Food Allergies

Food allergies are the fifth leading chronic illness in the US – and their incidence is on the rise. From 1997 to 2007, food allergies increased 18 percent among children under 18 years, and today an estimated one out of every 13 children has a food allergy.

The body’s immune system keeps you healthy by fighting off infections and other dangers to good health. A food allergy reaction occurs when your immune system overreacts to a food or a substance in a food, identifying it as a danger and triggering a protective response.

From my experience learning from Dr. Mercola, undiagnosed food allergies affect a much larger number of adults then even the clinical statistics above suggest. 

Dr. Mercola suggests that if you have food allergies, then you need to tend to your gut health (discussed in this article). 

SW readers will be hearing a LOT about gut health in my upcoming interview with Integrative Nutrition Health Coach - Anna Shadid - of The Gorgeous Gut.

My own personal advice is to see an Integrative Health Specialist (such as Anna Shadid), Naturopath or Functional Medicine Physician - all of whom can provide testing via food allergies and/or walk you through a nutritional plan designed for your body/needs. 

I will share briefly that prior to 2015, I was eating a lot of wheat, soy and grains - all of which I have eliminated from my diet. My Naturopath uncovered  - through actual lab testing - severe food allergies to wheat (go figure), white flour and soy.  How terribly ironic that I had been eating (daily) soy and wheat! Ugh! When I cut them out of my diet, my belly bloat disappeared, my weight began a steady decline & numerous symptoms dissipated.

It's SO important that you are not just taking advice from personalities on the internet about diet rather, getting tested for food allergies and/or working with an Integrative Specialist to determine what is best for your specific body. 

Medical Disclaimer: Just a gal with a lot of experience both professionally & personally in the medical realm.  I am not a doctor which is why I am urging you to go to your holistic physician to discover what is best for you.