WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT A FOOD SENSITIVITY IF IT DOESN’T LITERALLY STOP ME IN MY TRACKS?
When the body’s optimal state of homeostasis is compromised by a food sensitivity, then the immune system is adversely impacted, as well as the endocrine system, lymphatic system, organ functions, neuro chemistry functions, etc. Sensitivities will affect the entire body as one part is not separate from another.
By ignoring a sensitivity, and we continue to subject it to that condition, we chip away at our overall health & well-being. Then, when a cold, or virus makes its way thru our community, we are much more susceptible to succumbing to the disease. Likewise, we may experience a long duration of the virus and an extended recovery phase, as well. Now you have been stopped in your tracks!
Food intolerance and sensitivity: While food intolerance and sensitivity may not be life-threatening like a food allergy, the symptoms can nevertheless be uncomfortable. In addition, food sensitivity and intolerance can be difficult to determine at times because sometimes foods may be consumed in small quantities without triggering a reaction.
The purpose of a Nutritional EDS is to determine which foods may be creating an imbalance in your system. You will find the details of this screening in the ‘services‘ section of our site.
People with sensitivities may still be able to enjoy foods they love with the help of digestive enzymes, or by choosing foods especially formulated to be free of symptom-triggering ingredients like lactose and gluten. However, it is important to exercise caution and be mindful of changes in food reactions, as they may develop into a more serious food allergy which may require medical evaluation and treatment.
Food Allergy: Allergies manifest in a number of very specific ways, including nasal and eye symptoms, allergic asthma, eczema, hives and anaphylaxis. It is common for a person to have more than one allergic disease. The immune system in people with allergies reacts in a specific way to allergens. Allergens are those things that trigger allergic symptoms. Common allergens include materials and particles in the air and environment such as dust mites, molds, pet dander, tree pollen, grasses and weeds, foods, drugs and stinging insect venoms.
Generally, an allergic reaction occurs when a person develops “allergic” antibodies, called IgE, which are specific for an allergen. The IgE antibodies bind tightly to allergic cells, called mast cells or basophils, in the skin, airways, gastrointestinal tract and around blood vessels. The allergic cells get activated when the bound IgE recognizes an allergen, and these cells then release histamine, a chemical that can cause hives, runny nose, sneezing and itching. Depending upon where in the body the reaction between the IgE and the allergen happens, different symptoms can occur. IgE levels are checked with a blood test.
OKAY, I KNOW MY SENSITIVITIES, NOW WHAT?
Now it is time to give your body a reprieve from that which has been burdening its optimal function. This is easily accomplished with an elimination food plan. With compliance and time in a basic elimination nutrition plan, you can achieve impressive results in your overall health, mental clarity, and energy level with what may be just a few changes in your daily nutrition!
Basic elimination plan explained:
Step 1: Stop eating any foods for a minimum of 30 days that are indicated by a sensitivity. For example, if the testing reveals that you’re highly reactive to peaches, then you’d stop eating any peaches for a minimum of 4 weeks. And if you’re moderately reactive to coffee, then you’d likewise stop drinking – or eating – anything that has coffee in it for 4 weeks.
Step 2: Choose one (and only one) of the highly or moderately reactive foods to eat on Day 1 at the end of the 4-week period. Then, don’t eat that food again for the next 2-3 days while observing closely for any food sensitivity symptoms. Record ANY symptoms in a food diary including anything you feel physically but also changes in mental, emotional, & states of irritability may be revealed. These things are also indicative of a sensitivity!
If you don’t experience any symptoms, that’s good. We can assume that the 30-day reprieve is just what your body needed to rebalance and you can add that food back to your diet and eat it again with a broader understanding of its impact.
But what if you do experience food sensitivity symptoms? In that case, stop eating that food for a much longer period of time – about 6-9 months – before you try adding it back to your diet. Most eliminations are temporary, but occasionally there may be one that needs a longer time frame.
Step 3: So, after a month working with the first food/substance, now you can move onto another food that you eliminated from your diet in Step 1. Once again, you eat that food for one day (as much as you’d like) and watch closely for symptoms throughout the next few days and journal your observations.
Sometimes, foods that are deemed “good” for us (broccoli, turmeric, apples, etc.) may need to be eliminated for a bit when a sensitivity is identified. Too much of a good thing can tip the homeostasis scales off balance if we are ingesting too much of it or if our nutritional intake is not varied enough. An example of this may be someone whose nutrition primarily stems from restaurant foods that are lacking in diversity or limited in vegetables & healthy oils, but then tries to compensate with a fish-oil vitamin or extra vitamin C or ginger capsules, etc. Discovering a sensitivity to ginger may be confusing, but it is simply the body saying, “I like diversity!”
Disclaimer: ElectroDermal Screening (EDS) energetic values are used as a complementary tool along with traditional standards of care and diagnostic guidelines established by the AMA and ADA. At this time, the use of (EDS) in the United States is not intended for the purpose of medical diagnosis but can be used to interface patient frequency with treatment frequency.
*Excerpts from WebMD regarding the differences of a Food Sensitivity versus Food Allergy.
Frequency and Food 