**This is a sponsored post, all opinions are my own.
I'd like to preface this post by saying that I am NOT medical doctor and I'm not giving you any medical advice - I'm simply sharing my own story.
My Mom and I have a long running joke about our 'sensitive tummies', it's not unusual for us to have stomach pains after eating. It's just something that has been happening so long that I deemed it normal, especially since it happens to my Mom. I got her hips, thighs, and sensitive stomach.
It wouldn't happen after every meal or even after certain foods, that I was aware of. I'm already a super light sleeper and I spent many a night awake after being woken up with stomach pains. I shrugged it off as annoying, not life threatening. I'm honestly not one to run to the doctor whenever I have an issue - just like the year my knee hurt before I even went to have it checked.
About a year ago I saw a friend of mine who was struggling with a lot of health issues post about the PinnerTest. I was intrigued, she shared that it really helped her to change her gut health. You can read her post here.
The PinnerTest is an at home blood test that tests for food intolerance - NOT FOOD ALLERGY. I think some people were confused about this - there is a difference. "A true food allergy causes an immune system reaction that affects numerous organs in the body. It can cause a range of symptoms. In some cases, an allergic food reaction can be severe or life-threatening. In contrast, food intolerance symptoms are generally less serious and often limited to digestive problems"
The test was seriously easy - prick your finger - drop in your blood sample - and ship back to the lab with the prepaid packaging provided.
Your results are emailed to you within 7-10 days. They will send your results in an easy to read chart with which food you react to and the degree in which you react, a scale of 1-3 low to high.
I was actually pretty nervous to get my results back - what would I do if chicken, cheese, or eggs were on there?? I guess it would come down to gauging each meal as 'IS THIS WORTH THE PAIN?'
I was pretty relieved that I only popped on two items - figs and onions. Figs, totally random but I actually used to keep a pack of fig newtons in my pantry. They were a great low-fat treat that I didn't have to worry about binging on. They'd cure a sweet tooth in a pinch. I like them, but I'm not devoted to give them up.
I did happen upon a replacement...
Good, low fat, and too spicy to devour the entire bag and feel regret.
Onions on the other hand - oh how I love onions. Soups, chili, mexican food, salsa, sandwiches, and pretty much everything else. I made my beloved sweet potato chili with no onions, it was fine. Tuna is a bit bland without the onion, but I just added more pickles. I've gotten a bit more creative with my sandwiches - my current love is sourdough with chicken {or turkey} with avocado and feta. I cheated one day with a mexican restaurant - I was a margarita deep and ordered a dish with lots of onions without even thinking about it. Let me tell you - I regretted that decision the entire next day.
I haven't been woken up with stomach pains even once since I quit daily consumption {minus the mexican food incident of 2017}.
I am very aware of any bloating in my stomach since my skin removal surgery, not just a 'food baby' but a painful bloat that can really affect my mood. I haven't had that issue anymore, which makes it worth it for me to continue to work my foods around onions. Mexican food is probably the hardest for me - I haven't found a salsa without onions yet. I don't eat a lot of prepackaged meals, but the Trader Joes Chicken Fried Rice was a nice 'I wanna eat out, but I don't want to spend the money' Friday night meal. Onions ruined it.
This test is on the expensive side, $460. It's not covered by insurance either. You may be able to go to a doctor and get blood work done - I've heard mixed results about this. Some say they usually won't test unless you have serious symptoms, some say they only test for food allergy. Some say they spent about that much out of pocket on tests. You need to do your research, I think it's worth it if you are having constant symptoms. I really want my Mom to order and take one, not to live everyday with a 'sensitive stomach' and think it's normal.
You can learn more here - PinnerTest. You can use code SKINNYMEG for a discount. You can email me if you have more questions! skinnymeg@ymail.com
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