Testing for Sensitivities
Food Sensitivity Testing
Food Sensitivity Testing may be helpful if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- weight gain
- bloating
- water retention
- irritable bowel syndrome or other digestive issues
- headaches
- high blood pressure
- inflamed blood vessels (usually show up as small red or purple dots on legs)
- asthma
- recurrent lung infections
- skin conditionsexcema, psoriasis
- joint pain
- anxiety or depression
- ADD/ADHD
- runny nose or watery eyes
- constant sinus infections, or always feeling “stuffed up”
Conditions Associated with IgG Food Reactions:
Weight Gain: Antibodyallergen complexes in tissue cause inflammation, which causes fluid retention and weight gain. To fight inflammation, the body releases a chemical called ghrelin, which also happens to be an appetite stimulant. Thus, IgG food reactions can cause weight gain in two ways: fluid retention and increased appetite. Digestive Disorders: Conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have been linked to IgG food allergies. Studies have shown that the elimination of foods producing IgG reaction can alleviate IBS symptoms.
Mood/Attention Deficit Disorders: Deposition of antibodyallergen complexes in nervous system tissues may contribute to hyperactivity, depression, anxiety, inability to concentrate and other mood disorders. There is some evidence that eliminating IgG food allergens improves attentiveness in children
Other Conditions: Antibodyallergen complexes can be deposited in any tissue and cause symptoms over time. For example, complexes deposited in lung tissue can cause asthma or other respiratory problems; in skin tissue, eczema may result; in blood vessels, hypertension may emerge; in joints, joint pain could occur; and so on, depending on the tissues involved.
Why test for food intolerance?
- Food intolerance occurs with the foods you eat most often.
- Most people are unaware that they are eating foods that make them sick.
- IgG reactions are much more common than IgE reactions, affecting as many as 1/3 of the general population.
- IgG reactions that cause food intolerance take hours to days to develop; making them very difficult to uncover without testing.
- More than 100 diseases and conditions are associated with food intolerance.
- More than 2/3 of people with chronic health conditions have IgG reactions to food.
Celiac Testing
Celiac disease is a serious, lifelong gastrointestinal disorder. Current research suggests 1 in 100 North Americans have this common hereditary, autoimmune disease and 97% of those affected are still undiagnosed.
A staggering 1 in 10 risk for immediate family members makes it important for early screening of Celiac disease for parents, children and siblings. Because having one autoimmune disease increases the risk of another, Type 1 Diabetics should be tested immediately. Sufferers of Celiac disease and their families have increased incidence of developing Osteoporosis, Cancer, Infertility, Anemia and other health related conditions.
The Celiac Test is a Health Canada approved diagnostic test designed for screening you and your loved ones and is fast, accurate and affordable, with results in just 10 minutes.
Body Composition Testing
How is Body Composition measured?
Body Composition cannot be measured by your bathroom scale! Body weight alone is not an accurate measure of overall health because it does not take into account muscle, fat mass or hydration. A Body Composition Test will accurately measure your body fat, lean mass, basal metabolic rate, hydration status, as well as your cellular health using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA), a painless and non-invasive technique.
What is unhealthy Body Composition?
An unhealthy body composition refers to carrying too much fat in comparison to lean tissue (e.g muscle). As your body’s fat-to-lean ratio increases, so do your health risks. The Consequences of Unhealthy Body Composition include:
- Heart Disease
- Stroke
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Metabolic syndrome
- Type 2 diabetes
- Estrogen-related problems
- Certain forms of cancer
- Hysterectomy
- Back pain
- Gallbladder disease and gallstones
- Kidney disorders
- Osteoarthritis
- Respiratory problems
- Sleep apnea
- Excess Fatigue
- Urinary Incontinence
- Depression
Most “fad diets” actually cause you to lose more muscle and water than fat. This creates an unhealthy body composition causing you to gain all of the fat back (and often more) once the diet is over. These extreme diets can also be deficient in essential macro- and micro-nutrients and are unrealistic for long-term success. Rachel will work with you to create an eating plan designed specifically for you. On this plan you can expect to lose fat and keep if off for good! You will also maintain or increase muscle mass, have more energy and feel great!
The Benefits of Healthy Body Composition include:
- Improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance
- Improve blood circulation in all parts of the body, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke
- Promote healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels
- Reduce respiratory infections and breathlessness, and improve lung function
- Improve quality of sleep
- Relieve some of the strain placed on your knees, hips and lower back-which can reduce pain
- Increase energy and endurance
- Reduce the risk of certain pregnancy complications
- Improve mood and self-confidence!
