How Food Allergies Cause Weight Gain and How to Stop It
When dieting and regular exercise won’t help you lose weight, it might be a food allergen that’s to blame. Although some allergies are fast-acting and found early because of symptoms like hives, others often remain unknown because they mimic everyday ailments. These types of food allergies can often get worse with age and lead to chronic inflammation, fluid retention, gas, and even get mistaken for irritable bowel syndrome.
Not only will food allergies lead to bloating, but also, there are symptoms that can put a wrench in your exercise plan, such as fatigue and joint pain.
Top Foods to Eliminate if You Suspect an Allergy
To isolate a food allergy, look at the symptoms. Many food allergy symptoms cross into other categories, but the combination of these symptoms often separates an allergen from an illness. Included with each of the top allergens are the main symptoms tied to them to help you identify the possible culprit.
Wheat
An allergy to gluten, known as celiac disease, is becoming more common. Adults with celiac can react to g-free foods produced in wheat facilities. Even without celiac, wheat intolerance can cause inflammation in the gut, gas, and digestion issues leading to bloating and weight gain.
Symptoms: bloating, abdominal pain, upset stomach, intermittent diarrhea, joint pain.
Dairy
Lactose, the sugar in cow’s milk, is difficult for many adults to digest. A dairy allergy causes gut inflammation and stubborn belly fat.
Symptoms: hives, abdominal cramps, upset stomach, coughing or wheezing.
Tree Nuts
Nut allergies can develop in adults and lead to insulin spikes. Insulin is a fat-storing hormone and a contributor to obesity.
Symptoms: itchy throat, sneezing, stomach pain, diarrhea, wheezing.
Corn
Corn contains a protein called zein, which is similar to gluten. Many people have trouble digesting it fully, leading to digestive issues.
Symptoms: headache, aching muscles, joint inflammation, fatigue.
4-Step Plan to Eliminate Food Allergens and Rebalance Your Body
- Try an elimination diet for three weeks. Cut out common allergens like wheat, dairy, tree nuts, and corn. If needed, include eggs, soy, fish, and yeast. Reintroduce one food at a time after 21 days and monitor for reactions. If a reaction occurs, avoid that food for at least 90 days.
- Eat a whole-food, plant-based, high-fiber diet to feed the good bacteria in your system and reset your gut health.
- Take a gut health product like Manna GUT Support with probiotics, digestive enzymes, and L-glutamine to boost digestive function and immunity.
- Use Manna Blood Sugar Support with your meals to regulate glucose release and starve bad gut flora that can drive food cravings.
