Do You Have A Food Sensitivity
One of the things that can hold us back big time is a food sensitivity. Most of us simply weren’t designed to be consuming some of the regular items in our diet on such a consistent basis. There are different ways that you can test to see if you may have a food sensitivity or intolerance – there are also tests you can have done by your doctor, like an ALCAT test. These tests can be useful for some people but they often don’t catch things that do trigger inflammation, insulin issues, or symptoms like mood swings and brain fog. Just because you don’t have an official medically-proclaimed food sensitivity does not mean that you’re body is not being adversely affected.
So easiest thing to do? Go by how you feel.
I have most of my clients work though a food sensitivity protocol to see if they have any triggers that they may not be aware of. I have them remove a number of different food items for at least one week (ideally two!) and note how they feel. Then I have them add them back in one by one in a specific order and have them note if anything changes.
The best part is, opposed to traditional ALCAT testing, this gives you a chance to FEEL the difference. When you know how good you feel off of a trigger item, or that annoying symptoms completely resolve when you don’t consume that thing, it makes it a lot easier to stay off of it or limit its role in your life. I have friends who just don’t do dairy anymore because they know that a bit of butter in something causes eczema outbreaks and its simply not worth it. Personally, I’ve been able to pinpoint gluten as the culprit of digestive issues – and if I have a lot of it regularly, it shows up in my skin too. I’m non-celiac, have never tested positive on a medical gluten sensitivity test, but it makes a big difference in my life.
Simple Testing Method
For simplicity’s sake, I recommend removing sugar, gluten, dairy, soy, corn and caffeine for at least one week. These six food compounds have the greatest impact on our blood sugar levels and mood, so removing them can help you reduce your cravings so that you can eat in a way that serves your body.
After noticing how you feel once you’ve been off them, add them in one at a time. For example, add in sugar, two days later add back in gluten, two days later add in dairy… and so on and so forth. You can also experiment with quality. For instance, does raw honey make you feel the same way as straight up white sugar? Does gluten in bakery-fresh bread bother you as much as a processed snack?
Remember, this is all about how YOU FEEL. Maybe you don’t have a sensitivity that triggers inflammation, but you are adversely affected by some of these foods. Maybe you find that your energy levels or sleep quality improves when you don’t consume certain items. This is all you need to know to keep some items out of your diet on the regular so that you can feel your best!
