Why do certain foods make me sick? And what can I do to fix it?

How can inflammatory conditions, like eczema, arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, IBD, and chronic pain be caused by certain foods?

Well, let's think about what happens to food when we eat.

When we put foods into our mouths, enzymes released from the salivary glands begin the digestion process in our mouth. Food travels down the esophagus and into the stomach, where is sits to be broken down and "kneaded" apart by the action of our stomach. And while it depends on your gut's unique transit time, food typically leaves the stomach and heads to the small intestine where most of the nutrients are absorbed.

So if you've ever known anyone that had bariatric surgery, where the stomach was reduced to 1/50 of the surface area and some of the small intestines were removed, you will understand why nutrition supplements are typically prescribed for the rest of person's life.

After the small intestine, comes the large intestine or colon. I like to call this the poop chute. (It's more fun to be a little cheeky when talking poo.) In the colon, remaining liquid is squeezed from waste and that magical pile of waste is formed.

The GI, or gastrointestinal system, runs from the mouth to the anus. We loving call this entire tract, or at least the small and large intestines "the gut".

Did you 70% of the immune system is located in your gut?

Imagine your immune system being like armed guards along the walls of your intestine. It's the immune system's job to decide as food passes through the small intestine: are you a friend or enemy?

But it's not JUST food that the immune guards are watching. There are also natural and not-so-natural food chemicals and additives, like food dyes and sulfites.

Tyramines (a natural compound), for example, can be an issue for migraine sufferers.

As food gets broken down during the digestive process and enters the blood, a couple things can happen. It can be seen as a "friend" and go on its merry little way to be used to nourish our organs and other systems or it can be seen as an enemy. Even if it's not the enemy.

If it's seen as an enemy, immune guards call in their troops, the white blood cells. These white blood cells start yelling "Mayday! Mayday! Intruder! Intruder!" and produce inflammatory compounds. Let's call these compounds....poison darts....just for fun.

The "poison darts" have names like interleukins and prostaglandins, and they can travel throughout the body, wreaking havoc.

They can travel to the brain and cause headaches.

They can travel to the gut and cause diarrhea. They can travel all over the body and cause pain. Chronic pain. Joint pain. Skin conditions. They can even affect mood and behavior.

How do you stop the poison darts?

You quit bombarding the immune guards. Here's how:

With mediator release testing, a food sensitivity test that is 90% accurate (this is the most accurate of all available tests), you can find out what your reactivity is to 150 foods and food chemicals.

Then we [YOU + ME, the dietitian nutritionist] work together to temporarily remove the things that are causing the immune guards to call in their poison dart crews.

Can you picture, for a moment, how AMAZING it would feel to get rid of those "poison darts" causing your symptoms and pain in as little as 2 weeks??

Once the poison darts are cleared from your immune system, usually 10-15 days, you can slowly put back foods and "challenge" the immune guards.

Because each person has unique circumstances and usually co-conditions, or multiple symptoms or conditions stacked on top of each other, the trained guidance of a mentor that understands food sensitivities triggers is important.

That's where I come in.

Step 1: We meet, talk about how you're feeling and whether mediator release testing or MRT food sensitivity testing is right for you.

Step 2: I find a lab to draw your blood for a nominal fee.

Step 3: We meet several times to go over your results, help you implement, check your progress, and make changes if needed. After you begin to feel better, usually within the first 2 weeks if you are sticking to your non-reactive foods, then we begin to add foods back.

Our goal? Heal your immune system. Stop the symptoms. Give you MAJOR awareness of what might cause them in the future.

This is a "high touch" experience, meaning you get a lot of support from me. My goal is to ENSURE you are able to feel your very best just by using food & improving how your body uses nutrients so everything works again.

READY TO FIND OUT IF YOU'RE A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR THE BEST FOOD SENSITIVITY TESTING AVAILABLE? Book a call to get started.

If you know you're not a candidate for MRT testing but you are interested in reducing your pain and bloat from IBS, fibro, RA, migraines & more, check out this delicious recipe by CLICKING HERE!

And ONE last thing...if you're head is spinning and you're feeling confused about the differences between food allergies, food intolerances, and food sensitivities, check this out!