You’ve probably seen the commercials, read articles, or listened to podcasts about how to lose weight. There’s a common theme among most of the tips and tricks offered: Cut out the foods you know you shouldn’t be eating, like fried foods and sweets. There’s also a lot of advice about getting a workout routine going or about eating healthier. While all of that is great advice, there’s one area where most of those tips fall short: What about food allergies?
If you’re not sure what food allergies are or how they affect your health, here’s an overview:
What Are Food Allergies?
You might know that food allergies affect about 4% of the population. What you might not know is that the rate of food allergies is on the rise. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that food allergies will affect almost 10% of the world’s population by the year 2025.
That’s a lot of people, and it’s likely that many of them suffer from severe symptoms which affect their everyday lives. Even more people are likely to be affected but don’t know what foods they’re allergic to or don’t know how to properly identify the allergies. That’s where dietitians and other nutritionists come in. They can help you figure out the specific foods that you’re allergic to and how to identify the signs of an allergic reaction.
The Risks Of Not Knowing Your Allergies
Even if you do know what foods you’re allergic to or you’ve figured out that a certain food is making you sick, it’s still not too late to fix the problem. The truth is, there are serious risks to your health if you’re not aware of what foods you’re allergic to and aren’t taking measures to avoid them. The fact is, certain foods can aggravate existing health problems and cause new ones to develop. In fact, a 2018 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified food allergies as a leading cause of food-related deaths in the U.S. A dietitian can help reduce those risks by creating a food allergy list for you to follow and educate you on how to avoid foods that contain allergen triggers.
To cite the report, food allergies “pose a serious threat to public health as the majority of people suffering from them cannot accurately identify the allergens that they are exposed to.” For that reason, food allergies “are largely preventable,” but the risk of not knowing what foods one is allergic to “cannot be overstated.” In other words, once you know what foods you’re allergic to, you can take measures to prevent any further damage to your health.
How Do You Know If You’re Allergic To A Food?
If you have food allergies, you’ll likely experience allergic reactions after you eat certain foods. These reactions can range from mild to severe, and they can affect different parts of your body. In most cases, people with food allergies experience allergic reactions after eating something that contains one of the allergen triggers (i.e. foods with peanuts, gluten, dairy, etc.). If you’re not sure whether or not a food is allergenic, there are a few ways to find out.
The first thing you can do is look at the food’s packaging. Most manufacturers place allergen warnings on the packaging of foods that are known to cause allergic reactions. In other words, packaging can sometimes be a means of alerting you to foods that contain allergens.
Another way to find out whether or not you’re allergic to a particular food is through a simple internet search. You can enter the name of the food you’re afraid of into the search bar and read the results that pop up. There are a few cases where foods have caused severe allergic reactions, and the internet makes it easy to find out what these foods are.
If you suspect that you might be allergic to a food, it’s a good idea to consult your doctor. He or she can perform a skin test on you to see how your body responds to the food in question. If the skin test comes back positive (meaning your body has produced antibodies which indicate an allergic reaction), your doctor will help you figure out which foods you need to avoid and how to manage your symptoms. Sometimes, people with food allergies need to avoid certain foods completely or have them only once or twice a week. It depends on the severity of their reaction to a food and how knowledgeable their doctor is about food allergies. Not all doctors are made equal when it comes to knowing about and treating food allergies, so it’s essential that you find a dietitian who is extensively trained in this area.
At this point, you might be wondering how to lose weight if you’re already taking measures to avoid certain foods. If so, you’re in luck because there are several ways in which a dietitian can help you with this issue. One of the most effective methods is known as the modified fasting approach. Essentially, this involves eating only what the body needs when it needs it. You can use this technique to help you avoid foods that you’re allergic to or to trim down your extra pounds. Keep reading for more information on how this technique can help you lose weight.
The Benefits Of The Modified Fast Approach
There are several benefits to the modified fast approach. For starters, this can help improve your overall health and well-being. As mentioned above, once you figure out which foods you’re allergic to, you can take measures to prevent any further damage to your health. In most cases, this involves avoiding these foods or eating them occasionally. There’s also the psychological benefit of knowing what foods you can and can’t eat. If you’re struggling with an overall weight problem and you’ve tried a number of different diets in vain, this is a good place to start. Some people who try the modified fast approach report feeling calmer and happier than ever before. Not to mention that it can eliminate many food allergies and other health issues that the person is dealing with. In some cases, people have been able to lose a significant amount of weight within a few weeks – even if it’s just a few pounds here and there. Naturally, this varies from person to person and depends on the individual’s health issues and history. However, in most cases, people notice significant benefits from the modified fast approach.
How Long Does It Take For The Modified Fast Approach To Work?
It takes time for the modified fast approach to work, but not as much time as you’d think. In most cases, people report losing a significant amount of weight within three to six months. What’s more, these people say that the weight loss continues even after they’ve stopped following the diet plan. This is likely because the change in lifestyle – as well as the knowledge gained from following the modified fast approach – has continued to make a difference in their lives. Naturally, this varies from person to person and depends on a number of different factors. For instance, it takes longer if you have an active lifestyle or if you’re still consuming the foods you’re allergic to. In most cases, people report losing a little bit of weight each month. So even if you’ve only lost a few pounds so far, keep in mind that this is only the beginning. Soon, you’ll be seeing significant difference and feeling much better than you have in years.