Functional Testing…! How it can help YOU!!

By Luisa Harvey ND!
“Food based reactions are recognised as a common and growing worldwide health problem that can be linked as a key driving mechanism behind many chronic health conditions, with effects that are often as varied and numerous as they are far-reaching to the body.” – Research Nutrition.

There is a lot of talk these days about allergy. The term food allergy is used maybe a bit too much or out of context in many cases. Most people with a true allergy are very aware of it. Anaphylaxis is a serious, often immediate and life long held, IgE immune reaction to food borne antigens. While it is more common to react to environmental allergens like dust mites, pollens and moulds, food allergies seem to be on the
rise. Having said that, it is still a small percent of the population that live with these sorts of extreme food allergies.

There is, however, a growing awareness of the higher incidence of food ‘sensitivities’ amongst people in our community and their implications. Other types of less severe or instant antibody reactions to food, can affect different tissues around the body and are much more difficult to identify, due to their varied and often delayed presentation. Some IgG reactions can occur 3-5 days after ingestion of the offending food making it harder to track down the cause. It is also often the case that there are multiple foods triggering a reaction and so this complicates things further. Other reactions may occur without obvious symptoms but will compromise normal function of the gut, leading to dysbiosis, possible leaky gut and a range of problems throughout the system including: rashes, joint pain, respiratory symptoms, fatigue and behavioural changes.

It is a bit of a standing joke that if you see a Naturopath, they automatically take you off wheat and dairy and in certain cases, this is true, as these seem to pop up time and time again as potential food sensitivities. In my experience elimination diets can be very helpful for some people, however, with varying degrees of success. Everyone is individual and therefore, what works for one person will not necessarily work for another.

I now find that instead of using trial and error (even when based on over 15 years of experience) it is much more accurate, efficient and cost saving in the long term, to use functional testing to get to the bottom of what is really going on for each person. There is no sense cutting out a food if it is not causing a problem for the person in front of me. While there is an initial investment, the results are so specific to the individual, that people experience much faster results to treatment and dietary changes and are feeling better so much sooner.

In every case, people are amazed by how excellent and comprehensive the reporting is and I often hear, it is the best money they have ever spent! The turnarounds in people’s health after making the changes based on the results are so inspiring to witness. With a passion for preventative health, for me, it is so exciting to be a part of real change. Especially in the case of children with their whole lives ahead of them! How wonderful to stop problems in their tracks and watch them thrive.

Not all tests are equal so it is important to use testing methodology which is the gold standard to achieve best results. The laboratory I use has a proven track record of clinical reliability based on it’s reproducibility of results, which is audited by a third party lab and uses the highest level of quality control measures available on the market. There are many other tests available that can shed light on vital information needed to finally shift persistent, long term and often debilitating conditions. Some of these include Microbiology testing to help improve gut health. This benefits many people, as good health really does start in the gut, but particularly anyone with digestive problems like: irritable bowel syndrome, parasitic or yeast infections, digestive insufficiency and leaky gut.
Also, hair analysis, hormone testing and more are available depending on the needs of the individual.

If you or your loved ones are experiencing ongoing
problems with digestion, skin rashes, hormone disruption, mood and behavioural imbalance, fatigue and pain, why don’t you consider making an appointment today, to look into how functional testing can play a part in helping to put things right.

Your body will thank you for it!!

© Luisa Harvey ND