What I Did Wrong
It seems like so many people have allergies these days or at least it’s being talked about more in recent years. If you’ve ever gone to the allergist for a scratch test to determine what you are allergic to but suspect additional allergies then you may need to go a step further and take a delayed food allergy test called IgG.
I never thought about food allergies when I was younger, it just wasn’t talked about. All I knew was my stomach hurt after almost every single meal. As I got older I started changing my diet a bit and realized that dairy wasn’t one of those foods my body needed or wanted – it actually wreaks havoc on my body. I tried to make it work since we are told to have 3 servings of dairy a day, but they I finally decided to give it up after experiencing not only digestive upset but also terrible acne and headaches.
In recent years I suspected more food allergies and took a test from Immuno Labs about 4 years ago. This type of test showed delayed food allergy reactions, which can be harder to determine because symptoms can occur 12 to 72 hours after consuming offending foods. I also did an elimination diet following the test by taking out the foods the test revealed and I began to feel so much better! After feeling better for quite some time, I decided that I could start adding foods into my diet again. This can be OK for some people, but needs to be done very slowly and the foods are to be eaten in small amounts. I didn’t go this route and started added back foods too much too soon. I started to feel a little off but dismissed what I was feeling. I thought that I could will my body to accept these foods again. Oh I have never been so wrong!
My health started to make a downward spiral and not only was my belly unhappy, more heartburn occurred, and I also developed eczema all over my body, mainly my legs, but also my belly, back, underarms. It seemed to come out of nowhere and for whatever reason, I did not equate this to all of the foods I had reintroduced into my life again. I thought it was just bad luck and stress. Sometimes we can’t see what is right in front of us! If a client told me this story, it would be so much easier for me to see that it was all the offending foods back in the diet that were causing problems.
So I decided to get another delayed food allergy test. This time from USBiotek. A friend referred me to a location that could administer the test and so I went and got it done. This time I am going to eliminate these foods for good. I am sure my husband will keep a close eye on me too!
More about the testing: USBiotek offers a delayed allergy test you can get done on about 96 foods in several categories: General, Vegetarian, Mexican, Asian, Japanese. These tests will cover grains, legumes, nuts/seeds, dairy, fruits, vegetables, meats and eggs, fish, spices. Each categorized test has a specific protocol of the foods it will test. They also offer testing for environmental factors including inhalants that can cause reactions mold, trees, weeds, indoor allergens.
Your test results will show your reaction based on a scale of 0 to VI (7). Zero being no reaction, I = Very Low, II = Low, III = Moderate, IV = High, V = Very High, VI = Extremely High. Ideally, you will then avoid all foods that gave results of II (Low) to VI (Extremely High) for at least 6 weeks. Then you may reintroduce the foods one at a time, starting with the lowest reaction, to see if the reaction subsides. Sometimes our bodies need a break from foods we eat a lot and other times, we need to avoid foods forever. The foods on the High reaction and above may need to be avoided indefinitely or perhaps several years, then consumed sparingly if at all. Learning which foods work well for your body and which foods cause allergic reaction is key to optimal health.
Some common delayed food allergy reactions may include: fatigue, anxiety, depression, brain fog, rashes, eczema, asthma, hives, digestive upset, heartburn. Delayed food reactions may occur 12 – 72 hours after consuming a food so that can make it much harder to detect than an immediate food allergy.
If you want to get the UsBiotek test done, you can locally by this provider or go to the website and contact UsBiotek directly.
Dr. Frank Driano
(954)-438-1212
9684 Pines Blvd, Pemproke Pines, FL 33025
Here are my test results. If you see me eating an egg, please throw it on the floor (results are at Level VI – Extremely High Reaction)!
Have you had delayed food allergy testing and traditional scratch testing done? Did removing those foods from your diet help improve your health?
There are a lot of foods I shouldn’t be eating so I am going to get more creative with my meals, because despite everything I still love food! If you are in the same place and need help figuring out what meals to eat with a limited selection I can help. Please contact me for more information: totalhealthcounseling@gmail.com
I hope sharing my experience will benefit you in some way!
XO,
Pam
