The Brain and Food

Why does DNRS help food sensitivities and actual food allergies?

I was extremely skeptical that it could touch these issues for me. Maybe it could help someone else, but surely not me. I could fully understand that DNRS could change my hyper-reactivity to chemicals. I had watched my chemical sensitivity develop during a stressful time so I could see the link to the stress center of my brain. However, the food part for me went way back and there was a genetic component. I couldn’t wrap my brain around how the trauma center in the brain could be responsible for my gut issues or for itching and swelling in my throat when I ate nuts. The idea that this was coming from my brain was both annoying and impossible. How could there be a connection?

What I came to understand is that the gut and immune system can be affected in many ways by subconscious brain function, and it is far more complicated than mind over matter. You can’t just think yourself out of a sensitivity or an allergy. When the fight or flight system in the brain is impaired in some way, it operates an unconscious chronic stress response cycle all of the time. Our bodies are not designed to operate with this flood of hormones and messages, and when it is required to do so, things begin to unravel. Many body systems are affected by this. The gut, in particular, does not get the resources that it needs to properly digest and absorb food. This can lead to a host of digestive complaints, from IBS to malabsorption and vitamin deficiencies. As time goes on, the prolonged release of stress hormones by the brain can eventually lead to SIBO and leaky gut. Often the gut situation is exacerbated by antibiotics or candida. When the gut is leaky, there is damage to the intestinal walls, and larger than normal (improperly digested) food proteins are absorbed by the blood stream, and can trigger an immune response. These large proteins don’t belong in the blood stream. The body recognizes the food molecules as a foreign invader and responds with an automatic pattern of reactivity and antibodies whenever there is an exposure. Once a person is in a state of compromised gut health, they can find a great deal of relief by eliminating foods that are difficult to digest, such as gluten, dairy, grains, legumes, etc. While this can make a huge difference and is adequate for some, for others it does not get at the root of the problem, and does not always prove to be the road back to full health. Some people even get increasingly sensitive to the foods they have eliminated or find their sensitivity list growing as their body begins to react to more and more foods.

For those that become increasingly sensitive, or continue to have issues even after eliminating a few problem foods, the answer may be found by looking back at brain function and asking, is the brain stuck in an unconscious stress response? Is the person in fight or flight all of the time, which can manifest as either running on adrenaline, crashed and exhausted or vacillating between both states? When the fight or flight program is running all of the time, it can lead to feeling constantly overwhelmed, as well as pain, headaches, neurological issues, and many other conditions.

Guiding the brain into a default mode of rest and digest using the DNRS program tools gives the body the ability to repair and resource the gut. As I implemented the program my gut slowly healed on its own, so I could successfully work on my body’s unconscious learned response to certain food triggers. By doing so, I was able to recover from food sensitivities! Prior to my recovery through DNRS, I had three different types of food reactions. Several nuts would create an anaphylactic type reaction on my skin and in my throat. I experienced swelling, itchiness, tightness, tingling and trouble breathing. Chocolate and caffeine used to cause migraine headaches. Dairy and grains created a host of digestive and neurological symptoms. I was able to target all three of these types of reactions in my neural retraining practice, and I experienced marked improvement in every single category. Now I can shop at any grocery store, go out to restaurants, and eat in people’s homes! In the past I was also sensitive to many medications. This issue is resolved as well. I can go where I want and do what I want with great freedom!