ASK A NUTRITIONIST

What would happen if I continue eating gluten even if I am sensitive to it?

Once we are aware that we have a sensitivity we find it hard to keep away and make up a million reasons to feel okay about consuming it. Here is the problem with having any food that you are aware you are sensitive to: It dramatically affects your gut health. Your gut or digestive tract decides how you feel, how your skin looks, your hormone production, your sleep cycle and your emotional stability. Our gut is also responsible for protecting us in so many ways because 70 per cent of our immune function is located in the digestive tract. The good bacteria, which decide how quickly we will recover and how we will digest and absorb nutrients, are also present in out digestive tract. Lastly, our digestive tract is responsible for making 80 per cent of the happy hormone serotonin. You can see how we can live very different happier and better lives if we take care of our gut. All of the positive effects that a healthy gut brings along can be negated if we constantly eat foods that our digestive tract is sensitive to.

I have problems focusing at work. Does my diet have something to do with it? What can I do to change it nutritionally?

When we eat foods that are nutritionally draining for our body – junk food, high sugar foods, foods that we are sensitive to such as gluten, dairy, lentils – our natural detox pathways, that is the liver and kidneys, become dominant. These organs send out a signal demanding more energy or sugar to metabolise the toxins from food. So, these organs start to compete with our brain for energy. The issue worsens when we are faced with day-to-day normal triggers like the phone ringing or your messenger beeping. Our highly evolved brain knows the difference but our nervous system will look at all of these as threats triggering the flight or fight mode. This is exacerbated if you’ve had a traumatic experience in the past and have had to deal with anxiety. So, your brain has to deal with low energy due to toxins, fight mode due to daily triggers and past anxiety issues all at once. This unstable energy from sugar keeps you shifting from the fight or flight mode making your brain getting easily distracted no matter how hard you try. The solution is simple: Start eating clean, stay hydrated and take regular breaks from work to do some deep breathing. It’s a great way to stay grounded.

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