Healthy food is always healthy… for everyone. Right?

Not quite. Simply because EVERY one of us is unique. Our biochemistry, genetics, environmental factors, toxin exposures, nutrient deficiencies and microbiome. Every one of these change the way we interact with food in our body and brain, and we may react to an everyday, healthy food.

How do you know if something you are eating is the problem?

Clues will vary from person to person, but the most frequent ones are:

• frequent hives or rashes that come and go all the time
• stomach and bowel upset
• headaches
• feeling vaguely unwell with flu like aches and pain
• unusually tired or run down
• moody
• bloating and insomnia.

Children can:

• be irritable and restless,
• have wild mood swings,
• have frequent bowel problems and stomach pains,
• have sleep problems

It is not uncommon for food intolerances to be misdiagnosed as ADHD, and food sensitivities can also aggravate Autism Spectrum behaviours.

Babies can develop colic, and be irritable with very unsettled sleep patterns, or have reflux, loose stools, eczema and/or nappy rashes.

Common – but not well known- food sensitivities

If you think that only junk food can make a person unwell, think again. If you have recently changed your diet to try and make it healthy, or your child fills up on a lot of fruit and lives off ham or vegemite sandwiches for lunch, but neither of you are well or happy, then you need to consider these common food sensitivities.

Salicylates and amines (phenolic compounds)

Foods rich in these compounds are known to create a wide range of symptoms including anxiety, depression, irritability, emotional sensitivity, aggression, anger, hyperactivity, headaches, inflammation, pain, sleeping issues and more. We should be able to break these compounds down and eliminate them properly, but some of us just aren’t that great at it.

The healthy heavy-weights that can cause problems: honey, grapes, berries, mandarins, apples, tomatoes, vegemite, ham, honey, almonds and peanuts, spices

Oxalates

Oxalates are not being talked about enough and they should be. We’ve actually known for over 200 years, that too high amounts from our diet can cause widespread health problems. We aren’t actually sensitive to oxalates, we can just too easily become clogged up with them and become unwell as a result.

If you have trouble breaking down oxalates, then the compounds crystallize and accumulate in various organs, joints, and body parts including the thyroid and brain. They can cause pain and inflammation, and because they disrupt normal biochemistry including the production of energy by each cell, many processes just slow down and become inefficient. Oxalates can be a possible reason for long-term chronic health problems that don’t have a diagnosis.

The healthy heavy-weights that can cause problems: nuts, soy, quinoa, dark chocolate, green tea, turmeric, sweet potatoes, spinach

The fermentable carbohydrates- FODMAPS foods

Fermentable carbohydrate foods can cause digestive issues and microbiome imbalance in the gut. Research shows that microbial balance is essential for not only healthy digestion, but energy, skin health, and good mental health. When there is inflammation in the gut, systemic inflammation and subsequent anxiety or depression can result.

The healthy heavy-weights that can cause problems: beets, leeks, onions, peas, certain fruits, certain dairy foods particularly milk or some yoghurts.

WHAT TO DO?

The solution is not to avoid all healthy vegetables and fruit!! But pay attention to your diet and see if you notice that some days are worse than others for you.

At CK Health, we have a variety of GUT Health tests that we can recommend. One might be just right for you. Please get in touch to find out more.

We can also organise ways to identify if you have food intolerances, and to what foods, so that you can more easily find your way to the right diet for YOU. By working on your digestive health as well, you can also improve your tolerance of many foods that were once a problem.

Book a FREE health assessment below to discover where you are at and how we might be able to help.