Do you have to go to an allergist to find out if you have food allergies or celiac disease? Well, technically not. Although you'd definitely benefit from the consultation, you can also take the test yourself, at the comfort of your own home. If you can muster the guts to prick your own finger and draw a few drops of blood, you can order a "Finger-Stick IgG ELISA Food Intolerance Test Kit". According to their press release:

For food allergy and food intolerance, a unique collection kit is used by simply pricking the end of the finger to collect the tiny sample of blood required for testing. According to Charlotte Newbury, Optimum Health Resource Laboratories' Operations Manager, "The absorbent pad safely preserves the specimen until it reaches the laboratory, which is then tested against 96 foods. In addition to the results and a 48-page support program we produce for the patient, we also include 12 months of telephone and Internet support at no additional cost!"

"For Celiac Disease, our kit detects the antibodies associated with CD and gluten intolerance by displaying results within 10 minutes of collecting the blood - there is no need to send the specimen to the laboratory for analysis."

Their website lists the foods against which your blood will be tested for. The price? $379 a pop. It's no small amount, so check with your medical insurance company if your policy covers this.

[Photo: WDX Cyberstore, which sells the kits for $345]