Previously, we discussed the most common food intolerances and how to manage them. Today, we are going much deeper by exposing how they may sabotage your weight loss.

When it comes to weight loss, the usual suspects often include too many calories, lack of exercise, or poor sleep habits. But there is a hidden factor that could unexpectedly hold you back: food sensitivities. Unlike food allergies, which produce immediate and sometimes severe reactions, food sensitivities may result in more subtle, delayed symptoms, like bloating, fatigue, inflammation, or mood changes. These seemingly minor issues can also affect weight management in ways that are easy to overlook.

Understanding how food sensitivities may influence your health and weight is essential for uncovering potential obstacles. Addressing these sensitivities can be a game-changer, helping you finally see results from your weight loss efforts.

What Are Food Sensitivities?

Food sensitivities happen when your body struggles to process certain foods, resulting in chronic, often delayed symptoms. Unlike allergies, which trigger fast and dramatic immune responses, food sensitivities elicit a slower, milder response that can go unnoticed for hours or even days.

Food sensitivities typically involve a reaction mediated by immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies rather than the IgE antibodies associated with allergies. This explains why symptoms such as bloating, headaches, skin issues, or fatigue may take longer to appear, making it challenging to link them to specific foods.

The symptoms of food sensitivities can vary widely, ranging from digestive discomfort (e.g., gas and diarrhoea) to joint pain, brain fog, and skin rashes, making it difficult to pinpoint the problematic foods and link them to symptoms.

How Food Sensitivities Impact Weight Gain

Though food sensitivities may seem unrelated to weight gain, they often trigger metabolic disruptions, inflammation, and hormonal imbalances that can interfere with weight loss efforts. If you are weight loss resistant despite sticking to a healthy diet and active lifestyle, and managing your stress, certain foods could affect your body in ways you haven’t considered yet. Here’s how these sensitivities contribute to weight gain:

1. Inflammation and Metabolism Disruption

When your body reacts negatively to a certain food, it initiates an inflammatory response as a defence mechanism. Inflammation is a natural response, however, persistent exposure to sensitive foods can lead to chronic, low-grade inflammation that disrupts your gut balance and metabolism. Food hypersensitivities also irritate the gut lining and may increase intestinal permeability (leaky gut syndrome) and the risk of autoimmune disorders in the long term.

Inflammation dysregulates insulin and cortisol levels, two hormones linked to blood sugar and lipids dysfunction, and weight gain. Cortisol is a major stress hormone linked to the “fight-or-flight” response and its role is to keep blood sugar and blood pressure elevated. Insulin resistance results when chronic stress and inflammation make it difficult for the body to process sugars efficiently, leading to higher blood sugar levels and increased fat storage, especially in the abdominal area. Chronic inflammation prevents your body from burning fat and metabolising calories, making weight loss almost impossible.

2. Cortisol and Stress-Related Weight Gain

Food sensitivities can lead to elevated levels of cortisol. As the body reacts to inflammatory responses, another form of stress, cortisol levels rise, which can contribute to cravings for high-calorie or high-fat foods. Over time, elevated cortisol levels promote fat storage, particularly around the middle, creating a cycle that makes it harder to stick to healthy eating habits. Additionally, chronic stress overstimulates the HPA axis (the stress response), playing a key role in neuroinflammation (symptoms include brain fog, poor memory and concentration) and neurodegeneration.

Furthermore, high cortisol levels can also disrupt sleep and decrease your resilience, two factors linked to unhealthy eating patterns and weight gain.

3. Insulin Resistance and Fat Storage

Chronic inflammation can also contribute to insulin resistance because the body becomes less responsive to insulin (cell receptor sites are effectively switched off), leaving glucose in the bloodstream instead of being used for energy and fuelling inflammatory responses further.

When inflamed, you cannot lose weight.

4. Water Retention and Bloating

Food sensitivities often lead to water retention as part of the inflammatory response, resulting in bloating, oedema and puffiness. Although water retention is temporary weight gain, it can affect the scale and contribute to feelings of discomfort.

Disrupted Gut Health and Weight Control

Food sensitivities can also impact gut health and weight gain. When sensitive foods damage the gut lining, they contribute to increased intestinal permeability, increasing inflammation and disrupting the gut microbiome. This imbalance makes it harder to manage weight and can lead to digestive discomfort and metabolic disruptions. Healing the gut by identifying and eliminating sensitive foods is essential to take control of your weight.

Common Foods That Trigger Sensitivities

Some foods are more likely to trigger sensitivities, especially if they are frequently consumed or added to ultra-processed food products:

• Gluten: Found in wheat, barley, and rye, and products containing those grains, like bread, pasta, sauces, and most ultra-processed foods and ready-made meals. Gluten-containing grains can also be used in alcoholic drinks (e.g., beer, etc.).

• Dairy: Milk, cheese, yoghurt, and butter are common sources, often found in baked goods, ice cream and flavoured creamers.

• Soy: Soy products are frequently used in ultra-processed food products (UPFs), including protein bars, meat substitutes, and certain snacks.

• Corn: Includes ingredients such as high-fructose corn syrup and cornstarch, common ingredients in soft drinks, candies, and snacks.

• Eggs: Found in baked goods, sauces, and processed foods like crackers.

• Nuts: Common allergens such as peanuts, almonds, and cashews can be found in granola bars, nut oils, and dairy substitutes.

• Artificial Additives: Preservatives, sweeteners, emulsifiers, and colourings are hidden in packaged snacks, diet drinks, frozen meals and the majority of UPFs.

Identifying and Managing Food Sensitivities

If food sensitivities contribute to weight gain, you must identify the culprits. An elimination diet is one effective approach, where you remove common allergens and gradually reintroduce them while observing how your body reacts. Alternatively, food sensitivity tests can provide insight by identifying IgG antibody responses to foods, including dairy, eggs, soy, gluten and many more.

Supporting Weight Loss by Managing Food Sensitivities

Once you have identified your trigger foods, eliminate them from your diet to reduce inflammation and support weight loss and opt for healthier substitutions like almond flour instead of wheat or coconut milk instead of dairy. Following an anti-inflammatory diet rich in whole foods can also help reduce inflammation, supporting your health and weight-loss efforts.

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