Page 23 - Senior Times South Central Michigan - July 2016 - 23-07

BEWARE FOOD SENSITIVITY
I can’t believe it is already July! And I also can’t believe how bad allergy sea- son has been this year. This is a serious concern for most of us and I am going to tell you a little story why the answer is not just, ‘a Claritin in the morning’ or ‘a Benadryl throughout the day’ to keep your sinuses dried out.
When I was growing up, I was a part of a typical mid-western family and eating the standard American diet. The staples included meat, potatoes, casse- roles, and milk. Matter of fact, my dad worked at Michigan Milk Producer’s Association for over 40 years so you can imagine how much dairy I con- sumed during my tenure as a child. From the time I was very young, I suf- fered from mysterious allergies that, regardless of what medication I would take, never seemed to resolve. These allergies consumed my life and wore down my immune system as well. I was always diagnosed with chronic bron- chitis and sinusitis. But there was never any remedy and no explanation as to why I was having these problems.
So after years of fighting what seemed a losing battle, I was directed to a physician that had a very different approach to the reasons that I may have had these problems. He called himself a Holistic Practitioner. I didn’t care what he called himself as long as he could explain why I, as a high schooler, had my second case of mono and why no one had been able to help me up to this point and so he began to explain.
He, without any stutter, began to explain that regardless of what the world says is good food, that good
food may not be good for you (me). I might be ‘sensitive’ to certain foods. This sensitivity could create an immune system response, which in turn causes
a histamine release from the liver. This creates mucous production, which is the immune system attempting to kill off
an invader, when in fact it is the food I may be consuming. This food sensitiv- ity then creates chronic inflammation and thus terrorizes the already busy immune system, which works 24/7 to keep you healthy. If this does not get resolved by getting rid of the cause of the problem, it will eventually create bigger and worse diseases down the road.
Food sensitivities create allergic reactions, which are immune system crushers.
This started to make sense. So, after years of multiple rounds of prescription meds for infections, allergies, and over- the-counter drugs for the same, I did
a food sensitivity test only to find out that the staples in my current diet were exactly what I was sensitive to.
As soon as the results came in, I began to eat foods that didn’t create an IgG immune system response and within one month I had decreased
the inflammation in my system and my Epstein-Barr levels (for mono) had decreased to the lowest levels. My energy came back, I was able to concentrate, and I stopped getting the proverbial ‘cold’ every time the winds would change.
This was a huge deal for me then, and now. What you have to understand is that I had done numerous allergy tests where you get your back pricked from the top to the bottom and I have worked with many that have experi- enced the same only to come to the same conclusion; food sensitivities cre- ate allergic reactions which are immune system crushers. And if you can take a proactive step in your busy schedule, you too can experience true health
by passing the overuse of meds that only suppress the system and cover up symptoms.
If you are interested in decreasing inflammation, losing weight, increasing your immune system, and never suffer- ing from allergies again, give us a call at (269) 964-3300 and you can begin the journey to a long healthy life that
is not dragged down by those seasonal allergies that everybody just accepts as part of life.
food
FOR LIFE
Dr. Mark McCullough, Special to Senior Times
Senior Times - July 2016
Page 23
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