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emotional symptoms

5 Myths About Acupuncture

Food Intolerance vs. Food Allergy

    

Is food intolerance the same as a food allergy?
A food allergy is when the body mistakes an ingredient in food (usually a protein) as harmful and creates antibodies to fight it. The allergy develops when the antibodies are battling the “invading” food (protein).  The severity of allergies may vary but they always carry the risk of anaphylactic shock. For this reason, foods you are allergic to must be avoided for life. The most common food allergies are peanuts, tree nuts (such as walnuts, pecans and almonds), fish and shellfish, soy and wheat. If you are an adult, you may have discovered the allergy by accident and it most likely involved a visit to your local emergency room.
A food intolerance often turns up later in life. People are frequently surprised to discover they are lactose intolerant later in life.   The truth is, you most likely had some form of food intolerance when younger, but your body compensated for it.
One of the first symptoms of a food intolerance is your energy level.  


How often do you feel tired during the day? This one symptom alone could be a food intolerance reaction. Gas, diarrhea, bloating and headaches can all be food intolerance reactions. And because reactions can occur up to 48 hours after eating, you may not make the connection. Instead, most seek relief from symptoms by using over-the-counter medications.
Due to the pervasive low quality S.A.D (Standard American Diet) in our country, the incidence of food intolerances is on the rise.  


Many digestive problems are never fully diagnosed, and food intolerance can often be the cause.  More than 15% of Americans are now thought of to be gluten intolerant and an estimated 75% of Americans are lactose intolerant.
So how can you know for sure?
It’s called an elimination diet and more and more individuals are finding this to be a critical step in solving health issues.  Elimination diets are amazingly effective in the case of food intolerance, which irritates your digestive system or when you are unable to properly digest or break down food.
It’s important to note that food intolerance reactions tend to be activated when you eat the same foods over and over – and triggered by stress to your digestive system. Examples include a course of antibiotics to treat an infection, birth of a child, moving, finding a new job, surgery and frequent low blood sugar (i.e. letting several hours pass by without eating). These are all stresses that can cause the digestive barrier to break down and expose your immune system to commonly eaten proteins in foods.
In the past, we ate by season and did not have access to the same foods all year long, so these reactions would go away. Today, we can eat the same foods all year long, meaning we can develop reactions to the foods we eat most commonly and the reactions won’t go away.
Put simply, if you identify which foods your digestive system has difficulty tolerating, you can avoid them for a period of time and the reaction will typically go away. Unfortunately, most of us are unaware of food intolerance reactions because they become so common.
In my practice, there is a particular test I use to pinpoints these reactions.  Once informed and assessed, we work together to create a plan to eliminate these foods comfortably from your diet for a period of time. During that process, your body will reset itself.   Energy is restored, mental clarity returns and often, you notice that you’re FINALLY able to lose stubborn weight.  Yes, many use this test to lose weight, and many use it to correct a hormonal imbalance.  It is one of the best solutions to the most common ailments.  


If you are curious to learn more, make an appointment by contacting Debi Farley at 804.288.3927.

Detox Symptoms Will Pass

So you’ve made your choice on what type of program you’re doing and you’re ready to start.  Or you’re thinking this is something you’re interested in but wondering how you’re going to feel.  Can I still go to work?  Do I need to hang close to a bathroom?  All of these are excellent questions and I am going to answer them to the best of my ability without going into a lot of detail. 
Your detoxification symptoms are going to be unique to you.  This is based on not only what type of program that you have chosen but also on what your lifestyle has been, your past food choices, and any preparatory work that you did leading up to the detoxification such as eliminating caffeine. 

Your symptoms may start immediately or once you’re in the program for a few days – or even a few weeks into it. You may have various symptoms at different points during your detox.  If is also entirely possible not to have any symptoms at all.

The duration of symptoms you experience will depend on your medical history, lifestyle, and what type of detox you are doing.  Many common symptoms of a detox include fatigue, headaches and unfamiliar tastes in the mouth.  Some also see skin outbreaks and old injuries that hurt or ache as the body releases the toxins.  I had someone in one of my programs tell me she had broken her wrist as a child and during the first week of the detox her wrist hurt. 

You may also notice some strange smells from your body.  I had a lady that had undergone chemotherapy treatment several years before the detox program.  During the program she stated she could smell the chemotherapy coming out of her.  She also had symptoms from when she underwent chemotherapy such as fatigue.  These symptoms lasted over 2/3rd’s of the time she was on her detox but felt fantastic once the symptoms had gone away. 

Other physical symptoms may include constipation, diarrhea, or gastric discomfort.  Sinus congestion, sinus discomfort, sore throats, hoarseness or flu like symptoms may also be experienced during a detox.  In addition to physical symptoms there may also be emotional symptoms.  This is due in part because our body stores everything at a cellular level.  The cells remember whether we want to or not.  If we have undergone some sort of a trauma (whether that be physical or emotional), even if we have resolved and found peace with that trauma, it is still stored in our cellular memory.  Sometimes doing a detoxification program may bring up some emotions.  These emotions may be sadness, anger, joy, or intense grief.  Whatever that emotion is it can often be surprising when someone has this happen.  It is important to recognize it for what it is, accept it, and know that it will pass. 

Remember, all of these symptoms are simply part of your body’s way of “letting go”.

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