I am planning to go gluten free in the hope of losing weight. Do you think this is a good idea?

If you replace gluten with gluten-free flours, you will not lose weight. The reason is that these flours are still going to cause gut inflammation and they are all very high in carbohydrates that will raise your sugar levels causing your insulin to be elevated. There are so many people who go gluten-free and in fact, gain weight because of the wrong gluten-free choices in food. If you do cut off gluten from your life for weight loss, we recommend you have carbs from good sources like sweet potato, white rice and white potato (cooked and cooled), vegetables and very little fruit. Step up your protein intake to about 30 – 35 per cent of your daily calories and start your day with fat first – a tablespoon of ghee, butter or coconut oil. Working out even going on regular walks if you can’t do anything intense is always a good idea for weight loss and general well being. All of this will not only help you lose weight, get rid of crazy carb cravings, but help with better sleep and gut healing.

I have suddenly developed an allergy to nuts. I never used to have this problem. What could be the reason?

A sudden allergy to food that we have been eating for a very long time is now becoming increasingly common. This is mainly because you have been eating food stuff that is sensitive to your gut on a daily basis for a very long time and now your gut has reached its threshold of insult and inflammation. An intolerance or allergic reaction is its way of reacting to the extreme inflammation. Your gut protects you in two ways. Its cells are tightly bonded with one another and has a thick mucin layer for extra protection. When we eat foods that don’t suit our gut – especially inflammatory foods and GMO foods such as wheat, dairy, soy, peanuts – the tight bonds begin to get weak and allow a lot of unwanted ingredients to enter our blood stream causing havoc on our immunity. The best way to deal with this is to do a gut cleanse. Your health expert will be able to recommend inflammatory-free foods that are high on supplements like probiotics, omega 3 or krill oil. Your gut health can also be checked by undergoing a blood test.