If you feel bloated, puffy, foggy, itchy, fatigued, or uncomfortable after eating certain foods…you are not imagining it.

Food sensitivities are incredibly common, especially in people dealing with:

• stress
  
• hormonal changes
  
• autoimmune conditions
  
• gut issues
  
• past infections
  
• long-term inflammation
  

This isn’t your body “being difficult.” It’s your body saying: “Something inside needs attention.”

Food sensitivities are rarely about the food alone — they’re about the state of your gut.

Food sensitivities are immune reactions triggered when your gut lining is irritated, inflamed, or damaged.

When the gut lining becomes leaky, larger food particles pass into the bloodstream → the immune system flags them as threats → inflammation increases.

This can lead to symptoms like:

• bloating
  
• gas
  
• cramps
  
• diarrhea or constipation
  
• eczema or rashes
  
• headaches or migraines
  
• joint pain
  
• fatigue
  
• brain fog
  
• mood changes
  
• sinus congestion
  
• weight gain
  
• anxiety after meals
  

It’s not the food — it’s the inflammation and gut dysfunction underneath it.

Knowing the difference can save you years of confusion.
Most people think these three terms mean the same thing — they don’t. Each involves a different part of the body, requires a different approach, and creates different symptoms.

Food sensitivities = Immune system irritation + inflammation
Food sensitivities happen when the immune system becomes activated after eating certain foods — usually because the gut lining is inflamed or “leaky.”

This is NOT an allergy and NOT dangerous, but the symptoms can be life-disrupting. You can get rid of food sensitivities and eat a wide variety of foods once the gut is healed. It is not a forever thing.

Root causes: leaky gut, dysbiosis, stress, inflammation

Solution: heal the gut → restore tolerance (GutShield + InflammationShield)

Food Intolerances = Digestive system cannot break down the food properly
A food intolerance is a digestive problem, not an immune one. Your body lacks the enzyme or mechanism needed to digest the food, so it ferments → causing symptoms.

Root causes: low enzymes, poor digestion, microbiome imbalance

Solution: improve digestion + gut health, reduce triggers, rebuild tolerance

Food Allergies = Immediate immune reaction — can be dangerous
Food allergies involve an IgE immune response. This is the kind of reaction that can be severe or life-threatening and it is something you will live with for life.

Root causes: immune hypersensitivity

Solution: strict avoidance + medical management (Food allergies cannot be healed through gut repair.)

Food sensitivities almost always develop because the gut ecosystem is overwhelmed and sick

Your body isn’t attacking food — it’s reacting to damage, stress, or imbalance inside the gut.

The goal isn’t to restrict forever — it’s to heal the gut so you can tolerate more foods again.

Prioritise:

• cooked vegetables
  
• berries, apples, bananas
  
• lean proteins
  
• olive oil, avocado
  
• turmeric, ginger
  

Reduce:

• gluten (top trigger in inflamed guts)
  
• dairy
  
• alcohol
  
• seed oils
  
• sugar
  

💡 Small Step, Big Win: Swap your raw salads for steamed vegetables for 10–14 days — bloating often drops immediately.

Support with:

• bone broth
  
• collagen
  
• L-glutamine
  
• zinc
  
• chia/flax
  

💡 Small Step, Big Win: Add one scoop of GutShield+ daily — rich in glutamine, collagen, prebiotics & gut-repair nutrients.

Habits that help:

• chew slowly
  
• sit while eating
  
• avoid rushing meals
  
• apple cider vinegar (if tolerated)
  
• ginger tea before meals
  

💡 Small Step, Big Win: Take 5 deep belly breaths before eating — activates the “rest-and-digest” system.

Include:

• probiotic-rich foods (if tolerated)
  
• fiber from oats, apples, lentils
  
• 30 plant varieties per week
  
• limit alcohol
  

💡 Small Step, Big Win: Add 1 tbsp chia seeds daily to support beneficial bacteria.

When stress rises, digestion slows → reactions increase.

Support with:

• morning sunlight
  
• slow breathing
  
• walking
  
• magnesium in the evening
  

💡 Small Step, Big Win: Try inhale for 4, exhale for 6 before meals — dramatically reduces digestive stress. Incorporating StressShield+ into your day will help reduce the total stress burden on your system and create a healing environment inside your body.

After 4–8 weeks of gut repair, you can test foods again in a calm, healed gut.

This prevents long-term unnecessary restriction.

💡 Small Step, Big Win: Reintroduce one food every 3 days, watching for changes in digestion, mood, and bloating.

1. Podcast - Dr. Mark Hyman — “How to Heal Your Gut & Reduce Food Sensitivities”
This episode covers leaky gut, microbiome disruption, inflammation, immune activation, and how gut repair improves food tolerance.
Listen: https://drhyman.com/blogs/podcasts/how-to-reduce-food-sensitivities

2. Rupa Health — “Food Sensitivities: Causes, Symptoms & Functional Medicine Approach”
Detailed breakdown of gut permeability, immune dysregulation, dysbiosis, inflammation, and step-by-step functional medicine healing.
Read: https://www.rupahealth.com/post/food-sensitivity-causes-symptoms-and-functional-medicine-approach

3. “Intestinal Permeability and Its Role in Food Sensitivities” — Nutrients Journal (2020)
Explains how leaky gut leads to immune activation, chronic inflammation, and sensitivity to foods.
PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32679828/