How Do I Know If I Have Food Sensitivities or Intolerances?
Do you ever feel bloated, fatigued, or irritable after eating certain foods? Or perhaps you experience unexplained symptoms like migraines, skin flare-ups, or brain fog that seem to come and go without a clear cause. If this sounds familiar, you may be dealing with a food sensitivity or intolerance.
Unlike severe food allergies, which can cause immediate and life-threatening reactions, food sensitivities and intolerances often produce delayed and less obvious symptoms. These can still drastically impact your quality of life, leaving you feeling unwell, frustrated, and unsure of what’s going on in your body.
At XLR8 Your Health, we take a holistic approach, starting by looking at your symptoms and overall health picture to identify patterns and potential causes. From there, we guide you through a personalised protocol, using functional testing only if necessary, to get to the root of your symptoms.
Step 1: Understanding Your Symptoms Holistically
Food sensitivities and intolerances can present in many different ways, often making them difficult to pin down. We begin by diving deep into your symptoms and your overall health to identify patterns, triggers, and possible imbalances.
Common Symptoms of Food Sensitivities or Intolerances:
Bloating, gas, or abdominal discomfort.
Irregular bowel movements (diarrhoea or constipation).
Persistent fatigue or brain fog.
Migraines or headaches.
Skin issues, such as eczema, acne, or rosacea.
Joint pain or inflammation.
Frequent colds or reduced immunity.
During your consultation, we take the time to explore:
Your dietary habits—What are you eating regularly? Are there patterns related to your symptoms?
Your lifestyle factors—We assess how stress, sleep, and activity levels may impact your digestion and immune health.
Your history—Chronic conditions, previous treatments, and family medical history can provide valuable insights into what’s driving your symptoms.
Our holistic approach allows us to understand the bigger picture behind your symptoms rather than just addressing individual complaints.
Step 2: Personalised Elimination Protocol
Once we’ve assessed your symptoms and identified potential triggers, we guide you through a personalised elimination protocol, which remains the gold standard for identifying food sensitivities and intolerances. Here’s how it works:
Phase 1: Elimination
For 4–6 weeks, you’ll remove common trigger foods from your diet. These might include:
Gluten
Dairy
Soy
Processed foods or additives
This phase gives your body the chance to reset, reducing inflammation and providing immediate symptom relief in many cases.
Phase 2: Reintroduction
Foods are carefully reintroduced one at a time while monitoring for symptoms. This phase helps pinpoint which foods your body tolerates well and which may be causing reactions.
Phase 3: Personalised Long-Term Plan
Once trigger foods have been identified, we create a sustainable, nutrient-dense plan tailored to your individual needs. This ensures you can maintain your results and feel confident in your diet going forward.
Step 3: Functional Testing (If Necessary)
While many clients see significant progress with elimination protocols alone, for more complex cases or persistent symptoms, we may recommend functional lab testing to gain deeper insights into your gut health and immune function. Here are some of the advanced tests we might use:
a. FIT Test (Food Inflammation Test)
The FIT Test by KBMO Diagnostics identifies sensitivities to 176 commonly consumed foods, additives, and colourings. It also measures inflammatory responses triggered by these foods, providing a comprehensive picture of how your diet may be affecting your health.
Ideal for pinpointing hidden sensitivities that may not be obvious through elimination alone.
b. GI-MAP (Gastrointestinal Microbial Assay Plus)
The GI-MAP is a stool test that evaluates your gut microbiome and digestive health, detecting:
Imbalances in gut bacteria.
Presence of parasites or yeast overgrowth (e.g., Candida).
Markers of inflammation (e.g., calprotectin) and gut barrier health.
c. KBMO Gut Barrier Test
This fingerstick blood test measures markers of intestinal permeability (leaky gut syndrome) and gut inflammation, including:
Zonulin: Indicates whether the gut lining is compromised.
Candida and Occludin: Provides insights into gut microbiome balance and gut barrier function.
LPS (Lipopolysaccharides): Measures endotoxins that contribute to systemic inflammation.
d. SIBO Breath Test
This test measures hydrogen and methane gas levels in your breath to detect small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), a common cause of bloating and intolerance to fermentable carbohydrates (FODMAPs).
These tests provide detailed, actionable data that can guide us in creating a more targeted plan for healing and symptom resolution.
Why Work with a Clinical Nutritionist?
Identifying food sensitivities and intolerances can be a complex process, but you don’t have to figure it out alone. At XLR8 Your Health, we:
Take a holistic health-first approach to understand your symptoms and create a personalised plan.
Use evidence-based elimination protocols as the foundation of care.
Recommend functional testing only where necessary, ensuring your care is cost-effective and results-driven.
Provide ongoing support as you navigate changes and work toward improved health.
Success Story: Shona’s Transformation
Shona, a 32-year-old marketing executive, presented with a long history of bloating, fatigue, and skin breakouts. Despite trying over-the-counter remedies and various diets, her symptoms persisted.
During her initial consultation, we identified potential trigger foods and digestive imbalances contributing to her symptoms. Shona began a personalised elimination protocol, which provided significant symptom relief. For deeper insights, we later conducted the FIT Test and a GI-MAP, which revealed:
Sensitivities to gluten and dairy.
Dysbiosis (an imbalance in gut bacteria) contributes to inflammation.
With these insights, we tailored her long-term plan to address her gut health and sensitivities in a holistic manner. Within three months, Shona experienced:
Dramatic improvements in her digestion, with no more bloating or discomfort after meals.
Clearer, healthier skin.
More energy and productivity at work.
Take the First Step Toward a Healthier Gut and Body
At XLR8 Your Health, we specialise in addressing food sensitivities and intolerances using a holistic, evidence-based approach. Whether you’re managing chronic symptoms or looking to optimise your overall wellbeing, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
💡 Ready to explore what’s behind your symptoms?
👉 Book a free 15-minute call with us today: xlr8yourhealth.com/contact.
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