7 Signs You Have a Food Sensitivity
— -- intro: Run down the list of "typical" food allergy symptoms—scratchy throat, hives, swelling—and you can probably deem yourself free and clear in 30 seconds or less. But what about that brain fog you’ve been feeling, or those bouts of breakouts you can’t seem to shake? And how long has that joint pain been going on?
Those seemingly normal symptoms aren’t normal at all, says JJ Virgin, New York Times bestselling celebrity nutritionist and author of the new book The Virgin Diet Cookbook. "You're commonly sensitive to the things you eat all the time," she says. "And thanks to things like stress, GMOs, gluten, and medications, our small intestines are loosening up faster than ever, letting your food start to permeate it and cause an immune response."
The hardest part? Learning which foods are causing your sensitivities.
Watch out for these seven symptoms, which might take days to appear after eating a trigger food, and get on the right track to good health.
quicklist: 1category: Signs You Have a Food Sensitivitytitle: Moodiness, brain fog, and headachesurl:text: If you've ever uttered the words "I just can't give up cheese," we’re here to tell you there's some truth to it.
Foods like gluten, dairy, and sugar are natural opiates that "contain gluteomorphins and casomorphins," or morphine-like substances metabolized from foods containing wheat or dairy, says Virgin. The brain fog and moodiness that come with giving them up can be signs of withdrawal.
quicklist: 2category: Signs You Have a Food Sensitivitytitle: Food cravingsurl:text: The rule "everything in moderation" doesn't apply here—the little bit of milk in your coffee can cause a forest fire in your body if you're unknowingly sensitive or intolerant to lactose.
Here’s how it works: When you eat a food you're sensitive to and it doesn't digest well, the undigested bits permeate your gut and enter your circulation where they don't belong. Antibodies rush to the scene, creating an immune response.
"But it doesn't just create enough antibodies for that one time," explains Virgin. "It anticipates another 'attack.' And when it has all these antibodies and nothing to break down, they crave it. And in turn, so do you."
Don't give in—it takes just 3 to 4 days to get over the worst of the cravings, she says.
7 Ways To Control Food Cravings
quicklist: 3category: Signs You Have a Food Sensitivitytitle: Fatigueurl:text: Foods should give you energy, not sap it.
"When you continue to eat foods that don't work for you day after day, your body can't use them, and it creates inflammation and immune responses," says Virgin.
Not only are you not getting the energy from the foods you eat because you're not digesting properly, but your body is also working harder to eliminate them and heal.
quicklist: 4category: Signs You Have a Food Sensitivitytitle: Heartburnurl:text: A classic cause of heartburn, says Virgin, is a low tide of stomach acid. And drinking too much of any liquid with your meals could be making the issue worse.
"The little acid you do have just sits there, washing up in your esophagus," she says, which explains the burning. And since you don't have enough acid to break down the foods you're eating, it's likely permeating your gut and provoking sensitivity. "Unless you have an ulcer, this one's the easiest fix," she says.
