Is Your Food Making You Sick?
Have you been suffering from a stubborn health ailment that won’t go away no matter how hard you try?
Maybe it’s frequent migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, joint pains, skin issues, or difficulty losing weight. You may have tried multiple treatments & medications yet are not getting much better and realize that only your symptoms are being masked.
Fact- you could be suffering from food sensitivities.
The truth is that food sensitivities are more common than you may think. And for a number of reasons, they often go unnoticed, misdiagnosed, or disguised as something else.
Before I move on-let’s help clarify the difference between a food allergy and a food sensitivity, since the two are often confused.
Food allergies, or IgE reactions, involve an abnormal immune response that triggers either an immediate or delayed reaction when absorbed into the blood stream. Symptoms include things hives, difficulty breathing, or worse--anaphylactic shock.
Food intolerances or sensitivities, on the other hand, do not involve the immune system but rather are a negative reaction to certain foods, often with delayed onset. Food sensitivities contribute to inflammation in the body, which in turn can contribute to a host of troublesome and chronic conditions.
Hidden food sensitivities may be at the root of your health ailments
As mentioned, food sensitivities are often hidden because they can be disguised as something else, can be dose-dependent (meaning small amounts may be tolerated yet large amounts cause symptoms), and symptoms can take as long at 72 hours to develop. What’s more, most doctors do not consider food sensitivities as a possible cause of chronic conditions, and instead treat the symptom with a medication which isn’t getting to the root cause.
This is unfortunate because repeated exposures to unknown food triggers can contribute to silent inflammation, which can manifest in the body as anything from skin issues to behavioral problems, to chronic gastrointestinal complaints.
Some of the most common symptoms that could be linked to food sensitivities include:
Skin conditions like acne, eczema & psoriasis
Asthma
Migraines
Chronic fatigue
Behavioral issues like autism and ADHD
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Joint pain
Obesity or difficulty losing weight
Poor immune function
Rashes
Recurrent ear infections
Seasonal Allergies
Respiratory problems
You may be thinking, “But I’ve always eaten this way and never used to have problems, so why would I be sensitive to foods now?”
Great question.
What is contributing to the rise in food allergies & food sensitivities?
It’s no secret that our environment and food supply has changed dramatically in the past few decades. We are exposed to more chemicals, toxins, and artificial ingredients than ever before. Our genes, on the other hand, have not changed. It is reasonable to believe, then, that the rise in food sensitivities is caused by a change in our environment and the foods we consume, rather than by a genetic disposition.
Some factors that are could be contributing to an onset of food sensitivities include:
Increased exposure to antibiotics
Environmental toxins and chemicals in the air, cleaning supplies, etc.
Food additives
Genetically modified foods (GMOs)
Increased intestinal permeability (aka leaky gut), especially during pregnancy and childhood, caused by poor diet and/or certain medications
Pesticides
Processed foods loaded with artificial ingredients and preservatives
It is clear that there have been multiple environmental changes that contribute to this problem.
So, even if you may have never had suspected food sensitivities before, it unfortunately doesn’t mean that it is not possible for them to develop over time.
How to figure out if you have hidden food sensitivities
Traditional allergy testing is helpful for people who have IgE-mediated allergic reactions, yet this test would not detect a food sensitivity, which is an IgG reaction.
Perhaps the most well-researched and accurate food sensitivity test is the patented Mediator Release Test (MRT), which is a simple blood test that measures the subtle volumetric changes that occur in the blood as a result of inflammatory reactions to foods and food chemicals.
MRT tests for 170 of these foods and chemicals, and gives a clear picture of which foods may be contributing to an inflammatory response.
MRT categorizes your results into foods that are either low, medium-or highly reactive. See photo for an example report. In this way, it gives a clear picture as to which are the BEST foods for you, which will help form the basis of the elimination diet that follows, also known as LEAP (Lifestyle Eating and Performance). Because it’s not only about what you’re reactive to, it’s about what you’re NOT reactive to that matters as well! MRT takes the guesswork out of elimination diets and tells you exactly which foods are safest for you to consume to begin the healing process and reduce inflammation immediately.
Using the results from the MRT test, I am professionally trained as a Certified LEAP Therapist (CLT) to guide you through the elimination diet that follows, and teach you how to choose the best foods for YOU so that you can start seeing and feeling results right away.
Check out my Food Sensitivity package under the “Services” tab here to learn more about how this program can help you get to the bottom of your symptoms!
FAQ:
What is included with the MRT test?
Each client who chooses to pursue MRT food sensitivity testing will receive a kit in the mail that includes vials for blood draw, information about where to get your blood drawn, and a pre-paid FedEx envelope to mail the specimens. Test results will take about 10-14 days to come in, and along with the results you will receive a print out of your results to all 170 foods and chemicals (ranked on a color scale of green, yellow & red), as well as 50 page LEAP booklet with detailed information about the program, common and hidden sources of reactive foods, a guide to which foods from each food group to include in your diet, strategies to achieve success on the program, and more!
How long does the LEAP elimination diet last?
For a period of about 4-6 weeks, clients will commit to consuming only safe, tested foods. There are 5 phases of the LEAP program, with the first phase lasting just a week or two and the others building upon that. It is recommended that each client eliminates all of their moderately reactive (yellow) foods for a minimum of 3 months, and eliminate their highly reactive (red) foods for a minimum of 6 months.
How long until I start seeing improvement in my symptoms?
While each individual is different, it is common to notice improvements in as short as 10-14 days, depending on level of adherence.
How do I know if I am a good candidate?
I will have you fill out a symptom survey and ask you a series of questions to help determine if you would be a good candidate for LEAP and MRT.
How can I learn more?
Head to the “contact me” section here and send me a message…I’ll be happy to answer any further questions you may have! You can also read more about the MRT and LEAP program here: https://nowleap.com/