Unknown Dietary Intolerances…

I didn’t understand dietary intolerance reactions until this past year. I thought they were limited to the more widely known reactions like swelling air passages, a runny nose or rashes. A dietary intolerance can also cause acid reflux, fatigue, irritability, bloating, insomnia, water retention, irregular cycles, constipation, hormone imbalances, cramping, depression, frequent urination and anxiety to name a few. Crazy when you think about it! Especially when you think of all the prescriptions and OTC drugs taken daily to combat these reactions.

But you know what, it’s not that crazy if you REALLY think about it. When you consider the reaction a diabetic experiences when they eat a sugar/carb laden meal compared to someone without diabetes, you can reasonably understand the connection between food and our human physiology.

In short, what we eat matters.

Human physiology and its history is fascinating. For example, one’s ability or inability to tolerate lactose can stem from their ancestral lineage. Continuing that line of thought, when you consider our ancestors (the ones Darwin spoke of), they ate a very clean diet as hunters and gatherers for thousands and thousands of years. Sugar was almost nonexistent, grains and legumes were nonexistent, and prepackaged fake foods weren’t even fathomed.

Flash forward to the western diet… and ummm, when did we evolve to McDonalds as a core nutritional source? I would think the lactose intolerant cultures would’ve evolved to tolerate milk first? But what do I know? It’s mere coincidence as other cultures are introduced to the western diet their heart attacks, cancer and disease go up. The FDA would never approve unhealthy foods for consumption and their food pyramid is spot on.

But I’m confused. Aren’t disease and obesity at an all time high?

Food science is a very young, emerging field. Even if you review what we’ve been fed in our lifetime, you’ll see numerous contraindications as scientists learn more. The best thing you can do for yourself is dedicate 30 days to discovering which foods are fueling you and which are causing you unnecessary challenges. Chances are much of what has been accepted as age, normal, bad genes, or fate can be corrected.

I’m not one to toot about anything for fear of steering someone wrong. But the positive changes I’ve felt over the past 23 days are undeniable and I can’t help but share it. I also understand, like me, people will hear it and incorporate change when they’re ready to. I’ve talked to several about the Paleo plan and I’ve heard, “O.M.G. I could never follow it for 30 days” and “How do you not eat pasta?” But what it boils down to is priorities.

Is eating the item that causes a dietary intolerance worth the “experience” afterwards that lasts for hours or even days?

That is nobody’s business but yours. But please be careful and pay attention to the intolerance over time. More than likely it will fester as you age, getting worse or even blossoming in new areas. While the plan I’m following may not work for you, make sure you find one that eliminates the most common allergens, supports your body’s nutritional needs, and is something you can follow. If it turns out I’m not allergic to any soy, gluten, grains, legumes, dairy, caffeine or chemicals in processed foods, I’ll try eliminating a few irritants I’m eating now like the nightshade family. Although I”m pretty certain it’s a gluten sensitivity.

Isn’t food amazing? Until recently, I thought Nightshade was just a comic book character!