Testing yourself to the Gift of Health

You eat as healthy as you possibly can, exercise regularly and still have nagging health challenges. Your blood work may be stellar, and you almost wish it would show “something” which could explain your fatigue, gut challenges, aches and pains and wonder if this is just a part of the aging process and linear decline.

Over the last 5 years I’ve wondered these same questions and have committed myself to learning that many of the above challenges may be nothing to do with aging and have everything to do with genetics, gut dysbiosis (gut not functioning optimally), food sensitives or allergies, sensitivity to pesticides, toxins or even mold.  We live in a challenging world and the things we face daily continue to mount.

You don’t know what you don’t know till you test.

Wonderful options now exist, and advanced testing may explain the WHY of your questions. 

Here are some available tests and what they provide. If you want more information on companies that do these types of tests see this link.

Genetics Testing

Genetics testing has come a long way since 23 and Me.  These tests do not test for ancestry but rather or SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) which were given to you at birth. Two possible variations of a SNP are called alleles, and you inherit one from each parent.  If you inherit one variation in a gene it is called heterozygous and if you inherit two variations it is called homozygous. These are not mutations but variations in how the genes play out in your system.

Just because heart disease or Alzheimer’s exists in your family does not mean you inherited that allele.

These SNPs don’t change but what we eat, how we move, our stress levels, and our emotional lives affect how these genes “behave.” And the good news is it’s easy and convenient – just a cheek swab is all one needs to do.

Genetics testing takes a lot of guess work out of lifestyle management

It can show how you metabolize fats, carbs and other nutrients like vitamins and minerals, whether you are susceptible to certain injuries with exercise, how you metabolize caffeine, and if you have genes that make brain health or depression a concern. There are genes for sensitivities to histamine foods, mold, toxins, and how well your body detoxifies “invaders.” Knowing if you have variations in these genes and if you have 1 or 2 copies can be extremely empowering on how to change your lifestyle towards health.

Gut/Stool Testing

Yes, this one does not sound fun but it’s not as hard as you think and shows a world of what is going on in your body, since there is an entire ecosystem in your gut. Stool testing shows what type of bacteria are in your gut (good and bad), how well you are metabolizing your food (or not), if you have enough stomach acids (which is important to help keep your gut flora in balance), and if the immune system in your gut is healthy, working too hard, or compromised. 

It also measures if you have fat in the stool (indicating a gallbladder issue), and whether you have leaky gut (loose junctures which allow things to be absorbed that are supposed to pass through thus creating inflammation). If you have constipation or diarrhea (even on and off), gas, bloating, mood or energy challenges a stool sample can show why these things are occurring and a protocol developed on how to heal your gut.

Food Sensitives/Allergies

This was one type of testing I was not keen on till recently when I learned about a company that does easy testing that is comprehensive and only requires a finger prick.

This company came up with a test that measures the immune response to many types of foods and whether they are triggering a response to antigens that cause inflammation. There are 4 different markers they measure:  IgE, IgG4, IgG and C3D.

IgE – measures one’s response to an allergic reaction to a food (so more severe than a sensitivity)

IgG4 – measures an antigen that is trying to create a tolerance to a food your body is having an allergic response to (and if this kicks in it could lower that allergic response)

IgG – measures an antigen that is spiking due to food sensitivities

C3D – this is called a “compliment” since it is an antigen that affixes itself to IgG and amplifies the response to a sensitivity from 1,000 – 10,000-fold. If the complement is elevated and you consume a food that increases the compliment it could explain a lot of unexplained inflammatory issues.

They then tabulate all the results together and give you a list of foods you are allergic or sensitive to and foods to take out of your diet for a period to calm down inflammation. Many times, you have no idea you are sensitive to something since you have no gut symptoms, but it continues to cause inflammation in other ways. This testing takes the guess work out of what you are sensitive to and eliminates the need for an “elimination diet.”

If there are a lot of IgG’s showing up it tells us there is a high likelihood of leaky gut and/or gut dysbiosis which is causing the food sensitivities. Therefore, healing the gut and taking out these highly reactive foods can change many symptoms of your health (fatigue, aches and pains, etc.). Those with higher levels of symptoms such as skin challenges (eczema, psoriasis, hives, rashes) would also greatly benefit from this testing.

Mold/Glyphosate/Toxin/OAT panel

These tests are more complicated and deserve a whole blog but suffice to say they are urine tests that determine if mold, pesticides, toxins are present and if they are impacting your neurotransmitters, vitamin/mineral levels and overall well-being.  Twenty-five percent of the population has the mold gene and since over 40% of structures contain mold it is a real issue. If you inhale mold spores and have this sensitivity it can be cause for many chronic medical issues and this is unfortunately something Western medicine does not address. Once you have mold in your body it does not magically go away on its own and needs to be bound and eliminated with specific binders depending on the type of mold.

Glyphosate (AKA Roundup which is toxic pesticide) is a silent cause for many illnesses and well as toxins (aluminum, mercury, arsenic, etc.) present in water, air, and homes. 

Although these tests are not covered by insurance, they are not expensive compared to how much you would pay with drugs and health costs over many years. They are a way to get ahead of the curve, keep yourself healthy and increase longevity. 

So, the next time you go to your medical professional, and they say “we don’t know why you have this but here’s a pharmaceutical that can help” perhaps another route might be to consider one or two of these tests and be your own health detective and truly know the WHY of your nagging problems.