Toxins

One of the most popular questions in our office is, “what causes subluxations?!” This is a great question. We sum it up in one of the easiest ways possible with a three letter acronym: the T, T, and T. It stands for Thoughts, Traumas, and Toxins.

Today, we are going to talk about the Toxins portion. A lot of times, people quickly jump to thinking of poisons and things like that. While they aren’t wrong, they may be just looking in the wrong place. A lot of people don’t think of our environmental toxins (things we inhale, put on our skin, etc) or the foods that we eat.

A Big, Big Problem

One big problem in America is that even if you try to eat healthy, it is really difficult. So many of our crops just have nitrogen dumped on them so they grow and look the way they are supposed to look, but lack so many of the micro nutrients. While some of the fertilizers and pesticides they use have been shown to cause cancer, people don’t realize that they could have foods in their diet that are harmful to themselves, specifically. 

Yes, I could potentially have a food sensitivity that you do not. Everyone knows and understands that people get seasonal allergies. Well, what is really going on? Immunoglobulin E, or IgE, is what our immune system uses to fight any pathogen that is inhaled (pollens, etc). However, what about the foods we eat? Well, our bodies have other immunoglobulins, particularly IgG and IgA.

Immuno-what?

IgA is of particular interest to those of you who have any sinus or gut issues as it is what protects anything in our bodies that produce mucus (digestive tract, sinuses, etc). People who find themselves constantly getting ear infections or sinus infections should consider having a test done.

IgG on the other hand, is more of a systemic response and contributes to most immune responses. The most common that we see is with food sensitivities. The problems that are associated with this can be a huge variety. The most common we see are stomach issues (constipation and diarrhea), skin issues (dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema), and chronic inflammation (general pain). 

How Do I Know?

The easiest way to find out if you have food sensitivities is to have a blood test done. It is super easy and takes anywhere from one to two weeks to get results back. A lot of people are going to be disappointed at their results, as they will probably have to give up something they enjoy. However, the benefits can be an enormous, life-changing event.

The second method is an elimination diet. This will never be as in-depth (the blood test tests 250 foods!), but it is a cheaper method. My recommendation is to always start by removing the four most common food sensitivities (gluten, egg, dairy, and nuts), paying attention to your body for any positive changes, then slowly adding the foods back into your diet and seeing if there are any negative reactions.

In Closing

Food sensitivities are a real thing that cause a number of different issues in many people's lives. Mine was chronic sinus infections year after year, that would last up to a month. My sensitivity? Eggs. I gave them up and haven’t had a sinus infection since (other than when I accidentally consumed eggs). The problem was eggs were my favorite food (still is). That was the hard part. However, the benefits far outweigh the cost.

If you need more information on how to test for food sensitivities or to complete an elimination diet, please reach out. We would love to help you live a healthier life.

In Health.