Inflammation and Food Sensitivities
Inflammation is how your body protects and repairs itself. The problem is when it never switches off. Maria's work is about lowering the load so it finally can.
The quiet fire
Acute inflammation is a good thing. You twist an ankle, it swells, it heals. The immune system does its work and then stands down. Chronic, low-grade inflammation is different. It smolders quietly in the background, rarely dramatic enough to show up clearly on a single test, yet persistent enough to wear on you.
People describe it in many ways: joints that ache without an injury, puffiness in the face or hands, skin that flares, a heavy, foggy head, fatigue that sleep doesn’t fix, and a body that simply feels “inflamed”.
Why food reactions seem to multiply
One of the most frustrating patterns Maria sees is the list that keeps growing. First it was dairy. Then gluten. Then eggs, then nightshades, then something new every few months. People cut and cut, and still react.
A growing list is often a sign that the problem isn’t really the foods. It is the state of the system receiving them. When the gut lining is under strain, digestion is incomplete and the immune system is already on alert, more and more foods can start to provoke a response. Removing foods may bring short-term relief, but without addressing the underlying load, the list tends to keep growing, and the diet gets narrower and less nourishing.
What adds to the load
Inflammation rarely has a single cause. Maria looks at the whole picture, which often includes:
- A nervous system stuck in stress mode, which keeps the immune system primed
- Incomplete digestion and a stressed gut lining
- Blood sugar swings through the day
- Too little sleep, or sleep that doesn’t restore you
- A diet low in the colorful plants, quality fats and minerals that help resolve inflammation
- Specific food compounds that some people handle poorly, such as histamine, oxalates, sulfur compounds or FODMAPs
- Unresolved emotional stress and trauma
Lower the load, then rebuild
Find the real pattern
A careful look at your history, your food and symptom log, and the timing of your reactions. Many “sensitivities” turn out to be about amount, timing or combination rather than the food itself.
Calm the system
Nervous system regulation, steadier blood sugar and better sleep lower inflammation from several directions at once, and they make every other change more effective.
Use restriction wisely
Where it helps, a short, structured therapeutic diet can quiet things down. It always comes with a clear reason, a time frame and a plan for bringing foods back.
Widen your diet
The goal is a broad, colorful, enjoyable way of eating. Reintroducing foods carefully, one at a time, is part of the plan from the start.
Allergies are different. A true food allergy, especially one that causes swelling of the lips or throat, hives or trouble breathing, is a medical issue. Please follow your doctor’s guidance and never reintroduce a food you are allergic to without medical supervision.
Related reading
Questions about inflammation
Should I get a food sensitivity test?
Commercial food sensitivity tests vary a great deal in how useful they are, and results can lead people to cut out foods they don’t need to avoid. Maria usually starts with a careful history and a structured food and symptom log, and discusses testing only when it would genuinely change the plan.
Is there one anti-inflammatory diet I should follow?
There are some broad principles, like more colorful plants, quality fats, adequate protein and fewer ultra-processed foods. But the right version for you depends on your digestion, your sensitivities and your life. That is what your plan is for.
Will I be able to eat my old foods again?
Very often, yes, at least some of them and in some amounts. Rebuilding tolerance is a central goal of Maria’s work.