Hearing about people who have food sensitivities, intolerances or being gluten free has become something that has been more and more talked about. I have always wondered and been suspicious about certain foods but had never thought about getting tested. I have been struggling with dairy and gluten for years now, but dairy is my biggest struggle. Every time I ate dairy, I would get awful stomach aches so I would just avoid it in my diet. What was going on with my body? The hardest part about narrowing down on a food that bothers you is that sometimes it can take up to 48 hours to feel the effects, so pinpointing can be tough.
I discovered EverlyWell while watching Shark Tank and was intrigued. EverlyWell offers many at home tests that can help you, one being a food sensitivity test. I knew that I had to try it out, and it was SO easy to complete and get my results!
Who is EverlyWell? EverlyWell is a testing company that offers in-home tests. They make it super easy for you to be able to do it on your time, without leaving the comfort of your own home. To me there is nothing more frustrating than going to the doctors, then being sent to the lab and waiting forever to get lab results back. They have a ton of different tests from Food Sensitivities, Thyroid, Sleep & Stress, Vitamin D, DHA for Breastmilk testing, and so many more.
To purchase your test you just head to the EverlyWell website and pick the test that fits best for you. They ship them right to your home, and include all of the directions and items that you will need. Included is a bio-hazard bag to put your sample in and a prepaid postage bag to put your sample in and ship directly to the lab. Before you take the test you will need to register your kit, so you can easily be updated on your results.
The Food Sensitivity test and the thyroid test both were my top picks, but I ultimately went with the Food Sensitivity test. The test measures your IgG response to 96 common foods so you can figure out which to include in an elimination diet. Included in the test is dairy, seafood, fruits, vegetables, meats, seeds, nuts and spices. What is IgG? IgG is one of the 5 types of antibodies that your immune system makes against proteins, called antigens. While antibodies are meant to help us and fight infection, sometimes those antibodies can cause unwanted side effects (for example – too much IgE to something is what creates allergies – if they are severe enough you can be in serious danger). With IgG, those reactions can cause inflammation in the area which may cause some people to develop symptoms. So – by finding the foods you have a high IgG reactivity towards, you can know which ones may be the most likely to cause you symptoms, eliminate them in an elimination diet, challenge your body a few weeks later by eating those foods again one at a time, and see if any of them cause you symptoms. To be able to maximize your results, you should eat your normal diet to get the results of what is in your daily diet. The test is looking for IgG antibodies that were created within the last 4 weeks.
Taking the test I was nervous it would be complicated, but it was super easy. I opened the box and instantly checked out what was in it and went right for the directions. Make sure to read the directions fully before you start! Before the test the instructions say to drink a glass of water, wash your hands with warm water and then let your hand hang down for 30 seconds to get the blood flowing. Using one of the lancets, you prick your finger and apply pressure and squeeze if you need to get the blood coming. I have terrible circulation so I ended up having to prick two fingers to get more blood out.
Once I was finished with that piece, I folded the card up and placed it in the biohazard bag and set it in the bag. I applied the prepaid label and put it off in the mailbox. It took my under 15 minutes from start to finish!
Food Sensitivity Test Results
I set my account up online to receive an email and a text once my results were in. I was notified when the lab received my sample and again once my results were ready to view. Viewing your results online is super easy and everything is groups together. I had no high reactivities to food, yay! I had a ton of mild reactivities and some low.
Each item if you click on it breaks it down for you with the exact results and a detailed meaning. This is extremely helpful!
You get an IgG reactivity level for each food tested. My Low Reactivity result was 76 and my mild was 20. All of the foods that showed up on the low list were the rest of all of the foods that they were testing for that did not fall into one of the three higher categories. Those foods they do not recommend to do an elimination diet with them because they are considered non-reactive. The foods are broken down by group as well, and the food group that had the most mild sensitives was dairy, which I had a feeling would show up.
EverlyWell gave me an option discount code to give to my readers, for any of the tests that they offer. The next list on my list for me to complete is going to be the thyroid test, as I have some symptoms and I would love to rule out any issues that I may want to bring up to my provider. Use my code VACATIONLAND to get 15% off the test of your choice! Let me know what test you are going to order!
This post is sponsored by EverlyWell, but as always the opinions above are 100% my own.
Xo,
Ashley
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