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Food Sensitivities and Weight Gain

The connection between food sensitivities and weight gain is a powerful one that many people are not aware of. If you experience overwhelming cravings or unexplainable and puzzling fluctuations in your weight and you have tried exercising and every diet plan coming down the pike with no success, then you may have undiagnosed allergies or sensitivities to not only foods but chemicals or molds as well, that are the root of the problem.

Perfume, hair spray, fabric softener, cleaning supplies, car exhaust, moldy basements or books, pesticides, smog, wheat, sugar, the smell of coffee, a date with a smoker, or any other foods or chemicals can all be triggers for cravings, binges, inflammation and water retention, which can result in weight gain.

Six Ways Food Sensitivites Trigger Weight Gain

  1. Addiction

According to Dr. Theron Randolph, in the advanced stage of food allergy, the allergic individual becomes addicted to the allergen. Many people are overweight because they are actually addicted to certain foods. It’s usually one of your favorite foods and one that you eat quite frequently. When eaten, it supplies you with a fix; an instant lift that relieves your allergic symptoms temporarily, then after the let down your craving returns and you need to eat this food again to feel better.

2. Cravings

Any food or substance that causes allergies or sensitivities can also cause intense hunger pangs, by interfering in neurotransmitters in the brain and other brain functions. A craving can be for a specific food like ice cream or for a general family such as pasta.

3. The Appestat Switch-Off

Scientists have found that certain substances can go directly to the brain and shut off the appestat, or appetite control center. Normally it should tell you that you are full and it is time to stop eating, but if it does not shut off, you never feel full and thus want to continue eating. This adverse reaction can be caused by anything; hugging a friend who is wearing perfume, dryer exhaust from your neighbor, or eating a wheat cookie. If you never feel full or hungry after a meal, your appestat may not be functioning properly. Once you can identify what substances are problematic for you, then you can eliminate them and reactivate your hunger control center.

4. Edema

The most common form of allergic obesity is fluid retention. If you notice that you are heavier the day after you eat a particular food, your body is probably responding to an allergy.

Inflammation

5. Food sensitivities often result in inflammation, which can be exhibited not only in unexplained weight gain, but as pain, eczema, itching, gastrointestinal distress, headaches, congestion, aching, arthritis, fatigue, health palpitations, irritable bowel and many more.

6. Metabolism

Sensitivity to foods also blocks insulin receptors and disrupts the body’s metabolic system, resulting in improper metabolism. When foods are not metabolized properly this often results in fat storage and weight gain.

By identifying your food, chemical, and mold sensitivities, you can then take the necessary steps to remove them from your diet and living space and eliminate the symptoms they create. The best way to identify your hidden food, mold, or chemical sensitivities is with the ALCAT test.

Additionally, there’s a great book called Your Hidden Food Allergies are Making You Fat by Roger Deutsch & Rudy Rivera. This book tells you everything you need to know about how food sensitivity results in weight gain and how the ALCAT test can be used to help you achieve weight loss success. If you order an ALCAT test from me, I throw a copy of this book in for free.

In a study called “The Effect of The ALCAT Test Diet Therapy for Food Sensitivity in Patient’s With Obesity” performed by researchers in Dubai and published in the Middle East Journal of Family Medicine found that simple avoidance of hidden food sensitivities or intolerances identified by the ALCAT test can be just as effective as herbs, drugs or extreme restriction of calories. The participants in the study reported an average weight loss of approximately 37 pounds, dropped an average of six points on the BMI (body mass index), and a decrease in body fat of about 30 percent.

It’s also important to pay close attention to your eating habits, the air you breathe, and the chemicals and fragrances that you use. Look for possible connections between changes in your weight and the kinds of food you eat (instead of being focused on how much you eat) and also take note of when and where cravings, uncontrollable hunger, and binges occur.

Also pay close attention to any changes you may have in mood or thought such as: anger, depression, crying, irritability, and inability to concentrate or think clearly. These same substances that cause weight gain and cravings can also create symptoms that appear to be psychological but are really a result of a sensitivity to the food or chemical.

There are several other factors that may occur by themselves, or they are frequently found in addition to food sensitivities, that may also contribute to weight gain, cravings, or intense hunger.

  1. Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar is a common problem that many people are not aware of. It can create intense hunger and cravings. By following a hypoglycemic diet, it is possible to improve or correct your blood sugar imbalance and remove your intense hunger and cravings.
  2. Hypothyroidism (low thyroid functioning) is a very common disorder and often goes undiagnosed. Conventional blood tests for thyroid often fail to detect a problem. Weight gain is one of many symptoms that may accompany hypothyroidism. The most accurate way to determine if your thyroid is functioning properly is through the Barnes Basal Temperature Test. ( Another very common symptom of Low Thyroid function is fatigue and depression.)
  3. Candida Overgrowth is a yeast that naturally occurs in all of our bodies. It is supposed to be there in balanced amounts. Due to factors such as a diet high in sugars and refined carbohydrates, chemicals in our environment, and the overuse of antibiotics this yeast can begin to grow in excess amounts and create numerous problems in our bodies. Intense cravings and hunger for sweets or carbohydrates is one of the most common symptoms.
  4. Up to 50% of the population fails to ingest the recommended daily allowances of minerals and vitamins. Certain nutritional imbalances such as low levels of chromium can create hunger and cravings. Low chromium is also a factor in hypoglycemia.

If you need help sorting this all out and understanding more about food sensitivities and weight gain you may find Cynthia’s holistic health coaching, which is available by phone, to be helpful and get you on the right track.

References

  1. Dr. Roy Kerry, M.D. Office Handout
  2. Dr. Sherry Rogers, M.D. The E.I. Syndrome
  3. Marshall Mandel, It’s Not Your Fault Your Fat Diet
  4. Dr. Theron Randolph, An Alternative Approach to Allergies

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