For the past year, I experienced daily discomfort. The days were hard to get through due to chronic fatigue. Even if I got a full eight hours of sleep, I still felt exhausted throughout my day. It affected my work performance as well as my family life. I felt like I wasn’t the husband and father that I wanted to be, and I knew my performance at work was also suffering.
That wasn’t the only issue I had. I also had constant bloating, which made me uncomfortable and irritated. This often manifested in my patience being thin, which caused me to be short and snappy with my wife and kids. It all made me feel terrible.
I tried a few different diets but couldn’t stick with them long-term. I also tried workout plans, but my days were so packed with work and family that I would get far behind and eventually give up. I felt that if I could just change the way I physically felt, I would have more motivation to do the right thing each day. To be the husband and father I know I can be, give 100% at work, and stick to a workout routine.
But first, I had to identify my underlying issue.
That’s when I started seeing advertisements for food intolerance test kits. They stated that the symptoms I was experiencing could be the result of food intolerances. So my journey began.
What Exactly Is A Food Intolerance?
I educated myself on what exactly a food intolerance is. The simple explanation: it’s when your gut microbiome has difficulty processing certain food items.
Everyone’s gut microbiome is different, and it’s not just based on the foods you eat. It’s also affected by your environment, stress levels, and other aspects of your health, such as your weight. It’s all connected.
“How is this different from a food allergy?” I wondered. I learned that an allergy is an immune response. Your body attacks a specific food item or ingredient, which can create a lot of chaos and problems internally.
When you have a food intolerance, your body isn’t attacking anything. It’s just having a difficult time getting that item through your system and utilizing the nutrients the way it’s supposed to. And it’s not just unhealthy foods. People can also be intolerant to healthy foods. So it’s important to know what food items your body struggles with.
Due to my demanding schedule, I don’t have a ton of extra time to schedule and attend multiple doctor’s appointments. So I began looking for the best way to identify food intolerances without having to go to the doctor.
Overwhelmingly, hair analysis tests came back as the most efficient and affordable way to learn this crucial information about your body.
Finding The Best At-Home Test
There are multiple companies that offer at-home food intolerance tests, and I looked into all of them. I was on obscure forums, watching multiple YouTube playlists, X threads, Reddit posts. I even checked to see what AI recommended.
I was surprised to see so many brands offering this type of service: Advanced Food Intolerance Lab (AFIL), Everlywell, Check My Body Health, Simply Sensitivity Checks, YorkTest, and more.
But the brand that looked most legitimate, based on all of the research across these various sources, was 5Strands.
This is a U.S. based company that completes all of their testing in Georgia. Other companies will keep and sell your DNA. 5Strands only holds your sample for 60 days in case you want additional testing. After that, a certified biohazard company securely disposes of the sample. That was very important to me.
I also had to see what users said about these tests, so I looked at the reviews on Amazon. They had thousands of positive reviews for multiple different types of test kits. That gave me the confidence to pull the trigger and try it myself.
My Experience Using 5Strands
I ordered on their website and received the test kit in just a few days. The box came with all the information and materials needed, and the instructions were clear and easy to follow.
First, I went back to the website and registered my test kit with my unique ID, so when they received it, they could track it back to me. Once registered, I simply plucked a few strands of my hair, put them in the static sample bag that came in the box, and then placed that bag in the mailer using the prepaid label that already had their address and info.
Then I drove by the post office near my house, dropped the package in the drive-up mailbox, and that was it.
By the end of the week, I received an email with my full report.
I chose to download the app because I like doing things on my phone instead of my laptop. The app is free to download and easy to navigate.
The report is super detailed. It’s not surface-level. For example, it doesn’t just say you’re intolerant to apples. It breaks it down by the different types: Gala, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Red Delicious, and so on.
It does this for all different food types so you know exactly what might be causing issues. It even breaks down food dyes and additives, so when you read ingredient labels, you know how your body reacts to everything.
It also doesn’t just give you a simple “yes or no” for intolerance. It categorizes your results as no intolerance, mild, moderate, or severe intolerance.
For me, two ingredients that really stuck out as a surprise were scrambled eggs and coffee. Both of which I had severe intolerance to.
I’d always heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so I made sure to eat a good source of protein (a couple of scrambled eggs) and drink coffee every morning to fight fatigue. Little did I know, this was the source of why I felt so bad every day. I thought I was doing the right thing, but it turned out to be the wrong thing for my body.
Taking Action With My Results
With these answers, I began my elimination diet. I started by removing all of my level two and level three foods, as 5Strands recommends, and used the “grey list” foods to build my meal prep plan.
I did this for four weeks to give my body a chance to reset and see if these items were the core issue.
By week three, I noticed my fatigue drastically declined. I had much more energy throughout the day. My productivity at work increased, I felt more mentally sharp, and I was more motivated and in a better mood.
This translated to my home life as well. When I got home from work, I didn’t feel the urge to hide in my room scrolling Instagram. I was ready to engage with my kids, play with them, and give them the time and attention they deserve.
I was also more present for my wife. Helping around the house, spending quality time together, talking about our days. That alone was such a huge win for me and enough to recommend 5Strands to everyone I know.
But that wasn’t the only benefit. My bloating was gone, and I was even down five pounds. That also contributed to me feeling great throughout the day. Better than I had in years.
Another benefit I didn’t even know I needed was clearer skin. I had a few blemishes before but didn’t think much of them. After following the elimination plan based on my 5Strands results, my skin cleared up so much that people started asking if I’d started a skincare routine.
After all of this, I became a firm believer in food intolerance testing and specifically in 5Strands.
When I got my results, I did have a few questions about what everything meant. I emailed them my list, and they offered to get on a phone call to walk me through it. I took them up on it, and the customer representative I spoke with was kind and patient, helping me understand my specific results and what they meant for me.
It’s rare these days to get such great customer support. That’s why I love that 5Strands is a U.S.-based company. Everyone I dealt with was from the U.S., so nothing got lost in translation.
Now it’s been about six months, and I’ve never felt better.
I plan on retesting my food intolerances once a year because I learned that the gut microbiome changes over time based on factors like stress, environment, medications, and even the seasons. All of that can change the balance of bacteria in the gut, which in turn affects how your body processes certain foods.
In other words, your intolerances aren’t constant for your whole life. They can change. That’s another big difference between food intolerances and food allergies.
Final Thoughts And Recommendation
With that in mind, I plan to test once a year to make sure I’m fueling my body in the optimal way so I can show up as the best version of myself every single day for those who depend on me.
Overall, this experience was eye-opening. I obtained so much value that it’s hard to put into words. It’s completely worth it.
I highly recommend this test for anyone with chronic, unexplained symptoms or gut issues. While 5Strands is not a medical test, it’s an excellent self-awareness tool that will give you insight into what your body truly needs.
So if you’re on the fence, you can click here to get the 5Strands intolerance test for yourself. Try it today to have a better tomorrow.
