8 Things You Need to Know about Food Intolerances & Food Sensitivity Testing

Curious about food intolerances and food sensitivity testing? Learn the 8 things you need to know before you get started.

We’ve reached the end of our series all about food intolerances and food sensitivity testing! We’ve covered so much ground this week, diving into the details of food intolerances, answering questions, researching food intolerance test kits, and going step-by-step on how to decide which kits are right for you – if they are at all.

Since I tend to like things wrapped up for me so I make sure I get the most out of something, I wanted to just give you the quick summary of this blog post series. So here are the key takeaways from this series that I hope that you’ve learned along the way:

1. Food intolerances are an immune system response in the body when a certain food is eaten.

This response is known as an IgA or IgG antibody response, and is a delayed reaction to eating specific foods that your body cannot break down properly. These reactions often comes in the form of digestive issues, skin issues, and even mood related symptoms.

We talked more about the details of symptoms, but came to the conclusion that almost anything that is strange going on in your body that you can’t explain can often be explained by a food intolerance. Read more here.

2. The most common symptoms of food intolerances are feeling tired, headaches, trouble concentrating, joint pain, frequent gas, bloating, or indigestion, skin issues, feeling depressed or anxious, and an increase in susceptibility to catching colds and viruses.

While these are common symptoms, there are plenty more – and even some that could be unique to you! If you are feeling “off” at all, give your food and reactions to food a good look. You may have a food intolerance and not even know about it. Read more here.

3. Food intolerances are most commonly caused by a “leaky gut” or gut impermeability.

That just means that you have some work to do when it comes to healing your gut and cutting out some foods that are causing your issues in the first place. Read more here.

4. You can discover if you have a food intolerance by conducting an elimination diet or by starting with a food sensitivity test to narrow down the foods you’ll want to take out with an elimination diet.

You can start with a food journal, then methodically remove foods from your diet, making notes on how you feel and if you see any improvements. If you need some help narrowing down which foods to remove from your diet and test back in, you may want to use a food sensitivity test to help you make some decisions.Read more here.

5. You should choose a food sensitivity testing kit over diving in to an elimination diet when you are overwhelmed with starting one without any starting point.

Choose a food sensitivity testing kit if you don’t know if the symptoms you’re experiencing are from food or other lifestyle factors, you have a hunch that some foods are making you sick, but aren’t sure which ones, you feel okay about doing your own blood sample at home, and are comfortable with reviewing your own results in an online or PDF format. Read more here.

6. There are six main things to look for in a food sensitivity testing kits.

These are how it is administered, how the test is supported by doctors and/or scientists, the cost and your personal budget, how many foods you want to be tested for, how the results are delivered, and the support you’ll receive after you get your results. Read more here

7. You can complete an at-home food sensitivity test for anywhere between $60 and $249, using a blood spot sample or a hair sample.

My recommended food intolerance testing kit is EverlyWell, because of the convenience, the reporting, the speed, and the support you receive through their service. Read more here.

8. It’s super simple – only 6 steps – to complete an EverlyWell food sensitivity testing kit if you want to give yourself a leg up in understanding your own food intolerances.

It takes only about 2 weeks in total from hitting the order button to having your results ready for you online. EverlyWell wow’ed me with their product, service, and support – and if you’re looking at a testing kit to identify your own food intolerances, definitely consider trying this one out. Read more here.

And from now until November 23, you can get 25% off your Everlywell Test using the code “THANKS25” at checkout. Don’t miss out on the chance for this major savings!