Chapter 11
Food Intolerance and Allergies
Food intolerance and allergies are somewhat ignored by tradi-
tional nutrition circles. While I talk about improving the health of
the United States and the world by changing macronutrition or by
eating different food groups, these facts don’t take into account the
role of food intolerance on quality of individual life.
Making broad, sweeping dietary and lifestyle changes, as I have
mentioned throughout the book, if implemented, will have great
benefits to society. Some individuals, while reducing their risk of
the major chronic diseases, may not feel well, or will have certain
symptoms or conditions aggravated on a whole-food diet because
of food sensitivities. The most glaring example is usually wheat
consumption and food intolerance, assuming you already got rid
of all milk products!
Some people believe that wheat, whole grain or not, is a greater
problem than dairy products from a food intolerance point of view.
It is high on my list as well. Ideally, I would love all my patients to
go off all dairy, wheat (and glutinous grains), added sugars, caf-
feine drinks, and alcohol for a month or two and eat a diet of whole,
mainly plant-based foods. You would see a great deal of improve-
ment in a lot of people and relief from a lot of different complaints.
Over the years, I have seen wheat do almost as much “damage”
as dairy products. Name the symptom, and I have seen it caused
by wheat intolerance. Wheat sensitivity could also be caused by
celiac disease, which is a severe form of intolerance to the gluten in
the wheat that, if gone unnoticed, can result in severe malnutrition
and bowel, joint, and neurological symptoms (celiac.org).