Does your body rebel against one of your favourite foods?
Sensitivities to common food allergens are becoming increasingly widespread in North America. With symptoms ranging from a mild flu-like condition to headaches, difficulty sleeping, bloating and fatigue, they are annoying at best and destructive to our health at worst.
Corn, wheat (and gluten, the protein found in wheat), dairy products and soy have become so pervasive in our food chain that many people have developed an intolerance to them through over-consumption. It is estimated that 98 percent of all processed foods in the typical North American diet contain at least one common allergen. In fact, corn and wheat by-products can be found in almost all conventional fast food.
Common food allergens
Corn
Corn, or maize, in its current state is, believe it or not, a man-made food. This relatively new addition to the human diet causes an allergic reaction in some people. High-fructose corn syrup, one of the most health-damaging derivatives of corn, is frequently used in sport drinks and other processed foods requiring a cheap sweetener. Corn derivatives are used in upward of 90 percent of processed food, and people who eat a standard diet often develop an intolerance and sensitivity to it.
Wheat and gluten
Gluten, the protein found in wheat, is difficult for some people to digest. High levels of gluten are not historically natural to our diet. As with corn, it has been “encouraged” to grow the way it does today to produce a better crop yield. Unfortunately, the consequence of eating it is often mild to severe digestive problems ranging from simply feeling sub par to allergic reactions and celiac disease. Gluten-rich foods are also fairly acid-forming. Wheat, or a derivative, is in nearly all processed food.
Dairy
Cow’s milk comes from a lactating cow. Natural unpasteurized milk from a mother cow is an ideal source of nourishment…for her calf. When the milk is fed to humans, it is no longer being used as it was intended. Many people experience digestive problems when consuming cow’s milk and derivative products. The same holds true with goat’s and sheep’s milk. Most healthy bodies are capable of building a resistance to small amounts of dairy; however, in doing so it uses energy and reduces the effectiveness of the immune system.
Soy
Soy has traditionally been eaten in Asia as a condiment, not as a main course. Since the Western world has embraced soy as a meat substitute, it has found its way into our diets on a large scale. I certainly view this as progress; however, some people have not experienced the vitality they were seeking when switching to a plant-based diet. Soy, as with gluten and corn, is in nearly all processed foods, and we risk developing an intolerance to it.
Active yeast
Active yeast is a form of yeast that is living and needs sugar to survive once it comes into contact with moisture. Used to make bread dough rise, it is a standard ingredient in most baked goods. The yeast feeds on the sugar used when making bread, and later survives by feeding on our body’s sugars. This can cause yeast infections and candidiasis.
