Have you ever felt a bit off, gone in to the doc looking for answers, and been told, “It’s nothing”, or “It’s just IBS” or “It’s just stress”? You might know of the times this has happened to me…

• When I had undiagnosed Celiac disease and a parasite
• When I had low iron
• When my cycle was messed up

For you, it might have been the same, or it might have been your thyroid, your hormones, your weight, your digestion, your energy, or even a combination of the above!

While not having answers can be frustrating, there are tests you can run over and above what’s available through your doc, that can be incredibly revealing. Note that if you haven't done any blood work yet, that's a good place to start. Here's an article we wrote on the most important blood work to get done.

Cortisol Saliva Testing

Why Do It:

• You’ve been through a stressful period of time
• You’re not sleeping well (either can’t fall asleep or wake up in the night)
• You’re just plain old tired, even if you slept well the night before
• You’re experiencing anxiety, brain fog, or
• Unexplained weight gain in the belly area

How It Works:

• You are mailed a test kit with 4 little test tubes
• You spit into them 4 times throughout the day (at specified times)

What You Learn:

• Your cortisol is plotted on a chart
• Based on whether you are high or low (or normal), you can then use specific nutrients to bring your cortisol back in balance (i.e. reduce it or boost it up) so that your energy improves, you sleep through the night, and the weigh easily falls off.

IgG Food Sensitivity Testing

Why Do It:

• You have unexplained digestive symptoms (chronic constipation, diarrhea, IBS, gas, bloating)
• You have unexplained skin symptoms (eczema, red bumps on your arms, acne)
• You have unexplained seasonal allergies
• You catch a cold or flu often (more than just once a year)
• You get cankers or have herpes breakouts often

How It Works:

• You are mailed a test kit with the equipment to do a ‘blood spot’ (prick of the finger and place a spot of blood on a piece of paper).

What You Learn:

• The test looks at the top 95 most commonly eaten foods and ranks them on a numbered scale so you can understand what foods (if any) are sensitivities.

**Not all food sensitivity testing companies are created equal. The company I use, Stero-Chrom, subscribes to the proficiency testing programs offered by the College of the American Pathologists to independently monitor the performance of the testing by this respected Quality Agency.

Hormone Saliva & Blood Spot Testing

Why Do It:

• You have hormonal imbalances – irregular periods (they never come or they come too often)
• You are having problems conceiving or experiencing miscarriages.
• You have gained weight, without changing anything in your diet/exercise, perhaps particularly in the hip, butt & thigh area.
• You have problem periods – terrible PMS, awful cramping, heavy periods
• You have thyroid problems and your dosage of Synthroid keeps being increased
• Your sex drive is lacking

How It Works:

• You are mailed a test kit with the equipment to do a ‘blood spot’ (prick of the finger and place a spot of blood on a piece of paper) and saliva testing, much like the cortisol testing.

What You Learn:

• You learn accurate measurements of all your major hormones responsible for metabolism, weight, energy and reproduction.
• This test is also useful for men and is not specific to women.

Note: All of these tests can be done from your home!