Damaged Intestines

Being a PE major in college, I took anatomy and physiology. I studied the body for a whole year. Even with the basic knowledge I had gained, I was still completely in the dark when it came to the damage I was creating in my intestines. I had no idea how horrible I was treating my digestive tract. Through some research, and from much needed guidance from Jen, I realized what was most likely happening in there. 

Jen suggested that I take the candida test. Now, first of all, I had no idea what candida even was. Was that English? Turns out candida is just a fancy word for yeast overgrowth. There is a simple spit test that she suggested I do. Now, this test isn't 100% accurate, but it has been proven to be pretty spot on in most cases. I later found out that my dear friend had a doctor who told her do this test, but expected her to pay lab costs! He sent her home with a cup and she had to spit in it and send it off to the lab to get the results! This test is something you can do in your house, without sending anything to a lab! It's a simple spit test. Here's how it works. First thing in the morning, before drinking water or brushing your teeth, spit into a cup of water. Let it sit for a bit and observe what the saliva does. I felt like a little kid with a science experiment. I couldn't stop watching it! Now, it wasn't a good thing, come to find out, that my saliva was moving. Bad sign of things brewing in my belly! The picture explaining it in more detail is below, and if you CLICK HERE it will bring you to the National Candida Center website, where you can read a little more about it.

Now...my saliva was that bad stuff on the bottom. I tried to coach the stuff to stay on the top, to be good saliva, but it clearly had a message for me; you've got some intestine problems! It started out on the top, then it grew legs, and started taking a trip to the bottom of the glass. I hadn't looked into the results or what sinking meant yet, but something told me that it wasn't what healthy spit was supposed to be doing! It appeared that I probably had an overgrowth happening in there. Yikes! Now this overgrowth and leaky gut seemed to go hand in hand. I had no clue what leaky gut was, but I also knew that didn't sound promising either!

Leaky gut is just as it sounds! Tiny holes form in your intestines and your gut literally leaks the contents into your blood stream! EEK! This was the cause of all of the food allergies, or sensitivities that I had been experiencing. It seemed that the list of foods that made my stomach all crazy and made me feel very sick was getting extremely long. Foods that I used to be able to eat were now off limits. It was sort of a Russian roulette every time I ate. I was constantly wondering if what I was eating was going to make me sick. Turns out, it was because of this leaky gut situation! CLICK HERE to read more about the relationship between leaky gut and candida as well as more about both problems! While on this website, I came across a self-test that was somewhat of a checklist (CLICK HERE to take the test!). It asked you to give yourself a point for any of the symptoms you were experiencing. There were 80 symptoms listed. I thought, there's no way I have that many. Wrong. I had 18! More than 10 showed that you have some problems internally...and I almost had double that! I needed some changes, and fast!

The next step was to figure out how in the world to help those holes heal, and to get that overgrowth to settle down. I am currently still working on this. It is a slow and gross process. I needed to supplement my body with the nutrients it was so desperately missing. I was eating, but was actually starving because I was losing all of the nutrients. I needed to pump probiotics into my gut to help it heal as well. I needed to stay away from sugary foods. My biggest help through this process, my savior, has been Isagenix products. They have supplements that have helped keep my body full of vital nutrients, as well as shakes that are packed full of the probiotics my gut needs. My body is unfortunately angry at the changes. I have good days, but I also have many bad days. The good bacteria that I am now sending in there is in a constant battle with the bad junk in there. The bad junk is still winning unfortunately. I am in a waiting game for the good guys to prevail and my body to be back in balance. The foods that I am eating are also helping the process. They are so much more healthy and good for my digestive system, as well as my whole body. I am finally on the path to healing, and I couldn't be happier. I know I have a long good vs. evil battle ahead of me, but I am ready to host that war. I am so thankful for the knowledge that Jen provided me! The imperative knowledge that no doctor had. I am finally headed in the right direction after being lost for so many years! 

Another helpful site: http://www.thecandidadiet.com/

Check out my next post for the other test Jen had me do......

My Bum Thyroid

I always knew that food was the fuel to the body. Science class in elementary school teaches you that food is vital for survival. What I didn't really put together until adulthood is that food can not only fuel your body, but poison it. I had been poisoning my body for 30 years. I feel as though I should formally apologize to my intestines, stomach and colon.

Organs, 

 I am truly sorry for putting you through so much! I didn't realize I was supplying you with so many toxins; that I actually was creating holes in you! I really do love you, and will spend the rest of my life proving it to you. Please forgive me. Xoxox

Ok, let's explore what i was actually doing to my body! 

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism when I was 24. The first doctor I went to (remember how fun he was?) was able to see that my thyroid wasn't quite functioning normally....looking back, I am actually impressed that he was able to admit that before shoving diet pills down my throat. It wasn't until I went to the great doctor that I really was told that the food I had been eating all of my life was the sole reason for me feeling awful. She connected the food I was eating to the problems my thyroid was having functioning! It was the first huge life altering food change I had to make. As I mentioned in my story, it was also the first, and only time, a doctor connected my sickness and my thyroid problems with food. What I've also learned since then is that not every doctor is on board with the idea that this food/sickness can be the reality. What was actually happening was the food I was eating had most likely caused the hypothyroidism and had been fueling it and keeping it raging for all these years. Yikes! Again, sorry organs!

When I started talking to Jen (the best health and wellness woman around!) I began telling her my story. She immediately connected the dots for me. I was still feeling bad, because I was still not feeding myself the right food. My body was still revolting and very angry at me. My hypothyroidism was not going to ever get better, or even go away if I continued to eat the way I was.  Looking at the lists above, there are definitely some that stood out and I said "WOW!" that's why that made me feel so sick! It was riling up my system! Of course, I am now avoiding all grains, so those are off limits to me because my body can't handle them, but overall this list seems accurate.

I was honestly a bit surprised to hear another person connect my autoimmune disease to food because after that doctor moved away, no one else had connected those dots. Jen also sent me to her blog, which I will plug now because it's amazing! Click here to read more about how OVER 100 autoimmune diseases can be fueled by the food we eat. It seems so crazy that so many of the illnesses that Americans are suffering from can be at least partially caused by food! Now, not to overstate this, but as Jen says in her blog, "food is your medicine". This is a mentality I have taken on whole heartily. 

Learning to use food to heal the damage I have caused my poor body has actually been a fun process! I am trying new things every single week! Discovering all of the options that I didn't realize were available, and how they could benefit me has been truly life changing. I have been reading a book called The Slight Edge by Jeff Olsen, and have found that in all aspects of life, small steps turn into huge ones. Small steps I've taken to better my health have started amounting to huge ones.

What has been vital to my organ recovery, as I've said before is knowledge. Jen was a HUGE help in that department, but I also have done some research of my own, now that I have a better idea of what I am looking for. Below are some links that can help you understand autoimmune diseases; how some can develop, what some triggers can be, and how in the world to begin feeling better! I will continue to tell you all about what I am doing to feel better and my story specifically, but here is some helpful literature! 

Some triggers that could cause autoimmune disease

What could be wrong?

6 best ways to heal

Begin reversing autoimmune disease

Another vital piece to my recovery has been Isagenix. I'll talk more about that in a future post but you can find more about it on Jen's blog! 

Enjoy the reading material and: eat good food!

In Love With Farmers

Last Saturday, we decided that it was about time we checked out the local farmer's market. I've heard both rave reviews and negative reviews, so I figured it would be best for me to form my own opinion! Lucky for me, here in Florida it is easier for farmers markets to remain open year-round. The one in downtown St. Petersburg is one of the largest around. It happens every Saturday morning from 9am-2pm. There are a lot of vendors and a ton of patrons looking for the healthiest food choices available.

We got down to the market around 10am. There are already a lot of people there! It was admittedly a little overwhelming at first. So many vendors, people, and so much yummy looking/smelling food! Where to start?!? We wandered around the market going up and down the isles for a bit. We came across a woman who was selling nuts and dried fruit/veggies. We tried some of the dried green beans and some of the beats. They were to die for! Sold! Two bags please! I could have bought every single kind of dried veggie at this stand so we had to keep moving!

Supporting this one farmer already felt right. On we went. We stumbled across a wonderful stand with organic veggies. We indulged here as well. The romaine lettuce looked like something from farm heaven! I ate it later for lunch, and found out it was indeed worthy of my original judgement! YUM! 

This time of year, there are many more people cooking food for visitors of the market. Even though it is Florida, it still isn't peak veggie time. We got a good amount of veggies, but realized that in a couple months, there would be a lot more to choose from. Can't wait!

As we were walking out of the market, we came across my two new favorite farmers! I am in love! They were so sweet, and were selling grass fed/grass finished meat from the cows they have on their farm. It really couldn't get much better than that! We were so excited, we sort of geeked out at the fact that we had come across such a treasure! They were so nice and helpful. These were people I HAD to support! They were the ones out in the fields with the animals, making sure they were healthy and that their products would be top notch. They were from Johnston's Farm, LLC. Click on their name and check them out! They're great! We had a hard time deciding what meat to get because it honestly all looked delicious and healthy! We settled on a giant sirloin, some ground beef, and some sausage. 

We decided mid-week to cook up some of the ground beef that we bought from our new favorite farmers. It was even MORE amazing then the Strauss meat we have been buying from Publix! We couldn't get enough! We had one more package in the freezer, and we had to cook it the next day! We were craving it! I could never, and will never go back to the hormone, antibiotic, toxin filled beef that you find in the grocery store! There is such a difference in how you feel eating natural beef, and how you feel afterwards; healthy! Life changer.

We left the market that day on a high. We were so excited to have such yummy and healthy food in our bag, and we also felt really happy about supporting our local farmers. They were all such wonderful people! They go there each week to sell their food, trying to give people healthier choices. I am in love with all of the farmers at the market! I will be going back each week not only to support them, but to support my health as well! Find out where your local farmers market is.  Just click the link and you're off to better food choices!

Local is better! Click here to find out more reasons why!

Beef without Grains

The first time I ate grass fed/grass finished beef, my taste buds had a celebration. I was told that my taste for things would change; that my body would let me know what I needed, and what it wanted. I was a little skeptical on that, but figured I'd test that theory out!
Similar to most Americans, I knew little about what my meat was eating while they were grazing in the fields....at least I hoped that was where they were hanging out prior to being on my plate....I had heard of grass fed meat before, and that seemed pretty self explanatory. However, I had not heard of grass finished meat before. What was the difference?! It is actually pretty basic.

Basically, grass fed cows eat grass MOST of their time on the farm. In the last 2-3 weeks before going to slaughter, they are fed grain to fatten them up. This wouldn't be a problem for most people, however, with the sensitive stomach that I have, I couldn't risk eating the grains the cows ate. 

Finding grass fed and grass finished meat is not an easy task. The health food stores in my area don't actually sell much meat. The meat they have is grass fed, but not grass finished. Luckily, Publix has a delicious brand called Strauss.

They make the first beef I have tasted in my life that had me craving it every day since! That first night we cooked the meat, I was a little nervous to see what it would taste like. I only had one hamburger on my plate, with loads of veggies. I took one bite of the meat, and my world stood still. It was the most amazing meat. I couldn't stop eating it! I ended up eating two burgers! That's a lot for me! It was a feeling of excitement that was new for me. A delicious food that is ok for me to eat?! I was in heaven! Not only was this meat grain free, but it also had no antibiotics or hormones added to those poor cows (more on my sensitivity to those things later). The meat was so much leaner. I could almost tell that the cows the meat came from were healthy and happy cows. Sounds crazy, I know, but it has changed the way I choose my meats! To read more about what could be in your meat, check out this link: http://www.ewg.org/meateatersguide/a-meat-eaters-guide-to-climate-change-health-what-you-eat-matters/other-meat-concerns-antibiotics-hormones-and-toxins/

Taking control of what is going into my body is certainly paying off. I am feeling better, and noticing that I am also feeling stronger. This seemingly small step has turned out to be an enormous one for me in the bigger picture. One more step in the right direction towards my healing and my overall health!

My Story

My relationship with food has always been a tricky one. Now, don't get me wrong, I love my food, but it hasn't always loved me back. This is my food and health story.
With Italian blood flowing in my veins, I naturally ate a lot of delicious pasta dishes growing up. We drank milk with every meal (because that is the go-to beverage to eat with pasta), and most definitely had the garlic bread on the side; usually with cheese on it. I wasn't ever really a breakfast person, but I forced myself to have a bowl of Cheerios every morning to get rid of the nagging from my mother. We always had Cabot cheese around because it is so tasty and also because my grandfather had ties to the creamery. We were eating well my friends! That was only at home. I also played a few sports growing up. Before each basketball game or soccer game, my team had team pasta dinner night to carb-load up for the game the next day. Pasta and bread were fixtures in my diet at least a few nights a week. When I wasn't eating pasta, I was usually grabbing something quick because i had to get off to practice, or get to another game. Sandwiches were my go-to fast food choice. Lots and lots of carbs; and lots and lots of grains!
Being a broke college kid didn't change the dynamic of carb and grain loading. Of course as a college student you are flat broke. You are on a steady diet of ramen noodles, Easy Mac, pasta, vodka and beer. Sugars, carbs and grains ruled the diet because it was the cheapest way to survive! Not to mention the amazing selection in the dining common where the freshman 15 was easy to gain in the first couple days! 
After college, I made the big move from New Hampshire to Florida with my sister and our two best friends. Naturally, none of us had jobs right away and we were still on a steady college kid diet of pizza, subs, and cocktails. It was great! I assumed that feeling bloated and running to the bathroom a lot was just a natural thing; i simply didn't know any different. 
About a year after I had moved to Florida, my weight started going a little haywire. I gained a lot of weight in a short amount of time, was exhausted all of the time, and just all around felt sick. I had never really been a skinny girl, and that was a reality I had accepted, however this weight gain put me into the 200lb+ category and I was getting concerned about my health. I went to the doctor to try to figure out what was happening. Oh that first doctor. He shall remain nameless. Long story short with this man: he told me I wasn't eating right (after I had changed a lot about my diet) and that I didn't exercise enough ( I was going to the gym daily) and that I just didn't care about my health. His solution? Thyroid meds and diet pills. Looking back, what a dummy I was taking those things. He didn't have the knowledge or the tools to help me get to the root of my problems. My thyroid was just the beginning. On to the next doctor!
My new doctor was amazing. She knew so much about the thyroid and how to help it. She was the one who initially realized that it was highly possible that my thyroid issues were actually being caused by gluten. WHAT?! I didn't even know what that meant. She told me that I was basically poisoning myself every time I was eating something with gluten in it. I was so devastated. No more bread, cereal, processed foods in general. I had been trying to eat much better, but was still concerned that this transition was going to be very difficult. She was the only doctor to date that has associated my problems with grains somehow. Unfortunately for me, she moved away, and took my hope of a normal doctor with her. 
I took gluten out of my diet. It wasn't easy at first, but slowly I got the hang of it. I subscribed to a gluten free magazine, got onto some blogs and websites; did my research. I was feeling confident in this new change, and was eating in what I thought, was a new and better way. At first I felt better. For a couple months I was feeling almost great. My thyroid issues didn't change, but I did feel better. In that time frame I had to have my gallbladder removed, and dropped a bit of the weight that had stacked on years before. I was feeling better. I was excited! Maybe my bum gallbladder was the root of my problems! The feeling of greatness only lasted about 6 months. I was realizing that I was still bloated, and having reactions to foods I hadn't had reactions to before. Milk and dairy were definitely out of the picture at this point. I started to notice that grapes and apples didn't make me feel very good either. Why was I going backwards? Taking gluten out was supposed to make me feel better! I was so confused. I was also back to being exhausted again. When I say exhausted, I literally mean to the point where I fell asleep driving and hit a trash can, causing damage to my car, shattering the side mirror with the glass shattering through the window and onto my passed out face. During this time I had also developed a sharp knife-like pain right where my gallbladder used to be...an unexplained, mystery pain that I think doctors were starting to think I was making up.....This was not the path I should have been heading down! I needed a new doctor, witha new perspective on my health!
I was so excited when my doctor immediately referred me to a gastroenterologist! Oh my goodness! I'll get some real answers from a real professional in this field! I was pumped! Of course, I had never been tested for celiac disease, (the one normal doctor I had had left before we did that), so that was the first thing he wanted to do. The prerequisite? Eat 2 slices of bread a day for two weeks. UMM NO! I will die! Now that I was a couple years into this gluten free thing, any trace of gluten made me very sick. I will have to take two weeks off from work to sit in the bathroom! This task was not possible. Well, I bargained with him and got the least amount of gluten possible needed to be ingested to do this test and went with that. I realized during those 2 weeks that "regular bread" is rubbery and weird. I didn't like it. It felt good knowing I really wasn't missing anything without gluten. After my endoscopy showed I did not have celiac the train halted on the tracks. His next brilliant idea was that I could possibly have "something like" IBS (but he was almost certain that I did NOT have IBS). He was so excited at this revelation. As he handed me the paper with the elimination diet I was to try, he made the comment, "this will be life changing! You'll lose so much weight on this! You'll be eating so different!" Ouch. Before I had left the office, I asked him what the next step would be after this diet if it didn't prove successful. The response was babbling, stuttering, and basically admitting there was not really a next step mapped out....so basically, there was no plan B...so this hail mary better connect! I took the papers and left the office, feeling a bit sad about all of these still unanswered stomach issues. When I got home, I sat and looked at this diet he wanted me to do. I couldn't believe my eyes. There were only 2 things on this entire 5 page list of foods NOT to eat that I currently ate! Some miracle this was going to be! I had again adjusted my eating to be more of a clean eating approach months before I went to this "specialist" and was rarely eating anything but meat, veggies and fruit I could tolerate as it was! It was that day that I realized I was on my own on this journey. All these doctors were unhelpful and not on my team.
2015 rang in a new, welcomed chapter in my life. I was still struggling daily to feel good. I was eating a lot of veggies, lots of meat, rice, and gluten free foods, but I was still bloated, exhausted, and overall not feeling as good as I figured I should by this point. Enter old acquaintance from high school. She had struggled with the same things I had. Our stories were very similar! She had me do a test for candida. I didn't even know what this was. She said it sounded as though I also had leaky gut as she had. She had gone to great lengths to get answers on her health, spending thousands of dollars. How did I get so lucky to hit the jackpot of knowledge? Not only had she been though this personally, she is a certified health and wellness coach! Along her journey, she was told to take grain out of her diet. Not just gluten, but all grains; especially corn (more on all of this food stuff later).She was introduced to an awesome wellness company called Isagenix that helped her intestines and her body heal from the damage she had done to it. This was some much needed clarity! With the help of some of these Isagenix products, and understanding my triggers, and the reasons behind them better, I am happy to say that my body is finally starting to feel like what I can only assume normal human beings feel like on a daily basis! I have dramatically altered my food intake again (more on this in a later post) and have been feeling so much better. This journey has been 31 years long. It has been frustrating, confusing, and horribly terrible, but I am finally at a place where I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I am running as fast as I can for it. Things are finally looking up for my gastrointestinal system! 
Hopefully someone somewhere relates to my story. I am taking the time to tell it because as alone as i felt in that journey, there are others feeling the same way. We am not alone in the struggle. There is much more to my story, but this is the basic version. Through knowledge, you have the tools to make changes that will make your life better.