The Virgin Diet: The US Bestseller. JJ Virgin

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      Food allergies are actually rather rare, but they get all the bad press because they are responsible for the really dramatic food problems that we hear about, such as the child who takes one bite of a peanut and then has to be rushed to the hospital. Food allergies trigger special antibodies in the bloodstream known as immunoglobulin E, or IgE, the most aggressive defence system our bodies have. Among other chemicals, IgE antibodies release large amounts of histamine, a substance that causes swelling, mucus, congestion and all the other symptoms that you would normally modify with an antihistamine.

      It’s the swelling reaction that makes food allergies so dangerous. In severe cases, the throat and airways become so swollen that they cut off the air supply, making you unable to breathe.

      Even without such deadly responses, however, aggressive IgE antibodies generally produce quick, dramatic reactions, appearing within minutes or even seconds after the offending food is consumed. Other allergic reactions include rashes, urticaria (hives), itching, eczema, nausea, stomach pain, diarrhoea, shortness of breath and chest pain, as well as bloating, nausea, cramping and stomach ache. Because much of our immune system is located in the gut, food allergies tend to wreak havoc with digestion.

      Now, at this point, you might be thinking, But I don’t have any of those symptoms, and I feel fine after I eat. If that’s your response, terrific! You probably don’t have any food allergies. Most people don’t. But most people do have food intolerance, so let’s take a closer look at that.

      Food intolerance is an umbrella term that covers three ways other than food allergies that things can go wrong: true intolerance, food sensitivities and food reactions.

      Some people’s bodies simply have trouble tolerating certain foods, such as gluten (found in many grains, pastas, baked goods and processed and prepared foods), lactose (found in dairy products) or MSG (monosodium glutamate, a form of salt used as a flavour enhancer in many processed and prepared foods). Usually, this is because the intolerant people are lacking a specific chemical or enzyme that they need to digest the food. This is simply a genetic problem, and there isn’t much you can do about it except to avoid the foods. The good news is that on the Virgin Diet, you will avoid these difficult foods, which will make it easier for you to lose weight, look younger and feel healthier.

      Like allergies, food sensitivities are a type of immune reaction, but they mobilize a different type of antibody than food allergies do – not IgE, but its cousin, immunoglobulin G, or IgG. These IgG antibodies produce symptoms, too, but they act more slowly than IgE antibodies. Whereas allergic reactions are swift, food sensitivity symptoms don’t appear until several hours or even a few days after you’ve eaten, making it very difficult to link them to the problem food.

       Food sensitivities keep your immune system fired up on a chronic basis.

      Here’s another way in which allergic responses differ from sensitive ones: allergic responses are acute, whereas sensitivity responses are chronic. In other words, an allergy is a specific response: your immune system is activated, it flares up, it sends out its aggressive battery of IgE antibodies and, hopefully, it calms down. Food sensitivities, by contrast, can keep your immune system fired up on a chronic basis because you keep consuming the foods that set them off. If yoghurt, eggs, soy milk and whole-wheat bread are a frequent part of your diet – and especially if you’re eating them every day – your system is overwhelmed with problem foods, and your immune system never really calms down. This creates a number of problems, particularly inflammation, as I’ll explain a bit later. But first, let’s play food detective. Here are the typical symptoms of food sensitivity. Do any of them sound familiar to you?

       Digestive trouble, such as bloating, wind, constipation or diarrhoea

       Sleep issues, such as fatigue, insomnia or waking in the middle of the night

       Congestion, sneezing and coughing

       Muscle aches and joint pain

       Dark circles under your eyes

       Dull, lifeless hair

       Skin problems, including acne and rosacea

       Mood problems, such as lack of focus, brain fog, depression, anxiety or irritability

       Poor or unsteady energy

       Weight gain

       Premature ageing

      If you’re struggling with any of these symptoms, you are almost certainly struggling with food sensitivities and perhaps with other types of food intolerance as well.

      Food sensitivity is incredibly common. It affects at least 75 per cent of us and is a major factor in weight gain and weight retention. Again, the good news is that the Virgin Diet will help you cope with your food sensitivities, first by pulling problem foods from your diet and then by healing your system so you might eventually be able to tolerate some of those foods.

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