Food sensitivities are often confused with food allergies, but they are actually very different. A food allergy causes an immune system reaction that (usually immediately) affects organs in the body. It can be mild to severe, and sometimes even life-threatening, causing a variety of symptoms anywhere from hives to anaphylaxis.
On the other hand, food sensitivity is usually a delayed reaction to certain foods and the symptoms are less serious. The symptoms can be everything from a runny nose to behavioral issues to dark circles under the eyes to eczema and can appear up to 36 hours after ingesting the food.
Since food sensitivities can take days to cause any visible reactions, it can make them difficult to diagnose. Luckily for us, there are tests (even ones that we can easily do at home—read on!) to help pinpoint foods that may be “bothering” us. So I’m excited to partner with EverlyWell on today’s sponsored post to tell you more about these at-home kits!
Spoiler Alert: Read on to the bottom for a special discount for you to try it, too!
How to Identify Food Sensitivities
Determining a food sensitivity can dramatically change your life. Until not too long ago, it was either too difficult or too costly to get these answers. But our partner EverlyWell now makes it easy for you to figure out which foods may be causing you issues and results can be used to create a clear elimination plan—all of which can easily be done from the comfort of your own home.
If you’ve ever suffered from symptoms such as migraines, bloating, indigestion, eczema, acne, fatigue, or joint pain, this test might be the answer for you. It gives you a specific game plan as to which foods to eliminate instead of randomly removing some or a number of them all at the same time.
How EverlyWell Works
The process is very simple… my husband and I both did it ourselves!
- Order test online (read below for additional tests offered)
- Do a tiny prick test when kit arrives (instructions included)
- Send back; 96 different foods are tested, including gluten and dairy
- Get your online results within 5 business days
- Print your results to share with your doctor if desired
Our Experience with EverlyWell
My husband and I both completed an EverlyWell food sensitivity test and, after trying other at-home kits, I couldn’t believe how easy this one was. You do a simple finger prick, let your blood drip into the designated spots on the card (pictured above), and mail it back. That was it!
My results show that I am highly reactive to five different foods (two of which are unfortunately in a lot of different things) and that my husband is only highly reactive to one food. I really wanted him to take the test for comparison’s sake because we have long known he has a “stomach of steel” (I think he’s had one stomachache in his entire life—must be nice!). So it was no surprise that he only had one food show up as (barely) sensitive.
Here’s what my results look like:
Here’s what my husband’s results look like (lucky dog!):
What Makes EverlyWell Helpful
These results are really helpful to see because my husband does have a little bit of eczema that sometimes bothers him more than other times, and we initially thought he’d have to cut out all dairy (a common culprit for eczema) to see if there was any sort of change. His eczema is not THAT bad so he thought it wouldn’t be worth trying to fix with such a big dietary change. So now he knows that just two kinds of cheese are most problematic for him (and he doesn’t even eat cottage cheese, so really only one), which is MUCH easier to experiment with eliminating to see if it helps with his eczema.
Other Tests from EverlyWell
In addition to the food sensitivity test that we took, EverlyWell offers a wide variety of other tests, all of which can be taken in a similar fashion at your own home. Here is a list of some of their other offerings (PS you can save on any of these tests—read on!):
- Metabolism Test
- Thyroid Test
- Testosterone Test
- Men’s Health Test
- Women’s Health & Fertility Test
- Vitamin D & Inflammation Test
- Cholesterol and Lipid Test
- Heavy Metals Test
- Sleep & Stress Test
—> Special Offer to Try EverlyWell! <—
The EverlyWell sensitivity test was so easy to use … we’d love for you to try it using our discount code! Would make a great gift for a loved one as well.
- Save 15% off of your entire order with the “100DAYS” code
Have you already tried EverlyWell or would you consider trying it? We’d love to hear your thoughts below in the comments!
Whole-Wheat Naan
Just curious, now that it has been over a month since this test, have you avoided your sensitive foods and have you seen noticeable results?
I have not tested it out yet. If I had any unpleasant “symptoms” I was trying to get rid of this would be the first thing I’d try though!
Thank you very much for sharing
It was a great post! If you suffer from food allergies or food sensitivities, you can include some organic juices to maintain a balance in your diet and remain healthy.
Hi!!!! Liked your recipe and will surely try as I am a foodie. I usually experiment with food elements to maintain health without gaining weight.
Oh, I forgot to say: the cost of that saliva test was about $300 but her health insurance covered all but around $60 or $80 of it.
The amazing improvement in her health meant it was worth every penny – even if I would have had to pay the whole thing for the Hemopet Nutriscan test – we did it all via the mail too.
How great it was covered by insurance!
I wonder if there is a food-sensitivity test available (and hopefully reliable) like the one done for my dog through Hemopet. All that was required was her saliva and they found out she was allergic to turkey, venison, wheat, and white fish. When I stopped feeding her those foods, her health took an amazing turn around (and if anyone is familiar with Chinese Shar-Pei dogs you know they need all the help they can get).
I wanted to chew on Lucy’s test strip myself, but the company doesn’t do humans. Is there one for humans that uses saliva?