As an ND, I highly suspected I had sensitivities from the asthma-spectrum medical work-up as a child, my frequent sinus congestion, eczema, and occasional digestive upsets. I also suspected which foods, and kept them to a minimum. When I realized my husband's benefits covered naturopathic lab tests (yay!), I decided to find out for certain. It confirmed for me that dairy and eggs were, in fact, not my friends, though I loved them dearly. It also confirmed that the child in me, that hated mushrooms, had good reason to. After eliminating them from my diet for a few weeks, I began to see improvements in
- digestion,
- sleep depth (that was unexpected! and very welcome!),
- my complexion, and
- even routine aches and pains.
Now, years after the fact, I know the consequence of choosing to eat these: eggs cause acne breakouts, while dairy products make my digestion uneasy and instantly affect my sinuses and eczema, and worsen my neck pain. Neck pain that I believed I would never get rid of and need to see my chiropractor weekly for the rest of my life. Food sensitivities surprised even the naturopathic doctor. After all, I always tell patients, food sensitivities are not death sentences, just an educational tool about your body, do what you will. At least we can now understand where our symptoms are coming from.