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Food sensitivities also known as ‘hidden allergies,’ are created from the poor digestion of your food. This leaves partially undigested food matter in your digestive system that is able to enter your blood stream, causing your immune system to react.

Undigested Food Creates Abnormal Immune Responses

Your immune system identifies partially undigested food in your blood stream as harmful. In response, IgG antibodies are released which then attach to the food and tag it as harmful. This tagging initiates an immune reaction. An IgG reaction is not immediate nor is it severe like IgE antibodies, therefore symptoms can occur anywhere from 2 hours to 3 days after the food is eaten. This can make it very hard for you to detect what foods you are sensitive to.

If you continue to eat the foods your immune system has identified as harmful there will be a large build up of IgG antibodies in your bloodstream indicating a long term sensitivity, and a greater reaction to the food. As a result your symptoms will become worse and worse.

If you have poor digestion and it is not addressed and treated successfully, you may become prone to more food sensitivities and a wider range of symptoms that you previously didn’t have.

Reduce Your Allergic Potential by Strengthening Your Digestion

If you regularly experience the symptoms of poor digestion listed in Part Two of these articles, then I strongly suggest you follow the steps below to finally improve your digestion.

Hilde Hemmes Swedish Bitters

Swedish bitters is a herbal tincture that is mixed in water, taken half an hour before meals to stimulate stomach acid secretion and bile flow necessary for adequate digestion. In doing so, it will relieve indigestion such as heart burn, bloating, flatulence and abdominal discomfort.

The herbal formula also contains herbs senna and rhubarb which have laxative properties, therefore relieving constipation and maintaining regular bowel movements. Because laxatives should not be taken long term (9-12 months) as they can become addictive causing your bowel to become lazy, I would suggest taking a break every 1-2 months to reassess the adequacy of your digestion without the help of the Swedish bitters.

Depending on the state of your digestion, usually poor digestion can be rectified anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months with Swedish bitters. As long as the correct nutrients are also supplied through a healthy diet or supplementation needed for proper production of stomach acid and digestive enzymes.

*Contraindication: Pregnancy, breastfeeding, ulcers

Digestive Enzymes

Digestive enzymes are an alternative to Swedish bitters if you really can’t stand the taste of the herbal formula. Instead of stimulating your bodies own secretion of stomach acid and digestive enzymes, instead it supplies you with the enzymes needed to break down your food. Look for one that contains enzymes to digest a wide range of foods these include;

• Trilactase – Digests lactose found in dairy products
• Lipase – Digests fat
• Protease – Digests protein
• Amylase – Digests carbohydrates

Digestive enzymes can be used for quite some time without being habit forming. As it enables you to break down your food, the absorption of the nutrients in your food will be optimized which will assist with your bodies own production of stomach acid and enzymes.

Eat Raw Vegetables

Raw vegetables are filled with naturally occurring enzymes that help your digestive system to break it down, reducing the need for your body to produce it’s own enzymes. As soon as you cook your food whether it’s through steaming, roasting, or microwaving you will reduce their vitamin and mineral content by half.

By eating a raw salad everyday, you are taking the burden off your digestive system and supplying your body with a multitude of nutrients needed for optimum health and the production of your digestive enzymes.

Initially, if your digestion is quite bad then you might find that salads will still make you feel bloated. By taking your Swedish bitters or digestive enzymes when you’re eating the salad, will greatly minimise those symptoms. If you persist you will notice you won’t need the extra help as your digestion re corrects itself.

Stop Eating Rubbish

Reducing your overconsumption of junk food; lollies, cakes, ice-cream, soft drinks, biscuits, white bread, chocolate and alcohol will also be a huge benefit not only to your digestive system but to your overall health. All of these foods are empty calories with absolutely no nutrition what so ever. These sugary processed foods greatly compromise your immune system creating erratic behaviour to over react to harmless substances.

If you need convincing to eat your vegetables and to cut out your junk food, you should have a look at the new DVD ‘Food Matters’ – trust me you will be very motivated once you watch this film! You can also check out my review on this documentary here.

Eat Smaller Meals But Regularly

Instead of eating three large meals throughout the day, try and eat five small meals every two to three hours. Large meals take a lot longer to digest, and it can leave your stomach feeling really heavy and bloated. You may even feel tired, as your body uses it’s energy to digest the big meal.

Small meals throughout the day also maintain your energy levels, blood sugar levels, metabolism and appetite. You will also be less inclined to eat those sugary processed snacks in between meals as you will constantly feel satisfied.

Don’t Eat While You Are Stressed

Eating while you are stressed greatly slows down your digestion by diverting all of the energy from your digestive system to your extremities. Avoid eating in front of the computer or the television, instead eat at the dinner table where you can relax and enjoy your meal. Focus on really chewing each mouth full to trigger the digestive enzymes released in your digestive system in preparation for further digestion.

Next Step To Healing Your Digestive System

I hope that you start utilizing these steps into your daily routine as soon as possible. The faster you begin these steps to correct your digestion, the faster you can reduce your allergy potential.

In Part Four I will look into the importance of an elimination diet to reverse your food sensitivities and how you can heal the lining of your digestive system to recorrect your hypersensitive immune system.

Stay tuned.

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About Chloe Orford

Chloe Orford is the co-founder of Live Allergy Free - A website that gives you helpful tips, guides and awareness on how best to relieve your allergies. Having treated myself and many others of food and environmental allergies...read more.

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