to Test or not to Test?

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.

Contact me today to book a Zoom consultation at no charge

The Food Sensitivity Coach and Certified Culinary Nutrition Expert 
Exploring the world of food with you.

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