Food sensitivities are different from allergies. In a food sensitivity, the symptoms are a lot less obvious unless one is paying close attention. Food sensitivities may appear as aches and pains in the joints and muscles, headaches, moodiness, IBS/IBD, diarrhea or constipation (or both), fatigue, or sleeplessness. Our diet can truly cause a lot of our symptoms and, by removing the offending food, we can feel a lot better.
Gluten and dairy are two of the most common culprits. Sometimes people go gluten- or dairy- free for a day or two, don’t see any improvements in their symptoms, and say that it “doesn’t work” for them. To truly see a difference in your health, you need to be completely gluten- and dairy-free for a minimum of 2 weeks, pay attention to how you feel – if your aches and pains are gone, have you had any headaches, how your gut is behaving, etc., add them back in, one at a time to really see what is happening.
But why is it so important to eliminate foods that contain these items from your diet?
Gluten:
- For people with any kind of autoimmune disease, I recommend gluten elimination because gluten can promote intestinal permeability, also known as “leaky gut,” and leaky gut is a precursor for all autoimmune disease activation. To learn more, listen to this interview with Dr. Alessio Fasano, M.D., who is responsible for identifying gluten’s role in creating intestinal permeability and how intestinal permeability leads to autoimmune disease activation.
- For people with Type 2 diabetes. In this case, it is actually suggested that they eliminate wheat but may still contain gluten-containing grains such as rye and barley. Wheat has a high glycemic load that is a burden on their insulin-resistant bodies.
- For people who struggle with obesity. These people tend to also have insulin resistance and, for the reason mentioned with the Type 2 diabetics, should avoid high glycemic foods.
- For people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gluten should be avoided because of its tendency to create leaky gut. By avoiding gluten, it can help the gut start to heal.
- For people who struggle with chronic depression because there is increasing evidence that gluten causes changes in brain chemistry that result in depression.
Dairy:
Dairy elimination is suggested for:
- People with seasonal allergies, asthma, or
chronic sinus infections because some people are sensitive to the proteins
found in cow’s milk and react with excessive mucus production.
- People with a hormonal imbalance such as those with PMS, PCOD (polycystic ovarian disease), or “man boobs,” or those with a hormone mediated cancer such as breast or prostrate cancer because dairy foods are reproductive substances that have large amounts of hormones. Really, the only purpose of animal milk is to allow babies to grow.
- People with chronically loose stools which is a sign of lactose intolerance. Two-thirds of the world’s population is lactose intolerant and don’t know it! Also, loose stools suggest a quick transit time which results in poor nutrition because of hypermotility.
- People with IBD or IBS may get flares from consuming dairy products. Sometimes that is caused by hyper- fermentation of malabsorbed lactose.
Every body is different but these are some common results of gluten and dairy sensitivities.
Ask yourself, is it worth giving up gluten or dairy to feel well? If the answer is “yes,” give them up, 100%, for two weeks and check to see if there is any improvement in your health.
Gluten and dairy can hide in places we wouldn’t suspect such as soy sauce, salad dressings, and other processed foods. If you need help with this experiment, please, reach out to me, Missy Cohen, MPH, Functional Medicine Health Coach at Just Breathe, 508-366-8292.