Today I am packing up and heading west.
My big brother is getting married on Saturday in the gorgeous botanical gardens at U of C Berkley.
I’m armed with my travel non-negotiables: my favorite teas, essential oils, nasya oil, and eydrops (these planes get so dry!)
My brother and his fiancé, like good Californians, made sure to check in with all guests and offer gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan options for all guests.
So I am looking forward to some good meals just the way I like them
And that brings me to today’s popular and often confusing topic: Food Allergies.
Between trying to navigate confusing food allergy tests and attempts at self-diagnosing, it’s hard to really know what we each would do best to avoid and what doesn’t matter.
Today I’m sharing a few considerations when you think you might be addicted to a certain type a food, along with a handy check-list from Julia Ross of The Diet Cure.
What to consider
On the one hand, yes, the sad truth is, manufacturers have crafted foods that are designed to create the impulse to eat more and more. In this way, being “addicted” may be due to a habit of consuming processed foods instead of body-balancing whole foods. No bueno.
Another perspective: Sometimes, our “addiction” is rooted in a diet-mentality. Tell any child they can’t have the cookies, and watch their fixation on those chocolate chunk cookies on the counter increase ten-fold. Responding to deprivation is NOT addiction. Instead of learning how to abstain, it’s more likely a food morality intervention is sorely needed. (The diet insanity needs to stop!) I get pretty jazzed about identifying my clients’ food rules.
And then there is this third consideration: Some of us crave foods we are actually sensitive to. Yes, the body, strangely enough, can actually crave the food that will cause it some problems. This is wildly common with sugar.
It’s definitely worth exploring.
Here’s a quick quiz from Julia Ross’s popular book, The Diet Cure:
Do you crave milk, ice cream, yogurt, cheese, or doughy foods (pasta, bread, cookies, among others) and eat them frequently?
Do you experience bloating after meals?
Do have frequent gas or belching?
Are you dealing with digestive discomfort?
Do you experience chronic constipation or diarrhea?
Do you have respiratory problem, such as asthma, poastnasal drip, congestion?
Do you experience low energy or drowsiness, especially after meals?
Are you allergic to milk products or other common foods?
Do you often undereat or prefer beverages to solid food?
These are important considerations.
I’ve learned over the course of many years, that digestive concerns that are often associated with food allergies can have numerous contributors: stress, undigested life experiences, body wisdom via symptom, and YES, legitimate food allergies.
Sometimes it’s helpful to have the support of a health counselor to sort through the few variables listed above.
Why? A few good conversations can help us discern if your experience of being “addicted”is:
A case of too many processed foods in the diet
A case of an overwhelming diet mentality
A case of foods you are actually sensitive to and would be wise to avoid
An “addiction” to the experience of eating certain foods or eating those foods in certain ways
A combination of the above
If you are confused, fear not! The body is our training ground, and the most workable place to come back to again and again. If you are willing to do the work, you may discover what foods actually work for your body and mind, regardless of what’s in vogue these days.
Best of luck!
Love,
Laura
P.S. Enrollment in my live 4-month workshop series, The Healthy Woman, opens this coming August 1st. Wohoo!! Enrollment ends on August 31st (or earlier if all spaces fill). Be on the lookout for full program details and open enrollment in a couple weeks. First class is Saturday, September 12th.
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