As the cold air gives way to brisk air perfused with the fragrance of the freshly bloomed flowers, as the bright green leaves start spurting out from the trees and as the squirrels, birds, and bees dash out from nowhere, we know that spring has sprung. What does that mean? Allergy season has arrived.

We all are aware of the seasonal allergies with itchy, watery eyes, runny nose, and the sniffles triggered by the environmental allergens. Do you know that hidden allergens in your diet can trigger an inflammatory response in your body leading to weight gain?

Food intolerance or food sensitivity is a hot topic in the field of medicine now. It is quite different from food allergies. While an allergic reaction to food can vary from a mild rash to a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction, symptoms of food intolerance often times are subtle. Food intolerance/sensitivity can cause vague symptoms like fatigue, indigestion, weight gain, etc. Thus making the diagnosis very challenging.

If you are struggling to lose weight in spite of a strict calorie restricted diet, exercise then talk to your doctor about food intolerance. A person can be intolerant to any food or even to food additives, coloring agents, and preservatives. If you are not sure, getting a blood test done for food sensitivity will be very useful. Avoid processed food. The preservatives and additives in those foods may be the culprit in triggering food sensitivity. Also, keep away from Genetically Modified foods which alter your immune response by providing unnatural food and toxins. They are not nutritionally balanced either. Eliminating the food that you are sensitive to will help with controlling your cravings for food thus paving a path for weight loss.

If you are yo-yo dieter with rapid fluctuation in your weight, it is time to think about food sensitivity. Once you know the trigger, it is vital to eliminate it from your diet for a minimum of 6 months to make your body forget it and to re-introduce it slowly after 6 months. This way you are giving your immune system a second chance to handle the same food in a different way. Rotation diet has been validated for food sensitive individuals. It is avoiding the same food not more than every 4 days in order to prevent the development of food intolerance.

The immune system can go haywire due to stress, unhealthy diet, lack of sleep, etc, thus causing a skewed response to food. Maintaining a healthy immune system with a daily supply of Vitamin B complex, Vitamin C, good night sleep, exercise, and meditation can mitigate this abnormal response to food.

What you need to know & do :

•  Think outside the box -If your symptoms do not fit in any typical medical diagnosis or if you are caught in the vicious cycle of weight loss and weight gain, it is time to consider food intolerance.
• Do not mix up – Food allergy is very different from food intolerance.
• The litmus test – Simple avoidance can pin the diagnosis for many with Gluten or Lactose intolerance. Most of the patients do require the help of blood testing to find out the foods they are intolerant to.
• The 3″R” remedy – Remove, Rotate and Re-introduce. Remove the food that you are intolerant to from your diet strictly, rotate your food on a 4 days cycle and re-introduce the food that you are sensitive to after 6 months.

Stay healthy and enjoy life!