Results of my Food Sensitivity+ Testing with Helix

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Results of my Food Sensitivity+ Testing with Helix

 

Results of my Food Sensitivity+ Testing with Helix

This is the second post of a two part series about testing I’ve been doing with Helix to pinpoint my food sensitivities. The Food Sensitivity+ testing from EverlyWell (available in the Helix store) identifies your food sensitivities using both a blood and saliva sample. For years I’ve been trying to figure out what food my body is most sensitive to as I’ve struggled with bloating and losing weight; it’s very hard to isolate when foods crossover and I’m left feeling lost as to what foods are actually causing my issues. The most frustrating part can be when I’m eating really healthy and still can’t get the weight off. I’ve wanted to make these discoveries to help me as I focus on health this year so I can just feel better after I eat. I was so excited about this Food Sensitivity+ product… And now I can’t wait to tell you the RESULTS are in! Keep reading to see my results. If you use this product, you will get two types of results:

1- Bloodwork results- these results will tell you which food sensitivities were discovered and specify for each highly reactive, moderately reactive, mildly reactive, or low reactivity.

2- DNA results from your saliva sample – these results will tell you about your specific genes and how they associate with metabolism, absorption of vitamins, and minerals such as dairy products, caffeine, B vitamins, and magnesium.

Both of these combine to the overall results of the FoodSensitivity+ product. Keep reading to see what mine are…

My first results from EverlyWell were sent to my email and were very easy to understand and read. The first part of the results of the FoodSensitivity+ product include all my specific food sensitivities. First EverlyWell shows you a matrix (below) indicating how many sensitivities you have in each of 4 areas (high, moderate, mild, and low reactivity). I could quickly see from the results that I had zero high reactivity foods (hooray) but a lot of moderate and mild, and many low reactivity foods.

Before the test, I recorded several stories on Instagram about my food sensitivity predictions – I was right in assessing that I didn’t think I had any extreme food sensitivities, but that I do have several underlying sensitivities.

 

EverlyWell then explains to you what types of common reactions you may experience if you have food sensitivities. These can be bloating, digestive issues, fatigue, headaches, inflammation, joint pain, skin issues, and lots more. If you suspect you have food sensitivities, be sure to visit Helix to purchase your own kit! If you use code PLUMSTREETCOLLECTIVE30 you can get a 30% off any product in the Helix store!

After this explanation of the common reactions, they give your detailed results. My highest sensitivity was moderate reactivity to yeast. My other sensitivities include wheat, gluten, egg, and several others I would have never even thought to test for! (Malt, almond, Cola, grape, eggplant, and even black pepper – who knew?)

What I loved in EverlyWell’s reporting was the detail for each sensitivity – for example, with the yeast sensitivity they explain to me how this is different than baker’s yeast. Apparently brewer’s yeast is found in beer and wine, but also in fermented products like soy sauce (oh no, my favorite) and vinegar. I love to make pickled ingredients and those definitely use a lot of vinegar. And almost all my Asian recipes call for some kind of soy sauce. So I can see how a lot of the foods I cook with have brewer’s yeast.

The window below is available for any of your sensitivities – just click on it to see how reactive you are and more detail about where it’s found.

My mildly reactive food sensitivities shocked me – there are a lot of foods on that list that I eat regularly – wheat, gluten, eggs, garlic, almonds, grapes! These are foods I love. And this is probably part of the problem! Though eggs or grapes or almonds seem “clean” to me, they could be causing the bloating I’m trying to eliminate. I’m shocked to find that even healthy foods can cause these kinds of sensitivities!

The second part of the results of my Food Sensitivity+ testing involves my genetics. This second portion helps you understand what you are genetically predisposed to. I love that the product includes both tests, so you can see how your body currently reacts to foods and also how your DNA affects your body’s nutrient absorption.

If you look below, you can see the portion about your genetic predispositions. This section gives a list of each gene they tested, the variant you have, and what that variant means in the context of your health. Blue means your levels are normal and within healthy range, but yellow means your genetics could increase your risks related to that variant.

I loved reading about this and seeing insights about myself I’d always had a hunch about! For example, EverlyWell looks at a variant of Vitamin B12 – which affects cellular development and function of my cells. My result indicates that my B12 levels are not likely to be influenced by the DNA variant they analyzed. But knowing that levels of B12 in my body can play a role in things like how my blood cells or nerve cells work made me more committed to get the recommended amount of B12 in my diet. I can’t tell you how excited I am to learn about this.

On a lighter note, if you look below you’ll see a variant of a gene that relates to caffeine metabolism. For years I’ve joked with my friends about how I can have a Diet Coke (or any other caffeinated drink) right before bed and still fall asleep minutes later. I’ve had friends joke that this was crazy over the years – well my genetics suggest that I metabolize caffeine slowly, which actually means it stays in my body longer! 😉 Beyond just that, it was so helpful to learn different aspects of my health I need to really pay attention to – for example I have a genetic predisposition for low magnesium so I will consider trying to increase consumption of leafy greens and whole grains in my diet. If you take this test I’m sure you’ll be excited to learn more about your genetic makeup and about how you might be able to help your health!  I’m really impressed with the results of my FoodSensitivity+ product from the EverlyWell and available in the Helix store.

I’m thankful to have analysis of  my genetics and about my specific food sensitivities through this  Food Sensitivity+ testing from EverlyWell! I’ve struggled with food sensitivities my whole life but it’s always been a guessing game – which foods are making me feel bad? Which foods are making me groggy? What can help my metabolism? Getting answers to these simple but lifelong questions has made me so excited – excited to start addressing my food sensitivities and my genetic variants contributing to my health. I really hope you’ll give this product  a try as well! It’s been really beneficial for me.

I hope you enjoyed reading more about the results of my Food Sensitivity+ product with Helix – and if you’re struggling with your own food issues that you’ll try it yourself! If you use the code PLUMSTREETCOLLECTIVE30 at Helix.com/shop you can get 30% off of any of their test kits, including this Food Sensitivity+ product with EverlyWell. I’m so excited to know for sure what my actual food sensitivities are. And I cannot wait to plan recipes that accommodate these sensitivities moving forward. I’m thankful for this product that uses science to get you the answers you need about your food issues 😉

Click here to see more about my Food Sensitivity+ product with Helix and click here to see more information on my Instagram feed. And as always feel free to contact me with any questions you have about this process!

This is a paid/sponsored post, however the opinions stated are my own.

Results of my Food Sensitivity+ Testing with Helix