This is the most popular time of the year for people to start making changes to enjoy a better version of themselves. This often refers to weight loss and healthier eating. If you are one of those people, you’re certainly taking the right steps towards making the most out of your new year. When you want a full picture of how your body operates, you may want to make room for allergy testing. It could just be the final puzzle piece to unlocking a healthier version of yourself.

Allergy testing is all about better health

While often thought to be something to consider only if you are experiencing serious reactions to something in your daily diet, allergy testing can actually provide a lot of benefits that relate to your own health short- and long-term. Here are some of the best ones.

  • Be aware of your body’s weaknesses and needs: Allergies are when our bodies are not able to interact with a certain ingredient. When we know what our bodies “like” and “don’t like,” we can treat them better and be ready to anticipate our needs a lot more.
  • Prevent serious health-impacting reactions in the future: Even if you didn’t know you had allergies until taking the test, the results could help you prevent reactions in the future so that you can start out your journey to a healthier you with both eyes open.
  • Eliminate strange symptoms: Symptoms often appear to be unrelated and hard to understand. When you get allergy testing and perform your elimination diet, you may find that you simply feel better because these strange and annoying symptoms are suddenly gone.
  • Have a complete picture of your health: Most importantly, allergy testing gives you a complete understanding of your health as a whole. With a full picture comes the power to make it even healthier and better since you understand what that means for you as an individual.

You have options

If you’re starting to think that allergy testing may perhaps be a great option for understanding your body a little better, learning about your options is a wonderful second step. The most common allergy test is a skin prick test. This is done in a clinic and focuses on depositing allergens directly underneath the skin. The responses form in welts, and the diagnosis is given to you before leaving the clinic.

You can also consider an oral test. This is where the allergen is consumed in a medical setting, and the body’s reaction is monitored through medical equipment. This can be spread out over a few hours. Lastly, you can consider a blood sample test. In this case, it’s done at home on your own schedule through the use of an at-home collection kit. The results are sent to a lab, tested against allergens, and the results are emailed to you.

Is it the key to unlocking a healthier you?

Everyone’s opinion of allergy testing — and testing method — is unique. When you want to have meaningful results that help you understand your body as much as possible, it is a great option to consider that will give you great long-term health and support. It’s simply up to you to decide whether you want to make that part of your puzzle.