Cath Clark from The Harvest Table takes a closer look at how food intolerances can affect our daily lives, and suggests simple steps we can take to help avoid them.
First of all, let us briefly discuss the differences between allergies and intolerances. Medically speaking, a food allergy causes a reaction in your immune system which can affect a number of different organs in your body. There are a range of symptoms. Some are mild and some can be quite severe. Intolerances, on the other hand, are generally less serious and mostly only affect the digestive processes. Another interesting difference is that allergies are often an immediate reaction whereas an intolerance can take a little longer, sometimes even only appearing the next day. You may notice yourself feeling a bit more tired than usual, fighting a postnasal drip, or possibly feeling puffy around the eyes. For some of us, we have become so used to feeling these things that we may have an intolerance and not even realise it.
Dairy and wheat are some of the main culprits as a lot of people react poorly to them and do not realise it. So, what can be done to help you conquer your intolerances? Well, the best step to take is to start cutting certain things out of your diet, starting with sugars, wheat, dairy and gluten and to add healthier food options into your diet. Within one or two weeks, you observe how the dietary changes make your body feel.
Adding bone broth, for example, can benefit our gut health. It helps seal up the holes which can cause a leaky gut. Bone broth can help people overcome food sensitivities and promotes probiotic growth – thus improving immunity.
Another great option is to look at moving to a cleaner diet by adding more fresh fruit and veg into your daily meals – along with good quality meats and some healthy oils.
When you change your diet and cut out all potential intolerances, you may find yourself feeling a bit under the weather and maybe even a bit flu-like. This is a good sign that your body is going through a detox and getting rid of toxins that have been flowing around in the digestive system. Try this for one month and see how you feel. It may seem expensive at first, but choosing to take care of your body and practice good health is worth so much more in the long run.
Once you have started to feel better and healthier, start trying to introduce some of the foods back into your diet. It is not always an obvious food that we are intolerant to. As we have mentioned so often before, paying close attention to your body is the most valuable tool when it comes to staying in good health. Listen to your body and what it is trying to tell you, and you will be able to figure out what foods to eat and which ones are better to avoid.
FOR MORE INFO: www.harvesttable.co.za.