Do you crave specific foods that you eat frequently and although you feel unsatisfied, you only crave more?
Do you feel drawn to certain foods and end up feeling bloated, fatigued or headachy?
Do you suffer from abdominal pain, flatulence and diarrhea after eating some foods?
If you’ve answered “Yes” to any of these questions, you may have food allergies and/or food intolerances.
There are an estimated 11 million people suffering from food allergies and intolerances today in the United States. The eight most common food allergens are: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat and soy.
This subject is a complicated one with much controversy as to how and if food allergies and intolerances inhibit weight loss. While I am not a clinical allergist, one specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies, I can help with detecting what’s going on in your body through mindful detection.
So how do you know if you’re having some kind of allergic reaction?
There are 2 types of reactions to look for:
Classic Reaction (Type A): In this type of reaction you’ll experience symptoms immediately after having contact with the allergen (such as, peanuts, fish, eggs). Some common ones include itching, hives, rashes, or in severe cases, swelling of the mouth and tongue, low blood pressure or difficulty breathing.
Delayed Allergy or Intolerance (Type B): In this type of reaction you may feel symptoms between one hour to 3 days after eating. These symptoms may include bloating, abdominal pain, weight gain, water retention, fatigue, headaches, flatulence, diarrhea, joint aches, etc.
Naturally, with Type A allergies, you will need to avoid these foods altogether since they are dangerously toxic to your body. But with foods in the Type B category, many believe that if you give your body a “rest” from these foods, you may eat them occasionally as long as they do not constitute the majority of your daily diet.
This may sound simpler than it is in practice. While giving your body a “rest” from foods you love and crave may make sense intellectually, for many of my clients, it screams of deprivation. The diet mentality kicks in and often triggers a binge on the exact foods to which they may have sensitivities.
While playing the detection game with yourself in trying to determine whether you actually have a food allergy or intolerance, look at the usual suspects first:
- gluten-carrying grasses like wheat, rye, oats, barley – Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance
- dairy products- Dairy Intolerance
- yeasts – Yeast Intolerance or Candida
- fructose malabsorption
Finally, many experts believe that over time food intolerances upset the digestive balance, negatively impact our immune systems and can cause weight gain. Food that isn’t digested properly can be stored as fat, not used as body fuel. As this process unfolds, one can develop all types of problems in the gut such as malabsorption of nutrients, diarrhea, bloating, constipation, gas, and irritable bowel syndrome.
So where do I begin, you might wonder?
First, it helps to approach it with a positive, curious mindset. Use positive self talk and remind yourself that this is not a diet but an experiment. The goal is to rid yourself of uncomfortable, bothersome symptoms in your body, improve your health and perhaps to discover why you’re having trouble losing weight. It may take the deprivation and subsequent rebellion out of the process.
In working with my clients, I often find that they feel so disconnected from their bodies that they have no idea what they’re feeling and where. Is it in their heads, their bodies, or are they just imagining things? This is where mindfulness comes in. If you believe you may have sensitivity to a specific food or foods, keep a food journal for a month and pay close attention to how you feel emotionally and physically after eating the food. Make notes on your food journal about whatever you notice in your body and your mind.
Be particularly aware of feelings in the gut, any pain, sluggishness or fatigue, bloating, headaches, edema, etc.
As you keep track of your emotions and body sensations, you are likely to uncover patterns that will help to further validate your reasons for doing this and will provide more motivation to continue. If you have enough information, you could try giving your body a “rest” from the food you suspect is problematic and see what happens. See whether you feel better. That’s the goal.
Another useful mindfulness technique is the body scan. This is simply done by closing your eyes, taking 5 to 10 deep diaphragmatic breaths, and tune into your body. Slowly and systematically follow the breath and move your attention from the toes, to the feet, shins, calves, knees, thighs, torso…all the way to the top of your head. Stay focused on each body part and if your mind wanders, bring it back to the breath and continue. Don’t be judgmental or critical, refocus your attention on the body.
Once you become practiced at this, which by the way, is also a good stress releaser, you can use the body scan before and after you eat the food to which you believe you are sensitive. This will give you more information and enable you to be more connected with your body.
Once you have collected all the data from your experiment, you’ll be more attuned to your body, better educated, and more prepared to discuss the next steps with a medical professional. Just so you’re aware, there are some tests you can ultimately have that will unlock some or all of the mystery of whether you have a food allergy or intolerance. These include a blood test (to measure the lgE antibodies), skin test, and a stool test (to determine yeast overgrowth and digestive problems).
The best place to begin though is by mindfully attending to your body.
Remember: When we don’t listen to our bodies, they speak louder.
Allyn St. Lifer has been a therapist in private practice for over 30 years and specializes in teaching clients mindful eating to determine physical hunger and the point of satisfaction. She is the founder and director of Slimworks®, a mind/body, non-diet approach for managing weight and transforming one’s relationship with food, body and self. To find out more about Allyn, please visit her website: www.slimworks.com. She is a regular ShareWIK.com columnist.