My LEAP Journey, Background & Testing

For those of you following my Facebook page, you may have noticed my recent posts about MRT (Mediator Release Testing) and the LEAP diet. I recently became a Certified LEAP therapist so I can help my clients identify their food sensitivities. Food sensitivity symptoms have touched my life, so I figured I would share  my journey with my readers! 🙂

Background: During my junior year of college at Ohio State I began having chronic urticaria (hives)… everyday… all day…. unless I took medicine. Thank the good LORD for Zyrtec. I visited several allergy specialists and my dermatologist. They completed several tests including the skin prick test and blood tests, nothing came back positive. They tested me for an abnormal thyroid and several other conditions. I tried changing my laundry detergent and avoiding certain foods. No one had answers for me… so guess what? I was sent out the door with a prescription and told I’d probably have to take Zrytec everyday for the rest of my life (or until the hives went away). Six in-a-half years later, and I’m still taking allergy medication daily. agh. At about that same time, I also began experiencing gastrointestinal issues. (Darrin says I share too much information… but hey… I’m an open book… if you don’t wanna read, stop reading! duh.) I formed a stomach ulcer, began experiencing bloating and constipation, and my stomach/intestines would make these really weird noises. I went to the doctor… no answers… just another prescription.

I’ve learned to deal with the hives and the IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) but it affects my life negatively. At times my stomach hurts badly and makes me uncomfortable when I’m in meetings and my stomach is making crazy noises. When I learned of the LEAP certification for dietitians it instantly interested me (naturally). Some of my symptoms were right on cue with symptoms that may be associated with food sensitivities:

• Digestive Complaints: diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, gas, distension
• General Malaise (feeling lousy): fatigue, insomnia, restlessness
• Emotional Mental State: depression, anxiety, brain fog, irritability
• Skin Problems: eczema, psoriasis, flushing, itchy skin, rosy cheeks, urticaria
• Nasal/Sinus Issues: stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, post nasal drip, sinus pain
• Weight Management: food cravings, water retention, fluctuating weight
• Muscle/Joint Pain: aching, stiffness, pain

Some of the conditions associated with food sensitivities are: Migraines and Other Headaches, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s Disease, Heartburn/GERD, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Autism, ADD/ADHD.

I can help you identify if you’re a good match for MRT testing. Completing a MRT Symptom Survey will tell us if you’re experiencing the common signs and symptoms of food sensitivities.  I scored a 67 on my S&S Survey.

Many people, including myself ask, how did I get food sensitivities? Researchers are still learning how they’re developed. The most widely accepted factors:

• Poor digestion
• Unbalanced gut flora
• Chronic stress/severe trauma
• Immune system overload
• Genetics
• Toxic-induced loss of oral tolerance (overexposure to chemicals)

Coincidently at the about the same time I developed the hives and IBS symptoms, I had recently been diagnosed with early stages of skin cancer. It was scary at the time, but they removed all of the carcinogenic cells after two attempts. I still get full skin exams every six months and usually get a few abnormal moles removed at each visit. This is another blog post for another day… but my advice is to stay out of the tanning beds. 🙂  I question if my immune system was overloaded at the time and developed the sensitivities because of the overload? To make matters worse, I was a college student with chronic stress and sleep deprivation. I was downing caffeine (red bulls and coffee) all day long… binge drinking (alcohol leads to gut permeability) at night only to turn around and do it again the next day. College life wasn’t exactly the healthiest time of my life.

SO… how does one get MRT tested?

1. By phone or email, we will determine if you’re a good candidate for MRT testing.
2. At our initial session we will fill out the appropriate paperwork, do a signs and symptoms survey, and discuss your health history.
3. You will take the test kit with you to Springfield Regional Hospital’s outpatient lab, and have the blood drawn between 12p-3p Monday-Thursday.
4. The lab results are sent to me within ten days.
5. At that time, we will schedule to meet for your second appointment. At that session we will discuss your results and begin planning for Phase 1 of the LEAP diet.

I’ll discuss more about the other phases in the next blog post.

I received my MRT results and couldn’t believe what I was sensitive to! No wonder I was feeling crappy!

• Red (highly reactive) to cranberries and coffee
• Yellow (moderately reactive) to caffeine, carrot, cocoa, cottage cheese, cow’s milk, crab, garlic, green pea, hazelnut, ibuprofen, papaya, pistachio, sesame, tomato, tyramine, watermelon, whey and yogurt

I am waiting until after next weekend to begin Phase 1 of the LEAP diet. The elimination diet is difficult and takes thorough planning. Many people will feel relief from just avoiding their red and yellow foods, but most people will feel optimal results by following the full LEAP diet. I have been avoiding my red and yellow foods since receiving my lab results, but why am I waiting to begin Phase 1? Well unfortunately being sensitive to tyramine means beer and wine are off limits for the first three months of the diet… eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek. This weekend, I had a good friend’s wedding shower at a WINERY and next weekend we’re going to Ohio State’s Spring Football Game which means beer drinking… so I’m waiting until April 15th to kick off the elimination diet. 🙂 Obviously I’m drinking minimal wine and beer though, because I don’t wanna feel crappy!

I’ll update you next weekend about starting my elimination diet.

Let me know if you have any questions about MRT and LEAP therapy.

Have a great week. 🙂