Food Sensitivities

Are you wondering about food sensitivities and how they may impact daily life, athletic performance, and even your mental health?

For many reasons, food sensitivities are becoming more prevalent offering from food allergies that can result in anaphylactic shock and intense tissue swelling.

Food sensitivities are frequently more subtle than an allergy -- sensitivities result in a variety of skin, gut, joint conditions, and can affect mental health.

Did you know that what you're eating may be causing your IBS, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, migraines, or other autoimmune distress?

Food is a powerful tool and can either harm health or be used to regain and promote gut health and healing. Nutrition is critical with any of these conditions, and just because a food is "healthy" doesn't mean your body responds well to it. In turn, this produces continued symptoms.

As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, I have been able to further my training by becoming a Certified LEAP Therapist (CLT), I am thrilled to work with clients to heal their bodies through personalized and specialized diet protocols.

Ultimately, the goal with LEAP therapy is not only to restore gut health, but also to mitigate and eliminate nagging and debilitating symptoms caused by a variety of conditions -- we aim to get at the root cause.

As mindful eaters here at AteMate, I encourage you to make notes of what you eat, how you feel physically and mentally, along with your photo documentation.

This can be a huge step in the right direction. Sometimes, symptoms of sensitivities don't show signs in the body for up to 72 hours -- that is 3 days after its been ingested.

Using the AteMate app tool to its fullest ability with journaling can help to take the guesswork out of the detective work needed to begin the gut healing process.

Although there are some particularly common foods that cause sensitivities, including gluten, soy, eggs, and dairy products, virtually any food or chemical can be the cause of a food-sensitivity reaction in the body.

Again, this is why consistent tracking can be so crucial and life-changing. Once problematic foods have been definitively identified by a qualified healthcare professional, the problematic food can be eliminated, allowing the gut and immune system to recover.

Eventually, the hope is to heal the body sufficiently that the once-problematic food can be reintroduced in small amounts, without recurring symptoms.

Why are food sensitivity diagnoses on the rise in our culture today?

There are many reasons, including the chemicals added to, and the processing of, foods that are so readily available. The food industry has changed drastically in the last century.

Additionally, diagnostic tools have become much more accurate, useful, and available for health practitioners. This makes the sensitivities easier to diagnose and treat, and can frequently lead people to healthier lives with fewer medications.

Food is an incredibly powerful tool in healing the body, and it is a true privilege to help people restore their health.

* Hunter is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and owner of Reformed Nutrition, LLC. He is a Certified LEAP Therapist, a specialist in food sensitivities and gut healing. He also works with competitive athletes, those looking to gain strength, lose weight, and restore health, as well as families and student groups. He loves strength training, Whole Foods, farming/gardening, healthy fats, and pasture-raised animal products.