Have you ever eliminated a favourite food from your diet? And found out it was the culprit to your ails?
Stress
In our small intestines where so much of the digestion happens we have cells that should link up side by side uniformly so that the nutrients go into the cells and then into the bloodstream. Sounds pretty simple. Well the problem lies in the fact that sometimes these little cells aren’t lined up side by side uniformly anymore… Due to a gastrointestinal infection or STRESS!! ( I bet you don’t know anybody who has any stress in their life!!)
Holes In Our System
So what happens is these cells are no longer placed right beside each other, there are gaps between them, spaces where the cells no longer touch and food travels into the bloodstream without going through the processes that would happen if it went through the cell then into the bloodstream. I am sure you can understand that that isn’t a good thing. Food particles are not to be in the bloodstream in food particle form, they should be in much smaller form, like little nutrients. Right?
Love To Feel Good
So jumping over a lot of the digestion chemistry, what may happen in these food fragments can cause food sensitivities to people. The bigger thing that hit me was that there food particles in the blood can have an opioid structure. So if these ‘food’ particles are in the blood, they travel in the blood and therefore they can end up in the brain…. ( blood goes to the brain)
So if these food particles can have a opioid structure, they would naturally attach to opioid receptors… and you would find those in the brain. Oh, opioid receptors give humans pleasure. Make sense…. And of course you know that that pleasure is addictive… So… guess what when these particles enter the blood and become opioid structures they can attach to the receptors in the brain causing pleasure and voila, they cause addictions… And guess what foods are most likely to do this…..?
Culprits
Let me see if you can guess… I will give you the “big” name and then the term most of us use…
beta-casomorphine and gluteomorphine.
The first is a partially digested casein ( not fully digested because remember it escaped between the cells in the intestine not through) which is the protein in cow’s milk and products. The second is the major wheat protein in wheat, rye, barley, oat and tritical ~~ you got it gluten!!
So these things attach to the pleasure sites in the brain! Not a big burst but enough that with time the person who’s body it happens in doesn’t want to give it up. They don’t feel they can live without it!
What You Can Do
So what I want to share with you are 8 things to help you have an easier time digesting your food so that you can diminish the chance of the above happening to you
1. Chew your food. (Do you remember that Mom said chew!! Well she meant it!)
2. Add good fats and proteins to your every meal, you’ll feel more satisfied and likely eat less… But make sure you chew those fats and proteins!!
3. Reduce the amount you eat!! Your stomach is about the size of your fist. No wonder you can eat so much you have stretched it out so much it holds way more than that no! Chew!!
4. Try lemon juice in warm water or apple cider vinegar to help wake up your stomach acids. Acid reflux isn’t about too much acid but not enough acid to break down the food properly and allow it to pass through the intestine.
5. Avoid drinking water with meals. Drink water between meals.
6. Eat in a calm state. Keep your stress lower but even more so while eating. If you are stressed then the adrenaline you produce will divert your blood elsewhere and not help out so much in the digestion process.
7. Look at your food and enjoy what you eat. Avoid inhaling, take your time.
8. If there is a food that you absolutely cannot live without.. try omitting it from your food intake and see how you feel physically. Perhaps that food is playing tricks on you.. or is part of the culprit!!
Which of these do you incorporate into your eating habits? Which can you commit to? Leave your comments below. if you liked this please share!
I just recently learned about not drinking water with meals. My husband has suffered with acid reflux most of his adult lift. We have periodically gotten it under control, but it always flairs up again.
When I learned that water can increase the effects of acid, we stopped drinking it with meals. Now he’s off all medications. Thank you for sharing this important information with people.
Debbie Lattuga recently posted..Total Alignment | Balance
It is amazing that something as simple as not drinking with a meal can help! Thank goodness your hubby has found a solution! Good that he were able to get off the meds.. The things we learn through experience! Thanks for sharing, Debbie!
Hello Holly,
I read your post with interest. My mum was tested a few years ago and it turned out she had an intolerance to foods containing gluten and dairy products which came from cows. With sheep and goat products like cheese she was completely fine. These days she makes a fantastic gluten free chocolate cake which delights everyone!
Sadie-Michaela Harris recently posted..By: Sadie
It is interesting to see how many people have sensitivities to these foods. It all makes sense now! Too simple and yet most of us don’t know it. Maybe you can pass on your Mom’s chocolate cake gluten free recipe? Thanks, Sadie-Michaela!
Oh my! I am not adhering to any of your eight suggestions. Well, perhaps only seven because there is not a food that I am unable to live without should I decide to.
My parents always told me to chew my food well. I thought it was so I would not choke on it LOL. I love knowing the intent/rationale behind things. Thanks for sharing this information.
Rachel Lavern recently posted..I Can’t Say These 12 Words
Good to hear that you chew your food well!! Sounds like you have your food stuff under control!! Great to for you, too many people don’t! Thanks for sharing, Rachel
I guess your tips are helpful, and I have to start learning on how to chew well I’m usually in a hurry when eating.. And if I’m going to follow this:Look at your food and enjoy what you eat.. I will eat a lot..lol
You will be surprised at how much benefit you get!! Yes, it may be a bit of a challenge, but you and your body will appreciate the good things that come from it!! Good luck, Nicole!
Hi Holly,
wow, what an interesting article – opiods?!?! Amazing.
Thank you so much for explaining all that in detail. I heard about the leaky gut syndrome which can have fatal consequences. Addictions can be so complex.
One thing that helped me a few years back was watching food combinations. I touched on some of that in one of my articles about digestion.
Diluting our digestive juices with liquids can cause havoc.
I really appreciate your information.
Cheers,
Yorinda
Yorinda recently posted..Time for Self Reflection
Thanks for sharing Yorinda! I am sure that most of us can find out helpful information from many sources, how far back is your digestion article, I would love to read it.. Addictions can be complex, that is for sure.. Food combinations can definitely help and as I get more experience it certainly makes a difference for me. I am more and more aware of what foods do in my body. I still am amazed at how much people drink with their meals… It is amazing that more people dont’ have issues… Our bodies certainly are incredible!
Holly this information is so extremely timely for me!
I have just started experiencing acid reflux, but only in the evening! I have been taking a “shot” of apple cider vinegar (ACV) every morning for a couple of years.
After reading your post I am now going to start taking one in the evening too! Does it matter how soon I take the ACV before eating?
I’ll work on working all 8 things on your list into habits!
Carla, It is recommended 5-20 minutes. I am going to suggest that you ‘play’ with it and see what works best with your body. Good luck. Do you plug your nose when you drink your ACV?
LOL no Holly I don’t plug my nose. BUT I have a little shot glass and “shoot” it down real quick with a glass of water chaser right beside it!
Wow! I am impressed!! Good for you! Shooter or not, Carla!! The stuff smells bad, I can’t imagine swallowing it!
Hi Holly,
Interesting post!
These are really an informative health tips. I should really learn to chew my food very well. Shared it to my family and friends. I guess a lot of people doesn’t know this fact. Thank you for sharing Molly.
Cassandra recently posted..http://bestcookwaredeals.com/
It is interesting that we dont’ know some of these simple but helpful tips… thanks for stopping by and sharing it with others, Cassandra
Hi Holly:
You have presented some great facts in this post. I did not know what caused food sensitivities. Thanks for the helpful information.
Kevin
Kevin Martineau recently posted..What are your God moments?
You are welcome, Kevin. When it is such a simple thing I often wonder why these things aren’t more available to us. Perhaps just forgotten over the years as the pharmaceutical industry became more prominent?