 I have been researching the many healthy ways that people can lose weight and keep it off. I will be culminating this research as well my clinical experience into a new book which will be released in March 2010 called "Your Drug Free Guide to Healthy Weight Loss".
In each monthly newsletter each month I will be highlighting the many reasons for weight gain and how we can improve our health so that we can achieve a healthy body weight. Last month we highlighted thyroid dysfunction.
Reason Three: Food Sensitivities
Did you know that you may actually enjoy a food that you are sensitive to? You can actually become addicted to foods that make you sick. Many people consume foods that upset their metabolism and pack the pounds on. Common food sensitivities are wheat, sugar, dairy, shellfish, alcohol and citrus.
Oftentimes people do not know what foods they are sensitive to and have a reaction to. It can be difficult and confusing to accurately diagnose food sensitivities. Not only is food sensitivities related to weight gain but other conditions such as ADHD, insomnia, chronic sinus and ear infections, depression, IBS, crohn's disease, colitis, hives, eczema,acne, constipation, headaches, heartburn, gas and bloating, the list goes on...
Typically in the clinic people report they were allergic to dairy as a child and are okay now. Yet they cannot live without it. They are hooked. A person eating a food that they are sensitive to gets hooked on it. It also can create a lot of inflammation in the body, which can trigger receptors in the brain to stop responding to leptin (a hormone that makes people feel satiety when they eat).
There are many factors to consider in food sensitivities. Scientists still do no have all of the answers with the reasons that people have intolerances to certain foods. Some known causes of sensitivities are an increased toxic burden in the body, dysbiosis, heredity, over consumption of the same foods and psychological stress.
Ways of Detecting Food Intolerances and Allergies
Types of testing to detect food allergies or sensitivities are many and there is debate over which ones are most effective. Conventional allergists use skin prick tests and/or blood testing. Alternative health professionals may use blood tests, electrodermal screening (EDS) and applied kinesiology. Skin prick testing is considered by some to be less effective for foods than for environmental sensitivities such as pollens, dust and moulds. According to Dr. Julian Kenyon, the skin prick test is only 40% to 60% accurate. He claims the EDS testing is 70% accurate in the hands of a skilled practitioner. We use EDS at the clinic and can test for 280 foods. We also deal with a lab service that can test the blood for 98 foods. However, EDS is so quick and affordable we use it much more often.
To read more about food sensitivities, look for my upcoming book, "Your Drug Free Guide to Healthy Weight Loss" | 
Heather Caruso is appearing on the Rogers TV show, 