Food Mood Connection part 2

Do you know anyone on a ‘special diet?’

I don’t mean the obnoxiously trendy ‘drop a dress size in one week’ weight loss quick fixes that we see everyday in magazines & TV.

I am talking about really specialized and therapeutic nutrition programs like gluten free, casein free, anti-inflammatory, anti-candida, elimination or rotation diets?

People usually go on these programs to correct some sort of health problem –typically a digestive dysfunction, neurological condition or disease.

Experts in functional medicine and cutting edge nutritional science have been using these therapeutic nutrition programs for years with great success. Some of these approaches have also been used successfully by alternative and holistic experts in health and nutrition.

Many people who don’t feel well and who have chronic digestive issues, cravings, addictions, mood imbalances as well as infants with developmental issues (or who are constantly getting sick) have found relief by eliminating certain foods from their diet.

Also, some people go through several doctors and didn’t get an answer as to why they don’t feel well. They eventually find their way to a real expert that helps them discover certain foods that trigger reactions.

Some food proteins are allergenic and when someone eats them, they usually see a myriad of immediate issues like runny nose, throat swelling, asthma, wheezing, sneezing, skin rashes (hives, eczema), nausea and diarrhea.

These are less immediate but very common results from eating problematic foods:
Digestive Dysfunction (gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting, reflux, IBS), headaches, inability to focus (ADD/ADHD type behavior), fatigue, mood swings, joint pains, unexplained weight gain/loss, infertility, muscle aches and pains.

For people with celiac disease, anaphylactic shock and death can occur from an allergic reaction to gluten.

People who continue to eat foods they are intolerant to typically end up with more serious conditions, including:

Anemia
Psychological & Behavior dysfunction (schizophrenia, depression, inability to focus)
GERD & Dyspepsia
Headaches & migraines
Higher mortality rates
Infertility, miscarriage, low birth weight babies
Neural tube defects due to folate deficiency
Nutritional deficiencies
Intestinal cancers
Multiple food intolerance
Osteoporosis, osteopenia

People who want to get to the bottom of their unusual health issues have to search high and low because of at least 5 reasons:

First, the majority of mainstream nutritionists and doctors in the US are really unhealthy themselves.

Second, many people accept small signs of poor health as ‘part of life’ or believe that’s ‘normal’ to feel like crap, have bad skin, be bloated, fart and feel foggy headed or depressed.

Third, modern medicine is not designed to address the root cause of health issues – it is designed to suppress symptoms or ‘manage’ disease.

Fourth, most people are totally unaware of how their food affects their mood, energy and overall health until they get sick or a disease. Even then, some people would rather die than change their diet & lifestyle.

Fifth, because we eat often, it takes a big commitment and a skilled eye to find a food culprit.

Don’t forget there are also over 3000 chemicals added to our food supply and 400 pesticides in use today.

Are you starting to see the big picture?

My next blog will list the most common food allergens and certain foods that people eat often that are causing all sorts of problems...

talk soon
Antonio