Review of Immuno Bloodprint testing for food intolernaces

Many people have food intolerances that can cause a host of problems from gastrointestinal problems to asthma, eczema, migraines, ADD and many other ailments. Often times the very foods we crave and eat regularly can be the culprit of these wide ranging and destructive symptoms. I suffered with sinus, asthma and gut problems for a long time. Eventually my NMD referred me to Immuno Laboratories to have a blood test taken to see which foods were causing me issues. My test results showed I had 24 sensitivities including reactions to almonds, soy, brewers yeast, eggs, bakers yeast, cows milk, cheese and a number of others. Some of these foods I was eating on an almost daily basis. I did have an inkling about some of my sensitivities and already had been avoiding half of what I showed to be reactive to. Some of the most common sources of delayed food reactions in people are

    Dairy
    Eggs
    Fish
    Peanuts
    Tree nuts
    Sesame
    Shellfish and other seafood
    Soy
    Wheat
    Gluten

I had 7 out of 10! It was time to eliminate these offenders from my diet.

About the product:

Immuno Laboratories is based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and is widely recognized as the leading toxic food testing facility in the world. They offer a variety of different food toxicity tests such as candida albicans, anti- gliadin ( to test for celiac) but I just did the Immuno 1 bloodprint which  tests for delayed reactions and sensitivities to food. The company has a helpful website http://www.betterhealthusa.com/public/main.cfm where you can find out more information. Basically your doctor writes an order for the blood test and gives you  a testing kit. You take this to lab corp or your local blood testing facility, get your blood drawn and they then send the blood draw to Immuno labs. A week or so later the results come back to your doctor  along with some useful information from Immuno labs.

I received a binder with my test results, foods to avoid, family groups of foods that might be related to my food sensitives, suggested daily menu plan, and 3 DVDs to help me get with the program. The DVDs show a tour of the lab and you can see how state of the art it is for yourself. One of the DVDs also shows a busy mom with a family who all have food intolerances and she shows the viewer how she manages and what kinds of food she cooks. The binder also has a symptom checker to track how you are doing over the course of 3 months as well as a food diary. There is also a toll free number where you can speak with a nutritionist as well as a forum on the website where you can get your questions answered.

Depending on the severity of your food intolerances , you can start to introduce them back into your diet one at a time over the course of the next few months and see if your reactions have healed. Sometimes you can reintroduce a troublesome food but other times you will have to avoid that particular food, perhaps for ever. The literature that you receive will show you how to go about reintroducing foods.

How I tested the product:

I immediately eliminated the offending foods that were in my test results. I have been on the allergy free diet for 5 months without too many slip ups. Sometimes you have to be very careful as hidden ingredients may be in your food. For example I now avoid foods that have 'NATURAL FLAVORS" or " SPICES" on the label. This generic description does not tell me what makes up these mystery items and it could well include yeast or black pepper for example which I am sensitive to according to my test results. It was a challenge at first because I had to really think through what I was going to eat that day. In addition it is advised to rotate foods so that the same food is not being eaten two days running.

There is no more store bought stock for me, I have to make it all from scratch and so this does take some thought and preparation. I can't grab a hunk of bread and cheese when I want a quick snack like I used to do and when everyone else is tucking into pizza, well I can't indulge. Neither can I have a glass of wine, beer or any other alcohol that contains brewers yeast. In fact the only alcohol I can have is triple distilled gin, vodka or tequila. I have now quit alcohol entirely as it doesn't seem worth it.

Initially I felt deprived of my favorite tidbits, and also my foods became very simple and seemed boring. However now that I have been forced to eat and cook in a different way I have discovered new foods and new ways of cooking. For example I make my own milk from soaked cashews and sunflower seeds. I eat a wider range of vegetables and have started using coconut oil. I try and rotate everything, even spices so in actual fact my diet has become varied , if still simple.

I am happy to report that within two months my acne rosacea cleared up. Amazing, I have clear skin!  For the most part my asthma got a lot better and my gut problems have almost completely resolved. This is all due to the fact that I am not eating the irritating foods. I am less congested and I look better. I still have sinus problems but that can be one of the last things to heal and is related to issues besides food which I am working on.

Pros:

The program worked for me on many of my health issues.
Affordable - $300 to test 115 foods.
Excellent customer support.
Very informative and educational resources given to support you.
Straight forward process of sending blood draw.

Cons:

This is not for the faint of heart. You will need to revise the way you shop, cook and eat. It is not a short cut and requires commitment.
For some it may be costly, especially if your whole family gets tested. I just had myself tested so I felt it was reasonable considering all the information that is given.
Have to be referred by a doctor, you can't go direct and get your blood tested or results given to you.

Conclusion:

This is one of the best things I have ever done for my health. Within a few short months my skin has cleared up, my asthma is markedly better and my gastrointestinal problems are almost healed. Personally I did not mind too much the overhaul I needed to do regarding the kinds of foods I can eat. Yes it takes a bit longer to plan the meals and snacks, but after a while you get the hang of it. I now try and cook double portions and freeze half for another day.

Where to buy :

In the first instance call 1.888.446.6866 or go the website to be put in touch with a referring doctor. Good luck and happy eating because food is life.