Did you know that if you have symptoms such as
you may be experiencing a sensitivity (or intolerance) to particular foods in your diet? Sensitivities to food can take many different forms and affect 60–70% of the population. Unlike food allergies (see page 719) food sensitivities do not involve the immune system and cannot be clinically tested. This can make it very difficult for people to make the connection between their symptoms and the food they eat.
Do not confuse food sensitivities with food allergies. For example, it is possible to be sensitive to milk and yet not have an actual allergic reaction to milk. Lactose intolerance is one way that a sensitivity to milk may manifest; lactose intolerance is caused by a deficiency of the enzyme (lactase) that digests the sugars found in milk. In the United States, approximately 15–30% of all adults are lactose intolerant. Others forms of food sensitivities can be caused by poor functioning of the digestive tract (gluten intolerance), reactions to natural or synthetic chemicals (food additives such as MSG or sulfites) or even to some naturally occurring substances in food (salicylates or amines).
In the United States, the foods listed below are those most commonly associated with food sensitivities:
• Beef
• Corn
• Eggs
• Oranges
• Pork
• Soy
• Strawberries
• Tree Nuts*
• Chicken
• Cow’s milk
• Kiwi fruit
• Peanuts
• Shellfish
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Wheat
* Primarily walnuts, but also potentially including other tree nuts such as hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, or cashews.
Other foods and additives likely to cause food sensitivities include:
• Alcohol
• Chocolate
• MSG
• Smoked meats
• Vinegar
• Caffeine-containing beverages
• Fermented (hard) cheese
• Refined sugar
• Sulfites
• Red wines
To identify which foods might be problematic for you and determine if you have undiagnosed sensitivities to food, you might try following the Elimination Plan. It is composed of two easy phases. In the 1st phase you eat a variety of foods not likely to be associated with food sensitivities for 1 week (see list below). In 2nd phase, you reintroduce others foods to see if you are sensitive to them. In addition, any foods that you eat frequently and crave should be highly suspect as foods to which you are sensitive and included among those you eliminate for this trial period.
While it is best to avoid specific foods during the Elimination Plan, there are also some foods that are preferable to include as part of your meals because as a group they are less likely to be associated with food sensitivities than the group of foods you will be eliminating. Eat the foods below for at least 1 week. I recommend that the meals you enjoy during the Elimination Plan consist of approximately 8 parts of fruits and vegetables and 2 parts of protein-rich foods. It is also especially important to select organically grown foods whenever possible. Chew your food well to increase saliva production to help digestion.
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Celery
• Collard greens
• Garlic
• Green beans
• Green peas
• Kale
• Olive oil
• Onion
• Lettuce
• Sea vegetables
• Summer squash (zucchini)
• Sweet potatoes
• Swiss chard
• Winter squash
• Apples
• Grapes
• Lemons
• Pears
• Brown Rice
• Black beans
• Garbanzo beans
• Lentils
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Sesame Seeds
• Sunflower Seeds
• Cod
• Salmon
• Lamb
As you will notice, an integral part of helping you to identify sensitivities to foods during the Elimination Plan is to enjoy meals primarily comprised of vegetables, fruits, beans and fish. These are the health-promoting foods that study after study has shown to be of immeasurable benefit to health.
* It is best to consult with your healthcare professional when undertaking an elimination approach to determine food sensitivities.
(sample menu based on an average 1800 calories per day*):
1 cup of green tea with lemon juice. A bowl of fruit or vegetables served with 1 cup of brown rice topped with ground sunflower seeds.
1 cup of green tea with lemon juice.
A large salad made from 4 cups romaine lettuce topped with ground pumpkin seeds tossed with Mediterranean Dressing (page 143). Serve with “Quick Broiled” Lamb (page 573) or garbanzo or black beans.
Dessert: Apple
1 cup of green tea with lemon juice.
2 cups mixed green salad topped with sesame seeds. Serve with “Quick Broiled” salmon or cod (page 481) and 2 servings of vegetables, such as the Mediterranean Feast (See page 277)
Dessert: Grapes
Snack: Fruit, nuts, seeds or crudités
After following the above diet for 1 week, you then begin to reintroduce avoided foods one at a time, one per day. The first list from which to reintroduce includes asparagus avocados, beets, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cucumbers, blueberries, watermelon, flaxseeds and quinoa. These are foods that are not associated with sensitivity reactions in many people. After that, you reintroduce another avoided food, one food per day. When you reintroduce the foods you avoided notice any adverse reactions that you may have. If you develop any symptoms that compromise your feelings of wellness when reintroducing a food, that food may be problematic to you. (For more on Food Sensitivity see page 719.)