FOOD SENSITIViTY
Tired of diet restrictions?
Rebuild confidence around food, one step at a time.
Food Sensitivity Fear can devastate your physical and mental health.
And make you feel:
I created the Conditioned Food Avoidance and Sensitivity Trap Theory (C-FAST) to capture the vicious cycle of fear, food restriction and worsening symptoms.
When you are stuck in the C-FAST Cycle:
Recognize this vicious cycle and break out.
Here’s What Key Opinion Leaders are Saying
Conditioned food avoidance and sensitivity have become a growing challenge for so many of the patients I see. Wendy Busse has captured the core elements of this behaviour, and most effectively, her treatment methods are on point and patients benefit. I highly recommend Wendy’s approach.
Douglas Drossman MD
Center for Education and Practice of Biopsychosocial Care
Drossman Gastroenterology
CEO, The Rome Foundation
The brain’s primary role is to protect us and keep us safe. In the interest of doing this, it does not take many adverse experiences before the brain starts to anticipate what could be a threat to its safety. For patients who experience digestive symptoms after eating, food very quickly becomes a source of threat that can trigger activity in the sympathetic nervous system. While in this state of “fight or flight,” the body deprioritizes digestion, which can lead to a host of symptoms including altered motility, nausea/vomiting, abdominal pain, or indigestion that may be falsely attributed to the nutrient itself. This can lead to a cycle that reciprocally reinforces food/nutrients as dangerous, even though there are often multiple factors that contribute to postprandial symptoms. The Conditioned Food Avoidance and Sensitivity Trap (C-FAST) eloquently captures this cycle.
Madison Simons PsyD
GI Psychologist, Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic
People living with food allergies, sensitivities and digestive health conditions often see food as something to be fearful of, and/or avoid altogether. This makes sense given the simple pairing of a specific food or food group with a closely timed physical reaction (conditioning). However, over time, fear and avoidance can take over the brain-gut connection and interfere with one’s ability to live their best life. The antidote to conditioned food avoidance is a slow and structured period of food re-introduction, led by an expert dietitian or behaviorist. In this model, it is important for the patient to come prepared with a flexible and curious mindset, a sense of confidence in their ability to “re-train the brain” and an optimism that with the right skill set, you can master your nutrition and overall health.
Laurie Keefer PhD
Clinical Health Psychologist
Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry
Division of Gastroenterology
Mount Sinai Hospital New York City
Wendy Busse, MSc, Registered Dietitian
My interest in this topic developed over the last thirty years of food sensitivity counselling. I saw the devastating impact this vicious cycle had on my client’s mental and physical health. Raising awareness about the Conditioned Food Avoidance & Sensitivity Theory has become the driving force of my career.