How To Know if You Have a Food Intolerance

You can probably recognize an actual food allergy.  Classic symptoms would be hives or difficulty breathing.

But food intolerances are harder to spot. They may not appear immediately and you may mistake the symptoms for a variety of other issues.

More and more people have food intolerances these days, even kids. As our food supply is more chemical, and the “natural foods” have more pesticides and are genetically modified, the human body is faced with trying to break down and metabolize an entire new type of ingestibles.

You can’t really call some of this “food” anymore, since lab-created chemicals or chemical/food hybrids won’t actually support human life.  These pseudo-foods will kill slowly, and they won’t support healthy physiology and function of organs and glands, so the quality of life suffers. This is why many obese people are actually starving at a cellular level.

The benefits of addressing food intolerances include:

1) Easier weight loss   2) better, deeper sleep   3) reduction of cravings  4) less PMS 5) mood stability  6) less bloating  7) improved immunity.

Even if you don’t suspect that a food you are eating is bothering you, check out this list. You may be surprised.

A short list of symptoms that could point to food intolerance includes stomach pain, reflux, ear infections, frequent illnesses, red cheeks, eczema, joint pain, frequent diarrhea/constipation, asthma, temper tantrums, fuzzy thinking, fatigue, headaches, failure to thrive, excessive gas, and sleep disturbances.

On one hand, eliminating foods that your body can’t handle will help. On the other hand, improving digestion, from stomach to gut, is also vital. Food intolerances are an indication of “leaky gut” which means that the gut wall is compromised and toxins or undigested foods are able to pass through to the blood. Normally the body is very protective of what goes into the blood, and anything that slips by the protective mechanism is going to trigger an immune response, and may lead to chronic inflammation-one of the main risks for heart disease.

Probiotics and digestive enzymes can be used by most people to support healthy digestion and replace the protective gut “bugs” that guard the intestinal walls. Fermented and cultured foods also help. We now know that food is not just a matter of putting gas in your tank. It is also a means of maintaining a strong fortress against disease.

So, if you have some puzzling symptoms, consider that something you are eating may be causing you digestive distress and compromising your immune system. It is far more likely that you are suffering from inflammation than a serious disease. But chronic inflammation from a gut and stomach that are not working correctly leaves you susceptible to disease. So, catch it early. You will feel so much better for it.

Easy Colon Cleanse-10% Off

Good Way to Start 2015!

In my last blog I wrote about the importance of colon health. Our processed foods and stressful lifestyles make it difficult to stay healthy. I know that it may be difficult for many people to commit to a full detox program, so I have been researching an easy colon cleanse that anyone can do.

Benefits include less bloat easier weight loss, immune support, better digestion, and you may even find improved sleep and energy.

The products include a herbal Cleanse supplement, only two capsules per day, some great Probiotics, and digestive enzymes.  You take the products for a month. Ideally you eat a very healthy diet during that month of protein, vegetables, good fats and fruit and avoid alcohol, grains, sugar and coffee as much as possible. You can add in the SP Complete super nutritious shake if you like and juicing is a great idea.

Even if you cannot stick to the diet completely, at least you are doing something to improve your health and lower cancer risk. There should be no uncomfortable side-effects.

We can mail out the products to you if you cannot make it in to the office. So, let us know if you want a healthier intestine as a good start to 2015. Mention this blog and get 10% off the price of the supplements for the cleanse!

Signs and Symptoms of Low Thyroid

Have you wondered if your thyroid was functioning correctly? Perhaps you are having trouble losing weight or you are tired. But, after blood work, your doctor says that your thyroid is “normal” or “fine”.

Your doctor is looking for a diagnosable disease on lab work. Your thyroid may be in the low normal range. This is not a disease state, yet the thyroid is still not functioning correctly, or the thyroid hormones are not able to do their job. TSH is the blood test used. TSH is a pituitary hormone called Thyroid Stimulating Hormone. The assumption is that your pituitary is shouting at your thyroid to make more thyroid hormone and the louder it shouts the more your thyroid is sleeping on the job. Thyroid function governs metabolism, so weight gain and fatigue are common symptoms when the thyroid is less active.

But your thyroid may be trying to work, and even producing enough thyroid hormone. Every cell in your body has receptor sites for hormones of all kinds. The thyroid hormone that is utilized by the cells must be converted, mostly by the liver, to the active form that the cells respond to.  So liver health is also a key to your getting the full benefit of your thyroid function. This is just one more example of how much the health of one organ affects the health of the entire body. http://www.liverdoctor.com/thyroid-health-depends-on-your-liver/

You can see that the problem may be one of distribution and delivery to the cells that rely on thyroid hormone signals, and not of the production of thyroid hormone.

Here are some of the other symptoms of low thyroid function:

Weight gain and hard to lose                      Full and puffy around the eyes

Coarse hair, possibly thinning                     Thick nails

Poor flexibility                                               Cold hands and feet                                    

Depression                                                     Low energy-fatigue

Slowed thinking                                            Poor concentration

Thinned eyebrows                                        Brain fog

Insomnia, restless sleep                               Waking up exhausted

Slow heart rate                                              Low blood pressure

Thinned eyebrows                                        Pale, pasty skin

Decreased body hair                                                Vertigo

Hoarse voice                                                  Thickened tongue

Muscle pain                                                   Recurrent headaches

Fibrocystic breasts                                        Infertility, miscarriages

Elevated cholesterol                                     Edema (swelling of ankles)

Thyroid function is one of the vital elements of cancer protection, so thyroid health goes beyond issues of weight and fatigue. Supplementing with iodine, which is vital to thyroid hormone production, may help.

At Well Body Clinic, we get your thyroid functioning correctly, and make sure that your entire hormonal system is working together, with each gland working well. We call this Total Hormone Balancing If you are already on thyroid medication, we can make sure that your medication is working well.

We are all exposed to multiple chemicals and pesticides every day, in our offices, homes and through our food and air. These toxins interrupt the function of the glands by binding with the hormone receptor sites. Cleanses and detox programs can remove the toxic burden, so that you have better hormone function.

When you are on the right program for you, you can start to notice the difference quickly, If you suspect you suffer from low thyroid function, book an appointment and see how much better you can feel and that you really can lose the weight that has been so hard to budge.

The two healthy foods that can ruin a diet

Every day I have the opportunity to assess eating regimens. I hear all kinds of stories, from the guy who wanted to do a Detox/Diet, but only if he could continue to eat lunch at McDonald’s every day to a 300 pound man who swore he ate only chicken and vegetables in tiny amounts but never lost a pound.

Is that possible? I don't know. I do know that you cannot do a Detox/Diet and eat lunch under the Golden Arches.

Many people are eating a pretty healthy diet of unprocessed foods, but are not losing weight. So, I have learned to ask how much they are eating two foods that are natural and healthy-in small quantities.

Number 1 is Nuts. Many people are trying to snack in a healthy way by eating nuts. How many of us can eat 6 nuts at a time, and no more?  People who munch nuts at their desk while they are working find that, before they know it, they have consumed half their daily calorie allowance, but could still eat more. 1 oz. of almonds is 164-169 calories. So ½ cup is 660 calories. Raw nuts are healthier, and roasted nuts lose many of their benefits. But all nuts are very high in concentrated calories and will sabotage a diet.

Nuts do have some nutritional benefits. Helping you to lose weight is not one of them.

The real problem here is the constant snacking that Americans have adopted as a national life-style. Europeans don’t eat much between meals, and they are far thinner. Constant snacking is just a habit and can be broken. The body starts to feel that it needs to eat all the time, and so you feel hungry all the time. This can also be a signal that there is something going awry with your digestion, so get it checked out. And you may need more nutrients. The answer is not to take a synthetic multi-vitamin horse pill. Instead, start eating  6-10 cups of vegetables a day-in any form, from raw to roasted. And see if your appetite calms down.

Try making it a firm policy that you do not eat at your desk or when you are doing anything else, like driving to working or watching TV. Keep yourself occupied with something else while you watch TV, especially in the evening when you are tired and your will power is weak. Do a mild workout, take up knitting or do a puzzle. Anything to keep your hands busy and out of the cookie jar. Remember the old saying “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop?” It may well be diabolical how difficult it is not to graze staring at a screen with moving pictures on it.

Keep extra veggies on hand, if you have to munch. Try having a protein shake dressed up like a milkshake, but made with Chocolate or other flavored Stevia. The extra protein, instead of a sugary dessert, may help you sleep, and keep the cravings at bay.

The second healthy food that is over-used is fruit. For people with blood sugar issues, Diabetic or hypoglycemic issues, too much fruit can affect their blood sugar and sabotage a diet. Cut back to only 2 servings a day. That is a medium apple or other round fruit, or ½ cup of berries. If you have been eating several servings of fruit a day, watch what happens as you cut back. If you have hit a plateau on a diet, cutting out fruit completely may break the plateau. Check your water intake, as you may be thirsty, and substituting the juice in the fruit for water. Add more vegetables, also. Try going without fruit for a day and see how you do. Fruit can be a good snack choice, if only a small amount is eaten at a time.

No matter how much the body protests, no one needs to eat all day long. And the burden on the digestive system not only causes weight gain, but also taxes every organ of digestion. People who eat less live longer and healthier lives. <a href="https://www.fightaging.org/archives/2002/11/calorie-restriction-explained.php">https://www.fightaging.org/archives/2002/11/calorie-restriction-explained.php</a>

If you want to burn fat, you have to give your body a reason to access it. Healthy fats like butter, olive oil and coconut oil provide vital nutrients and help you feel more satisfied so you are less likely to snack between meals, so use them every day to make your food delicious.

If you need to eat more frequently because you have blood sugar imbalance already, divide up a normal size meal and eat only half, and save the other half as a snack. Watch your portion sizes and watch your waistline diminish in proportion. It will take some readjustment because most portions of food in the U.S. far exceed what is needed or healthy. We know that no one needs muffins the size of cantaloupes or a ½ gallon of soda. But even the salads are super-sized and we don’t need that much food in one sitting.

If you want to be thinner, that means you must eat less, even of “healthy” foods.

Consider a Detoxification or Blood Sugar Balance program to give yourself the jumpstart on a diet/health improvement program to help get rid of cravings. Or try Garcinia Cambogia, a natural extract that will help curb your appetite and improve fat burning.  There is still time before the summer really hits. Come in for a free 15-minute consultation to learn more.