Are Food Allergies Making you Fat?

By Lee McCaskill

A wheat allergy should not be confused with “gluten intolerance” or celiac disease. A food allergy is an overreaction of the immune system to a specific food protein. When the food protein is ingested, in can trigger an allergic reaction that may include a range of symptoms from mild symptoms such as rashes, hives, itching, and swelling to severe symptoms like trouble breathing, wheezing, or loss of consciousness. Even ears and throat itching at night can be a reaction from a food allergy in response to something you ate earlier in the day. A food allergy can even be potentially fatal.

Celiac disease, which affects the small intestine, is caused by an abnormal immune reaction to gluten. Usually diagnosed by a gastroenterologist, it is a digestive disease that can cause serious complications, including malnutrition and intestinal damage, when left untreated. Individuals with celiac disease must avoid gluten, found in wheat, rye, barley and sometimes oats.
People who are allergic to wheat often may tolerate other grains. However, about 20 percent of children with wheat allergy also are allergic to other grains. They should be tested to see what else they can tolerate.
Did you know that you can lose a significant amount of weight by cutting food allergens from your diet and taking probiotics? If you get rid of the inflammation and balance the bacterial ecosystem in your intestinal system, you will lose much more efficiently.
food allergies
When you eat a typical American diet, you foster the growth of bad bugs in the gut (stomach and intestines). They damage the gut lining and produce toxins that are absorbed into your system. Because of the damage, partially digested food particles also leak into your bloodstream. Then your immune system reacts to the toxins and foods, producing a firestorm of inflammation.
That inflammation then leads to a fatty liver and insulin resistance, which lead to higher levels of insulin in your body. And insulin is a fat-storage, disease- and aging-promoting hormone. The unhealthy gut makes us fat and sick because it makes us toxic and inflamed.

Here are a three steps to eliminate food allergens and re-balance your intestinal flora:
1) Try an elimination diet for 3 weeks. Cut out the most common food allergens, including gluten, dairy, eggs, corn, yeast, and peanuts and/or those foods to which you know you are allergic. Add back one at a time. I was able to add back eggs, peanuts and most gluten except for wheat.
2) Eat a whole-foods, plant-based, high-fiber diet. This is essential to feed the good bugs in your gut and to provide the nutrients you need to functional optimally.
3) Take probiotics daily to boost the healthy bacteria in your gut. Look for a reputable brand of probiotic that contains both bifidobacteria and lactobacillus species. We have them in my clinics.
Within a very few short weeks—even if you do nothing else—you will see a dramatic difference that comes from healing your gut.Remember, if you want to get rid of that gut, you have to fix your gut.
Products I recommend you try during your 3 week elimination diet:
Pamela’s Baking Mix (It’s gluten-free)
Crunchmaster Crackers (from Sam’s)
Before and After Probiotics (available at any of our clinics)
Before and After Protein Weight Loss Shakes (available at any of our clinics)


Lee from Before And After Weight Loss

Lee McCaskill


About the author, Lee McCaskill is the owner of Before and After Weight Loss Clinics in Saint Lucie and Indian River Counties, and the nationwide diet program, Belly Buster Diet, Inc. In addition to being a Master Certified Weight Loss and Wellness Coach, Lee is a microbiologist and herbologist who formulates many of the companies’ unique products, including Tropical Spa Body Wraps. Lee encourages you to contact her for information or with your questions at (772) 429-1110 or (772) 562-3601, or visit web site: www.bestdietsource.com and fill out your health profile for a free metabolic assessment.



The above information is opinion based except where noted. Always contact a licensed professional for information on the above subject or BEFORE applying or practicing the above information.

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