Allergies, Food Intolerances & Sensitivities

Eating foods that you are allergic or sensitive to creates inflammation in the intestinal lining. When the intestinal wall is damaged and undigested food or toxins are leaked into the bloodstream, an allergic immune response occurs throughout the body.

The allergic immune response in the body affects the digestive system, thus creating a vicious cycle of further potential problems, including food allergies or intolerances, environmental allergies, asthma, hives, eczema, and psoriasis.

Common symptoms of food intolerance:

• Congestion (sinus/chest)
• Headaches
• Joint aches
• Digestive issues
• Weight gain
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Poor sleep
• Blood sugar imbalances
• Skin rashes
• Lethargy
• Mood imbalance (depression/anxiety)
• Insomnia

In order to heal the gut, it is important to eliminate the foods that you are allergic and sensitive to, but with a mixed diet, since it is often difficult to know which foods are the culprits. An elimination diet is a helpful diagnostic tool if you know which foods are wreaking havoc on your body that is causing the allergic immune response.

Remember, inflammation starts in the gut and is driven by the immune system. Always look for the root cause of the issue.

Nutritional Tip: Eat Red Foods

Fresh Beets

A fresh beet every day is your lymph’s best friend.

All red-staining foods tend to be great lymph-movers. Berries, cherries, pomegranate, beets, and cranberries were all traditionally used as dyes and as natural lymph moving and detoxifying agents.

Beets in particular also have one other very important property that make them the top food on my list right now. They thin the bile. Bile is responsible for about 80% of the immune response in the gut, it regulates the stool, digests good fat and gets rid of bad fat. Beets also scrub the villi of the gut, which is where the digestive lymph originates. Beets make a great food for your lymph.

Make sure you eat your red foods for optimal lymph function!
~Dr. Mark Hyman

Go Beyond Salad...Eat Root Vegetables

When you think about healthy eating, salads and green vegetables usually come to mind. But how about adding a little more variety to your plan?

Root vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, and turnips, are a rich source of nutritious complex carbohydrates. Instead of upsetting blood sugar levels like refined sweet foods do, they help regulate them.

Why Eat More Root Veggies?

Long roots – carrots, parsnips, burdock, and daikon radish – are excellent blood purifiers and can help improve circulation in the body. Round roots – turnips, radishes, beets, and rutabagas – nourish the stomach, spleen, pancreas, and reproductive organs.
Which root vegetables do you eat most?
If you’re like most of the world, it’s carrots and potatoes. Here are a few others to explore:

·       Beets contain an abundance of antioxidants and are highly detoxifying.

·       Burdock is considered a powerful blood purifier. This long, thin veggie is a staple in Asian and health food stores.

·       Celeriac, also known as celery root, is rich in fiber and has a respectable amount of antioxidants.

·       Jicama is crunchy and refreshing and contains a generous amount of vitamin C. It’s a favorite in its native Mexico and South America.

·       Onions are rich in antioxidants and other phytonutrients, making them prized for their ability to strengthen the immune system.

·       Parsnips, which look like giant white carrots, boast a sweet, earthy taste. They’ve also got plenty of fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, niacin, thiamine, magnesium, and potassium.

·       Radish is an excellent source of vitamin C. It’s also rich in calcium, molybdenum, and folic acid.

·       Sweet Potatoes contain unsurpassed levels of beta-carotene and are also rich in vitamin C, phytonutrients, and fiber.

Excited to add more roots to your diet? Here’s a fun, easy recipe:

Roasted Root Vegetables
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25-35 minutes
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

·       1 sweet potato

·       2 parsnips

·       2 carrots

·       2 turnips or 1 large rutabaga

·       1 daikon radish (or substitute/add in other favorites, like squash)

·       extra virgin olive oil

·       salt and pepper

·       herbs: rosemary, thyme, or sage (fresh if possible)

Directions:

·       Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

·       Wash and dice all vegetables into bite-sized cubes.

·       Place in a large baking dish with sides.

·       Drizzle with olive oil; mix well to coat each vegetable lightly with oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and herbs.

·       Bake uncovered for 25-35 minutes until vegetables are tender and golden brown, checking every 10 minutes to stir and make sure veggies are not sticking.

Tip: any combination of vegetables will work. Roasting only one kind of vegetable also makes a nice side dish.

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