Food intolerances are increasingly becoming more and more prevalent in modern day. In functional medicine, we tend to blame this on the increasing amount of toxicity in the environment, crappy farming practices, combined with depleted gut microbiomes and immune systems.
But this is not the whole story.
Enter: German New Medicine, or German Healing Knowledge, and the gut-brain connection.
Stress plays a big role in food intolerances.
Little Johnny’s Gluten & Peanut Food Intolerance
Consider Little Johnny”. 7 year old Little Johnny ate a PB&J sandwich every day for lunch. He did for years and loved it! Then one day he witnessed his parents having an “all out” fight that led to their divorce…while eating his beloved PB & J sandwich. A few weeks later, he began to develop symptoms when he ate his same ol’ sandwich. It was assumed he had an allergy to peanuts and gluten…but did he really? The body keeps the score.
My Histamine Intolerance
My former food sensitivities to histamine-rich foods, oxalates and “healthy” foods like sweet potatoes, grass-fed beef, nuts, eggs, apples, broccoli and beyond also are a great example of how food sensitivity happens when stress is present.
When I got sick with mold (a huge stressor), I became sensitive to multiple foods that the body associated with stress—both due to mold AND my history of anorexia. When I had anorexia, my brain thought sweet potatoes had too many carbs, beef and nuts were too high in fat, apples, broccoli and egg whites were “safe” foods—both fear foods and diet foods were associated with stress. Boom! Food sensitivities galore when significant “indigestible” stress struck later in life! My brain and body went right back to the “old days” and said “Nope! Not into these foods!”…Until, I began to take back my “power” and learned how to heal my food sensitivities naturally.
Sarah’s Carbohydrate Intolerance
Similarly, another client of mine (“Sarah”) found herself with food sensitivities to “everything!” This occurred on the tails of her 7 year battle with autoimmune disease, mold exposure, hormone imbalances and gut issues galore. When we met, she was only eating about 5 to 10 foods because it’s all she could tolerate. Why did this happen? Deep down, this client had a deep seeded belief that certain foods would make her fat—a belief that began at age 14 when her dad told her “carbs are bad.” Enter: Stress in her life—which correlated stress with food fears and food intolerances too.
A German New Medicine Approach to Food Intolerances & Beyond
If you haven’t gotten the memo by now: Stress is a root cause behind most all chronic, lingering health issues.
Health symptoms, like food intolerances, in the body are often a “mirror” or a “metaphor” to the underlying emotional and stressful triggers going on inside, thanks to our gut-brain connection. Disease in our body is a byproduct of dis-ease in our lives— our “issues” end up in our tissues.
Some examples of “metaphors” include:
Food intolerances?
An “indigestible” conflict—something you cannot swallow or digest (figuratively), like your parents’ divorce or an extremely stressful season.
Constipated?
This is also an “indigestible conflict”. Where else in your life are you feeling heavy, overwhelmed or weighed down?
Hypothyroidism?
Your thyroid is in your throat chakra—your communication channel. Where else in your life are you not feeling heard?
Stress fractures or pulled muscle?
Structural skeletal and musculoskeletal issues are often related to mobility conflicts—the inability to move forward in some area of our lives—a job promotion, a relationship, a situation.
Autoimmune disease?
This can be related to a “self devaluation” conflict—your body begins to self-attack certain tissues, just like you attack yourself for not being “good enough” or being the hardest on yourself.
And weight loss resistance?
A “conflict active” struggle—where else in your life are you experiencing resistance? An “in-between” season with work? Resistance within your relationship with your family? Resistance in your career?
Summary: Food Intolerances Aren’t the Whole Picture
The bottom line: Stress (or lack thereof) changes physiology and our symptoms are often metaphors for the stressors in our lives, which is exactly what this chapter is all about.
Still don’t believe me?
Newsflash: The world is round. Not flat.
This theory is one that is commonly accepted by most scientists today. However, there was a time it was not. And what I am about to share with you may be a very similar experience as those who first heard the “round world” concept as well. Stick with me.
Over the past two decades, I’ve had the privilege to not only witness this phenomenon for myself first hand, but also witness the stories and case studies of thousands of clients with “issues in their tissues”—how stress (or lack thereof) influences physiology, food Intolerances included.
Unfortunately, theories (such as those of German New Medicine) have also been almost completely brushed under the rug ever since 1910—the year that the Flexner Report was released in America, obliterating and divorcing any sense of holistic and mind-body medicine, aligning to a strict biomedical model in conventional care.
However, you are a WHOLE person—not just a body and not just a head.
Therefore, when considering any ailment — from food intolerances to autoimmunity to cancer—it’s important to address it holistically.
Knowledge with action is power.
Solve Your Food Intolerances & Beyond with German New Medicine
Want to rewire out your gut-brain connection and uncover the German New Medicine link to your personal health challenges?
Book a complimentary health strategy call today with one of our specialists, who can tell you more and set you up with an appointment with Dr. Lauryn.