It’s really remarkable to think that thousands of people are tracking their response to food using the FoodMarble AIRE. At the time of writing, the FoodMarble AIRE has been bought by over 11,000 customers worldwide.
We sometimes get asked (usually by those who are lucky enough to have never had digestive problems) what the product is for and why we went to such lengths to develop it. Those who experience digestive discomfort tend to know why instinctively.
One of the easiest ways to explain some of our reasons for starting FoodMarble is by sharing insights from surveys we undertook in the early days. These insights have driven a lot of our decisions and efforts over the past three and a half years. We’re glad to be able to share them now.
“Unpredictable”
We asked people about their experiences with digestive issues, and in particular, what their biggest frustrations were and what they wished they could fix. We expected a list of symptoms and details about the realities of digestive disruption. However, in the responses we received, the most widely reported problem was the uncertainty and the unpredictability of the condition, and not the actual symptoms themselves. Common words used to describe the greatest frustrations were:
- “Uncertainty”
- “Not knowing”
- “Unpredictable”, and
- “Guesswork”.
People were drained from simply not knowing what foods caused their problems, despite years of trying to figure it out. Most said that they felt they could accept and better manage their digestive issues – and all the symptoms that come with it – if they could just understand what triggers the problems for them. It struck us how difficult it must be to try manage a condition when you don’t even know when the symptoms might hit, or what’s causing them.
“I can’t enjoy myself when I’m out – what if I’m caught short?”
Another common response related to access to toilets when out of the house. A lot of people shared frustrations on:
- Having to always know where the toilets are
- Not going to certain places if toilets are unavailable or difficult to get to
- Not being able to eat anything or enjoy themselves when out because they don’t know if or when they’ll start feeling ill
- Fear of travelling or being away from home and feeling ill
Digestive confidence
It is our hope that our users will gain confidence back in their own digestive system, and will be able to start enjoying life again, without any of the uncertainty and unpredictability that comes with digestive troubles. We want to cut out the guesswork that comes with figuring out food intolerances, and give people real data insights into what’s happening in their gut.
If you or someone you know has digestive issues and you think they might be triggered by food, have a read of some of our previous blogs to see how the FoodMarble AIRE can help.
Understanding FODMAPs and hydrogen breath testing
Discover your food suspects with AIRE’s logging features
User Story: “I can finally think straight in the afternoons”
How “Food Challenges” help you learn about your digestion
Starting your first AIRE Food Challenge
Aoife takes the inulin challenge
Finally, we want to sincerely thank all the people who responded to our surveys – your cooperation has meant a lot to us.
FoodMarble is a pocket-sized breath analysis device. It is the world’s first personal hydrogen breath tester. It helps people with chronic digestive issues determine the foods that work best with their digestive system. To learn more about FoodMarble, visit www.foodmarble.com.
