Do you suffer from chronic itchy skin (sometimes referred to as eczema)? Do you have allergy symptoms (runny nose, itchy eyes) that you just can't explain? Do you experience intestinal issues (Chron's, IBS, bloating) that don't seem to get better no matter what you do? Do any of these symptoms sound like you: acne, brain fog, fatigue, joint pain, acid reflux, headaches/migraines, diarrhea, These symptoms may be caused by the foods you eat.
We take for granted what we eat sometimes and rarely do we think that it's the food that may be the cause of our unwanted symptoms. There are 3 negative ways your body can react to food. Food allergy, food sensitivity, and food intolerance.
Food allergy is classified by an immediate immune response that triggers a histamine reaction. These reactions can be quite severe, presenting as hives or even anaphylaxis. An example of this is a peanut allergy, where if you come into contact with peanuts you start to get itchy, swell up, and maybe even have trouble breathing. You will definitely know if you have a food allergy and it is recommended to avoid the foods that you are allergic to at all costs. A food allergy is commonly treated with antihistamines (allergy pills) or an EpiPen™.
Food intolerance is classified by the body's inability to break down (metabolize) certain foods, usually due to the lack of the enzyme needed to break down the food. Symptoms usually present as flatulence, bloating, and sometimes diarrhea. An example of this is lactose intolerance, where the person is lacking the lactase enzyme needed to break down lactose (a natural sugar found in many dairy products). Consuming dairy products can cause the symptoms mentioned above. (bloating, flatulence, diarrhea). Food intolerance is commonly treate
Food sensitivity is hard to classify and can present as any number of symptoms (as mentioned at the beginning) and can be very generic and non-specific. The reaction is normally delayed by days and even weeks after consuming the food. Many people can go their entire life without knowing they have a food sensitivity and live their life with symptoms that they just can't explain. An example of food sensitivity is sensitivity to gluten that can cause fatigue, cramps, bloating, and many other symptoms.
How can you tell if you have a food sensitivity? Unlike a food allergy, that happens immediately with very defined symptoms and produces an IgE-mediated (immunoglobulin E) response, a food sensitivity may go undiagnosed or the symptoms may be attributed to something else. Food sensitivities can produce an IgG-mediated response that can be detected with a blood test. These tests can look at the body's IgG response to a wide range of foods and quantifies the severity of the response.
We are partnered with Rocky Mountain Analytics (RMA) and offer food sensitivity testing through their lab. Their RMA FST™ Panels tests over 120+ antigens and gives a detailed report on the reactivity to the tested foods. They offer 3 different panels with an increasing number of antigens tested (Basic 120+, Vegetarian 160+, and Enhanced 220+). They also offer select antigens that can be added to any of their tests. From a small blood sample, the RMA FST™ Panels detects the IgG antibodies for each food and assigns a numerical value and categorizes the values into 3 categories:
- Elevated (high antibody reaction)
- Borderline (moderate antibody reaction)
- Normal (no significant antibody reaction)
From these results, you can get a sense of which foods may have a negative effect on your health.
What else can you do with these results?
It is recommended that you do not make any significant changes without first consulting a healthcare professional. In general, foods that are in the elevated category can be eliminated from your diet for 3 months to see if there is an improvement to your symptoms. Those foods should be substituted with foods from the Normal category.
We, at Holistic Pharmacy and Nutrition, offer a package where we work with the lab to provide the RMA FST™ Panels and offer a 30 min consultation to interpret the results and build a nutrition plan (through recipe recommendation and supplements) to improve your symptoms and overall health With science backing us up and expert guidance we will work with you to help improve or eliminate your symptoms.
We offer a free 15-min consultation where we can help determine if an RMA FST™ Panel is right for you. Book your appointment today. at Holistic Pharmacy and Nutrition For more information on the RMA, FST™ Panels visit RMA Labs.
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