Unveiling the Connection Between Food Sensitivities and Weight Management

Food sensitivities, also known as food intolerances, refer to reactions after consuming certain foods. Unlike food allergies, which involve an autoimmune response, food sensitivities trigger a nonallergic reaction, which is typically less severe. These sensitivities can result in various symptoms, from discomfort to chronic health issues.

Food sensitivities can be categorized as either sensitivity or intolerance toward components in food. For instance, lactose intolerance is a food sensitivity characterized by the body’s inability to digest lactose – a sugar in dairy products. Other sensitivities may involve proteins like gluten, casein, or chemical substances such as food additives and preservatives.

Identifying food sensitivities can be challenging since they manifest themselves in various ways. Some common signs of food sensitivities include bloating, gas, diarrhea, or constipation. Additionally, people may experience skin conditions such as rashes or eczema, respiratory problems, headaches, fatigue, and even mood disorders like anxiety and depression.

Food sensitivities can also influence an individual’s weight. When someone with food sensitivities consumes triggering foods, it can cause inflammation. This inflammatory response can lead to weight gain due to fluid retention. Bloating and a sensation of fullness often accompany this weight gain.

Particular food sensitivities can potentially disrupt the hormone balance within the body. Hormones like insulin and cortisol play roles in regulating metabolism and fat storage. Imbalances caused by food sensitivities can lead to weight gain and make losing weight more challenging.

The connection between food sensitivities and weight management lies in understanding how food sensitivities cause inflammation and the overproduction of cortisol. Chronic overproduction of cortisol leads to insulin resistance and the inability to lose weight. If you struggle to lose weight, you may want to avoid these common food sensitivities.

The Top 10 Most Common Food Sensitivities and Intolerances

• 1.   Cow’s Milk, Cheese and Whey Protein
• 2.   Wheat and Other Gluten-Containing Grains
• 3.   Rice, Quinoa, Oats and Other Gluten-Free Grains
• 4.   Eggs
• 5.   Corn
• 6.   Soy
• 7.   Legumes
• 8.   Tree Nuts
• 9.   Citrus Fruits
• 10. Nightshade Vegetables

These foods may be why you can’t lose weight even when it may seem you are doing everything right, such as exercising and not overeating. Simply removing these food intolerances that cause weight gain lowers inflammation, making it much easier to lose weight. 

Food sensitivities can also develop due to a leaky gut that lets undigested food through the intestinal lining. The body does not recognize undigested food as a nutrient. Instead, the body thinks the undigested food is a foreign invader, and food sensitivities develop, leading to weight gain.                                                                                              

A contributing factor to chronic cortisol production is food sensitivity! The body produces cortisol to combat the inflammation created by the immune system. The immune system creates inflammation in response to fighting food sensitivities.

When cortisol levels are elevated to offset the inflammation created by the immune system and offending food sensitivities, blood glucose levels are also raised. When blood sugar levels are constantly raised, this will lead to insulin resistance due to excess glucose in the bloodstream.

Since insulin is the primary hormone responsible for weight gain, the higher the insulin levels, the harder it is to lose weight because insulin tells your body to store fat. High levels of insulin keep the body in fat-storage mode. 

When the body is chronically inflamed from eating these common foods sensitivities daily, this puts stress on the adrenals. The adrenals are responsible for the production of cortisol, an anti-inflammatory that your body uses to counter the effects of an overreactive immune system challenged by common food sensitivities such as gluten, dairy, soy, and sugar. It becomes a vicious cycle. Cortisol is the stress hormone responsible for belly fat, but it is the food that stimulates chronic cortisol production.

The cause of the inflammation needs to be removed to stop this vicious cycle. In this case, the cause of inflammation is food sensitivity. The best way to reduce cortisol levels through diet is by removing inflammatory foods, which can lead to insulin resistance. Remove refined carbohydrates and sugar, which disrupts blood sugar balance to prevent the overproduction of cortisol, and you will finally be able to lose weight. At Doctor’s Nutrition, we also offer food sensitivity testing to give you a better insight on what foods to avoid!

Cortisol levels in the body can also be controlled with supplementation. One of the best supplements we carry to control cortisol is Cortisol Soothe. This formula is designed to maintain healthy cortisol levels and support relaxation, restful sleep, and positive mood during stress.

To learn more about food sensitivities, call Doctor’s Nutrition at 1-800-824-0194.