THE BUCKET THEORY
Many people find they can eat a certain food without issue and then they can’t…. Seemingly all of a sudden a food they ate with no issue in the past now causes some form of discomfort; bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, joint pain, skin problems, fatigue etc There could be a number of reasons to develop a sensitivity to a particular food.
The ‘bucket theory’ could be one reason.
As opposed to the bucket theory of emotional wellbeing that we want to have over filled, this theory, in regard to food tolerance, suggests that each of us have varying size ‘buckets’ of tolerance to cope with certain foods. Each time we eat the food we add to the bucket. The body processes the food thus emptying the bucket. How long it takes to process the food is different for everyone and can change over time. If consumption of the food is faster than the body can process it then the bucket fills and when it hits full the body is overwhelmed and expresses via various symptoms. Ceasing consumption of that food will bring relief which is basically giving the body time to process the food thus emptying the bucket.
From here a person could go a number of ways:
- complete avoidance of the food forever
- eating the food intermittently which gives the body time to process it each time and so never allowing the bucket to fill
- continuing to eat the food as frequently as you like, allowing the bucket to fill up then going through a period of avoidance again while the bucket empties
of course looking a bit further for a possible reason a bucket might be filling quickly, especially if it’s a new concern can be helpful, however frequently a pathology is not the cause.
Cause can be as simple as ageing. It is natural for the body to function differently as we age regardless of how healthy our diet and lifestyle. Working with this in mind as opposed to trying to override it works to our benefit. Similarly stress can be a cause as our body doesn’t function well when experiencing stress.
Another common reason for sudden food sensitivities these days can be related to the quality of food ie you don’t actually have a problem with the food per se, but more with the way it is grown or processed for example pesticides in the growing process or additives in the cooking/creating. These variations can also contribute to a bucket filling more quickly as they impact the body’s ability to process the food.
As someone who advocates for the benefits of consuming a wide variety of foods from as many food groups as possible with emphasis on diversity of colours, flavours and textures, I have concerns with the amount of food elimination that has become so prevalent and really encourage considering this bucket theory as a contributor to a food you are consuming causing you issues. Personally, improving the quality of a food I enjoy or just eating it less often is definitely more preferable to having to eliminate it from my diet.
What I share here are my views (unless stated otherwise) based on my research, my experience and my beliefs.
They are generic short snaps of thoughts or information to serve as springboards for further investigation if you choose.