Alpha-Gal Testing Explained
Understanding Alpha-Gal IgE, Comprehensive Food Allergy Testing, and What Your Results Really Mean Reviewed by: Dette Avalon, FNP-BCLast Updated: July 2026Estimated Reading Time: 20 minutes What You’ll Learn By the end of this article, you’ll understand: What Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS) is and why it differs from traditional food allergies. How Alpha-Gal IgE blood testing...
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Can Mold Cause Histamine Intolerance? The Gut Connection Most People Miss
Can Mold Cause Histamine Intolerance? “This article is written from two perspectives: my experience as a Family Nurse Practitioner and my personal journey living with Alpha-Gal Syndrome, mold illness, and histamine sensitivity. While every person’s story is different, my hope is that sharing both the science and my experience helps...
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Brain Fog, Fatigue, and Mold Toxicity: Why Mycotoxin Testing May Reveal What You’ve Been Missing
If You Asked Me ” What I can do to protect my brain?” I’d Look for Mold! The hidden connection between mycotoxins, gut health, neuroinflammation, and the symptoms too many people are told to ignore. By J. Dette Avalon, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC Your Health. Your Data. Your Life. If I had a magic wand...
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Brain Fog, Fatigue, and Mold: What Mycotoxin Testing Can (and Can’t) Tell You
The Symptom List No One Connects to Mold “Your labs look normal.” “Maybe it’s stress.” “You’re just getting older.” If you’ve heard some version of that while dealing with brain fog, crushing fatigue, anxiety, or digestive issues that won’t resolve, you’re not alone and you’re not imagining it. One environmental factor...
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Brush Your Teeth, Wear Your Seatbelt, and Test for H. pylori
There are some things we do because they are just plain common sense. We brush our teeth. We wear our seatbelt. We try not to ignore chest pain. And in my opinion, we should also stop overlooking H. pylori. This tiny stomach bacterium does not get nearly enough attention for the trouble it can...
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The “Skinny Bacteria” That’s Reversing Type 2 Diabetes: How Akkermansia Muciniphila Became the Gut Health Superstar (And How to Get More of It)
Did you know you had “Skinny Bacteria?” “My A1C was 8.2. My doctor said I’d probably be on insulin within a year.” That’s how Maria started our conversation. At 52, she’d been fighting type 2 diabetes for six years. She’d tried every diet. Lost weight. Gained it back. Her blood sugar...
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Could Leaky Gut Be Sabotaging Your Body’s Ability to Make Natural Peptides?
Discover how intestinal permeability and bile acid dysfunction block your body’s natural peptide synthesis—and what to do about it. When I am asked about peptide therapy—whether it’s BPC-157 for gut healing or thymosin for immune support—I always ask the same question first: “Have we figured out why your body stopped...
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Leaky Gut, Leaky Brain: Why Your Anxiety Might Be Coming From Your Intestines (And How to Prove It)
“They keep telling me my tests are normal” Three months ago, Rachel sat across from me, crying so hard she could barely speak. “I’ve seen seven doctors,” she managed between sobs. “Gastroenterologist says my colonoscopy is normal. Neurologist says my brain MRI is perfect. Psychiatrist wants to increase my antidepressants. Rheumatologist...
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IgE vs. IgG Food Testing: The Complete Guide to Understanding Your Food Reactions
Let me tell you about Rebecca. Rebecca came to my office holding a food journal that looked like a novel. “I’ve been tracking everything I eat for six months,” she said, exhausted. “I’m bloated all the time. My skin is a disaster. I’m tired no matter how much I sleep....
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GI-MAP Test Review: Why Functional Medicine Doctors Call This the Gold Standard for Gut Health Testing
Let me tell you about the day Jessica walked into my office and said, “I’ve been to seven doctors. They’ve all told me it’s just IBS. They’ve given me pills that don’t work, told me to ‘reduce stress,’ and suggested therapy. But I KNOW something is actually wrong with...
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