We have heard it time and time again from clients.  “I want to lose weight and feel better, but I can’t pinpoint what foods  I am eating are making me sick.  Anymore, it feels like everything I eat makes me sick!”   Far too often we are spending precious time and money on guessing what it is that is causing our pain and discomfort rather than simply testing.   This article discusses the negative impact of food sensitivities,  benefits of testing and how we can manage food sensitivities, and most importantly how we can help you get back to living your life again.

How Food Sensitivities Affect You

Food Sensitivities can be far more prevalent than Food Allergies since a true food allergy only affects approximately 4-6% of the population, whereas Food sensitivities can affect up to 40% of the population.

When your body responds negatively to a food or food chemical, the immune system identifies that food and/or  food substance as foreign, which in return triggers immune cells to attack.  Powerful chemicals such as histamine, prostaglandins and cytokines are released to destroy these invaders.  Which inevitably leads to inflammation and damage occurs leading to symptoms.

When these foods are removed from the diet, it ultimately decreases inflammation which decreases symptoms.  Food Sensitivities can be very difficult to diagnose as it can take anywhere from 45 minutes up to 72 hours after ingestion to have a reaction.  Therefore we can spend so much time and money guessing without relief.

Our guts are the very core of our health and when compromised can wreak havoc on our bodies and our health  since up to 70% of our immune system is in our gut.  Eliminating food sensitivities can be one vital piece of the puzzle to improving gut health, boosting our immunity and contributing to an overall sense of well being.

The Mediator Release Test (MRT) through Oxford Biomedical Technologies is a blood test that tests 170 different food and food chemicals to determine whether or not your body specifically has a negative (or positive) response to a specific food or food chemical.  MRT  is the most advanced and reliable instrument for measuring subtle changes in volumetric changes that can occur during an immune response that causes inflammatory reactions to food and food chemicals.

Food sensitivities can affect us systemically from head to toe,whereas allergies are typically limited to airways, skin and GI.  Chronic Food sensitivities and adverse reactions to food can play a large role in:

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• Migraines/Headaches
• Arthritis/Joint Pain
• Fibromyalgia
• ADHD
• Brain Fog
• Autoimmune disease
• Weight Imbalances
• Heartburn/GERD
• Eczema

Why Test Now?

As mentioned above, it could take up to 3 days for you to have a negative reaction to food.  Often we look to the most recent meal or food we have consumed, when in reality it could have been breakfast or dinner from the day before.  Instead of guess, take a test!

In addition, as Certified LEAP Therapists (CLT), we  are trained dietitians and nutritionists that specialize in helping you find the diet that is right for YOU!  We do this through helping you to properly eliminate and reintroduce foods that are potentially making you sick.  In addition, do we not only focus on foods that may contribute to your chronic condition, but we focus on foods that do not and provide very detailed diets and meal plans to help you follow the LEAP protocol.

Now is the time.  Following a LEAP diet can be challenging for some due to busy schedules, travel and meals away from home.  However, right now, we are all at home! During the first phase of the diet (10-14 days), we are limited to 20-25 different foods and ideally we want to avoid potential exposure to untested and reactive ingredients.  Therefore, being at home will help prevent these temptations since we are in control.

As LEAP therapists we are here to help.  You don’t do this alone!  We are with you every step of the way to provide support, encouragement, recipes and meal ideas.   The LEAP diet is focused on healing the gut, along with other areas of the body that are triggered by food sensitivities.  Many people report decreased symptoms and feelings of anxiety within 10-14 days.

A dietary problem requires a dietary solution. And that dietary solution is best administered by a properly trained dietitian or nutritionist. If food and food chemicals play a role in making a person ill, how can the person get well without appropriately addressing diet? The truth is they can’t.  So together…let’s figure it out.

To get started, contact us today!