After 2 years of staying sheltered in place, people are getting out once again, getting into their doctor’s offices and what is happening, in light how we have been living for the past few years, is not surprising. 

Doctors are noticing that some of us have gained a little weight, and are a little less fit than we used to be.  Some silent diseases are coming to light high blood pressure, cancer and diabetes to name a few. Blood tests are revealing that quite a few of us are now pre-diabetic or have diabetes 2, me included. I am literally amazed by the number of people in my small circle who have heard this diagnosis in the past few months, and I fear there are many more to come.

Now, I AM a Certified Culinary Nutritionist and the learning to achieve that designation changed my eating habits significantly. My normal day to day diet is pretty good, but even I over the last 24 months enjoyed too many desserts, glasses of wine and Chai Tea Lattes!

The biggest change in my lifestyle in the past 2 years is that I have sat far more than ever before. During the summer months last year, I was able to golf and do some bike riding, but was unable to do my normal swimming (all the pools were closed) and dragon boat paddling was limited…..Yes I am a member of a dragon boat team. Dragon boat paddling is a whole body workout and is an extreme sport, needless to say I now feel very out of shape.

I am not going to say that before the pandemic I was super fit, but over the last 2 years especially in the winter months my activity was severely limited. Add to that a knee replacement last fall and I sat around a LOT!

I think today, I understand better where this diagnosis came from, and where I need to go from here. So I am going to share some of what I have learned since receiving my pre-diabetic diagnosis.

1. It is not just about sugar! When we digest carbs of any kind it creates glucose which circulates in our blood stream to provide energy. At this point your body signals to your pancreas that insulin is needed to open cells to absorb the circulating glucose to use it for energy or store it for future energy needs. 

2. When we consume too many carbs good or bad, we are inactive, or both, we will most likely have more glucose circulating than is actually needed.  When glucose is not needed to provide immediate energy, it gets stored as fat to be ready for future energy. Hmmm, that is how it happens. When we consume more carbs than we need to provide immediate energy ....... that is why I am fluffier than I used to be. 

3. As this happens repeatedly cells become resistant to opening with insulin, so the pancreas has to work harder to produce more insulin, which leads to excess insulin in the blood. Excess insulin in the bloodstream causes cells to absorb too much glucose and when that energy is not required immediately it gets stored as fat for future energy. This is called insulin resistance. Excess insulin can also cause cells to absorb too much glucose from the blood causing hyperglycaemia  or blood sugar lows. 

The solutions vary from lowering/changing your food intake, to getting more exercise. One thing for certain we want to stabilize the amount of glucose in our blood so that we don't experience spikes or lows, either by using that immediate energy or having less immediate energy available in the form of glucose. It is definitely a complex problem with many different solutions depending on the individual. 

For me, I needed to drop those things I was having too regularly, speaking of desserts, wine and Chi Tea Lattes and have them only occasionally as well as watching my intake of those white carbs like potatoes, white rice etc. Healthy balanced eating is the key!

Then, I know I need to get moving more to create more muscle mass. Muscles use glucose be it from what is circulating from today’s foods or what has been stored. Healthy moving!

The long and the short of it all is I need to get back to Healthy Living!

What about you?

If you are interested in doing that with me? Let me know!

I will be soon offering a Healthy Living Program to help my clients focus on healthy eating and healthy moving that will include individual and group support.

Join me in taking back a Healthy Life!

Read my blog post What Do You Crave? from August 2020 for more information about Sugar and How we got addicted to it. Did you know that sugar is more addictive than cocaine!

Being food sensitive does not just apply to gluten, dairy and other things. Your body can be sensitive to sugar and the food stuffs that make sugars in your body!
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​Exploring the World of Food with you to get back to a Healthy Life!

Certified Culinary Nutritionist and Food Sensitivity Coach

When you are stressed it affects your digestion, how nutrition is absorbed and can cause an imbalance in your gut bacterial. Your gut microbiome controls 90% of your immune system. So in short being stressed negatively affects your immune system in a time when your immune system is important than ever.

Are you stressed? Is it keeping your body in fight or flight mode?

Like everybody else out there my stress level is affected by what I read in the news, good, bad or ugly. How are you feeling these days?

There are so many things in our lives that are beyond our control, but cannot be ignored.

Whether it is small, insignificant or as big as the world, your worry and stress levels affect your gut, your health and your sleep.

Sleep is so very important to your overall health and keeping your gut healthy. Often I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about all those negative things in the past present or future that have or will have an effect on my life. The what if”s…..

It is easy to get caught up in that loop of negative thinking especially in the dark of the night, and why is that? I certainly can’t explain it, but instead I try to redirect my mind to other places and times.

A method I have found effective for me, to help me get back to sleep came from an interview I heard years ago about someone who was held in solitary confinement for a long period of time. He was a motorcyclist. What he did to help redirect his mind in the night, day or whenever he needed it, was to imagine he was building himself the perfect motorcycle. He knew all the components and how and where each piece fit into it. So in his imagination, he would work on his construction piece by piece, monotonous, detailed work which he could relax into.

That was the key for me, monotonous detailed work that I could relax into. I am a knitter. Knitting can be relaxing and monotonous. It really depends on the project. So in the past when I was highly stressed and awake in the middle of the night, I began working on a knitting project. I can’t tell you what it was supposed to be when finished, nor the colour. I would just knit. Picking up the yarn, wrapping it around the needle and then completing the stitch. Then moving on to the next stitch. I would not get past a few stitches before I was relaxed and peacefully back to sleep.

Now I recognize that knitting is not relaxing to everyone. For some people it is a stressor, but everyone has some repetitive monotonous task that they can enjoy and relax into.

What got me thinking about this was a number of blog posts written by Brien-Anne Reid recently on Meditation. I had never thought that my imaginary knitting could be a form of mediation. I had also never thought that just drinking tea could be a form of mediation, or wandering in nature. Read her blog posts on Wandering Mediation, Tea Meditation, Art Mediation.

Goodness knows we all need moments of quiet away from the world now and then. Your gut needs that relaxation or meditation as much as your mind to keep it healthy and take you out of fight or flight mode.

There are just so many things in your life and the world that you cannot control. The one thing you can control is how you react, and whether or not that reaction causes stress in your body.
​
Perhaps small meditative moments are the key.
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Exploring beyond The World of Food with you!

Today is Groundhog Day!

The question of the day is whether or not the ground hog will see his shadow, dictating that there will be 6 more weeks of winter or that we can expect and early spring. How in the world did they ever settle on Feb. 2nd as the day groundhogs should wake up from their long winter’s nap. Could it naturally happen on that day, I think not and do those projections hold up to be true? Who knows! And does it matter, we know spring will come….eventually.

For some people Groundhog Day like the movie is reliving the same day over, and over, and over again. Hmmm, that certainly feels something like what we have been living for the past couple of years. Sometimes I go to bed thinking that I will wake up the next day and it will all be a dream, only to learn that it isn’t, it is my real life.

As a person with food sensitivities, I think back to when I thought I had it all figured out, so why explore further. I wished I could go to bed and the next morning all my symptoms would be gone. Yet the symptoms continued. Like the groundhog I would just go back to my sleepy routine and try to forget it wasn’t happening, thinking that it couldn’t get better and I just had to live with it.

This year of all years I stumbled on this great graphic 'Feb. 2nd was the day to WAKE UP!'

That is right, wake up and come to the wide awake realization that your life does not need to be defined by your symptoms. Just because you have not had success solving your puzzle and everywhere you have sought help, didn’t really help or make a difference, don’t accept it. It is time to wake up and keep seeking a solution. No matter how many professionals you see, or how many new ideas you try a solution is out there.

I’ll say it again: Your life does not have to be defined by your symptoms!

The one thing that made the biggest difference in my journey to health was being open to having an IgG test to learn what foods my body was reacting to and causing inflammation. Now there are many people out there who will say those tests are a waste of money they don’t identify anything real. I can tell you, the people who say those things have not had an experience like mine.

Having an IgG test done changed my life!

I went from being a person who never knew when diarrhea was going to hit, to a person who no longer has gut issues. After eliminating all the foods I was sensitive to for a period of time and allowing my body to heal, I gradually added back in my choice of foods. What I learned is that there are still foods that I must avoid, but today by following my personal plan I am healthier, sleep better and feel better than I ever have before in my life.

The nay sayers have not had an experience like I have lived through and come out the other side to enjoy health, happiness and wellbeing.

So today I say, WAKE UP! Your life does not have to be defined by your symptoms or anyone else's opinions! Be open to the possibilities. 

Don’t be a ground hog and just go back into your burrow until it happens again. You have the ability to change your future. Keep seeking, questioning, hoping and searching for your own solution and know that research has proven that 65% of all IBS diagnosis have been found to be caused by underlying food sensitivities.

I am here to help!
Exploring the World of Food for better health.

This is always a stressful time of year for people with food sensitivities.

When I was growing up before food sensitivities happened, Christmases centered around the
wonderful world of foods that my Mom and my Aunts would make for us to enjoy on Christmas Day. To be honest my Mom started baking much earlier! September was reserved for making fruitcakes and Christmas puddings that needed to be ‘aged’ with some boozy liquid or another. Never fear the kids getting alcohol as none of us would touch that stuff. We left it for the adults, who would rave over the efforts of the baker.

My Mom started the real Christmas baking in early December, and often had to replenish the supply before the day arrived to share with the other families. Back then my whole family lived reasonably close to each other so we would regularly gather to share a meal. The adults would chat away and solve the problems of the world while the kids ran wild.

Fast forward to a time many years later when I developed food sensitivities. Big family Christmases and other celebrations were not as common as we were all spread out across the country. When we did have big celebrations having food sensitivities often made me feel excluded, always invited but bring your own food please. Rarely was I able to enjoy the family baking efforts as they were now guaranteed to make me sick. There was a lot of quiet explaining to do regarding the fact that my food sensitivities were real and not a choice, and I was not trying to be difficult. So for many years I would take my own food, and would eat at the table with everyone else,….just to watch everyone eat the foods I so dearly wanted to eat too. Sometimes I would bring the recipes of the foods I was enjoying to share with the host and others, but no one ever took it on that the whole meal could be made everyone ‘friendly’.

Later after I had children a wonderful thing happened. I was able to hold Christmas! I was able to plan the menu to include my favourite foods Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free which everyone could enjoy. So by taking control I was able to be included and include others as well.

Between the years of taking my own food, and taking on the event, were the years where my immediate family decided to focus more on being with the other people, then on what we were eating. An amazing thing happened. We played games, we played cards, we went for walks, tobogganed and much more. We celebrated each other rather than the foods we were to eat that day, and it was wonderful.

One service I offer today comes out of all this, and that is recipe creation with a specific person in mind. You can do it yourself with a little research, or I can do it for you, but what it means is that you can make something special for someone, and give them the recipe as a gift. I once made a cupcake recipe for a friend’s birthday, baked the cupcakes and give her the recipe and cupcakes as a special gift. I cannot tell you how amazed she was at her birthday gift.

Including people with food challenges is a special gift you can give, and your effort will be appreciated for many years to come. Whether it is swapping out an ingredient that you usually use, or trying out a whole new recipe, you have the ability to extend a hand to include the food challenged person in your life.

In this year where we may not be able to gather together as we might wish to, remember maybe it is not about the food, but just simply finding a way to be inclusive and be together whether in person, or virtually, inside or outside. The gift of kindness is never overrated.

Wishing you all the best in this Festive Season, with Health and Happiness in the coming year.

Diane
The Food Sensitivity Coach and Certified Culinary Nutrition Expert
Helping you Explore the Wonderful World of Food!

Garlic has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. It has many health benefits, but the most important for me is that it boosts in your immune system to aid in preventing colds and flu, and reduces the length of those illnesses should you get sick. With cold and flu season quickly approaching, I think it is something we all need.

Garlic is a vegetable that belongs to the Allium or Onion family that includes shallots, leeks, chives and of course onions. I don’t think many of us eat it as a vegetable, instead it is most often used as a herb or spice. The garlic plant produces not just a bulb of cloves, it also produces scapes which are the green part of the plant, similar to the green part on green onions and leeks.

Many people today have diets deficient in 3 things, protein, fibre and water. If you can make changes in those 3 areas alone, you will move toward more optimal health, and it is so easy.

1. Protein is one of the building blocks of life. It is needed not just for fuel but also to heal. When you do not eat enough protein often your body has little left after healing to convert into energy to give you that zest for life. In general someone who weighs about 150 lb. needs approx. 60 grams of protein to meet their body’s needs. 
2. Fibre is something that we often forget about. Everyone needs to consume approx. 30 grams of fibre daily to help with body functions and to feed the gut microbiome which controls you immune system to help you fight off disease and sickness. Many people today take fibre supplements. Wouldn’t you rather get your fibre from the food you are eating?  
3. Water is the most important and easiest way to help your body be healthier. Did you know that on average 60% of your body is made up of water? Your body needs you to drink 8 to 10 - 8 oz glasses of water daily to keep you hydrated and body flush toxins from your cells. Some signs of dehydration are dark urine, bad breath, dry skin, feeling tired or dizzy.

To help you begin your journey eating the right amounts of protein and fibre, while drinking your 8 to 10 glasses of water, I am offering you a free Healthy and Affordable 3 Day Meal Plan complete with recipes and a grocery list.
Enjoy! And remember I am here to help if you need me.

This time of year my skin is always at the top of mind, what about you?

Here are some fun facts about your skin, along with a list of foods to avoid, and foods you should be eating to support skin health.

At the bottom you can download a Free 3 Day Meal Planner to Show Your Skin Some Love. The meal planner comes complete with a grocery list and 15 recipes to make getting started easy. A download link is provided in the registration response.

Fun facts about the average person’s skin. It:

• is the largest organ in your body
• protects your body from infection and diseases
• surface is about 2 square meters  - Wow no wonder my body is wrinkly
• weighs about 9 lbs or 15% of your body weight
• has about 11 miles of blood vessels running through it
• contains about 19 million cells per square inch with 300 sweat glands
• sheds about 30,000 cells every minute
• completely renews itself every 28 days - thank heavens
• changes in your skin can actually signal changes in your health

Foods you should be avoiding to support Skin Health

• dairy products  - allergen and linked to acne breakouts
• gluten - allergen and linked to skin conditions like eczema
• eggs - allergen possibly linked to eczema
• soy products - allergen possibly linked to eczema
• refined grains and sugars - ​high glycemic index and low fibre
• anything with a high glycemic index
• anything deep fried - causes free radical damage and inflammation
• alcohol - can lead to dry skin as it is a diuretic

Foods you should to be eating to support Skin Health

• Cold water fatty fish like salmon and haddock. These are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and keep skin supple. If you are deficient in omega-3 fatty acid your skin will be very dry.
• Avocados are high in fatty acids which have been associated with more supple and springy skin and are thought to help protect your skin from sun damage.
• Walnuts, especially the brown skin that surrounds the nut itself, are high in both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and are high in zinc for healing as well as battling bacterial and inflammation.
• Sunflower seeds, like nuts and seeds in general, are high in vitamins E, selenium, zinc and protein, all good things for supporting skin health.
• Sweet potato contains beta carotene which is converted to vitamin A in the body and acts as a natural sunblock. As an antioxidant it may help prevent sunburn, cell death and dry wrinkled skin.
• Red and yellow peppers are again a great source of beta carotene but are also a fabulous source of vitamin C, which aids in the production of the protein collagen and helps keep skin strong and firm.
• Broccoli is full of vitamins and minerals including zinc, vitamin A and C necessary for healthy skin.
• Tomatoes are a rich source of vitamin C and all the major carotenoids like lycopene and lutein, which have been shown to protect skin against sun damage. Eating carotenoid foods like tomatoes with a healthy fat like olive oil increases the absorption of the carotenoids.
• Dark chocolate which we always need another reason to eat daily, has been proven to make skin thicker, more hydrated, less rough and scaly. When 20 gms of dark chocolate was consumed each day studies showed the skin was able to take twice the amount of UV rays before burning.
• Green tea contains catechins which work to improve the overall health of your skin in regards to roughness, thickness, and elasticity. Note it should be consumed without milk to allow for maximum absorption of nutrients.

Putting this all together can seem like a challenge, so to get you started off I have for you a downloadable Free 3 Day Meal Plan to help you Show Your Skin Some Love.

If you would like more guidance once you have completed this 3 day meal plan please make sure to reach out to me. I am here for you!

​Exploring the World of Food with you.

Diane Couse, Certified Culinary Nutrition Expert and The Food Sensitivity Coach

I love getting all the fresh veggies this time of year.

There is no doubt that time farm to table affects the nutrients of the foods we eat. This time of year I am are able to source fresh produce close to home vs. in the winter when my produce must come from far away.

I have to admit that knowing that produce sourced in winter has a higher carbon foot print as well as less nutrients affects the choices I make.

Did you know that food flash frozen within a short time from harvest contains almost the exact  amount of nutrients as fresh produce? So in the winter I often look to purchase frozen produce to meet my desired nutritional needs.

But it is summer and fresh produce grown locally is in abundance.

The other day when I was making a delicious fresh cabbage slaw salad, I was stunned by how beautiful the waste cuttings looked. I just had to take a photo to share.

Now these beautiful cuttings could go into the garbage to break down at the dump, or if my city had a program, it could go into green waste to be converted to compost, but it would be such a waste to loose those beautiful nutrients.

Year round I keep a container in my freezer to put my waste cuttings in. I collect them until I am ready to make a delicious veggie broth, or better yet to use them to add flavour to an even more nutritious bone broth.

Did you know that bone broth contains 9 grams of protein per cup and is an easy way to bump up your protein intake to assist with healing, cell repair and to grow new cells?

I use my InstaPot to make my broths. It is quick, easy! You don’t need an InstaPot to make your broth, you could use a slow cooker or just a pot on the stove simmering away on a low heat for a couple of hours.

Once the broth is finished and cooled, I strain out the spent veggie cuttings to then go into green waste or garbage. The remaining broth that holds all the vitamins and minerals spent from the frozen veggie cuttings. The broth is then used where ever I would use water in the cooking process. I use broth to make things like rice, quinoa, soups, stews, gravies and more.

I usually keep a litre jar of broth in the fridge ready for use when the need arises.

The excess broth goes into mason jars filled to about 2” from the top, sealed and placed on the side in my freezer to allow for expansion during the freezing process. Once frozen they are stood up and kept in my freezer door.

Some of the veggies I save for broth are garlic and onion skins and cuttings, ginger skins and fibres left from grating, plus herb stems and cuttings, not to mention all the other veggie cuttings like carrot tops and peelings, potato peelings, cabbage leaves. The list is endless.

Literally, just wash, drain the cuttings and of course take out any spoiled bits, then into the freezer they go.

So the next time you are preparing dinner or any meal involving vegetables, I hope you notice how beautiful those cuttings are, and think about what you could do with those extra nutrients.

Maybe they are too ugly to eat, but maybe, just maybe you will take advantage of the abundance of nutrients and make yourself a delicious broth.
​
Exploring the world of food with you.

If you are unsure how to do this on your own, I will be hosting an online workshop in the fall on How to
Make an Immune Boosting Broth.
Looking forward to meeting you there!
​Click the link below to keep up to date with what is being offered. ​

I have lived with self identified food sensitivities and allergies nearly all my life. Once the real culprits were identified by a IgG food sensitivity test, my life and health changed significantly for the better.

Years later when I started my journey to become a Certified Culinary Nutrition Expert, I had no idea of the magnitude of additional changes that were to come from what I learned.

In the beginning, I made the easy changes to consume pasture raise meats, stop eating the top 10 GMO foods and eat more veggies (organic when affordable). Now I find I am paying attention to the other foods I purchase. I look for what country they are grown or produced in and the common farming practices used in those countries.

I now make a conscious choice when I purchase fish and seafood to look for wild or if wild is not possible due to cost farmed from specific countries. I look for products produced in countries that do not use significant antibiotics in the raise them. I consciously avoid fish and seafood from countries like India, China, and Vietnam and look for product from countries like Chile, Peru and other countries with better aqua-farming practices. I continue to monitor changes to keep up on the research, regarding what aqua-farmed fish and seafood are fed, and the farming conditions.

Just like buying organic, wild still tops the list though when I can afford it.

In my research for clients I have learned some astounding things about micro plastics in our oceans. Did you know that in a recent study of modern sea salt samples from around the world, all the samples contained micro plastics? Definitely a concern, but I have yet to give up eating wild fish and seafood and stick to ancient sea salt for my seasonings today.

One step at a time.

I recently noticed that I no longer crave sugar like I used to. This is most likely because I eat very little sugar today as result of eating a diet of whole foods and purchasing less processed foods. Understanding what consuming refined sugar does to my gut microbiome is the biggest deterrent. Sugar as an acid promotes the growth of the bad bacteria. This and the fact that when you eat refined sugar that is not immediately needed for energy, it goes straight to fat cells for future energy use.

We all know how hard it is to get that energy back out of your fat cells at a later date!

As a result I try to eat refined sugar in limited amounts, and to stick to sweeteners like coconut sugar which has a lower Glycemic Index (GI), takes longer to digest so it doesn’t go straight to fat cells and has actual minerals and nutrients unlike refined sugar.

Yesterday I had a big revelation about how far I have come in my journey.

With the opening of patios in Ontario, we stopped at a local Ale House after our morning bike ride. My husband ordered french fries, of course. For me, knowing that the oils they use in the process of cooking those french fries add more omega 6 to my diet was a concern. Omega 6 oils such as canola, soybean and corn are high in fatty acid which feed the bad bacteria in my gut microbiome. For me this was the last straw for eating restaurant french fries. Again, all this is not to say that I will not eat french fries ever again in my life, but more that if I am going to have them, they will be homemade in my oven with the good fats, avocado oil or coconut oil.

10 years ago, I could never imagine the changes I have made both unconsciously and consciously in my everyday eating habits, or that they would be so successful.

I feel good about my choices made to date which include consuming pasture raised meats, wild fish and seafood, Non-GMO foods and more veggies (organic when affordable), and avoiding refined sugar and fried foods. It is a journey though, and I continue to make additional choices everyday that will contribute to living my best life with better health going forward.

Have you made any conscious changes big or small in your everyday eating habits in the last year that you believe will benefit your long term health?I would love to hear about them!
Please leave me a comment below and let me know what they are.

We are on this journey together after all.  
Food for Thought as we Explore the World of Food together.

Diane Couse
​The Food Sensitivity Coach and Certified Culinary Nutrition Expert

Most people who know me, and know my story, understand how strongly I feel on this topic, and how excited I am to be able to offer this service to my clients.

Most of my life I have lived with food allergies and gut issues. Food allergy testing was difficult at best looking for that IgI reaction and it was hit or miss whether my skin reacted the same way as my gut. Back then, some 35+ years ago, food sensitivity testing wasn’t even thought of.

Without reliable testing for food allergies and sensitivities available, most possible culprits were self identified by looking back at what I had consumed and trying to decide what could have possibly caused the issues I was experiencing. Now I know that unless you keep a meticulous diary of what you have consumed including beverages, then look back the possible 72 hours that a reaction could take to show itself, identification of the culprit is a crap shoot. Hit or miss at best.

At the age of 35 I was so ill with unexplained gut issues that my health care team was prepared to do exploratory surgery to find out what was causing them! Pretty extreme in my eyes. Before surgery could happen, I attended a dinner and was seated beside another person with food issues. I learned in conversation that they had the same symptoms as I did and it had been suggested that they might have a canola allergy or sensitivity. The idea was a lightning bolt that could not be ignored. So I began to eliminate all canola which if you can imagine was no easy task. My health improved slightly, but I continued to have issues.

As the years progressed every time I had issues, I would try to identify and then eliminate whatever I thought could have been the cause. Soon I had a great list of what I was avoiding, but still had random attacks. I was stabbing in the dark.

Fast forward a number of years to when I learned about Food Sensitivity Testing, the IgG test to be exact. I was reluctant to have the test  because I thought I had it all figured out. At the persistent encouragement of my family I finally agreed to having the testing done. When the results came in my Naturopath did not want to give me the list because she felt I would be overwhelmed. True, I would have been overwhelmed without the help of my daughter.

What I learned that day was that I was not sensitive to any of the foods I had been eliminating for some 30 years! Things like canola, yeast, nuts, vanilla, etc., etc., etc. Instead I was sensitive to gluten, eggs, dairy and a few other things. Mind Blowing! No wonder I had such a hard time identifying what was making me sick. I would inevitably have something I thought I was sensitive to with something that I was actually sensitive to. It was a perfect storm situation and no wonder that I couldn't figure it out on my own.

Food Sensitivity Testing changed my life, and today I am healthier, feel better, have more energy, sleep better and am happier than I was 30 years ago. Life is Good!

I have had clients who have had IBS - D for years, who had tried to follow the FODMAP diet as long as it was humanly possible, but still nothing made them better. In recent years it has been identified that people with IBS often have food sensitivities as the underlying condition creating the IBS. This has proven true with more than a few of my clients. After their food sensitivities were identified and eliminated for a period of time for their body to heal, their general health improved immensely, and their IBS - D was then under control.

Once you know the list of foods, we can make a decision on which ones need to be eliminated for a time, or which ones you will need to limit to eating once a week. After a period of about 3 months to allow your body to do some healing, I can then help you decide how to re-introduce the list of foods you have eliminated to see if they can be tolerated again. Some foods will be, but some others may need to be avoided for a longer period of time. Having worked with these tests personally and professionally I can attest that having someone guide you through the process is very valuable.

It is really a personal decision to test or not to test, but wouldn’t you rather be in control, have a starting point and know what to eliminate instead of going by guess work that could be completely wrong, like I lived for so many years.

For an experts view point on food sensitivities have a look at my blog post They Are Real.

In the past I have had to refer clients to various naturopaths to have IgG tests ordered, and wait while they visit a lab to have a blood draw done, then another wait to see the naturopath again to get the results.

I am so excited to be able to offer Food Sensitivity Testing (IgG) via an easy at home test kit. I literally order the test kit to be delivered to a clients home. They put 5 drops of blood on a test strip, let it dry and mail it to the lab. As soon as the results are completed, the results are emailed to me, and we can begin planning your healing journey.

You are not alone, I am here to help and now I can be with you through the whole process.