Issue #148: Food Allergies
Good morning. It’s Wednesday, March 15th.
Today’s Quick Win
From the Lab: Food Allergies & Intolerances
Speed Read: Algae Salad
What We’re Reading: Young Forever - Dr. Mark Hyman
“Nothing is good for the body but what we can digest.”
…in every classroom have a food allergy (6 million kids in U.S. - or 1 out of every 13 kids) - most common allergies include: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat. (Source)
From the Lab
Food allergies have increased over 50% in the last 20 years. Many of us know someone with an allergy that can be life-threatening.*
There’s not currently a cure to a food allergy - while some kids outgrow allergies, peanut and shellfish allergies often continue throughout our life.
In addition to allergies, the majority of of us have “food intolerances.” We might not immediately get hives or go into shock, but we feel like crap a few minutes to a few hours after eating something that our gut doesn’t like.
It’s like the difference between someone with celiac disease and gluten intolerance. You might not be out for the count if last night’s pho from our favorite Korean take-out restaurant had trace amounts of gluten, but you might have a real upset stomach eating a full bowl of pasta.
This is why Thrive25 exists. If you have a food intolerance you might just think “oh man - that meal isn’t sitting well” and fight through it. Maybe you take some Tums or maybe you just lay on the couch. Either way - you aren’t able to be at your best when your gut is messed up. You lack energy, focus, and mental clarity - unacceptable!
Food intolerances are a common symptom of leaky gut. I personally dealt with this myself. A combination of diet and stress can wreak havoc on the bacteria in our gut - sometimes to the point where it creates holes in our intestinal walls.
This allows “big” chunks of food that were supposed to be digested and taken out of our body to instead get into our bloodstream. You know what our immune system does to foreign invaders? (Of course you do - Issues #79, #80 and #81). It attacks them!
Dr. Axe
So now our food is literally creating a fight inside our body. So that benign food that shouldn’t be a problem is now making us feel like s***.
The best thing to do is to get tested for food sensitivities and to feed your gut good bacteria with insoluble fiber, like inulin.
But there is new research that suggests in the future we might be able to solve food allergies - in steps startups like ClostraBio.
If you want to read more, check out the book, The Gut Connection, by George Springer who helped me and provided personalized recommendations to get rid of the holes in my gut.
*If you have infants here are some steps to avoid future food allergies:
Expose them to dirt
Expose them to all potential allergen foods early on (peanuts, eggs, etc.)
Make sure they have adequate levels of Vitamin D
If they have eczema or dry skin - keep it covered or well lubricated. If food enters the body through the skin before being eaten, then the immune system will think it’s an invader and always remember it as such - thus a lifetime food allergy
Thrive25 Partner Spotlight
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Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
Make It, Don’t Take It: Relativity Space’s rocket looks just like any other, except it is entirely 3D printed. Unfortunately, it’s launch into L.E.O. has been aborted. Twice. Hopefully it will launch soon. But there’s promise on the 3D printing front - when we return to the moon’s surface in 2025, we could use 3D printers and moon rocks to build habitats, roads and landing pads. (WIRED)
What’s the Frequency Kenneth?: We’ve touched on sleep a bunch (Issues #99 [best of from 2022] and #101-105), but always good to get some updates / new perspectives. Deep sleep is pretty awesome, but REM isn’t half bad - just remember to get 7-9 hours per night for enough sleep cycles. (NYTimes)
I’ll Have the Algae Salad: As our population increases and we lose fertile land to urbanization, soil degradation and climate change, experts are exploring other options for food. The oldest plant food on earth, algae is high in protein, essential fatty acids, minerals and vitamins. (MedicalNewsToday)
What We’re Reading | Young Forever
Who isn’t talking about longevity these days? Tough to cut through the noise. But Dr. Mark Hyman has been a long-time leader in functional medicine and helping people take control of their health through diet & lifestyle. This book was just released on Feb 28th so you’ve got a qualified voice with the latest science. Remember - just like Thrive25 - you don’t have to do everything that he suggests, but there might be a few game-changing nuggets that works for you and your longevity journey.
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs LLC does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.