Food sensitivities seem to be on the rise. Whether the symptoms
are finally being recognized or the incidence in truly on the rise, more
and more people are determining they have one or more food
sensitivities. I deal with food sensitivities every week in my practice.
It's impossible to ignore as a dietitian. It was out of frustration
with the standard elimination diet and its ineffectiveness for some of
my clients that I stumbled upon MRT, Mediator Release Test. Many of you
already know about MRT. For those of you who don't, it's the most
accurate food sensitivity test on the market that I recommend
exclusively for my clients. You can read more in-depth about it at
Oxford Biomedical's website. It's gaining in notoriety and popularity.
I'm actually becoming more and more surprised how many people are
already knowledgeable about the test. What surprises people most often,
however, is that the test is just a small fraction of the whole
equation. The "diet" protocol is the real key to getting well. To get
the best possible outcome (complete resolution of symptoms) you have to
follow this diet protocol to a "T." This is the main reason why LEAP
clients are so successful. I've said it before and I'll say it again.
Over 90% of my clients see dramatic results using MRT + the LEAP diet
protocol. It astounds me every time but it works.
But why LEAP?
LEAP stands for Lifestyle, Eating, and Performance. It's a protocol
tailored specifically for each unique person and their unique test
results. No one's food sensitivities are the same, so no one's
elimination diet should be the same. That's why I have such a problem
with those books that that tell people to eliminate the top allergenic
foods and all your problems will go away. While it may work for some,
for many it just doesn't solve the problem. The elimination diet should
be tailored specifically for each person, their symptoms, and in the
case of those who do MRT, their test results.
Let me take you
through the process that I walk every one of my client's through. First
thing we sit down and review what came back as high reactive (red),
moderate reactive (yellow), and non-reactive (green). Based on that we
devise a Phase I diet. You only consume the very lowest reactive foods
for the first week. As you can see, this can be both challenging and
boring. A limited diet is no fun and makes for much more work in the
kitchen, but it's doable. I assist by brainstorming meal and snack
ideas, offering specific food suggestions, and helping my client make a
plan for implementation. Planning is SO important, both mentally and
physically. Preparing your mind and your cupboards will set you up for
success.
After Phase I we meet again. If everything is going as
planned we move on to Phase II. In this phase we start adding back the
rest of the "green" foods. We simply add back the rest of the
non-reactive foods in a methodical manner to continue to calm the immune
system and add more variety back into the diet.
Now Phase II can
take a couple weeks. There are quite a few foods to add back in. Once
that process is complete and presumably you are feeling great, we move
on to Phase III. Of course if you are not feeling amazing for any reason
then that is where I help troubleshoot, but for the sake of simplicity
let's say everything is progressing as expected. Phase III is where we
test back "untested" foods, namely all those foods that aren't included
with the MRT test. MRT tests for 150 different foods and chemicals, so
clearly it is not exhaustive. We need to have a way to know if any
untested foods are causing immune reactions as well. This is another
long process but one in which the diet gets progressively more and more
inclusive. Oftentimes at this point you take the ball and run. You
typically don't need much more help from me except maybe one additional
check in or even just a quick email should random questions come up. The
process is nearing completion and you have a good idea of what foods
you can handle and which you can't.
Of course throughout this time
as well we are working on gut healing protocols and considering
additional supplementation, if necessary. It all just depends on your
unique symptoms and conditions. It's such an extremely tailored process
that again, a book or website alone often does not meet the needs of
someone with serious food sensitivities.
I'm not bashing on all
the books, though. They can be a great guide and motivator and provide
some helpful tools and resources to get started on a new diet lifestyle.
I'm reading a few right now (which I'll be reviewing, stay tuned!) and
they have some fantastic tips and ideas that many people could employ.
Just remember to seek expert help when needed instead of shelling out
money for more books that only Band aid the problem.
So there you
have it. This is a basic summary of the process I use when guiding
someone through an elimination diet using MRT that consistently yields
positive results. Now compare this to elimination diets you've read
about in books or have been suggested to you by other practitioners and
you can see why they don't address the entire picture. A
one-size-fits-all approach just doesn't work for everyone. Something to
think about if you or someone you know is dealing with ongoing food
sensitivity reactions.
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