Food intolerance testing.....

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​Available at Nourishing Insights clinic and shop at 44 St Andrew Street, Aberdeen or can be done at home.  Food Intolerance testing can help a variety of conditions. If you have been suffering for some time and are getting by on endless rounds of pills which only offer symptomatic relief at best, food intolerances may be behind your continued health challenges. This test is suitable for children from 2 years old and involves a simple pin prick test. I offer a free 20 min consultation by phone to discuss your needs further and will advise as appropriate for each case. Test results are back within 10 working days. For small children our preferred approach is the gold standard which is an elimination diet. Ultimately the focus with our service is about getting to individual route cause and working on gut healing so as to restore immune tolerance and introduce most foods back where possible. 

Intolerance versus allergy.
The test involves a simple pin prick test which goes off to a UK registered Medical Laboratory. This test is an IgG test which looks at your Immunoglobulin G response to particluar foods. There is much confusion and misinformation about food intolerances and what they actually are. An 'Allergy' is where you have an instant reaction to something as is often  the case with common allergies to foods such as nuts and shellfish or even a bee sting. This can be a mild allergic response to a  severe and sometimes even life threatening reaction where the person can go into anaphylactic shock. For these stronger reactions,  it is necessary to carry a preventive medicine such as an epipen and serious care needs to be taken in managing this condition. The immunoglobulin involved in this case is IgE and testing for this is often done via the NHS. However we can now offer allergy testing also at our clinic if this is required. IgE testing at our clinic is also a pin prick blood test and the test offers both food and environmental allergens. 

An 'intolerance' on the other hand, involves an IgG response and the challenge with this is that it is often less obvious to the person experiencing it. Many people live for years without even considering that they may have one. That said, many of us know exactly when we've eaten something that our body doesn't like and a reaction can be fairly quick following a meal and can be quite severe. What is interesting is that when the results of a test come back, they often validate what the person was expecting and are thus very reassuring.  One of the challenges is that it can take up to 72 hours to experience an IgG reaction which means you could for example, eat a potato on a saturday and have migraine on a monday and not join the dots between the two. So if you are one of those people who are not making the connection with food triggers, this could be why. The delayed reaction also makes it slightly trickier and time consuming when doing diary taking and elimination diets, although I also offer this approach and it works really well for many.
It is of course possible to have both allergies and intolerances. For example you may have an 'allergy' to latex or nuts and a 'food intolerance' for dairy and yeast. There is also the option to test for both IgG and IgE at the same time if this is preferable. 

Nutritional protocol.
Of course, there are other issues running alongside intolerances and the protocol for dealing with them involves more than just removal of identified triggers! This is where a Registered Nutritional Therapist comes in as I can ensure that you are well supported for total nutrient intake. I may also recommend further testing either via your GP or privately to identify other culprits. Ultimately, I will work with you to achieve balance and wellness across all body systems and tackling all of your health challenges in turn. We will also work together to heal the gut at cellular level and support digestive enzymes, stomach acidity and other fundamental aspects of optimal digestive health.This way, you will be able to re-introduce some foods as you heal over time and build back immune tolerance. Nutritional Therapy deals with the root cause of these problems. A food intolerance may indeed be causing your migraine. However, the ultimate cause is the reason for the food intolerance in the first place. This takes us to 'leaky gut' or intestinal permeability or perhaps you have  low stomach acid. There are multiple factors that can set us up for developing a food intolerance from chronic stress to gut infections or drug medications. Food intolerance is therefore a symptom of an underlying weakness in your intestinal integrity. If this is not corrected, further problems will ensue longer term. An IgG test can only be carried out as  a blood test but the lab we use offer a simple pin pick blood which can be done at home. 

Weight loss as a side effect not as a goal!
One of the pleasant side effects of Nutritional therapy is that people usually lose weight. All recommendations involve following a 'clean' diet and the wonderful thing is that the appropriate support is given to be able to achieve this whatever your starting point. Something to consider regarding other weight loss approaches is that you can actually lose weight without eating healthy 'clean' foods. One example of this is just eating less. If we eat less 'junk' then of course we may lose weight but if we continue to eat foods that do not provide the right information to our cells, we are in big trouble! Add to this the fact that many of the foods we are told are 'healthy' are not. Weight loss should never be your primary goal to achieve wellness. It should follow naturally from following a health promoting lifestyle and appropriate foods for you.  In addition weight gain can be an unpleasant side effect of unidentified food intolerance due to inflammation and fluid retention. If you have suddenly gained weight out of the blue, ask yourself if you have recently introduced a new routine example protein shakes at breakfast containing dairy of soya based protein powders as if you are reacting to either the dairy or the soya you can gain weight or really struggle to lose any. 

IBS, pain and autoimmune conditions, skin conditions.
The commonest reasons for seeking food intolerance testing are the above and the results can be life changing for those who benefit. Double blind studies have shown a clear link between food intolerance and IBS with one study demonstrating  a third of participants having at least one if not multiple food intolerances. In addition some sufferers of IBS benefit from following a low FODMAP's approach for a period of time, more in our IBS blog.  Other very common conditions that are affected by food intolerance are Endometriosis and Eczema,  asthma and hay fever, joint pain, migraine and mental health conditions. 

 Interestingly, if you have an autoimmune condition, for example underactive thyroid or psoriasis, did you know that  you are also at risk of developing other autoimmune conditions if you don't take steps to support your immune system now? I follow a Functional Medicine approach to my work as a Nutritional Therapist and autoimmune disease is an area of specialism for me. 
A Nutritional therapy consultation will help you get to the root of your particular health challenges. A food intolerance test can be done as a stand alone test without a full consultation as above, but a half hour consultation will always be completed to discuss your heath needs before the test is completed. Advice will also be given as to whether testing is appropriate or not. 

To make an appointment and to discuss your health challenges further,  please phone 01224 969637 or contact us here I offer telephone and skype/zoom appointments for those at a distance. (Check with your insurance provider to see if Nutritional Therapy is covered)

​Prices can be found on our testing page. 

#Aberdeen #Nutritionist #Functional Medicine #Food intolerance

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I made an appointment with Beverley as I was struggling with underactive thyroid and had just been diagnosed with Polycystic ovary Syndrome. I didn't fully understand the link between autoimmune disease and food intolerance although I had suffered IBS for years, so it was all making sense! I was keen to deal with my PCOS through diet and supplements instead of drugs and am delighted in my success. Through eating the right foods for me, and balancing my blood sugar I was able to lose 2 stone and sort my hormones out. The result of all this (which I have to say wasn't as hard as I had anticipated!), is that I am now expecting my first baby! Highly recommend Beverley and Nutritional Therapy which really is life changing. Hannah, Aberdeenshire.