing and eliminating these foods, you might notice a HUGE difference. This is a great place to start. However, I always encourage my clients to take a step and investment towards their health and get tested. It can truly change everything.
The food sensitivity test I suggest is an IgG panel that tests for 95 of the most common food sensitivities. It is a simple finger prick test that you do in the comfort of your own home! For more information on testing your food sensitivities, please email us here.
Hear Chelsea’s story (our beautiful new intern!)
Hi Ladies! Chelsea here, one of the DIY Cleanse newest interns. I’m so excited to have this opportunity to share with you about my experiences going through the Food Freedom Group as well as now working through my own food sensitivities and dietary needs. I hope by sharing my story it will be an encouragement to some of you!
When I came across the Food Freedom Group, it felt almost like a physical sigh of relief. It spoke directly to me and my needs at the time. I had struggled for years with digestion issues and a lot of abdominal pain. I had been searching to find the answers on my own through a lot of trial and error. This only compounded the issues I was facing. Nothing was working. I was grasping at straws and only feeling more frustrated and incredibly discouraged. Food Freedom came into my life at the most perfect time.
This program equips women with the knowledge, the understanding, and the ability to make appropriate choices to live a full and happy life. I acquired the information I needed to begin healing my body. I learned about healthy fats, complex carbs, and healthy protein. The program teaches you to understand what foods are fuel and what foods are poison. I now know why certain things hurt my body as opposed to fueling it. I learned about the importance of detoxification, exercise, and hydration. All things that my body needs to run healthily and efficiently.
This led to me going through food sensitivity testing. In order for my body to fully heal, I needed to know what foods may still be hurting my body. Some foods, although known to be healthy, can negatively impact the body if you are allergic.
My food sensitivity testing showed that I have a lot of issues. The relieving part of this testing, although daunting, was to see actual data to support what was happening inside my belly. I was up for the task and prepared to do what it took to heal my body. Eliminating corn and eggs has been the most difficult because they are in everything. This new dietary plan has taught me the importance of mindful eating. Being aware of the ingredients of food is vital when developing a clean diet. There are many fillers and chemicals in the food we eat these days. Understanding what certain foods do to your body, whether positive or negative, is imperative to allowing your body the chance to heal. That is something I have learned through this process.
Today, I am three weeks(ish) into my new eating habits and am feeling great. I no longer have the bloating, digestive issues or severe abdominal pain I once had. This comes at a great relief as I have been living with these issues for years. This program has completely changed my life in more ways than one. I feel like I have regained my quality of life, been empowered by the knowledge I have gained, and have been encouraged to pursue this as a career down the road. I would encourage anyone to simply try a program and see how it makes you feel. It takes time and mindfulness to incorporate new healthy habits but it’s so, so worth it!
Chelsea Goodreau
Hear Kim’s Story
It’s so inspiring to hear of the healing and renewed quality of life that takes place after finding solutions to long-lasting sticking points! Since participating in the life-changing Food Freedom program, I have made many diet changes such as nixing cow’s milk products, which has made a WORLD of difference for skin and tummy issues that I’ve struggled with all my life. To further address the root cause of my skin problems, I endeavored to take the allergy test as described above, having heard of women who after taking the test, learned of sensitivities to kale, broccoli, and spinach! I knew that I eat many of these items and did not know if perhaps they could be inflaming my body/FACE in a way I wasn’t aware of! My allergy test came back that my body is high in candida, a yeast that in the GI tract that commonly causes skin problems, as skin is a living, breathing organ! I already knew that I had many of these symptoms and had been addressing it with probiotics routines and others, but am now looking to more aggressively get to the root cause to my skin issue, my lifelong battle! I am a big fan of being my own proponent of my health journey and using food as medicine. We are in control of what foods we put into our body, let’s make sure they’re fuel, not poison! Each of us is constructed so individually that my sensitivity is most likely not your sensitivity, and vice verse! Take the time to invest in YOU, because your health journey and YOU are soooo worth it, lovely! Do you struggle with bloating? Acne? Weight? Skin? Energy levels? We all struggle with something and once you get to the root cause of what may be bringing your body down, you will be so happy you did:)
Kimberly Spencer
