The subtle impact of allergies

If you’re like me, you love the foods you love — even if they give you a stomach ache later. But what if I told you these very foods could lead to chronic illness instead of just momentary discomfort? Would you keep right on eating them or would you stop?

Here we’ll examine the foods you might not realize are making you sick and show you some safe and natural remedies to reverse the problem.

We’ll also discuss lasting weight loss. Even in this shaky economy, you can keep health at a premium and healthcare costs at a minimum. Whether you just want to lose a few pounds or completely “reboot” your health, it’s a great time for a fresh start.

First, let’s talk about…

The Subtle Impact Of Allergies

Did you know that chronic illnesses in America, including heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and many more, all have something in common? They have a subtle, yet unmistakable link to immune hypersensitivity (an immune response throughout your entire body).

What does that mean? It means if you have allergies, you might be at risk for more serious health problems down the road. And the top cause of these allergies? Food!

In 2007, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that one in 26 kids had food allergies, representing an 18% increase from the previous year. It was also noted in this report that allergic reactions to peanuts doubled in children and that kids are now taking more years to outgrow allergies to milk and eggs when compared to decades past.

The typical symptoms of food allergies are vomiting, skin rashes, and acute respiratory problems. However, foods are also causing many unrecognized symptoms. What’s more, food allergies are persisting longer than allergy sufferers or statisticians might realize.

For example, only one in 40 American adults admit to having a milk allergy. And only one in 100 people report an allergy to peanuts. But this is misleading because, since many people have more than one food allergy, the overall food allergy rate is about one in 20.

Making matters worse, allergy-related health problems are intensified by the chemical dyes, additives, and preservatives in our foods. Is it any wonder that children’s hospitalizations due to allergies have more than tripled in the past ten years?

Any person with allergies has an immune system in distress. So the first question is…

What is immune hypersensitivity?

On the walls of your intestine, you have immune system cells with antibodies that react when they are repeatedly irritated by certain foods. This is called an “allergic reaction” to those specific foods and causes a state of  “immune hypersensitivity” in your body.

Ever wonder why someone would become allergic to natural foods such as nuts, eggs, corn, potatoes, wheat, oats, rye, yeast, apples, or mushrooms? Constant exposure and poor digestion of these foods can trigger an immune response and create a lifelong allergy.

The body’s reaction to cow’s milk is a good example. Chronic exposure to cow’s milk has been shown to contribute to Crohn’s disease and even worsen other food allergies.

Food allergies contribute to other chronic illnesses as well. Just like your skin protects you from the outside world, your intestines keep antibody molecules caused by food allergies from entering your bloodstream. Unfortunately, sometimes these molecules get through anyway, setting the stage for fiery inflammation throughout your body.

How does it happen?

The answer is a poorly functioning intestinal lining. Your intestinal lining serves as a “filter” for approximately 98% of the nutrients and other substances that enter your bloodstream. However, the specialized cells of your intestinal wall can be easily worn out and weakened by various factors, including:

• Antibiotics, which cause overgrowth of bacteria, yeast, and even parasites.
• Alcohol and caffeine, which are strong gut irritants.
• Refined foods that ferment over time. This may include candy bars, cookies, cakes, soft drinks, white breads, white rice, etc. They are generally low in fiber.
• Contaminated foods loaded with parasites, bacteria, molds, or fungus. These may include stored grains, stored fruit, and refined carbohydrates.
• Food additives, including dyes and preservatives.
• Pain relieving drugs like Motrin® or corticosteroids.
• Lack of digestive enzymes from the mouth, stomach, and mostly the pancreas.
• Lack of friendly bacteria that help promote a healthy gut.

In the face of these factors, it’s common for your gut lining to become inflamed or damaged. This is known as “leaky gut syndrome.” A “leaky gut” is a vicious cycle of antibody molecules seeping through your intestinal wall and circulating freely throughout your body. The result? An all-out immune response in your cells, tissues, and organs.

Needless to say, the effects of this immune assault can be devastating to your health.

Other Causes of Immune Hypersensitivity

There are many other triggers for an immune reaction. However, these are much more difficult to identify. It usually requires specialized testing of your blood, your urine, and sometimes even testing your meridians, the energy pathways used in acupuncture.

The following substances can provoke an immune system “outbreak:”

• Pollen
• Perfumes
• Dust
• Vitamins
• Medications
• Immunizations
• Bites and stings
• Toxic emotions
• Painful memories

By identifying and removing allergic irritants, you can experience dramatic symptom reversal. I have seen it in my own patients. Keep in mind, chronic symptoms may return if you resume eating the same foods or expose your body to the same toxins. But a liquid cleanse and nutrient-rich whole foods can set the stage for optimum, lasting health.

This is important because, the longer you have allergies, the greater the danger.

Health disasters associated with immune hypersensitivity

Immune hypersensitivity is obviously connected to allergies and asthma. Plus, scientific evidence demonstrates its role in skin disorders like psoriasis and eczema. However, immune hypersensitivity can have much worse effects on your health.

In fact, immune hypersensitivity sets the stage for “incurable” conditions like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and other autoimmune disorders. It is even believed to trigger some forms of cancer.

Can you see the big picture now? In our modern society, we grossly underestimate the”allergic” cause of life-threatening illnesses. The immune response in our body results in inflammation, which can have dreadful consequences for our individual organs.

Here are some other examples. In multiple sclerosis, the myelin sheath of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves are inflamed and degenerating. In lupus, the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, joints, blood vessels, nerves, and skin are inflamed. This causes symptoms like extreme fatigue, arthritis, fever and rashes, and kidney malfunction.

For people with heart disease, hypertension, or stroke, the culprit is chronic, low-grade inflammation. This inflammationcreatesatherosclerosis(or”scarring” of the vessels of the heart and brain). Even chronic headaches and recurrent pain are linked to elevated inflammation in your body, despite the claims they have”no known cause.”

It happens more than folks realize. Allergies can lead to immune hypersensitivity, which can lead to serious or even life-threatening health problems. So the question remains, what can you do about all this? Fortunately, the answers are plentiful!

Safe and natural remedies to reduce your allergies

• Digestive enzymes (taken at the start of each meal) break down healthy food to a size the small intestine can easily absorb. If this doesn’t occur, processed and refined foods get”first dibs” at entering your bloodstream and triggering your allergies.
• Bromelain (when used as a digestive enzyme) offers powerful, antiallergy benefits.
• Betaine HCL also gives the digestive process a boost when taken with meals. However, it might give you an acid feeling if you have a sensitive stomach. More often than not, you can get optimum doses of betaine HCL from all natural digestive supplements.
• Probiotics are bacteria that are actually good for you. They give you a healthy balance of intestinal flora and keep “leaky gut” damage to a minimum. Always take between meals.
• Alkaline minerals are necessary for metabolic reactions and promote alkalinity in foods that create too much acid.
• L-Glutamine helps heal the cells in your intestinal lining.
• Butyrate is a preferred source of “fuel” for the intestinal lining cells. Since it is not common in health food stores, you may need to purchase your butyrate online.
• Fresh juicing or a green drink. These are the highest nutrient dense foods available. They should always be consumed immediately. If you’re choosing green drink powder, look for brands containing spirulina, chlorella, and barley.

Finally, one of the most important allergy fighters is to chew your food well. Sound silly? Not so fast! Your own ability to digest your food is far greater than any natural remedies or supplements you can use. It’s how your body is designed to work.