Food Sensitivity Test + Health Coaching Consult

Details

Food is the most important medicine in the functional medicine toolbox. Removing foods that elicit an inflammatory response can have a profound impact on gastrointestinal health and overall well-being.

First and foremost, food allergies and food sensitivities have two different reactions on the body, but both can cause a variety of symptoms and hinder healing. A food allergy can be defined as any food that causes an immediate reaction in the body. Typical symptoms, but not always, may include rash, itchiness, swelling or anaphylactic shock.

This is a true immune reaction, as opposed to a reaction that happens in the digestive tract, which is sensitivity.

A food sensitivity, or intolerance, is not life threatening, but can cause an array of symptoms anywhere from 2-72 hours after ingesting an offending food. Symptoms of food sensitivity may include, but (add “are”) not limited to, gas, bloating, diarrhea, brain fog, constipation, cramping, nausea, or worsening of systemic inflammation. Many people don’t realize there may be foods that they are eating that are causing or worsening their chronic symptoms.

Long-term ingestion of foods that create an immune response can worsen intestinal permeability, also known as “leaky gut.” The food particle or activated antigens can cross into the blood stream and contribute to chronic inflammation. In order to calm down reactivity in the body, we recommend eliminating positive findings on the lab for 1-3 months, then slowly re-introducing the foods back into the diet one by one. During the elimination period, healing the GI tract may be recommend by your functional medicine practitioner. The elimination of IgG food sensitivities can improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, ADHD, migraines, rheumatoid arthritis and more, according to numerous clinical studies.