What if you have sensitivity to certain foods that you may not be aware of? That was my case, and in fact, some of the food items I have high intolerance for are my favorites.
I was also not aware of my body’s symptoms from my food sensitivity. Whenever I had headaches, muscle, and joint pains, or experienced brain fog, low mood, and nausea, I did not always associate it with the food I ate.
I did not know that when one has food sensitivities, some of the symptoms are not always visible and common. Some symptoms can also be delayed for hours and even days. That’s why I’m grateful when a friend who works at Life Science Center, a pioneer in personalized holistic wellness through sustainable solutions, suggested I take a food sensitivity test via blood extraction at their clinic located in Mandaluyong City.
After a couple of weeks, I got my results and that’s when I found out about my food sensitivity, and along with it are recommendations for what I can do about it.
What is food sensitivity?
Food sensitivity occurs when an unhealthy gut lining has cracks or holes, allowing partially digested food and toxins to penetrate the tissues beneath it. This may promote inflammation and changes in the gut flora (normal bacteria) which could lead to problems within the digestive tract and beyond.
Food sensitivity is not usually life-threatening, however, it can make you feel extremely unwell. Food sensitivity may produce a variety of symptoms including anxiety, bloating, nausea, stomach discomfort, diarrhea, muscle and joint pains, headaches, weight control issues, and water retention.
Benefits of taking food sensitivity test
As mentioned earlier, the symptoms of food sensitivity can be delayed for hours even up to days, making it hard to determine the cause. By taking this test, you will know which specific food items you may be reacting to. This can aid you to make the necessary dietary adjustments to achieve optimal health and help heal your gut. The gut houses two-thirds of the immune system and is involved in the digestion and absorption of nutrients. It also serves as a barrier for bacteria, viruses, toxins, and pathogens. Your clinician can help you create a personalized diet with the results from your test. This diet is designed to reduce inflammation brought by possible trigger food and inflammatory food, support a healthy microbiome, reduce toxic burden, and promote body awareness.
After careful assessment of the test result as well as the anthropometric measurement, biochemical, clinical, and dietary data, the clinician may recommend that you refrain from eating food items with elevated IgG concentration. This aims to identify the possible foods that may be triggering the symptoms. This may be done for the next three weeks or longer depending on the recommendation of the clinician and the improvement of symptoms. Borderline food items may be taken in moderation and in rotation while those with igG concentration may generally be consumed.
Your clinician may also recommend food substitution. This can be done by consuming a variety of nutrient-dense yet enjoyable foods. This can include different vegetables and fruits that will provide a complex array of phytonutrients and antioxidants.
As early as three weeks, the registered nutritionist-dietitian can assess compliance with the elimination food plan, and once deemed eligible one can start the reintroduction of foods, one at a time, observing whether that food is associated with negative symptoms.
Foods that continue to provoke symptoms (physical, mental, and emotional) may be avoided for an additional three to six months, at which time reintroduction is attempted again. This should be done with the guidance of the healthcare team to allow for proper planning and food substitution.
I’m sure some of you are not aware of your food sensitivities or intolerances. Taking the test will help you address your health concerns, and take sustainable steps that yield real results toward a healthier lifestyle. Visit https://lifescience.ph for more information. For feedback, I’m at joba.botana@gmail.com.