How Food Intolerances Impact your Emotions: Cravings, Binging, Anxiety and Depression

Understanding the Hidden Connection Between Food Intolerances and Your Emotions: Overeating, Binge Eating, Anxiety, and Depression

So there I was, lurking in front of our not-so-secret stash of snacks—you know, the one we thought was brilliantly hidden from the kids but clearly failed. I ask myself the usual mindful eating question:

“Am I actually hungry?” Nope. So what in the world was I doing hunting down food like a snack-deprived gremlin?

I snagged a bikkie, stuffed it in my mouth, and walked off like nothing happened. But then it hit me—wait, this feels suspiciously like the start of a binge. What the hell set this off?

Let’s go through the checklist:

- Have I eaten enough calories today? Check.

- Am I exhausted, emotional, or hiding from my feelings? Nope, feeling fine there.

And then BAM—it dawned on me. I’d reintroduced oat flour into my diet because, seriously, who can resist those delicious oat flour recipes? The problem? My body and oats go together like oil and water.

By evening, I was craving EVERYTHING, bloated, gassy, and on and off the loo faster than…well, you get the picture.

My husband, ever the voice of reason, just says, “ Face it. You can’t eat oats.” And that’s when I remembered reading that food intolerances can trigger all kinds of chaos.

More people need to know this, I thought—which is exactly why I’m sharing this blog with you today.

Have you ever experienced uncontrollable cravings, struggled with overeating, or even found yourself battling anxiety and depression, but couldn’t figure out why?

It might surprise you to learn that undiagnosed food intolerances could be at the root of these issues. While most people are familiar with the concept of food allergies, food intolerances often go undetected for years, quietly wreaking havoc on both physical and emotional health.

In this post, we’ll dive into the link between food intolerances and the emotional rollercoaster that many people endure—without even realising the connection.

Whether you’re a total beginner to this idea or simply looking for some clarity, this guide will explain how food intolerances can influence overeating, binge eating, anxiety, and even depression.

What Are Food Intolerances?

Food intolerances occur when your body is unable to properly digest certain foods. Unlike food allergies, which trigger an immediate immune response, food intolerances tend to cause delayed symptoms.

These can range from digestive issues like bloating and gas to fatigue, headaches, and mood disturbances. Common culprits include lactose (found in dairy), gluten (found in wheat and certain grains), and certain additives or chemicals in processed foods.

Because the symptoms can be vague and non-life-threatening, many people live with food intolerances for years without making the connection. However, the impact can be profound, especially when it comes to your emotional well-being.

How Food Intolerances Trigger Overeating and Binge Eating

When your body reacts negatively to certain foods, it can set off a chain reaction that influences your eating habits. Here’s how:

1. Cravings for "Trigger" Foods: Strangely enough, people with food intolerances often crave the very foods that cause them problems. This is because consuming these foods can trigger a short-term spike in feel-good chemicals like dopamine, temporarily making you feel better. However, this creates a vicious cycle of craving and overeating those problematic foods, which ultimately leads to discomfort and guilt.

So When your body reacts to certain foods, it experiences stress, which triggers the release of endorphins—natural chemicals similar to opiates to balance this stress in the body .

These "feel-good" chemicals give you a temporary sense of pleasure, making you crave more of the foods causing the reaction. This creates a cycle where you consume more of the triggering foods to keep experiencing the boost, which in turn worsens the food sensitivity and fuels further cravings. Gluten is a prime example of a common culprit in this cycle.

2. Blood Sugar Imbalances: Food intolerances can lead to digestive issues that disrupt blood sugar regulation. When blood sugar levels spike and then crash, you’re left feeling fatigued, irritable, and hungry for quick fixes like sugar and processed carbs, resulting in binge eating.

3. Nutrient Deficiencies: Food intolerances often result in malabsorption, meaning your body has trouble extracting essential nutrients from food. This can lead to nutrient deficiencies, which leave you feeling unsatisfied after meals and searching for more food—even when you're not actually hungry. I go deeper into this in my Mindful Eating Mastery Course.

The Emotional Toll: Anxiety and Depression

Beyond eating habits, food intolerances can profoundly affect your emotional state, contributing to anxiety and depression. Here’s why:

1. Gut-Brain Connection: There’s growing evidence of the "gut-brain axis," a communication network between your digestive system and your brain.

When you eat something your body can't tolerate, it can inflame your gut lining, disrupting the signals sent to your brain. This can lead to mood swings, anxiety, and even depressive symptoms.

2. Chronic Inflammation: When you regularly consume foods that your body struggles to process, it can lead to chronic inflammation. Inflammation doesn’t just affect your joints or muscles—it also impacts your brain. This kind of low-grade inflammation is closely linked to mood disorders like anxiety and depression.

3. Chemical Sensitivities: Many people with food intolerances also react to chemicals found in processed foods, such as artificial sweeteners, preservatives, or flavour enhancers. These chemicals can have a direct impact on neurotransmitters in the brain, leading to anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Large-scale studies have revealed a strong link between chronic low-grade inflammation and depression. For instance, in a study analysing data from 14,275 individuals interviewed between 2007 and 2012, researchers found that people with depression had 46% higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, in their blood. Findings like this are reshaping our understanding of mental health, showing how factors like diet and stress can disrupt bodily systems—such as digestive function—and subsequently impact mental well-being.

One strategy gaining popularity is measuring IgG antibodies in food intolerance tests to address symptoms tied to sensitivities like IBS, joint pain, fatigue, migraines, anxiety, and depression. In a survey of 708 people commissioned by Allergy UK, 81% of those with elevated IgG levels and psychological symptoms reported improvement after following a food-specific IgG elimination diet. With these insights, health professionals and individuals facing mental health challenges should consider the potential role of food intolerances in managing mood-related disorders such as depression and anxiety.

Breaking the Cycle: How to Identify and Manage Food Intolerances

If you suspect food intolerances might be contributing to overeating, anxiety, or mood swings, here are some steps to consider:

1. Keep a Food Diary: Start by tracking what you eat and how you feel afterward. Do certain foods leave you feeling bloated, sluggish, or anxious or even craving more even though you're not hungry? Note any patterns over time. This is one of the most effective ways to pinpoint food intolerances.

2. The Elimination Diet: Once you’ve identified potential trigger foods, try eliminating them from your diet for a few weeks and see if your symptoms improve. Gradually reintroduce foods one at a time to determine which ones are causing problems. I share the elimination diet in my course Mindful Eating Mastery.

3. Consult a Professional: If you’re not sure where to start, consider working with a nutritionist, holistic health coach, or dietitian who can guide you through the process of identifying and managing food intolerances.

4. Focus on Gut Health: Prioritising a diet rich in whole, unprocessed foods, probiotics, and fibre can help restore balance to your gut and reduce the impact of food intolerances on your mood and eating habits.

Food Intolerances and Your Emotional Well-being

If you’ve been struggling with overeating, binge eating, anxiety, or depression without a clear reason, food intolerances might be worth exploring. These hidden issues can quietly influence your physical and emotional health, creating a cycle of cravings, mood swings, and emotional distress.

By learning to identify your triggers and making dietary changes, you can break free from this cycle and regain control over both your eating habits and your mental well-being.

Remember, your body is always sending you messages. By paying attention and making small shifts, you can restore balance and feel your best from the inside out. 

Just to add many children who display ADHD type symptoms actually have food intolerances and coming from someone who has 3 known food intolerances (dairy, gluten, and oats) and as child was sick often and suffer debilitating headaches I understand why these kids act like they do. It's hard to concentrate or control your emotional state when you feel in a constant state of Meh!

If you have any questions about this, I'm here to help.

Much love and bodily wisdom

Larissa xx