food sensitivity

Rest Your Gut With The Elimination Diet

Although the word “diet” is often synonymous with “wanting to lose weight”, there are numerous reasons why someone would choose to follow a certain diet. The important thing to always remember is that there’s not a one-size-fits-all approach in terms of what the “best” diet out there is, and there never will be. Each body is different in terms of responsiveness, environmental and genetic factors, personal goals, lifestyle, etc.

However, whether it be due to enhancing athletic performance, overall health, or due to a specific health concern, one of the diets I constantly recommend is called “the elimination diet”. From auto-immune disease, to skin concerns such as eczema, psoriasis, and acne, to digestive symptoms including bloating, constipation/diarrhea, acid reflux, etc, the elimination diet is a fantastic way to help your body reset, decrease inflammation, and help you feel like your best self.

(more…)

By Dr. Priscilla Tang, Naturopathic Doctor, ago

Food Allergy vs. Sensitivity vs. Intolerance – What’s The Difference?

Food sensitivity testing (FST) is a blood test many naturopathic doctors do in practice to measure the level of an immune response a patient has to certain foods. With the increasing evidence on the link between your gut and many chronic diseases, this can be a very useful tool in finding the root cause of your health concerns. Consumption of foods that your body negatively reacts to initiates an inflammatory cascade that can contribute to many skin conditions (eczema, psoriasis, acne, etc), cognition problems (poor memory, concentration and focus issues, etc), osteoporosis/arthritis, joint pain, asthma, weight gain, fatigue, as well as gut concerns (including poor nutrient absorption, constipation/diarrhea, bloating, etc), and many more.

There is some resistance in the medical community about this test, and a large part of this is because many don’t understand what FST is truly measuring. First and foremost, even though the test is measuring an immune response, it is NOT indicating a true “allergy”. There are specific tests that the conventional medical system does (such as the skin prick test) that DOES measure an allergic response. Confused? Take a read below as I dive into what a food allergy vs. sensitivity vs. intolerance is.

(more…)

By Dr. Priscilla Tang, Naturopathic Doctor, ago

Gut Health in Athletes – The Missing Link to Optimizing Performance

Gastrointestinal (GI) complaints in athletes can include vomiting, diarrhea, cramping, bloating, abdominal pain, and everything in between. These are very common during training and competitions – but why? Athletes work hard to fine tune their “machine” of a body, so they should be “stronger” than the average population, right? It is exactly because of the hard work they put into their goals that makes them more susceptible to gut issues. Strenuous exercise and dehydration influence muscle glycogen depletion and puts the athlete at risk for gut ischemia (reduced blood flow to the intestines) [1]. This is because there is a redistribution of blood flow from your viscera to your skeletal muscle, brain, heart and lungs [1].

(more…)

By Dr. Priscilla Tang, Naturopathic Doctor, ago