Food Allergies

About a month ago, I decided to send a sample of my hair for testing to see if I was intolerant/allergic to anything and to assess whether or not I had any nutritional deficiencies. At first I didn't really see the benefit of doing this test, because I'd never had any known food allergies and ate what I want.

But then I started looking around on the website for Test My Allergy: "If you suffer from headaches, bloating, stomach cramps or fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, itching skin (such as eczema) or breathing problems you may an allergic reaction to particular foods or airborne particles such as dust or pollen". Well dang, maybe I do have food allergies.

So I plucked the hair out of my head, ordered the test, and sent in the sample.

A couple of weeks later, I got my test results and I was SHOCKED.

Basically the majority of my diet I was allergic to. Wheat products (does this mean I have Celiac's disease?), Soy products, Olive products, beer, and whiskey. Well damn.

Then I read my nutritional deficiencies:

But between the food intolerances and the nutritional deficiencies, things started making sense. I've been struggling to lose weight for years now and can't seem to make any progress. And that's because when I'm eating bad, it's a ton of wheat/soy/beer/whiskey. When I'm eating "good," I'm eating guar gum, millet, olives, soy, and wheat. I've been eating food that's been making me sick this whole time. And I just thought it was normal to feel this exhausted -- I didn't even think it could be because of a nutritional deficiency.

And the crazy thing: I've been doing it for so long that I didn't even know I was sick. I just thought feeling the way I felt was normal.



Since getting these results back, I've started cutting out wheat, soy, and olive products from my diet. I've started taking a multivitamin and extra supplements to help boost my energy and my metabolism. And even after just a couple of days, I can't believe the difference already.

I feel so much better cutting out the products my body can't digest. Since making more conscious choices, I have "cheated" twice and eaten foods that used to be normal (Christmas Party spread and a sandwich at Chick Fil A) and paid heavily for those choices. I felt gross, I felt unsatisfied, and my GI system was TORE UP.

It's just crazy to me this whole thing!

So I'll probably be blogging off/on about my G-Free/Soy Free/Olive Free life. :)