Food Sensitivities, Intuition, and the Rise of Personalized Nutrition

Intuitive eating is a self-care framework that promotes a healthy relationship with food by integrating instinct, emotion, and rational thought.

Regaining the intuition to eat intuitively is possible. Feeling free, at peace, and enjoying food is possible. A couple of years ago, I was completely disconnected from this intuitive relationship with food, but I managed to come back to it through a holistic process. Reducing inflammation is key for intuitive eating, because when your body is less inflamed, your signals of hunger, satiety, and cravings become clearer, making it easier to truly listen to what your body needs. In this blog, I’d like to share one of the tools that helped me reconnect. I believe that the best way to reconnect with your intuition is also by knowing and exploring yourself.

One of the bloodwork tests that has been essential in this process is IgG intolerances. They are also called food sensitivities and essentially are delayed immune responses to certain foods, causing inflammation. Unlike IgE allergies (which trigger immediate reactions like hives or swelling), IgG reactions can take hours or even days to appear. Symptoms can be very subtle or even chronic. In my case, I now identify the following:

• Brain fog with oats

• Blocked nose with dairy

• A sense of increased temperature in my face with cashews

Other common symptoms I’ve heard of include bloating, fatigue, headaches, skin issues, and joint pain.

When looking at my results, many of the foods that appeared very elevated didn’t actually feel like they were causing noticeable harm. For example, both egg yolks and whites, as well as mustard, appeared very high on the scale, but when I consumed them, I didn’t notice anything compared to oats, dairy, cashews, and pistachios, where the symptoms were easy to detect. I did some research and found that science is still debating how reliable these tests are; some experts see elevated IgG as just a marker of exposure, not necessarily intolerance.

I’ve been doing these tests for three years now and like to redo them every six months to one year. Depending on the intensity of the intolerance, my nutritionist recommended removing the food for 1–6 months. When I first did the test, I eliminated all food intolerances from my diet (even those I didn’t feel symptoms with). I have to say, I felt lighter, my bloating reduced, my energy increased, and the obvious symptoms improved as well.

Today, at a different point in my relationship with food and with a much deeper knowledge of my body, I’ve reintegrated many of the foods that were once highly reactive. Now I consume them in moderation, and I notice that my reactions are mild or even unnoticeable. For me, this elimination process worked very well.

But the best part of this journey has been regaining control of my food choices. I love eggs, as well as some gluten- or dairy-containing foods. At one point, eliminating intolerances 100% stopped giving me a sense of freedom. For me, freedom is one of the core pillars of life. Eating healthy is giving love to your body. Eating intuitively is freedom. But also, choosing to eat certain foods you enjoy, even if they’re not the healthiest, can be freedom too. To me, that is health as well, because it is a way of telling my body that I trust it, and I know it will rebound.

The fact that science is debating whether IgG is an immune response or simply a marker of increased exposure also led me to realize that I could be more varied in my diet. For example, I used to have oats and eggs for breakfast almost every day, so I took this as a signal to diversify and get different nutrients.

Even though eliminating certain foods was a way to heal my body, and in the beginning, it worked perfectly, eventually it started to feel restrictive, taking away peace and freedom. When that feeling showed up, I took it as a signal to “move to the next level” and reintegrate intelligently. Now, for foods that don’t trigger symptoms, I consume them in moderation, for example, eggs maybe 1–2 times a week. For foods that do cause symptoms, I’m very selective about when I eat them, and I decide consciously if it’s worth it. Most of the time I choose not to, but I make that decision from a place of love and care for my body. That choice removes the weight of restriction, which usually has the opposite effect. Still, there are times I choose to enjoy certain foods (like pistachio gelato, one of my favorite desserts). Having the freedom to choose consciously and take responsibility for the symptoms feels self-reliant, empowering, and peaceful. And interestingly, many times when I intuitively feel it’s safe to eat those foods, the symptoms don’t even arise.

In essence, I believe personalized nutrition tools like IgG testing can be amazing guides to help us know ourselves biologically in terms of food. But it’s equally important to never ignore our intuition and never give up our freedom.

If you're interested in doing these tests, there is no prescription needed. In Mexico, I’ve done them through Laboratorios Médico Polanco and Chopo, and in the U.S. with Vibrant Wellness.

I hope this information helps you explore your own options and makes the process easier <3