Do-it-yourself food sensitivity test

There’s an assortment of tests nowadays to diagnose food sensitivities, also known as food intolerances. Many of these high street or laboratory tests are however very expensive, and due to the changing nature of our environments, our emotions and our bodies, no test can ever be 100% reliable.

Getting to know your body better, and learning to recognise the signals it gives you in response to a food or drink, is very beneficial, and certainly wise, before spending your hard-earned money on a test. This very simple “do-it-yourself method” is very useful indeed, and can be an excellent indicator of how a food (or drink) might be affecting your body, health and energy levels. 

The Pulse Test is a traditional way of diagnosing food sensitivities and helps to determine potential problem foods. Learning to take your pulse at rest and then monitoring its pattern and rate at different times around eating “suspect” foods, provides great insight in your body’s reactions to things you eat and drink, as well as to your emotions and environment. 

How to take your pulse
The pulse is best found on the carotid artery, in the neck or throat area, just underneath the jaw.

Press the first 2 fingers gently on the artery until to pick up the beat of the pulse. Count the beats in a 10 second count and multiply by 6 to get the beats per minute.

Practice taking your pulse before you get out of bed in the morning, to get an idea of your true resting pulse rate. This gives you a good indication of your cardiovascular fitness. A “normal” or healthy pulse rate is between 60-80. Generally speaking, the fitter you are, the lower the pulse will be. Elite athletes often report resting pulse rates as low as 40 beats per minute, but even those who simply exercise regularly will see their pulse rates come down to a healthy 50-60 range.

Once you have gotten familiar with taking your pulse and have a good idea of your average resting pulse rate, try “The Pulse Test” to determine any food sensitivities…

The Pulse Test
Take your pulse before you eat or drink anything. It’s likely to be slightly higher than the first morning pulse you’ve been taking. Take your pulse again, 20 minutes after ingesting ONE suspect food. Test ONE food at a time, so avoid eating anything else with the food you want some information about. If your pulse has risen 10-15 beats, or it’s “racing”, your body may well be reacting negatively to that food. Re-test the same food several times on different days, to get a clearer “Yes” or “No” answer from your body.

If you’re sure that a reaction happens regularly, try removing the offending food from your diet for at least a week. Gauge the effect this has on your digestive function, your energy levels or your body weight.

Food sensitivities can impact health, energy and digestion in a number of ways. If you regularly suffer with bloating, poor energy (especially after food), headaches, or have dark circles under the eyes, skin rashes, frequent nasal congestion or runny nose, try experimenting with the Pulse Test.

Common food allergens and food “offenders” include cow’s milk, wheat products, gluten, eggs, soya, MSG, aspartame and other chemical sweeteners, artificial additives and colourings, canned drinks, or chocolate.

NOTE: Drinking coffee or other caffeinated drinks may well lead to a rise in pulse rate. Do not drink coffee at the same time as “testing” any foods.

The Pulse Test is not an exact method and doesn’t register delayed reactions to a food (i.e. 24, 48 or 72 hours post food ingestion). It is however a very useful tool to help you move a step closer to finding out whether food sensitivity is holding you back from reaching optimal health.

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