Countless studies have been done on detoxes and how they can
improve health. We already know that detox cleanses can help with weight loss
and certain health issues, but what about food allergies and sensitivities? Can a detox really eliminate those
for good. Maybe, and maybe not. Let’s go over some basics about food
allergies and how you can reduce or (hopefully) eliminate the symptoms.
First, let’s talk about what a
food
allergy even is. Of course, you already know that it’s a type of food that
causes your body to react in unpleasant ways. The most common symptoms include
gas and bloating, diarrhea, cramping, constipation, indigestion and heartburn.
Other possible effects are headache, joint pain, acne and even more frequent
colds and flu illnesses.
Ever wonder how you developed that food allergy, though? Here’s
how: at some point, you ate something, and it somehow became introduced into
your bloodstream. This usually happens when there’s a disruption in the “good”
bacteria found in your digestive tract, which can compromise the wall and
lining of the stomach. When this occurs, food particles can escape, entering
the bloodstream before they’ve been fully broken down. Your body doesn’t
recognize this foreign object, tags it as bad, and begins to attack. This puts
your immune system into overdrive, resulting in some of the symptoms described
above.
Now for the important question - how do you eliminate a food
allergy? Well, there are a few different ways you can, at a minimum, reduce
your symptoms. For starters, you can use a food elimination process that
removes all the primary allergy-causing foods from your diet. This includes dairy,
grains, alcohol, sugar, and more. With these out of the picture, your symptoms
should be gone in a matter of days. Once you’re symptom-free, you can
reintroduce each food/drink one at a time to see which one is the culprit. From
then on, you can simply avoid that food item.
However, let’s say you’ve determined that grains are causing
the problem, and a lifetime without breads sounds awful. If this is where
you’re at, you need to take steps to deal with the allergy while still getting
to enjoy the foods you love. A detox can definitely help with this. Spending a
week or 10 days
cleansing your body and eliminating toxins can give you a fresh
start and help restore your body’s natural balances - including the good
bacteria in your gut.
You can also boost the effects of the detox by making a few
other changes to your diet. Start by consuming homemade fermented foods and
drinks. Things like sauerkraut, pickles, and kimchi are all rich in probiotics,
which are the key to a healthy gut. Probiotics promote healthy bacteria in your
gut, and they improve digestion. Another detox booster is to consume more
gelatinous foods. Bone broth and grass-fed gelatin powder can be added to your
diet to aid in the healing and sealing of the mucous lining of your stomach and
intestines.
So, to answer again the initial question of whether or not a
detox can eliminate food allergies - maybe and maybe not. Some people may be
fortunate enough to eliminate their allergies altogether, but others may have
to settle for a
detox to simply reduce their symptoms - which really isn’t so bad either!
