Are you unwittingly poisoning your body with toxic foods and substances? Foods that you thought were good for you? How do you know if what you are consuming is right for your body? If you know what signs to look for, your body will tell you within about six hours if you have consumed something that it considers to be toxic.  If you ignore these signs, you are repeatedly damaging your health. Just as your car needs the right type of fuel to function - petrol, diesel or electricity - your body also need the right fuel, not only to just survive, but to feel good!  Unfortunately we are more complex organisms, and sometimes it can take time to figure out exactly what makes our engines ‘hum’ rather than ‘cough and splutter’.

Here are some tell-tale signs that you have consumed a food or substance that is making you sick:

• Stomach pain
• Joint aches and pains
• Asthma
• Skin disorders - Eczema/acne/dandruff or even just ‘all-over itchiness’
• Gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea and vomiting, bloating, or IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)
• Fatigue/lethargy
• Headaches/recurrent migraines
• Rhinitis/Sinusitis
• Anxiety
• Depression

Toxic foods may cause problems for you, but others may have no issues with them whatsoever.  It depends on how sensitive your system is. Here are some reasons that some foods can be toxic to you:

• Enzyme defects - Enzymes in your digestive system are required to breakdown the natural substances found in certain foods. If these enzymes are missing, or in short supply, then certain foods cannot be broken down sufficiently in order to be processed.
• Pharmacological - Some foods contain naturally occurring chemicals that have an effect on the body, such as caffeine in coffee, tea, and chocolate, or amines in certain cheeses.  Some people seem to be more affected than others by these natural substances in the food, causing toxic symptoms.
• Histamine in foods – for some people, naturally-occurring histamine in food can cause unpleasant symptoms eg fermented foods such as beer, wine or pickles, processed meats.
• Salicylates - are found in many fruits and vegetables, aspirin, health and beauty products.  For some people salicylates can cause huge problems.
• Additives in foods - a wide variety of natural and artificial additives are used in colouring, preserving and processing foods. Some people can suffer symptoms from hypersensitivity to food additives.

How can I discover what is damaging my body?

By keeping an accurate and detailed diary of foods eaten, and any symptoms, it is possible to highlight the foods that may be causing a problem. Even if the culprits are not clear, it gives a useful starting point on which to base exclusion and reintroduction diets. Clean the following main offenders out of your cupboard and fridge immediately:

• MSG and hydrolysed soy protein
• artificial sweeteners
• trans-saturated fats
• canola oil
• artificial colours or flavours
• refined foods - “white anything - rice, pasta, bread, flour” replace with whole grains

You will feel your health restored when you have identified and removed the culprit foods from your diet!

Ask a Naturopath

Ask a Naturopath or Nuritionist at Mr Vitamins How to get back on track with good nutrition and health.