An Italian woman who spent her life with crippling bloatedness after family feasts of pasta and pizza has revealed how a simple food intolerance test has left her feeling “healthier than ever”.

Serena Basso, 33, lives with her boyfriend in East London after moving to the UK in 2012. 

But it was the food culture of her family life in Lake Como, northern Italy, that was the source of her discomfort and stress for decades. 

However, a finger-prick blood test last year revealed 37 food sensitivities - including gluten, lactose and rice - and she now carefully watches what she eats in order to avoid the bloated belly that would wreck her social plans. 

Serena, a marketing manager in financial services in the City of London, says the adjustment was tough at first but has now totally changed her life and health.

She explained: “My family is Italian so obviously carb-heavy foods like pasta and pizza have been part of my life since I was born.

“For as long as I can remember I felt bloated after eating. We would go out for pizza and I would have to lie down due to stomach pain.

“I didn’t know what it was and I just normalised it, like, ‘I'm having a big plate of pasta, what am I expecting?’. But it affected my life so much.”

Serena says as well as feeling uncomfortable, the experience affected her mental health.

“It would lower my self-esteem because I would feel big, especially in the summer,” she said. “After eating I would just feel conscious about my stomach.

“I knew after eating I would feel too big and I would hate myself for wearing that tight dress.”

Despite living a healthy lifestyle that involved gym workouts, the struggles continued until a colleague mentioned Supply Life - a home-based food intolerance test trusted by doctors and sports stars.

The results were dramatic and have had far-reaching effects. 

Serena was flagged for 37 different ingredients including common sensitivities such as gluten and lactose, found in dairy products. She also discovered others such as potatoes, rice, oats and almonds were on the red list.

She said: “I knew something was not right within my digestion system so finding out what was wrong has been life-changing - I've never felt better.

“I had blood tests as part of a yearly health assessment but nothing ever came out of it. I'm very healthy, my blood levels are good and my BMI is within range.

“I'm not overweight or anything like that. So that's why I thought it might just be normal.”

She received her results while en route to Italy and the change took a little managing.

“We were in the car when I got the email from Supply Life and my mum was waiting for us at home with a big pasta plate,” she said.

“It was a shock but my family was understanding. We just made adjustments, which took a little while.

“The first few weeks were tough and I had quite a bit of stomach ache. I think it was my body trying to adjust to the change. 

“But after that first month my life changed and the way I see food changed, and I'm way healthier now.”

Serena says her stomach is now ‘super flat’ and she eats for pleasure, rather than with fear of what is to follow.

 “It has honestly been life-changing,” she said. “People don't realise that this is not normal. 

“I would say to people in a similar position that it might be daunting but there are alternatives to pretty much anything.”

Her diet now fits in around the sensitivities and the results have had a wider effect on her lifestyle.

Serena explained: “I'm healthier than I've ever been. I have lots of grains like quinoa, buckwheat, millet - stuff I didn't even know existed before - and I love it now. I have a balanced diet with fish, chicken, grains and lots of vegetables.

“The main change is snacking. I used to snack a lot and feel terrible afterwards but finding out my intolerances has helped because when I have a snack now I actually have something that’s good for me. It doesn't make sense to treat yourself if you're going to feel bad afterwards, 

“Me and my boyfriend started to make a lot of stuff at home, which we never did before. We bake banana bread, cookies and even our own gluten-free bread. Not only are we both healthier, but we have been saving money too!

“I've got more energy. I used to feel quite lethargic after lunch and in the afternoon but I don't feel that anymore. I've been more active, exercising more because I feel better. I think my mood has improved as well.”

Food intolerance is widely misunderstood. Unlike food allergies, which involve an immediate immune response and can include life-threatening reactions like anaphylaxis, intolerances typically involve the digestive system but still cause significant discomfort.

The body reacts negatively to certain foods that are hard to digest. This can lead to a range of uncomfortable symptoms such as bloating, lethargy, low mood, brain fog and diarrhoea.