Digestive complaints aren’t exactly polite dinner conversation, but what you enjoy at dinner may have a direct effect on what complaints you’re likely to be making in my office the next day. Haven’t noticed that direct a link? You're not alone; without experienced support, you probably wouldn’t be able to pin it on a certain food, even if in the end the inquiry turns up one clear culprit. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

1.       Do you have a long-term relationship with constipation, diarrhea, gas or bloating, or some combination of the above?

2.       Do you feel tired after eating?

3.       Have you duly detailed your digestive discomfort to a doctor, only to have them tell you, after potentially much uncomfortable poking and prodding that there’s “nothing wrong.”  Or that you “just have Irritable Bowel Syndrome – sorry, there’s no treatment.”

4.       Are there any foods that you eat daily?

5.       Do you eat wheat and/or dairy, in one form or another, every day?

6.       Do you have any skin conditions (eczema, psoriasis, mystery rashes, even acne) that you’ve tried 100 creams on, but won’t go away?

7.       Do you have chronic respiratory problems or nasal/sinus congestion?

If you said yes to any of these, you may have a food intolerance -- the result of any food you personally don’t digest well. Its undigested presence in your digestive tract creates an inflammatory reaction; all sorts of delightful digestive drama may then ensue.  

That inflammation can cause what is loosely known as “leaky gut.” [But don’t panic, it’s nothing that requires an adult diaper.] Too-large molecules make it into the bloodstream, when they should have been broken down further before being permitted to enter. This sets up an immune response, which may create a variety of symptoms on your skin, in your respiratory mucosa, in your joints, and more.

If any of this sounds unpleasantly familiar, call my office today to schedule a free introductory consult. Through blood tests and/or an Elimination/Re-challenge diet, we can find the culprit. Healing up your gut is absolutely possible, will get you digesting as properly and painlessly as those good ol’ days, and is very likely to improve your overall health and energy. Even in this tough economy, fixing your digestion is a smart investment in both your short- and long-term health.

May you be blessed with luminous good health,
Deborah Epstein, ND