LEAP | Delights and Delectables

Many of you all that know me personally know that I do not usually eat fish…or anything else that has been living and breathing. Not because I think it is wrong at all. I just think it is gross. My daddy has a small beef farm, and I know that his meat is clean, organic, and healthy. However, I won’t touch it with a 10 foot pole. I have been this way since I was a little girl.

After my surgery in of May 2010, my stomach was still very messed up. My surgeon referred me to a dietician to try to work out my problems. I love doctors who are willing to try something other than medicine!

Sandra Meyerowitz, MPH, RD, LD of Nutrition Works has been amazing at helping me work through my diet. Check her out at www.smartnutritionworks.com! We decided that I would benefit from doing a MRT or LEAP test that tests for food intolerances. I have a milk allergy and lactose intolerance already, so I was very interested in checking out my food intolerances.

This test is NOT a food allergy test. In fact, the test may tell you that you are okay for a certain food that you know you are allergic to. It tests in a different way than tests for food allergies. MRT is a blood test that checks how and how strongly you immune cells react to foods and food chemicals by measuring your intracellular mediator release indirectly. When chemical mediators are released from immune cells, it causes damaging effects on the body and causes all kinds of symptoms- some you may even be unaware of. LEAP can help people who suffer from IBS, Autoimmune Diseases, Migraines, GERD, Fibromyalgia, Tinnitis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Seizure Disorders, Joint and Muscle Pain, Interstitial Cystitis, and Eczema and other skin conditions.

After the test, a packet is sent with all the results in it. Foods are either listed as nonreactive (green), moderately reactive (yellow), and highly reactive (red). For the first 5 phases, you slowly add in the green foods. The first week, there are proteins, starches, vegetables, fruits, dairy, nuts/seeds/oils, and flavor enhancers that you can use freely. Starting the 2nd phase, you add in a new food or item in daily. If you have any reaction to anything you add- you remove it.

I was shocked when I got my results back, because I was reactive to oats, peanut butter, carrots, soy, and several others foods I ate on a daily basis!! My diet had to completely change!