A surprising number of us suffer from hidden food sensitivities and have no idea what impact they are having on our wellness and quality of life. When most of us think of food allergies, we tend to think of the most obvious and blatant cases out there. Celiac disease has received a great deal of attention lately, and though it can be scary it tends to be the more extreme instance of how food can irritate the system. Lactose intolerance is another example that has had quite a bit of time in the spotlight.
Do You Suffer Hidden Food Sensitivities?
What if you suffered from a less obvious type of intolerance? What if you had hidden food sensitivities that were taking their toll on your wellness without your even knowing it?
Many people are finding that they may have hidden food sensitivities, and that in the end these may be contributing to some significant weight gain. Sad but true, if you aren’t aware of what this food is doing to you it can lead to longer term problems.
Though this is newer to the mainstream in terms of the attention that it gets, food sensitivities are really nothing new. You may even recognize that certain foods don’t “sit well” with you and that can be a way of the potential culprit food reacting within your body. You may avoid the food or decide that the pain or the discomfort is worth it, just to enjoy that delicious food.
What if, however, you ate this food over time and it actually contributed to your weight gain? What if you couldn’t lose weight no matter how hard you tried and there was one single food to blame? If you think of it that way, it may be worth experimenting a bit to decide if there is a food to blame for your weight problem.
How to Know if You Have Hidden Food Sensitivities
Here we look at what hidden food sensitivities can do over time. Though they may not seem like such a big deal in the short term, if you don’t deal with them properly over time they can really add up to some significant health problems, including your inability to lose weight when you want to.
A less severe food allergy can start with bloating and inflammation
It may start out innocent enough, but then transform into something more serious over time. You may find that every time you eat ice cream or drink milk that you get a stomachache, but you tend to ignore it. You might feel bloated when you eat beans or seeds, but you tend to ignore it and think that this is normal. The potential sensitivity often begins with bloating, which is inflammation in the early form. When this happens the first couple of times you may ignore it or brush it off, but if you don’t deal with it after awhile it can transform into something more serious and that’s when you may become concerned.
If you continue to eat that food over time it can result in longer term weight gain
If you keep eating the source of the hidden food sensitivities, you will notice that inflammation almost becomes a recurring theme. You may actually gain weight, and it may sneak on before you realize what’s actually going on. Over time if you continue to eat the problem food, that inflammation may become a problem all over the body—and the end result is weight gain!
If you don’t identify the source of the problem, it can throw your whole body out of whack
When you are dealing with a potential food allergy or sensitivity you are really throwing things out of whack in the body. You may be causing problems with your hormones or even your metabolism. So, you are hurting your body every time you eat this problem food, and therefore you may not actually be able to lose the weight easily even after you remove it. If you throw off your metabolism then you may actually have to retrain it later on—that’s why early diagnosis is key!
You’re healthy but struggling with weight – Get tested!
If you find that you are having a difficult time losing weight and still eating healthy, then it may be wise to get tested for any potential allergens in your diet. If after a while you are eating right and exercising and still not losing weight, then something is wrong. You may have done some long-term damage, or you may be continuing to eat something that is a problem. You want to be aware of hidden food sensitivities in your diet, and so identifying them and any potential symptoms is crucial. Look for patterns of your symptoms and be sure to remove anything from your diet that you feel may be problematic—and your body will thank you so much later on for that!