What do you think of when you look at the foods above? Do they look tasty? Healthy even? If you said yes then I completely agree with you. If you've been reading my blog you'll know that I've recently had a major struggle with my health and ultimately my weight and as a result, I've tried juicing - which I love, I've tried eating a 100% raw diet which I found really easy and I've tried eating healthy which included foods such as carrots, chicken, melon, cabbage, oats, flax, rye, nuts, seeds, and other 'healthy' delights.
So what happened? Well, long story short I gained over 2 stone. I felt awful, after going to my doctors on so many occasions, each time I came away feeling like a fraud - I was telling them that I was doing regular exercise, eating fruits, vegetables and juicing like crazy and they'd just tell me to keep at it. After the first stone, I went back to tell them I'd upped my exercise and I'd now changed to a raw and organic diet that was as healthy as I could possibly get it - and they'd tell me to keep at it or to do the Atkins, do the 5:2 or that it was all hormonal and I should just wait until it sorted itself out. During the whole time I dieted I never once lost a single pound. The funny thing is before when I use to eat cake, chocolate and homemade pie I actually lost weight which was crazy.
I then realised that my weight was all over the place, one day I could weigh 9 stone and the next day I was 10 stone 2, three days later I'd be back to 9 stone 5 or something crazy. I saw my doctor again and mentioned that I literally felt like I could 'pop because I was swollen, puffy and sore. I was suffering from daily migraines which had stopped me from doing exercise and I just felt really conscious because none of my clothes would fit me. I even bought clothing that was a size larger than I need - the same size I wore in 2009 when pregnant. On the days I 'gained' they were tight and ill-fitting.
Eventually, it was agreed that I would go for allergy testing to see if any of the foods were the cause of my allergic response - at last, I was excited to finally get some sort of resolve and it did feel like a step in the right direction, as I was swelling up badly; even when eating a super healthy diet.
I got my results back two weeks ago but while waiting for my appointment (NHS waiting times are a nightmare aren't they) I decided to use an intolerance testing company I found on Google called The Intolerance Testing Group - I'm impatient like that. I checked the companies feedback and searched for days trying to find negative or scam reviews and found none. It cost £45 which I paid by Paypal for extra security and I figured I really had nothing to lose because I was already 'ill' and miserable. I also knew that if the NHS test was completely different I could claim back the money via Paypal. The company was The Intolerance Testing Group and they basically check hundreds of foods and non-foods, I also opted for the nutrient deficiencies testing too which were an additional £5 when I got to the checkout.
After paying I was emailed information on what to expect and a questionnaire, I was asked to send them a sample of some hair (I pulled some from the nape of my neck) and post it to them. Here's where I was maybe a bit of a difficult customer; in the questionnaire, it asks you what conditions you have, medications you take and any symptoms. I answered 'not willing to disclose' I didn't want the company to give me generic results based on the conditions I put down. I really did give them nothing other than my name, date of birth, address and Paypal payment reference number because I really wanted to test them to check how well they performed.
So, I have both sets of results from each company (NHS and Intolerance Testing Group) and I have to say that they are pretty spot on. The Intolerance Testing Group found a few more unusual intolerances such as horse, pigs, rats, ferrets, and finches.
The thing that left me feeling gutted was that I had spent so long trying to do the right thing, the thing that all doctors and medical journals expect you to do, only to find out that it was doing the 'right' thing that made the situation get to where it is. I found out I'm allergic and intolerant to basil, tea, beetroot, wheat, cabbage, carrots, chicken, carob (chocolate substitute and sweetener), flax, garlic, green pepper, leeks, lettuce, rye, plums, melon, coffee, pecans, pine nuts, macadamia nuts, oats, and egg. There's a lot of non-edible's too but they weren't real issues other than house dust, certain grass types, and some animals.
I already knew that tea, bread (wheat) and coffee caused problems, a few days before getting my results I put on 10lbs in one day after eating a slice of bread and woke up with the puffiest face and legs, coffee also caused a similar effect. Since finding out the results I did go through some initial shock then swiftly changed my eating habits. Since omitting these foods I've lost one stone and my migraines have stopped! *happy dance*
My nutritional deficiencies were also spot on. Some of the people who used the company before said their results showed a vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiencies are completely common even for healthy people, I knew my vitamin D levels were perfect so knew that this shouldn't show on my results. I've been using Better You's Vitamin D spray and had a blood test at the start (which showed deficiencies) and then after a few weeks (which showed normal results), The Intolerance Testing Group didn't show any vitamin D deficiencies which was exactly what I was expecting but did show amino acids and a Glutathione deficiency which ties in with my conditions.
So what's the point of this super-long post? We're all different. Sisters, brothers, parents and even twins all have different likes and dislike; no-one is exactly the same. The same goes for our bodies and digestive systems. What's good for someone isn't going to be good for you and if you eat or ingest those products you're body struggles to work efficiently. When your body doesn't work as it should you start to see symptoms which is your body's way of saying 'help me.'
Thyroid issues, liver problems, pain disorders, fatigue, bowel issues and digestive upset are all side effects from a system that's not working. The reason I mention these, in particular, is that these are the ones that I found problematic. If you're struggling with any of these issues then I fully recommend having this test done or asking your doctor to refer you for allergy and intolerance testing.
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