Food is the best way to source your nourishment. Food may also be harmful to an individual; causing inflammation, allergic reactions, malnutrition, chronic pain among other health issues. Which foods are best for an individual at a given time will vary greatly based on bio-individuality, time of year, stage of life etc. My mentor for the GAPS Diet (Gut & Psychology Syndrome) Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride shares in great detail how in her article One Mans food anothers poison.pdf Ultimately we aim to connect to our own inner physician using all our senses to know what foods nourish us and which foods do harm and should be avoided at present. This does take time and focus to get to know your bodily needs for your current state – age, stress, health or illness etc.
Elimination diets are a great way to work with food intolerances and their discomforts. Symptoms of a food intolerance may begin within a few hours of eating the food or even a few days. This makes it challenging to find what foods are an issue for you and if you don’t remove them totally from the diet for at least 30 if not 60 days they may still be causing symptoms in your system.
While symptoms of food intolerances vary, they most often involve the digestive system, skin and respiratory system as well as mental faculties. Common symptoms include:
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Bloating
- Rashes
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Abdominal pain
- Runny nose
- Reflux
- Flushing of the skin
- Mental fog
Some of the most common food issues come from
- Dairy
- Grains / Gluten
- Eggs
- Nightshades
- Oxalates
- Histamines
One can eliminate these foods from the diet and evaluate how they are feeling and then slowly add things back in (or not). This is part of what I support those looking to heal from the inside out to navigate. I have done this myself and find it a tried and true methodology setting the lessons deep within your being.