What is the difference between a food sensitivity and an an actual allergy? To put it simply, I believe that sensitivities are reactions that develop over time, versus allergies which are more of an inherent, genetic reaction. My second belief is that if a sensitivity can develop, it can also be healed. Allergies are something I believe can be lessened, but with the amount of knowledge I have so far, I have yet to see them completely heal.

An unhealthy digestive tract is at the root of how food sensitivities develop. With an unhealthy digestive tract, the food you eat can not be broken down into microscopic, recognizable pieces. Instead, your food is broken into larger, unrecognizable chunks. When your immune system greets those chunks, it wages a small war against them as if they were evil foreign invaders. Once tagged as evil, that food is now on the “do not let enter” list, so it is immediately attacked every time it attempts entry. Thus, you now have a reaction every time you eat that food.

This is where many doctors will ask you to remove from your diet the foods your are sensitive to. While I do believe this is part of the solution, I believe removing the food is only temporary. Healing your digestive tract is the true treatment for the issue, so that you can go back to eating those foods without the reaction. Think about this: if you remove the foods you are sensitive to, but you do not heal your digestive tract, your immune system will simply find a new food to react to. Then what? Do you remove that food from your diet too? And then the next? And the next?

Food Allergies, on the other hand, are similar to bee stings that cause you to stop breathing. These are a completely different reaction that have nothing to do with your digestive tract, but a genetic, immune reaction to a certain food. The common Allergies are to peanuts, and to gluten, in those with Celiac disease.

How to heal your digestive tract is a post for another day. Just remember that it IS fixable!