What to eat and what to eat less of

I gave in and had my Food Intolerance Test (FIT) one Tuesday afternoon.

I first heard of this test in a vlog on Youtube. Since then, for maybe over a year now, I’ve been trying to find the best time and a good margin in my finances to have this test. After research, I found out that there are two institutions offering this test in the country: Hi Precision and Life Science Center.

Hi Precision offers certain packages but the basic package is at ~9,000 Php which only includes blood extraction and the release of (online) results. I preferred what Life Science was offering: 12,400 Php for an entire program. It starts with an hour consultation with a doctor, the blood extraction, online results and online follow up with a nutritionist.

Procedure and Results

I had my 1-hour consultation with my doctor, Nicole, on March 3, followed by my blood extraction. After settling my bill at the cashier, I went home and waited 8 working days for my results. A week after, I received an email with two PDF documents bearing the results of the foods which I am least and most tolerant to. I scheduled a Zoom consultation with my nutritionist the following day. In two hours, she told me all about my results. To narrow it down: I should strive to avoid the following: nuts (except macadamia and walnut), diary, grains (including rice), certain herbs like black pepper, and all types of gluten. This didn’t come as a surprise as I was already suspecting I was highly intolerant to these types of food. The hardest was that the following day, the enhanced quarantine was being implemented and access to alternatives would be difficult.

One month after the results

As of writing, I am exactly on the one-month mark. I have kept track of every single food I’ve been eating. Even if I wasn’t successful in eliminating these foods given the circumstances, I have achieved what I wanted in the first place: be informed with the food I am eating. I have been better at food prep and been eating mostly fresh, organic food: vegetables and fruits. I have slept better since and I think the ultimate result I am looking out for is the elimination of joint pains especially on my knees and feet. Medical tests and Western medicine haven't been much help. Every result came out great, like nothing was wrong. “Vous êtes parfaite !” (You’re perfect), as my doctor in French once said after my blood test results came out. Sure, but why the inexplicable, consistent, chronic pain on my feet?

I have tried different ways to be on tip top shape from meditation and yoga (which helped stupendously!), even acupuncture, which I was first adamant about. But a combination of all these three types of medicine - traditional, alternative and functional - is a holistic approach which would hopefully prove to be effective. 

After having gone under all these tests and procedures, coupled with research (I have read a a number of books about this), I have a better understanding of my body and have better control of it.