When I saw that Nutrition Response Testing (NRT) is offered free of charge at my wellness center, I had to give it a try. What could I lose besides an hour of my life? Could this help my chronic pain, brain fog, inability to sleep, and my poor memory? I’m so desperate for relief, I’ll try almost anything.
The entire premise of NRT is based on energy. Just like acupuncture, energy (or “qì”) flows between your organs and other parts of your body. This flow can be disrupted, which may cause various health issues. This procedure is a way to find the cause of an underlying illness or symptom.
Some diagnostic tests are done at the beginning of the exam, including blood pressure and pH level. I completed 70 questions on a form regarding my symptoms. My answers were entered into a computer program and analyzed.
“You aren’t getting any sleep, are you?”
That was the first thing the doctor said to me. This put me at ease because I felt like I had come to the right place. She knew what I was going through! We talked at great length about my health and what I needed to do to feel better.
She was spot–on about everything. She told me my health is very poor and that I can’t go on this way any longer. She asked if I was ready to make a huge change. Yes, I am if it will help my pain. With that, she had me jump on the examination table to do a “hands–on” exam that measures my neurologic reflexes.
The exam goes like this: You extend one of your arms and the practitioner applies light pressure to that arm. They use their other hand to apply light pressure to certain organs and other areas of your body. If the reflex being tested is stressed, your nervous system reduces the energy to your extended arm. This causes your arm to weaken or even fall. That response indicates there is either stress or dysfunction in the area that is negatively impacting your health.
The results of my exam indicate that my pancreas is sluggish and my gallbladder is working overtime. She said the cause of my fibromyalgia is sugar. I know that sugar causes inflammation and I thought I tried very hard to avoid it. Apparently, that wasn’t the case. It was in almost everything I ate! She told me I must give up sugar in all forms now or I will only continue to become more miserable and take years off my life.
I knew she was right. She wasn’t trying to sell me anything or get me to come back regularly. She gets paid a salary from the wellness center. Patients and insurance are not charged for any part of the test or follow-up appointments. It doesn’t matter to her if I take her recommendations or not. She’s unbiased. She has no reason to lie or lead me on.
From now on, I must eat whole foods. No processed, grain-feed, pesticide-treated food. No more alcohol, bacon, fried foods, white rice, or potatoes. Me, the person who never met a vegetable I liked, needs to start eating them ASAP? Yikes! This is a huge challenge, but one I must take head–on.
Because my muscle tone is that of a 70– to 80–year-old, I was given an easy exercise plan to follow. It consists of light walking for 10 minutes a day and using hand weights four times a week. Building muscle tone is essential to my health.
She gave me four supplements that aid in digestion and boost energy. They were pretty inexpensive. I won’t go broke doing this plan.
I see the doctor again in 45 days. I will be reevaluated to see if I have made any progress. I plan to show her just how serious I am by following the plan to a T and making positive improvements to my BMI and muscle mass. Wish me luck!
Have you tried Nutrition Response Testing? If so, what were your results? Would you recommend the plan to others?
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I am always looking for alternatives to drug therapy when it comes to treating my pain, so I would definitely give this a try. I already eat fairly healthy (although vegetables are my nemesis too), and I’ve added supplements to my diet already. I also try to stay as active as possible which I think has helped with my pain, stiffness, and energy level. I still don’t sleep well and I still experience pain and flares, but with less severity than I used to. I see a chiropractor and massage therapist once per week as well to help with stiff muscles and headaches. I only take one prescription medication (Topiramate) for migraines and use ibuprofen, acetaminophen and muscle relaxants when needed.
I also changed my diet with lots of plain herbal tea all mornings until 11am, lunch, with a big salad with veggies and fruits, garlic, parsley, bleu berries, apples, grapes, cube cheese feta, tuna fish in water, and Ezekiel bread only….do not have drinks while I eat, after the salad ahev 11 different vitamins, especially B12 and B6….then will have 2 handfull of dry fruits, no sugar, and 2 handfull of dry plain almonds….I walk every morning, my speed for 1 hour, well, that is working better, now, sleep better, have an afternoon tea with a piece of banana bread or a muffin, once a day does me good not to cut everything out , then diner with 2 slices of bread and some plan cheese, nothing else at 6pm….go to bed by 8pm with a book and will switch off my light by 9pm, most of the time sleep until 12,30, then wake up and go back to sleep a few hours, so, all about 7 to 8 hours, get up at 6am and start my day with visiting my garden then at 9,30am go for my walk……that works for me…..yes, it as been lot of changes for me but it is worth it.
Can you give a follow-up here? I’m wondering if the nutritional response testing actually helped you out. I’m considering trying it myself, but the supplements are quite pricey and insurance, of course, doesn’t cover anything. It would be great to learn whether NRT has made a difference in your symptoms. Thanks for your help!