Beware of Food Addiction, Food Allergy and Overweight !!!

[Abbas Bubakar El-ta'alu]

I would like to cross-finger with Dr. Sephen Levine in discussing the physiological phonomena of 'Food Addiction, Food Allergy and Overweight'. Generally, allergy is a disorder of the immune system; often also referred to as atopy. Allergic reactions occur to environmental substances known as allergens; these reactions are acquired, predictable and rapid.
          Food allergy is specifically an adverse immune response to a food protein. It is distinct from other adverse responses to food, such as food intolerance, pharmacologic reactions, and toxin-mediated reactions. The food protein triggering the allergic response is termed a food
allergen. The most common food allergies in adults are shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and eggs, and the most common food allergies in children are milk, eggs, peanuts, and tree nuts.
          Have you ever eaten something - a bowl of ice cream, a piece of cheese, an orange - and felt hungrier than before?
          Do you have urges for a particular food and find it hard to satisfy your craving unless you eat that particular food?
          If the answer is "yes" to either of these questions, then you have food allergy. If you are also fat, then chances are your food allergy is making you fat.
          Food sensitivities may cause allergic people to crave those foods to which they are allergic. Just as a heavy smoker suffers withdrawal symptoms when he stops smoking (smoking cessation), allergic people experience discomfort when they lose access to a particular food.
          Obese people can testify to the overwhelming power of food allergy addiction. Compulsive eaters crave and continue to eat those allergenic foods to which they are addicted day after day. The obese person has no idea that his daily food cravings or eating habits are based on a physiological need to stop withdrawal symptoms caused by food allergy addiction.
           The phenomenon of simultaneous allergy and addiction to both foods and chemicals is now well accepted by doctors specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies. These specialists, known as clinical ecologists, believe that many chronic health problems, such as migraine, fatigue, depression, and arthritis are caused by allergies to foods and chemicals and affect approximately one-third of the population living in industrialized
countries.
          It is commonly observed that the same food may cause different reactions among different people. An individual's genetic predisposition to allergies will determine which part of his body will become the vulnerable target organ or tissue. Any major organ may become involved: the symptoms of cerebral allergies include hyperactivity, depression, irritability, headaches and some forms of schizophrenia; hypoglycemia is a manifestation of pancreatic
malfunction, frequently caused by allergy; while in other cases, the blood vessels may be
the target organ with the resulting signs of vasculitis and edema. The symptoms are compounded and are generally more severe following frequent
contact with an allergy-provoking food.
          Water retention, or edema, is particularly common among allergic individuals and is an important contributing factor to obesity. The removal of an offending food will often result in a rapid water loss.
NOTE: Consult your Doctor if the anwer to the questions put above are 'YES'.


Visit Dr. Sephen Levine:
_http://www.springbo ard4health. com/notebook/ health_food_ addiction.
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[gogannaka]

Good one Dr.

I believe i have the food allergy as i am so in love with meat that a meal without meat to me is almost always lame.
I prefer to eat one piece in the beginning of the meal,one in the middle and one at the end of the meal. If possible i like every spoon with some small piece,like minced meat. Not to talk of sausages o! and suya.Yes i like the Borno type,very juicy with all the green pepper,onions and spicy seasoning.
I also like dambun nama,inface i can finish a whole loaf of bread if i eat it with dambun nama.Kai Dr why did u start the topic during ramadan.

Gaskiya i am addicted,but how will i go to the hospital and tell them i am addicted to meat and it is a sickness. Kai! It is not like i can't live without it.

[Abbas Bubakar El-ta'alu]

You-should-cotrol-your-consumption-of-meat,especially-the-red-one-for-fear-of-developing-acidosis !!!