Mediator Release Test

I am way way way behind in blogging about this, i'm already on the third phase of the program, but it is better late than never, right? Remember when I was talking about food sensitivities and how they can affect our skin? Well, sometimes your gut feelings aren't always up to par with what you are sensitive to. Even if I was very careful with what  I ate, I was still breaking out. It was about time I got some help. I was searching on the internet about something-- can't really remember what, but I stumbled upon a nutritionist that does Mediator Release Testing here in Austin. What is it you ask? Well, this test determines food sensitivities, not food allergies. The good thing about this is that food sensitivities don't appear as quickly as food allergies, and they come in different forms such as fatigue, headaches, constipation, and many other symptoms that we don't really think of as having to do with food sensitivity. Which is why we don't suspect these certain foods that are actually harming us. x_X

The test is a little pricey, $350, but my nutritionist was nice enough to show me a link where Hershey's (yes, the chocolate makers) partnered with dieticians to help people become more aware of their health. They sponsored upto 250 dollars for a first time visit to a nutritionist or dietician, which saved me a lot of money, since my insurance doesn't cover this testing. 

Here is a link if you want to know more about Hershey's and good nutrition: Hershey's

As I have said, I did the testing a few months ago and was not able to document it, but here is a crappy  representation of what I did. 

1. Get kit. Make sure to keep the box in a cool area. 

2. Get your blood drawn. You need to fill up 4 vials so drink up! The blood draw has to be after 1 pm, and you should have eaten before having your blood drawn. 

3. Send blood. The kit contains a fedex bag so all you have to do is seal up the blood, fill up the papers, label the box and send it to a fedex store that accepts blood or blood products. 

The test took about two weeks and my nutritionist  emailed me and I set up an appointment with her to find out what the results were. Bom bom bommm...