The Dangers of Processed, Prepackaged Foods
When you eat non-organic, prepackaged, processed foods, you are being exposed to a multitude of food-coloring pesticides, preservatives, and ingredients with names that are too long to pronounce. Every one of these compounds has the potential to cause an allergic or sensitivity reaction in your body. In a nut shell, when you eat a processed food, you are being barraged by a multitude of potential allergens. Your body responds to each one and enters a chronic state of inflammation. The result is poor energy, difficulty breathing, and lowered resistance to illness.
Healing Benefits of a Plant Rich Diet
While most diet experts, focus on foods which reduce mucus production when recommending health diets for people with asthma, I believe that it is essential to focus on the body as a whole. Eliminating foods, such as whole milk dairy products, is important to reduce the production of mucus. However, asthma effects your entire body, not just your respiratory tract.
Plant based foods improve the health of your entire body. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, and seeds contain a wide array of vitamins and minerals that improve your health in general. They are rich in antioxidants, plant pigments, and other compounds which vitalize your entire body. Of course, if you are sensitive to any of these foods, you should eliminate them.
Did you know that most of your immune system is based in your digestive tract? If your digestive system is not working at an optimal level, you will be more likely to suffer from allergic reactions, fatigue or exhaustion, and respiratory infections. Plants contain some of the most important compounds to ensure that your digestive and immune systems are working at optimal levels.
Follow an Elimination Diet
If you are eating a healthy diet and are still experiencing symptoms, consider trying an elimination diet. To do this, keep a record of your symptoms for one week. Then eliminate the food which you think that you may be sensitive to for a week. Continue to record your symptoms. After a week, reintroduce the food to your diet unless it is clear that the food was problematic. Record your symptoms. Are your symptoms worse when you eat that food? Are they unchanged? Are they better? Use your findings to determine whether or not you should continue to eat that food. It is likely that you will need to eliminate food groups during your elimination diet, not just specific foods. Common causes of sensitivity include foods rich in gluten, strawberries, fish and other sea foods, eggs, and dairy.
