After struggling with trying
to lose weight for the past year and not being very successful I decided to
take a test to see if I had any food allergies.
Daman had been telling about the test and how surprising it was that so
many people actually suffer from food allergies and sensitivities and don’t
even know it. The symptoms can range
from bloating, weight gain, headaches, inflammation, fatigue and list goes on. I figured that the test couldn’t hurt and
maybe it would give me some insight.
The test was simple. I
purchased it through my gym, went to a lab down the street
from work to have my blood drawn, and then two days later I had t he results in
my hands. I then met with a nutritionist to go over my results and come up with a plan of
action.
My results showed that while
I did not have any full-blown (thank goodness) food allergies, it did show that
I have sensitivity to certain foods.
Eggs I have eliminated from
my diet for three months (eggs tested at a level II on the food sensitivity
scale). There were several other foods
including cow’s milk, blue mold cheese, chocolate, soybeans, gluten, corn,
green beans, cane sugar and brewer’s yeast that came back as a Level I on the
food sensitivity scale. All of these items I can have once a week.
From this experience I feel
like I have learned that eggs are in everything, and I CAN actually live
without having chocolate every day. I
have become so much more conscious of what food labels say and what I am
putting into my body. I have also become
more in tune with how my body acts when I have certain foods.
Overall, I feel healthier,
happier, and more self-aware. I am so happy that I went through with having the
test done and making the changes with my diet.
I have more energy and sleep great!
My stomach bloating has subsided and my digestive system feels more on
track; I have lost weight; and my skin is glowing. I have even seen a change in my mood.
Little by little I am able to incorporate healthy changes into my lifestyle. A year ago I would have never thought that I would have been able to fast on juice for 9 days or give up dairy and chocolate. However, the improvements in my health are far greater than any satisfaction I may momentarily have from eating some cheese and crackers, or decadent cupcake.
For more information about
food allergies/sensitivity check out this site http://healthylivinghowto.com/1/post/2012/03/being-dairy-free-part-two.html
Hi Cortney, great blog regarding food sensitivities. I can relate to this well, as I am allergic to fish and seafood, and have a few other food sensitivities. It is so important to make healthy eating choices when you have these, even when it seems like we face peer pressure to do otherwise. When we let these go, it could be lethargic or worse, so I agree that being happier and healthier is a definitely a better choice.
ReplyDeleteHi Cortney, it's amazing what certain foods can do to you and what you can actually be allergic to. When I was younger (about 8 or 9 years old) I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and broke out in a bad case of hives. At first my doctor was concerned I had a peanut allergy, but after ruling that out he discovered I was allergic to the red dye in the jelly. I was literally allergic to a food coloring. For years we had to watch what I ate since food coloring was in almost everything. Thankfully I somehow became immune to the allergy a few years later.
ReplyDeleteThank you sharing guys! It's been such an eye-opening experience for me, and it's definitely a challenge when facing peer pressure. So many people are not very understanding and I actually catch a lot of grief from family members for not eating what they consider normal.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting!
ReplyDeleteWow this is a interesting post! I might have to take this test myself. Good for you that your taking care of yourself :)
ReplyDelete