I know I am not as strong or as flexible as I used to be, and like almost everyone else, would like to lose weight. I don't have to wonder how.....a small little orange book was recommended to me by 2 people in the medical profession -- it's called UltraMetabolism by Dr. Mark Hyman. It's based on the latest findings about how foods affect us, and states that there are so many additives in our foods these days that many of us have developed food sensitivities we are not even aware of.
I know this is true. My daughter went through a horrible year feeling sick constantly. She was finally diagnosed as lactose intolerant. No one takes this seriously.....but my daughter is so sensitive that she can feel the "brain fog" rolling in from a food with hidden dairy, and she has a serious problem with food additives. She convinced me to go completely dairy free for just 2 weeks and see if I felt better. The result was dramatic!! I was feeling lethargic and apathetic, and had my own brain fog rolling in. My energy level was dramatically increased once I totally went off dairy---and I do mean dramatically!!
And then I started the UltraMetabolism diet and after 8 weeks on the diet I had lost about 15 pounds, and felt healthier than before. I went through my pantry and the fridge and threw out anything containing high fructose corn syrup --- (which is almost everything!!) --- but the constant pain in my knees was gone!! I don't know if it was the corn syrup or the dairy that was causing the pain, I only know I don't have constant debilitating knee pain any longer.
I hear these complaints from my students constantly. We are all getting older, let's face it, but I wonder how much of our "aging" is actually caused by the food choices we make. Dr Oz featured gluten sensitivity on his program yesterday.....I would think this would be easily diagnosed, but it isn't. He says many of us have a sensitivity to gluten and are totally unaware of it. Symptoms include anemia, depression, fatigue, bloating, headaches, and osteoporosis. Having a food sensitivity involves your autoimmune system going on high alert and prevents you from fully absorbing the nutrients in the foods you eat ---- any of the foods you eat!! Your system is so busy dealing with the food it can't handle (like dairy or gluten) that it can't adequately handle other foods either. My daughter talks about the "shoebox" theory --- when you eat dairy or gluten (or any food your individual system can't handle) your intestines don't know what to do with it and so shove it aside, shove it in a shoebox to get it out of the way, and it just sits there causing problems. Food sensitivity can cause "brain fog" or difficulty concentrating, nasal or chest congestion, muscle aches or joint pain, or skin rashes or acne.
The UltraMetabolism diet consists of totally eliminating certain foods from your diet because these foods often cause problems for people: caffeine, alcohol, sugars in all forms, trans fats, and gluten. When I gave up sugar I stopped craving salt!! I still had coffee in the morning, but it was a muddy blend with almond milk and no sugar. After 4 weeks on the diet, you start adding things back in, but slowly because the idea is to discover if you have a personal problem with a certain food. I discovered I feel better if I limit the gluten in my diet. But here's the really amazing thing I learned that is so shocking: gluten sensitivity is linked to many other diseases!!
On his website, Dr. Hyman states:
" a review paper in The New England Journal of Medicine listed 55 “diseases” that can be caused by eating gluten. These include osteoporosis, irritable bowel disease, inflammatory bowel disease, anemia, cancer, fatigue, canker sores, and rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and almost all other autoimmune diseases. Gluten is also linked to many psychiatric and neurological diseases, including anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, dementia, migraines, epilepsy, and neuropathy (nerve damage). It has also been linked to autism."
To find out if a gluten problem is affecting your health you should go totally gluten-free for 2 weeks. Avoid wheat, rye, barley, bulgur, spelt, kamut and triticale; they recommend avoiding oats because of cross-contamination, but if your oat product says "gluten-free" it's allowed. Be aware that gluten is found in many products since it's used as a binder --- read the labels of salad dressings and condiments. You should be reading labels anyway to avoid "shoeboxing" all that corn syrup!! For people with celiac disease, ingesting gluten can be life-threatening and they need to read labels on cosmetics and hair products too!!
I seriously urge you to completely go off dairy for 2 weeks and see how you feel --- especially if you are one of those people who have been buying Lactaid milk. Try soy milk or almond milk instead ---healthier for you and fewer calories!! Hey!! It's only 2 weeks, you can do it!!
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