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Most people wouldn’t think that the following symptoms could all be caused by a food sensitivity, but they often are. I have seen so many clients who come in with a long list of chronic symptoms, each of which has been treated, often unsuccessfully, with different medication, by a different specialist, and all of which we have been able to resolve within months simply by identifying and eliminating food sensitivities.
When I started my practice, I never would have guessed that working with food sensitivities would be such a big part of it, but I have come to understand that, surprisingly, it is one of the fundamental keys to attaining good health. Identifying food sensitivities and helping clients adapt to eliminating them has been one of the most important keys to successfully assisting my clients reach their optimal health and well-being.
In fact, I would go so far as to say that it is a health essential: without identifying and eliminating food sensitivities, you will not achieve optimal health. Conversely, if you are frustrated about not having achieved optimal health, despite the reasonable measures you have taken, hidden food sensitivities may be the culprit.
When most people think of food sensitivities, they generally think of someone having an anaphylactic response to strawberries, or peanut butter: something immediate, and drastic. Those are sensitivities mediated by the IgE part of our immune system. However, the kinds of sensitivities I’m referring to are mediated by other parts of our immune system, and often take 24-72 hours to manifest, making it very difficult to discern that what you ate – let alone which food – is causing your symptoms, especially if it’s a food you’re eating all the time. Food sensitivities can manifest in any organ or system of the body, as suggested by the list above.
In my practice, I separate food sensitivities into “primary” and “secondary.”
Primary sensitivities are the ones that are life-long, and often genetic, meaning you are born with them. Gluten sensitivity is one example of this. The other most common ones are dairy, soy, and eggs.
Secondary sensitivities happen when reactions to ingesting the primary sensitivities cause a breakdown of the lining of the intestinal tract, allowing undigested particles to leak into the blood stream.
The body regards these foods that have leaked into the blood stream as foreign particles, or antigens, meaning it stimulates an immune response, attacking them and causing inflammation. This is what is known as leaky gut, and can give the appearance of someone allergic to everything.
In my experience, once you eliminate the primary sensitivities and heal the gut, you can virtually always put the secondary sensitivities back in the diet without becoming symptomatic again. Furthermore, I find that eliminating primary sensitivities can often eliminate environmental sensitivities as well. It can take anywhere from a few months to over a year to heal completely, but most people begin to experience improvements within weeks, or even days.
Some people have no food sensitivities. Most people have one or two. I see very few people who have more fundamental sensitivities than that.
In my practice, I test for food sensitivities using muscle testing, or kinesiology. It is simple, quick, non-invasive, and extremely reliable, meaning that when people use the information, they get good results. I have been using muscle testing for almost twenty years, and am able to muscle test both in person and by phone, for babies and children and as well as adults. Muscle testing for food sensitivities is always a part of my initial consultation.
Fran Sussman has been in holistic care since 1988 and in private practice since 1993. Apart from one-on-one consulting, Fran is sought after as a speaker, workshop leader and meditation teacher. She writes a column on Holistic Health for The Times Herald Record, and has been featured frequently in Natural Awakenings magazine. Read more »| « Jan |
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[...] I’m not as big a fan of nutritional types as Dr Mercola, but I do think it’s essential to individualize your eating for optimal health. That means identifying and eliminating hidden food sensitivities (most people have one or two) and healing your metabolism if it has become damaged. This is the fundamental work of my 13 Week Success Program. Please also read my article on Food Sensitivities. [...]