Food sensitivity testing?

[Sarah Wood]

Has anyone read this article?  And is anyone familiar with the testing mentioned?  It also talks about identifying gut infections.

http://nourishingourchildren.wordpress.com/2012/12/26/if-gaps-hasnt...

 

I am interested in trying testing to pinpoint my issues instead of going through lots of tedious elimination diets and trials.  (I've recently eliminated grains, with some improvement, but would like to identify with more certainty what foods I am sensitive to.)

[Pat Robinson]

Sarah,

Your diet is very pristine. I don't believe that testing provides 'more certainty' than a Food Journal, which is the gold standard. But, if you have the money to spend, it could help to identify potential foods to consider eliminating. I'm VERY cautious about food eliminations while breastfeeding. There are all kinds of nutrient deficiency and detoxification issues with food group eliminations.

I've been reading more and more about concerns related to the lost B-complex vitamins from being grain-free, not to mention the phytonutrient losses. Long and short of it, your diet is very clean and rotating food groups could address  'intolerances' without loss of nutrients. Have you read about food group rotation diets? I do agree with that aspect of the article.

But, anytime one considers any diagnostic test, I ask myself, "What would I do differently with this information?".


Pat

[Sarah Wood]

Thank you! but I don't think I could go so far as to say my diet is "pristine!" :)  In some respects, I think giving up grains for a while has been good for me in helping me to avoid as many "compromise" foods.  And I've eaten more salads, veggies and protein instead of going for quick and convenient grain based products.  I am not familiar with rotation diets.  Please tell me more. 

I don't want to give up all grains forever, but I have some issues I need to try and heal/resolve/improve.  (I can give more details if that would help, but it ain't pretty!)  It has just been a starting point, but I am wondering about the possibility of being sensitve to more than one thing, or if my reactions might be based on quantity consumed and/or certain foods being consumed in conjuction with one another.  It seems like such a difficult problem to navigate.    I don't necessarily have acute or immediate reactions, so it seems difficult to tell if symptoms I suffer at one point are b/c of something I ate hours or even days ago?  I have had some of my symptoms improve going off grains, so I think there is something there.  But I have also experienced some detox symptoms like eczema flares in new places on my body.  I am not seeking out detox, as I will probably be pregnant and/or breastfeeding for years to come, but what can I do?  I want to try and improve my issues, preferably through diet and not by medication.  (Which was of course recommended when I went to see a doctor.)  With regard to pregnancy and breastfeeding, I think I might be between a rock and a hard place.