I have spent the last 15 years feeling down about myself in general...my appearance, health, self esteem, etc. Only a few short months after we got married I started packing on the weight and we had no idea why. I gained over 70 lbs in the first year of marriage, if I remember right. I had awful migraines almost daily, was constantly sick with something, suffered with rashes, anxiety and depression, infertility, terrible seasonal allergies, eczema and other skin issues, hair loss, severe stomach pains, irregular and very painful cycles, had a gray-ish tone to my skin, I slept terrible, had bowel issues, constant kidney/bladder, and yeast infections, I felt exhausted after even 12 hrs of sleep, and on and on. I knew that the birth control I was on did a number on me because I felt mentally crazy when taking it, on top of it whacking out my cycle horribly. So, I stopped taking that after less than 6 months. But, I also knew something else was going on.
After all was said and done over the years, I ended up being misdiagnosed with Fibromyalgia, Celiac Disease, possible Lupus, PCOS, RLS, IBS, possible diverticulitis, and more. All of the doctors and specialists just wanted to prescribe me something to mask the symptoms, no one seemed to care at all what was the root cause of all my health problems. I just knew that all of this was crazy! How could a 23 year old woman be falling apart this badly?! There had to be something...one thing, maybe a few at most, that was causing all of this. There was just no way that I could have ALL of these things wrong with me.
It wasn't until 3 years later that I was told by my parents that I should get and read a book called The G Free Diet by Elisabeth Hasselbeck. They had seen her on TV talking about her book and her personal discovery of a gluten allergy. They were right on, I had almost every single symptom she mentioned in her book, plus some! I was desperate to lose weight and feel better so I went gluten free. It helped a lot. Within days my stomach looked much less bloated, I didn't have as sore of a throat from constant acid reflux, some of my tummy pains went away, and I started sleeping better. I was so happy! I lost some weight and felt better, but I still suspected other food allergies because I was still suffering with some other health problems.
After having zero luck with regular doctors since childhood regarding my stomach issues and more, I decided to see a Naturopath in 2009. She uses a machine called the Bio Meridian, and it was life changing! I always joked around and said that I wished there was a machine that I could be hooked up to, like a car to a diagnostic machine, and it'd tell me everything that was wrong with me. Well, the Bio Meridian machine does just that! It is super cool, look into it btw! ASA Testing is also very similar, that's what our doctor now uses. Anyways, at that first appt with this Naturopath, I found out more in that 1 hour time period than I had since I was 12 yrs old with a dozen different doctors and specialists. We discovered that I also had a severe dairy allergy, couldn't tolerate cashews, oats, cinnamon, or strawberries, had extremely low functioning adrenal glands, hormone imbalances, a metabolism that barely registered on the machine, my liver was taxed and wasn't detoxing properly, and I had cortisol levels through the roof. I immediately quit dairy and lost 35 lbs in mere months and felt amazing! It had contributed to so many of my health problems. More so than the gluten I'd say. My skin issues lessened by a lot, the remaining constant bloat, reflux, and burping were finally gone. And, I OVULATED for the first time ever in our marriage after less than 5 months of being off of dairy! That's huge guys. I have been told by multiple physicians since then that dairy can affect male and female fertility. Even if you aren't allergic or intolerant. I was told that gluten and dairy are actually the two hardest things for your body to digest. The Naturopath told me that we are one of the only countries who still consumes mass amounts of milk after infancy. It's everywhere and in everything. And wheat isn't the same as it used to be either. Once it was cross-bred with turkey grass years ago to make it more resilient, many people started having issues. Everything is so modified and cross-bred now. Gross! It is true that milk contains calcium and protein, which are good for you. But, there are so, so many other foods rich in those things that don't cause phlegm, snoring, stomach bloat, infertility, gland inflammation, etc.. Dairy is the devil!
Fast forward to 2019. I started packing on the weight again, started having stomach issues again, my candida symptoms were back, and was so tired and sore all the time. So, I paid to have the full allergy panel done on the Bio Meridian. We found out I've got more food allergies and sensitivities. I also am allergic or sensitive to soy, peanuts, eggs, artificial sweeteners, artificial dyes, fish, shellfish, and pistachios. I'm sure I'm forgetting something. I also showed as having radiation toxicity (from cell phones, internet, x-rays, etc), heavy metal toxicity (water, foods, vaccines, and I have MTHFR - a gene mutation making it very hard for the body to properly detox), and have several different kinds of parasites. Yes, you read that correctly...parasites! I have actually learned that like 70% of the population has at least one form of parasites. If you've ever drank water, ate vegetables, fruit, meat, dined out, played in the dirt, or have ever had a pet...you very likely have parasites. There are even such things as micro parasites that live under your fingernails. You don't have to go to or live in a foreign country to contract parasites sadly. Eating out (especially sushi) is a main source for contracting parasites. Parasites and amoebas cause a whooooole slew of health issues. I have been working hard to rid myself of these awful things and my other unwelcome health issues this last year.
Most of my health problems boil down to poor gut health. Which a vast majority of the population also has. Poor gut health is caused by antibiotics, parasites, bad food choices, candida overgrowth, sugar, and more. These things lead to a lowered immune system, malnutrition (yes, you can be malnourished even when overweight), and so much more. I was told that food allergies are almost always caused by parasites and candida. I'm pretty sure I contracted the parasites on our honeymoon cruise or from a restaurant, because the timeline of things makes sense. Both candida and parasites cause tiny holes to form in your gut lining, making small particles of things you eat and drink able to sneak into your blood stream. Where they're never supposed to be. The body treats them as a threat, foreign matter, and reacts to it harshly each time it is eaten afterwards...and thus, a food allergy is born.
I now take the following daily: pure cbd oil (thc free), a good probiotic and a whole foods multivitamin, Advanced TRS (cellular detox mineral spray - the same one that has brought Cameron back from the brink of Autism), and I drink herbal teas and take natural supplements that are antiparasitic. I have seen some results recently and am now able to eat strawberries and cinnamon again! I am really hoping to be rid of these parasites and the yeast by our embryo transfer, because unfortunately you can pass these on to the baby in the womb. Hence the twin's gut issues. We also purchased an infrared sauna recently in hopes of it also helping with our health issues. Saunas have so, so many health benefits...check into it! But most importantly...I started Bright Line Eating 10 months ago. It changed my life!!
I am so thrilled to say that I have lost over 60 lbs and over 25 inches (I really need to re-measure, it has been awhile). I am feeling better than I ever have because of Bright Line Eating! I haven't weighed this little since our first year of marriage. I am working out and doing yoga multiple times a week. This is not a quick fix, a calorie counting program, or anything like that. It is a complete life style change, kind of like Weight Watchers in that way. It involves eating no sugar (it is absolute poison!), no flours (whole grains are ok, however, refined flours are very unhealthy), eating 3 meals a day with no snacking in between, and weighing everything you put in your mouth. Weighing especially sounds awful and daunting at first, I know. I put off starting this for months because weighing my food sounded totally crazy and time consuming. But it has changed my life forever and is the best thing I could have ever done for my health! I would feel weird not weighing my food now. No food tastes as good as buying smaller clothes and being healthier feels!!! I wish so badly that I would have found this program decades ago. I eat plenty, more than I did before actually. And, I eat much more healthy, tasty, and fresh foods. My brain fog and memory issues are going away, my migraines are completely gone, I've been sick only once in a year's time - which is unheard of for me, my remaining skin issues I had are going away, my cycles are regular for the first time in a very long time, I feel happy for no good reason, I wake with energy and go to bed dog tired like you're supposed to, I play with my kids outside and on the floor for hours (had zero energy to do this for more than 20 mins before), and my whole body doesn't ache constantly. My anxiety is also 90% gone I'd say!!
I could go on and on about this program, but it wouldn't be as helpful to you as reading the book. It is written by a doctor who does the program herself. It is based on a food addiction food plan, and the book is packed with SO MUCH awesome information. I never knew what a food grazer and binger I was until I read this book. It was very eye opening. I used to make poor and unhealthy food choices, always just grabbed or made what was quick, didn't take care of myself, and let my sugar cravings get the best of me. Did you know that sugar actually damages your brain?! It affects the dopamine and leptin levels in your brain...making it very hard or completely impossible to lose weight, causes you to continue gaining even when dieting, to never feel full, to be full of inflammation, to crave sweets and starches, and much more. I recommend this book to everyone I know now. Even if you dont need to lose weight, this book is so, so great! I knew that more than just food allergies were affecting my health. I have put together a lot of the puzzle pieces of my health over the years. But, sugar...it's awful! It is 8xs more addictive than cocaine, it's legal, and it's absolutely EVERYWHERE!! Just because it's for sale in every store, doesn't mean it is good for your body. We watched a "How it's Made" episode for sugar recently...so nasty. That alone made me not want to eat it. Not to mention all of the brain damage it causes. All you need to start this program is the book and a food scale (got both mine for under $40 on Amazon).
I am very much looking forward to being in better health for this next treatment! Embryo transfers are more successful when you're healthy (I'll be 36 yrs old for this one), pregnancy has less risks when you're not extremely overweight, and I guarantee my post partum recovery will be much better this time around if this last treatment is successful. I'm less than 30 lbs from goal weight, and though I still have some work to do...for the first time in long time, I am HAPPY with my body! I don't dread doing things, going places, and having my picture taken. Bright Line Eating really has helped me to start living life "happy, thin, and free!" I just wish I wouldn't have wasted so many years being unhealthy, overweight, and miserable.
The book!
Before vs. 60 lbs down!
