Food Intolerances & Sensitivities Archives

I Tracked My Digestive Symptoms With This Food Diary Journal for 90 Days

Alex Mercer · June 6, 2026

I Tracked My Digestive Symptoms With This Food Diary Journal for 90 Days

My background includes over a decade of helping other people through digestive wellness challenges, drawing on personal experience and observation rather than clinical credentials. Everything I share here reflects what I’ve encountered myself and heard from others, not medical diagnosis or treatment. Before you introduce any new supplement, dietary shift, or wellness protocol—particularly if medications … Read more

I Tested the Everlywell Food Sensitivity Test: Was It Worth the Money

Alex Mercer · May 9, 2026

I Tested the Everlywell Food Sensitivity Test: Was It Worth the Money

Why I Finally Decided to Test an At-Home Food Sensitivity Kit After 15 years working as a nutritionist and gut health specialist, I thought I had seen everything. Bloating after salads. Cramping after oats. Brain fog after what seemed like…

I Tested the FoodMarble AIRE 2 Breath Tester for FODMAP Intolerance

Alex Mercer · May 4, 2026

I Tested the FoodMarble AIRE 2 Breath Tester for FODMAP Intolerance

Have unexplained significant weight loss, rectal bleeding, or

Elimination Diet for Food Sensitivities: My 6-Week Experience and What I Learned

Alex Mercer · March 10, 2026

Elimination Diet for Food Sensitivities: My 6-Week Experience and What I Learned — image 1

My gastroenterologist recommended an elimination diet for food sensitivities after months of unexplained bloating, unpredictable bathroom trips, and a general sense that my gut was working against me. I thought it would be two weeks of misery — plain chicken,…

Digestive Enzymes for Food Intolerances: What Research Actually Says About Whether They Work

Alex Mercer · March 9, 2026

Digestive Enzymes for Food Intolerances: What Research Actually Says About Whether They Work — image 1

For six months, I popped a broad-spectrum digestive enzyme capsule before nearly every meal. I was convinced it was helping. My stomach felt calmer, my bloating had eased, and I had enthusiastically told three different friends to try them. Then…

Gluten Sensitivity vs Celiac Disease: Key Differences and How to Manage Both

Alex Mercer · March 8, 2026

Gluten Sensitivity vs Celiac Disease: Key Differences and How to Manage Both — image 1

For almost three years, my gastroenterologist used the phrase “you might have some gluten sensitivity” every time I described my bloating, brain fog, and unpredictable digestion after eating bread or pasta. No firm diagnosis, no clear next steps — just…

Best At-Home Food Sensitivity Tests in 2025: What They Can (and Cannot) Tell You

Alex Mercer · March 7, 2026

Best At-Home Food Sensitivity Tests in 2025: What They Can (and Cannot) Tell You — image 1

Two years ago I mailed a vial of my blood to a lab, waited ten days, and opened a report that flagged 40 different foods as “reactive.” Eggs. Almonds. Broccoli. Salmon. The list read like a greatest hits of everything…

Lactose Intolerance vs Milk Allergy: How to Tell the Difference and What Actually Helps

Alex Mercer · March 6, 2026

Lactose Intolerance vs Milk Allergy: How to Tell the Difference and What Actually Helps — image 1

Mistaking lactose intolerance for a milk allergy can cost you years of unnecessary restriction and anxiety. I spent thirty-six months avoiding dairy entirely—telling servers about my “allergy,” passing up cheese boards, skipping lattes—before a single diagnostic test revealed the truth: my body simply couldn’t digest lactose efficiently, but my immune system had no problem with … Read more