Focused Nutrition: Thank God for a Hangover!

Not too long ago I sipped a beer in a Dublin Pub established in 1760.  I don’t normally drink, I quickly remembered why.  The dark beer had a wonderful flavor and nice smooth head–a home brew classic the recipe over 2 centuries old.

One problem…

About 2/3 through the beer a slow creeping headache began.  My head felt heavy, thoughts fuzzy, old injuries now once again sounded off.  The symptoms were clearly vague, nothing that would ruin my day or register as a migraine.  The brain fog that developed drained me the rest of the day.  My lower back ached, I felt tired, emotionally cranky, and I lacked my normal enthusiasm for the day.

All this from 2/3 a beer….

The problem?  I already knew from previous experience…grain/wheat/gluten intolerance.

The signs of grain/wheat/gluten or food intolerance in general come in many forms and levels of severity.

Don’t write off your ailments as “Getting older” without first reading this focused nutrition post!

Common Food Sensitivities

Wheat (Gluten)–Found in Beer, crackers, bread, cereal, pasta, tortillas, pancakes, biscuits, pastries, various sauces/coatings/batters

Dairy–Milk, cheese, cottage cheese, Yogurt, etc.

Corn–Chips, tortillas, batters, fillers, wraps

Soy–Bread, protein shakes, batter, numerous processed food (Canned /Box packaged goods)

Signs of Food Sensitivity

I routinely explore food sensitivities with my patients.  Together we have cured ailments previously thought NOT possible through elimination of key food types.  (Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Migraines, insomnia, ulcerative colitis, eczema, allergies, etc.)

Notice three of the most common sensitivities are grains…

Common Signs of Food Sensitivity include:

• Headache
• Fatigue
• Foggy Thought
• Mood disorders
• Joint pain
• Joint stiffness
• Stomach aches
• Bloating
• Diarrhea
• Heartburn
• Abdominal pain
• Frequent illness
• Allergies
• Acne
• Eczema
• Dry skin
• Obesity
• Difficulty losing weight

Just to name a few….

Trial Eliminations for Better Health

The best part about food sensitivities…they’re common and have easy cure!

ELIMINATE THEM!

I normally recommend a trial off one or more of the common allergens for a minimum of 3-6 weeks.  This provides enough time to adjust to a new dietary regimen and for your body to adjust to less inflammatory foods.

Normally elimination trials begin to reveal benefits within 1-2 weeks with continued benefits over time.

I recommend noting ailments before and after the trial.  If you notice clear benefits–awesome.  If you don’t but feel worse reintroducing the trialed food…keep it out of the diet anyway.

Remember 3 of the 4 most common are also grains = carbs = starches = sugar.  I’ve covered the problems related to sugar in numerous posts.

Elimination Tips

• Eliminate means eliminate (not minimize)  Even some (like eliminating wheat but having 1 beer or one cracker can ruin your experience)
• Eliminate minimum 3 weeks
• Document your pre-existing ailments, but observe for unexpected benefits (Like motivation, personal outlook, urine flow, skin texture, blood pressure, etc.)
• Read labels
• Eat out less…you’ll better control common allergens in recipes, sauces, and additives common in restaurant food.
• Anticipate that offending foods may include favorites and likely foods you eat everyday.
• Don’t stop with the common 4.  There are many others. (And there is specific testing for food sensitivities)
• The more medical problems you have the more likely you have a food sensitivity!

I hope this post raises awareness to common food sensitivities and their role in daily health and long term disease.

As  I mention often, become your own health expert.

Learn what makes your body “Tick.”

Listen to your body.  Don’t ignore that headache…listen and act on what it’s telling you.