My Immunohealth Test Results: A Month of Detox and What I Learned

Hello everyone!

I recently took the Immunohealth test for hidden food intolerance, and I'm excited to share my experience with you. As someone who works in a private clinic, I'm always on the lookout for top-notch products and services for our clients.

I'd been waking up with a swollen face every morning, like I'd been on a binge the night before. I was experiencing some serious digestive issues, to the point where I had irritable bowel syndrome just a couple of weeks before taking the test. My diet was pretty terrible - I was eating sweets and pastries every day, with a ton of carbs. I don't have a huge weight problem, but I do have some extra fat in areas I'd rather not, and it's not helped by my love of sports. I was always tired, had low energy, headaches, and sometimes insomnia.

The cost of the test varied between clinics, ranging from 16,000 to 25,000 rubles. Luckily, our management was kind enough to let us take the test at a discounted rate, which still came out to be 13,000 rubles. This test checks for 111 different products.

I just had to give a quick finger prick blood sample and then waited for what felt like an eternity for the results.

After 21 days, the lab manager sent me the results via email - a bunch of tables and access to a mobile app with my personal code.

The results

Honestly, I was stressing out about some of the products that might end up on the red list. But I'd mentally prepared myself that for six months, they'd just fall out of my diet and it's not the end of the world.

As it turned out, I was only allowed a very limited number of veggies and fruits, and it's a disaster with grains. The ones from my favorite 'banned' list are - TOMATOES. For me, that's a tragedy, since tomatoes have always been in my fridge (until now)

Compared to my colleagues who also did the analysis, my situation is pretty bleak, since my red list is quite long. One silver lining for me is that coffee is allowed)

There's also a helpful table in the analysis results. It shows what you can replace the banned product with (but often, nothing works), and related products that should also be excluded. So, in reality, the result is more than 111 products if you look at that table.

DIET. MY EXPERIENCE.

After getting the results, I decided to start on Monday, but in reality, I began on Wednesday. That's because the results arrived during the holidays and a trip to another city.

First things first, I needed to finish all the banned products before starting the diet, since I didn't want to waste them. And stock up on the ones from the green list.

Here's what my diet looked like (in general, with variations from day to day):

I started my day with a variety of egg dishes - scrambled, fried, or made into an omelette. I'd also add sliced cucumber, celery, dried olives, and avocado for a nutritious breakfast. On weekends, I'd make zucchini pancakes with a corn flour batter. Bacon was a frequent addition to my breakfast plate, and I'd often add a handful of spinach or mixed greens. For lunch, I'd opt for any type of meat except chicken. I'd usually have pan-seared or oven-roasted meat, meatballs without breadcrumbs, or minced chicken patties with herbs. My side dishes were often corn, chickpeas, or wheat porridge cooked with water, or sautéed cabbage. Sometimes, I'd eat just meat with a side of cucumber and hard-boiled eggs, or a simple salad with cucumber and fresh cabbage. Dinner was similar to lunch, with the same variety of meats and sides. I'd often cook at home in the evening and bring a packed lunch to work. As I got into the habit, I started preparing fish and shrimp for dinner more frequently. Snacks were usually a handful of almonds or cashews, or a few sunflower seeds.

Having the mobile app on hand was super convenient during my diet, as it kept a list of allowed and forbidden foods readily available.

After I started the diet, I noticed some pretty significant changes in my body.

FEELINGS

I have to admit, the first day of the diet was a real challenge. I thought I was going to crash and burn, especially after giving up sugar and carbs. By lunchtime, I was already feeling pretty miserable - my head was pounding, and I was exhausted, weak, and sleepy. Strangely enough, the thought of sweet treats and carbs didn't even appeal to me that much on the first day. In fact, I felt a bit queasy just thinking about it. But by around day 5, things took a dramatic turn. I found myself craving sweet and baked goods like crazy - I was obsessively browsing food websites and drooling over cakes and pastries. By the end of the diet, though, I'd adjusted to the new way of eating and had a more balanced attitude towards sweet treats.

So, what were the results after a month?

I want to preface this by saying I didn't stick to the diet perfectly - I had a few slip-ups, especially around holidays and special occasions. But it was nice to feel strong and in control when I was able to resist the temptation of all the delicious treats.

Of course, I did have a few cheats - I had a few glasses of white wine, ate four pieces of pizza on a cauliflower crust, and even bought sugar-free apple paste and stevia chocolate. I also added cheese to my meals from time to time. Not a bad list of cheats, if I do say so myself!

Despite not following the diet to the letter, I still managed to see some amazing results.

So, what changes did I notice in myself?

I noticed a huge improvement in my skin tone within the first week of using the product. At first, I was the only one who noticed it, but soon my friends and family started commenting on it too. My skin started to glow, and it became more elastic and toned. I was thrilled to see that not a single pimple appeared on my face for the entire month - that's a huge win! The puffiness around my eyes also disappeared quickly. I no longer wake up with puffy eyes, and I can drink herbal tea late at night without worrying about it. The digestive issues I was experiencing vanished within a month. This is probably one of the best side effects of the diet - my quality of life has improved significantly. I lost 1 kg of weight, but to be honest, I didn't have much to lose to begin with. However, I did lose 4 cm from my waistline. My cellulite has reduced, and my skin on my legs has become more toned. I have more energy, and my sleep has improved. My eating habits and food preferences have changed, and I've become more mindful of my diet. I get full faster, and I think this is because I've been eating the right foods for my body and combining them correctly.

WHAT ARE THE MINUSES?

I have to admit that not everything was perfect, and I did experience some downsides. I think these are the main reasons why people write negative reviews.

- the cost. As someone in the medical field, I understand that the analysis is expensive because it requires a lot of reagents for 111 different products. However, the price is often out of reach for the average Russian citizen.

- the cost of P.P. products. It turns out that eating healthy is much more expensive than I expected. All the products with sugar substitutes and gluten-free options are way more expensive than regular rice or other staples. Sometimes the difference in price is staggering. Have you seen how expensive a cabbage is during the winter?

- the unwillingness to accept the results and stick to the diet. I think this is the main problem. If you know yourself well enough to know that you'll never stick to the diet, then there's no point in getting the analysis. If your favorite product is on the list of forbidden foods, but you're not willing to give it up, even temporarily, then the analysis is just a waste of money.

- a pretty short list of products. There are a lot of common foods missing from this list. I'd probably rethink the list if I were the manufacturer - lobsters aren't exactly a staple in the average Russian diet

But that's just nitpicking, I guess

FINAL VERDICT

I'm definitely in favor of doing this cleanse if you're really struggling with your health. You can read up on the symptoms on the Immunohealth website, and doctors might even recommend it. But do it only if you're willing to make some sacrifices, and if you've got any willpower at all.

I've seen some pretty convincing arguments from nutritionists that the results of the Immunohealth diet are pretty predictable - just cut out the sugary carbs and you'll be golden. But the thing is, if I'd just stuck to a gluten-free diet, I'd have been happily munching on oatmeal and broccoli, thinking they were the epitome of healthy eating. But for me, it turns out they were actually doing more harm than good.

So Immunohealth is a solid tool for detoxing and cleansing your body.

Wishing you all the best health! Thanks for reading