Are You Shooting Yourself In The Foot?

Have you ever accompanied a friend, or family member to a doctor’s appointment?

Last week, I did just that, in the role of official note taker.

As luck would have it, the discussion eventually came around to the subject of gluten; by reviewing some of the lab work and test results, the doctor made some key observations and suddenly announced that my friend was likely highly sensitive to gluten.

When I heard the word “gluten” my ears instantly perked up.

I couldn’t help it.

I suddenly found myself glued to every word the doctor was saying, and incredibly grateful for what proved to be a unique opportunity to hear his opinion.

I particularly loved the following analogy.

The doctor was comparing the human body to a used vehicle, traveling along the Road of Life.

Along the way, he said, we encounter many potholes – especially once we’ve reached a certain point in our lives.

And having an autoimmune disease like Celiac Disease, or gluten sensitivity, is one them.

The solution is simple, though.

Just like a car, our bodies need to be properly maintained and require the occasional tune-ups for dealing with those potholes – so that’s what we’re talking about here:

The occasional tune-up!

Understandably, the doctor was quite insistent about eliminating gluten from the diet – completely.

“Otherwise,” he said, “You are shooting yourself in the foot.”

Those words really stayed with me.

It was a much-needed reminder that it was time to revisit any bad habits I might have picked up along the way.

Let’s take a closer look at how this works.

For anyone who has ever dealt with a medical issue or two, on this so-called Road of Life, how many of us have gone into denial after the initial diagnosis?

How many of us have been told not to eat certain foods, yet we eat them anyway, telling ourselves that one little bite can’t hurt?

Well, the sad truth is, you’ve just ‘shot yourself in the foot’.

When we consume a food that our body is sensitive to, our autoimmune and nervous systems are suddenly placed on high alert.

The immune system, in particular, goes into full fight mode, trying to rid itself of the intruder.

If you keep eating that same offensive food day after day, your body is thrown into an even bigger tizzy – until you go back to the doctor, wondering what the heck is wrong.

I’ll admit, I’ve been guilty of this myself – with one or two foods that I deemed to be “minor” offenders. (As in one little bite can’t hurt).

The thing is, for anyone who is sensitive to – or allergic – to any given food, it doesn’t matter how healthy it is or what the experts recommend.

You shouldn’t be eating it.

Period.

Now it’s your turn.

Do you routinely shoot yourself in the foot with your food choices?

Is it time to start making some changes and follow the good doctor’s advice?

What could you do differently – starting today?