Common food allergy symptoms and sensitivity are headache, brain fog, gastrointestinal distress, autoimmunity, hormonal imbalance, skin issues, and fatigue, to name a few. Treatment options to management of potential food allergy sensitivity issues often include eliminating common “offenders” (such as gluten, dairy, soy, etc.) in the diet. While this offers some benefit, elimination diets do take time as these foods need to be removed for at least 4-6 weeks and then slowly reintroduced back into the diet.
Additionally, accidental exposure to any of the foods could also derail the outcomes of the experiment. Elimination diets are not individualized nor do they account for chemical (both additive and naturally occurring) sensitivities and sensitivities to otherwise “healthy” foods (like blueberries, cauliflower, and other typically recommended foods). When a client presents with numerous symptoms that may not be well-controlled with dietary strategies they have attempted on their own, a food sensitivity testis recommended. This provides a static reporting of foods that are causing a response from your immune system and creating silent underlying inflammation which has widespread effects throughout the body.
Food sensitivity testing includes identifying sensitivities to fruits, vegetables, starches, proteins, dairy products, grains, nuts, seeds, food additives, seasonings, natural and synthetic food chemicals, as well as chemicals found in common toiletries and medications. Based on results of the food sensitivity testing, you will be able to create a menu from foods that are better tolerated by your specific biology. An individualized and specific food plan is created based on your own results that will walk you through a twelve month dietary protocol made just for you.
A hallmark of food sensitivities is that almost any food or chemical can potentially be reactive. A specific food may cause a problem for one person but not for another. The individualized nature of the sensitivity reaction means that an individual approach is the most therapeutic and effective. Therefore, “phased” approach diet will be outlined based on your MRT Results as followed:
Phase 1—ImmunoCalm: Eating least reactive foods for 14 days to calm down the immune system.
Phase 2—Slow Introduction: Slowly incorporating slightly more reactive foods into the diet and tracking symptoms. At this time, untested foods and supplements can be started while paying close attention to reactions.
Phase 3—Challenge of “moderate” reactive foods.
Phase 4—Challenge of “highly” reactive foods.