Food Allergy Awareness Week (May 9–15)

You may be wondering why we are talking about food allergies . . . we are Physical Therapists not Nutritionists or Gastrointestinal Physicians or Allergists. Here's why: 

Food has a lot to do with injury recovery, healing, and tissue maintenance!

Let's start with some definitions and physiology . . .

The "Gut" means the gastrointestinal (GI) tract from the mouth to the large intestine.  

"Gut Health" refers to the health of the entire system ~ the function and balance of the bacteria that work in the GI tract. For our purposes we will focus on just the intestinal component. 

While the entirety of the gut plays important roles in turning food into nutrients, the small intestine is where the magic happens ~ digestion and absorption of fluid, nutrients, vitamins, etc.  Good Bacteria, normally present in your gut, helps with nutrient absorption, controlling bad bacteria and can even make vitamins (altho we should NOT rely on them for our daily supplements!)  

Gut health has a role in: 

• our immunity ~ Good Bacteria keep the bad bacteria at bay. The more good bacteria we have the less room there is for bad bacteria
• our mental health ~ Gut-Brain Axis baby (more on this soon) 
• our aging ~ there are many theories on how humans age but in some scope we see that our ability to heal and regenerate tissue is compromised. 
• and more!

What is poor gut health? For whatever reason, our good bacteria are not living up to their potential! Research has linked poor gut health to a myriad of conditions including:

• Depression or anxiety 
• Osteopenia/porosis
• Skin Issues
• Autoimmune conditions
• Digestive issues
• Sleep issues, Fatigue
• Sugar cravings
• Food intolerances (not allergies)

Disclaimer: I am not a Registered Dietician (RD). I recommend you seek one out for questions you have relating to your gut microbiome health and how to manage it. I will however share what the research is showing us as it related to injury, healing and recovery. 

Now let's looks specifically at injury and gut health. 

Inflammation usually accompanies an injury ~ either visible or invisible. Sometimes you can see an entire joint swell and sometimes it happens only at a cellular level. But, rest assured, if you have pain you have inflammation, or more accurately inflammation can cause pain. 

If you have poor gut health you also likely have inflammation at least in the gut if not systemically. Why? Well, poor gut health can create what is known as leaky gut syndrome or more accurately increased interstitial permeability. This means that bacteria, nutrients and acids/enzymes are leaking into our body from the intestines resulting in an inflammatory response by our bodies to get rid of them. (After all, they don't belong outside the gut!)

This in turn creates a bigger problem for those with an injury because as we try to reduce the swelling in the injured tissues, your body keeps creating inflammation thus working against us and slowing the healing process. (Yes a small amount of inflammation is required for healing ~ to transport already absorbed nutrients to the cells that need them and remove waste products but too much slows and stops that process.)  

So what foods should we be eating to keep our gut healthy and help speed healing of injuries?

Gut health requires us promote high numbers of good bacteria in our gut with probiotics and then feed our good bacteria with prebiotics so they can squash the bad bacteria. When recovering from injury the body needs proteins, fiber and vitamins. These serve as the building blocks for healthy tissue.

So how do food allergies and intolerances play into all of this?

Let's start by defining allergy versus intolerance. An allergy to a food means your immune system has mounted a response to a food ~ this is usually immediate and can be life threatening. An intolerance or sensitivity to a food is a digestive response that can be mild to severe and based on a variety of reasons. It is slower to develop and can be inconsistent making it hard to identify and is rarely life threatening. 

If you are struggling with food allergies or intolerances/sensitivities it is even more crucial that you get your gut healthy before you have an injury. It will be that much easier to control your inflammation when you already have your gut healthy. Obviously if you have an allergy to any of the foods listed above you will need to find alternative sources of food with those nutrients. If you have a/n intolerance/sensitivity you can work with your RD to formulate a plan to first ID the trigger foods and avoid them while you are working on restoring your gut health.

I would also like to add that food allergies or intolerances/sensitivities can hinder our ability to perform our sport at the highest level as they can contribute to 

• inflammation ~ decrease muscle recovery, decreased lung capacity 
• tissue stress ~ slowed healing, micro tears 
• decreased nutrient absorption ~ lack the proper building blocks for performance, muscle repair
• weight gain ~ cortisol, bloat, cravings

"Do I have poor gut health? How do I know?? What should I do???"

If you have any or some of the conditions above associated with poor gut health chances are you may want to make a change in your eating habits. You can always see a Registered Dietitian or a GI Physician for an exam and to ask your questions. I am sure you know there are tests on the market you can use to find out if you have any food sensitivities. The jury is still out on whether or not they are worth the price. I simply increased the probiotics, prebiotics and water I ingested daily and have found that I am a lot more comfortable in my skin because of it. Please reach with any questions you have ~ I am happy to share my journey. 

"We all eat, and it would be a sad waste of opportunity to eat badly."
~Anna Thomas (cookbook author)

Bon Appetit! Dr. Roxi