Dear friend,

• Does your butt drag the floor so bad you have carpet burns on your cheeks?
• Do you feel tired before you even get out of bed?
• Do your legs and arms feel sore and bruised?
• What about the overall “feel like you’ve been poisoned” your whole body suffers?
• And what about your perpetual grumpiness?
• Feeling like all the magic has gone from your life?

Wanting to escape this… whatever it is?

I suffered from all of those for most of my life.

I tried the Blood Type Diet, went vegetarian, switched to vegan. After a decade of that, I went back to a regular diet. Then I went Paleo, then Keto. Now I’m back to Paleo with AIP (Autoimmune Protocol).

The best I ever felt was back in 1995 when I fasted for the first time. After three days I felt great!

Unfortunately, my vegetarian lifestyle was really bad for me because of food sensitivities: grains,  dairy, and nightshades (green chile). I live in the Southwest, so green chile is a staple and I love it. Bad, bad, bad for me.

Fast forward … I researched and read a lot about food. I followed the Autoimmune Protocol which was very good for me. I eliminated most of the culprits from my diet and felt better. I advised my clients to do the same, with good results for them, too.

But better is relative. I often still felt like I had been poisoned.

Hidden food sensitivities could be wrecking your life

My daughter bought food test kits for herself and her husband, then changed their diets with good results.

So, because I’m a smart mama, I bought a test kit online and had it shipped to my home. I dithered for three weeks, because I didn’t want to prick my own finger, lol. I’m gung-ho to prick their fingers, but my own? Not so much. LOL

It just so happened that the week before I received the results of my food test, I had baked an organically grown chicken and bought a new flavor of salad dressing for that box of yummy organic mixed greens.

I had some good healthy dinners that week! But by Friday I was feeling poisoned. And grumpy.

Testing for Food Sensitivities

Turns out the chicken, soy oil and the spinach in the salad are toxic for me.

My test results were surprising in some ways. Kelp and chicken, for example. I know that soy is a biggie in the sensitivity department, but chicken? Kelp?

I was really grumpy the next few days because those results turned my dietary habits upside down – again.

Friday morning, I ate my last toxic food. Saturday afternoon saw me feeling noticeably better, other than the anger at feeling like my body betrayed me yet again. Grumpy! And hungry! Hangry!

By Monday, I was feeling appreciably better, enough so that my grumpiness started easing.

I told my doctor that if this is the difference, then it’s worth the effort.

It’s been almost three weeks since I stopped eating the higher scoring foods on my results list.  I’m glad I did.

I have more energy. I’m needing less sleep. The belly bloat is gone and I dropped a few pounds.

If I had it to do over again, I would look at several food test kits and compare the foods they test for to the foods I actually eat, and buy the one that includes the foods I eat most often.

UPDATE: I ordered my “Everlywell Food Sensitivity – 204 Foods” kit from Amazon.com.

(BTW, that’s not an affiliate link. There is no payback for me, just enlightenment for you.)

I eliminated the foods that scored highly since I already know that they make me feel poisoned.

I know that green chile and oats don’t agree with me, even though they only scored a 10 on the results, so I am also avoiding any foods that scored 10 or higher.

I’m a delicate flower, highly sensitive, so I’m honoring my needs.

Later on, in a few months when I’m feeling great, I’ll try some of those lower scoring foods again, one at a time, and see how I feel. I hope I’ll be able to tolerate them if I eat them occasionally. We’ll see.

UPDATE Sept 2022: For the first time in my life, I feel good every day.

It’s now almost a year later. I’ve stuck to not eating the foods I scored reactions to and my health is BETTER. Much less pain and discomfort.

What you can do to feel better

If you haven’t found the reason you feel badly most of the time, or you think you might be sensitive to a certain food, it’s worth the effort to get yourself tested. Your insurance might cover the cost of a test, but even if it doesn’t, it’s worth the results.

I’m not a medical doctor, but I can tell you that I, my family, and my clients have all benefited from a simple blood test and change in diet.

If your medical providers are using terms like arthritis, fibromyalgia, IBS, gastrointestinal disorder, and the like, and you haven’t yet thought that what you put into your body has an effect on how you feel, I urge you to think about it.

You might want to check with your medical provider to discuss using a food sensitivity test, especially if you’ve already been diagnosed with a condition that a change in diet might impact.

With that said, here’s what else you can do:

Be proactive!

Make the appointment or buy your test kit. If you buy a test kit:

1. Read the instructions.
2. Prick your finger and complete the test materials.
3. Mail it to the lab.
4. Wait patiently.
5. Read the test results. Call the lab with any questions.
6. Breakthrough! Believe the results. Get a second test from a different lab if you can’t believe what you’re reading.
7. Create your own transformation. Avoid the foods that scored highly. Forever.
8. Avoid the foods that scored in the middle, for at least a few months. Give your body time to heal.
9. Then, try one food at a time (AIP – Autoimmune Protocol). Eat it occasionally. See what happens. It might be that a little bit doesn’t cause a reaction, whereas eating it three times in a row might provoke the monster.

There will be resistance!

There will be people who chide you, tease you, manipulate you about your food choices. Here’s what you can say, “I feel so much better now that I’m being mindful of what I eat and drink.” That’s hard to argue with.

If they persist in trying to manipulate or guilt you, say something like, “Thank you for your opinion.” And then change the subject.

Because, really, that’s all they’re expressing: an opinion. Not a fact. Not something that you should give more attention and credence to than your medical lab report. Right?

Narcissists just want you to do what they say, whatever they say, regardless of consequences.

Other people feel guilty about their own habits or lack of mindfulness and will try to roll you into their rut.

Remember that they have their own issues and those issues do not belong to you. It’s not your job to fix them.

It’s ok to be mindful about your own health, your own body, your own mind, and your own soul.

In fact, it’s a requirement.

Questions? Contact me here.

Til next time…

 Lotsa hugs,

Peg McMahan, HHP, CHt, LMT