Me, Food Sensitivity Testing, and Fear of the Unknown

I did a lot of debating with myself about having food sensitivity testing.

At first I didn’t want to do it. I forbid myself to think that I wanted to do it. Why? I didn’t want to know what it was going to tell me. I was afraid of it. I was afraid that it would tell me that I couldn’t eat the things that I love to eat.

But I know of the success stories. Our patients who have eliminated foods from their diets they were sensitive to feel better and lose weight. And I wanted to feel better. Don’t get me wrong. I feel pretty good. But as the working mom of two young boys, I need every ounce of energy I can possibly generate from my body! Weight loss wasn’t necessarily my goal, but it could be an added bonus.

So here’s a look at me before food sensitivity testing. My symptoms were:

• Headaches
• Tired often
• Lack of energy
• Cravings (carbs, chips, salty)
• GI Symptoms (stomach issues)
• Trouble losing weight
• Didn’t feel 100%

The great irony of this whole story is this–I was telling my patients to do it (and I try to do everything that I tell my patients to do) but I hadn’t had the courage to face it myself. That fear of the unknown can be so overpowering, can’t it? I w anted to be able to tell them first hand what it was like, and why the sacrifices would really be worth taking the test.

And then, 3 weeks after sending my blood to the laboratory, the results arrived. As expected, there were sacrifices that would have to be made.My results revealed that I had a tremendous food sensitivity to — are you ready for this? — coffee. Argh. I crave coffee every day. I was not excited about this. But, I stopped cold turkey. And not only did I stop coffee, I’ve stopped diet cokes, too.

The results? 2 weeks in and I have lost 5 pounds AND I feel a lot better. Significantly better. I’ve gotten back into running and exercising. Even my husband said that he could tell a difference. Just from seeing what it has done for me, he is sold….he came to Seasons yesterday to have his blood drawn to check his food sensitivity.

And that, my friends, is the story. Two weeks and results. It hasn’t been easy. Ridding your body of the causes of inflammation is one of the keys to the health and wellness kingdom.

Confession #2: Who Knew I Had So Much In Common With Oprah?

During my journey back to good health, I have discovered there are many others taking the journey with me. Oprah and I go way back. Just kidding. Oprah and I do have two things in common: we were both born in southern states (she in Mississippi, me in Louisiana), and we both have a condition called hypothyroidism. And, it turns out, we are on the same journey.

You may have heard about hypothyroidism on recent episodes of Oprah (you can watch episodes on her website). Oprah has sought treatment for her hypothyroidism with bioidentical hormones, just like me. My condition was diagnosed in December of 2007 and I have been treated with bioidentical thyroid since that time. Because we have the same condition, I thought I would share with you some of the symptoms I experienced.

I had symptoms but didn’t even know they were symptoms. That’s one of the main reasons I am bearing my soul to you. I want you to know what I didn’t. If you have symptoms, my guess is you probably don’t know you have symptoms either.

Hair falling out. I have long hair (bra strap length). And when your long hair falls out, it just seems normal. In fact, when Dr. Goodyear asked me if my hair was falling out, I said no. After I began treatment with bioidentical thyroid, my hair stopped falling out. It was shocking. If you are pulling handfuls of hair out each time you wash, it might not be normal. I had handfuls while blow drying as well.

Lack of energy. I have two young children, ages 10 and 4. My four-year-old didn’t sleep through the night on a regular basis until she was 2 ½. (No, I don’t need parenting classes. She had chronic ear infections and difficulty cutting teeth.) I assumed that my chronic exhaustion was due to my chronic lack of sleep. And I assumed that when I did get a couple of good nights of sleep and still felt tired, that I just needed more time to get “back to normal.” That never happened. Even after she began sleeping through the night, I remained chronically tired. I finally agreed with my husband that something just wasn’t right.

Weight gain/depression. For me, this was the worst symptom of all. Even on a diet, I gained weight. What’s up with that? Humiliation. Guilt. Frustration. I made great efforts to eat right and exercise but with no results. (Oprah’s battle with this is well-documented!) This led me, frustrated, back to the pantry to eat myself to happiness. After diagnosis and treatment, I learned that with hypothyroidism your body chemistry is working against you. You will gain weight…spontaneously, but because of your abnormal body chemistry, not because you overate.

Cold feet. No, not the scared to do something kind of cold feet. For me, socks every night was a must. Even in the summer.

Dry skin. I am the original oily-skinned girl. Shiny nose at noon. You know my type! My skin became dry but I didn’t notice it. My aesthetician made a comment to me following a facial about how my skin had changed. It was her comment that made me realize that my skin had become dry (as had my hair).

Fuzzy thinking/poor memory. I found myself unable to remember a list of a few items at the grocery store. I had to write EVERYTHING down. And I mean everything. Couldn’t even remember to return a phone call. (Anyone reading this who I forgot to call, now you know why! So sorry!) I couldn’t even concentrate to make the grocery list and counted on my husband to do that with me.

After Dr. Goodyear diagnosed me, I began taking bioidentical thyroid made by our local compounding pharmacist. Bioidentical thyroid takes a little longer to produce results than the synthetic variety. But my patience was rewarded with a return to normal thyroid levels. Within two weeks, my hair stopped falling out. Within three months, I could tell a substantial difference in my energy level and my ability to think clearly. Now, after 15 months of therapy, I am working again. It would have been impossible for me to have a normal job 15 months ago.

If you have questions about hypothyroidism and its symptoms, please send your comments.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Oprah on her battle with weight (cnn.com)
• Oprah Can Blame Her Thyroid. Can You? (usnews.com)
• Confession #1 (seasonswc.com)

What is Adrenal Fatigue?

Adrenal fatigue is a collection of signs and symptoms, which are a result of sub-optimal adrenal function. Basically, your adrenal glands get tired. The adrenal glands are small organs that sit directly on top of the kidneys.

Adrenal fatigue is caused by acute and/or chronic stress. This stress can be physical, emotional, psychological, or infectious. This stress results in adrenal over-stimulation. If your adrenal glands are under severe stress or prolonged stress, you will likely experience adrenal fatigue. This means that your adrenal gland loses the ability to adequately respond to further stress. It continues to function, but not at an adequate level.

When your adrenal glands get tired, you get tired. The predominate symptom is fatigue. This fatigue can be present for the entire day or wax/wane throughout the day. Other commonly expressed symptoms include:

• fatigue in the morning upon awakening
• feeling run down throughout the day
• difficulty in getting going in the morning
• inability to bounce back from stress
• salt/sweet cravings
• fatigue unrelieved by sleep
• increased effort to do every day tasks
• decreased libido
• decreased ability to handle stress
• increased time to recover from illness, injury, or trauma
• light-headed when standing up quickly
• mild depression
• increased PMS symptoms
• poor focus
• poor memory
• decreased tolerance
• decreased productivity

Most Americans will have some adrenal fatigue throughout their lives. Adrenal fatigue can be a mere nuisance and last from a few days to a few weeks. However, some bouts of adrenal fatigue can be severely debilitating and last for years. We test for adrenal fatigue with a four point saliva test throughout the day.

Your treatment will depend on the degree of adrenal fatigue. We’ll manage mild adrenal fatigue with adrenal rebuilder: an adrenal rich supplement. Adrenal rebuilder provides the building blocks necessary for improved adrenal health and function. Most treatments will last at least 3-6 months, with the more severe episodes of adrenal fatigue taking 6-12 months of treatment.

But don’t worry! With adequate time and treatment, nearly everyone can achieve a full recovery from adrenal fatigue. In fact, with cortisol replacement, most women will experience some improvement within 2 weeks. As your symptoms improve, it is important that you continue the treatment. Rebound adrenal fatigue is a common problem when people stop their treatment too soon.

Patients of Dr. Nathan Goodyear can start an adrenal evaluation by filling out the adrenal fatigue questionnaire. Then, call the nearest Seasons office and set up an appointment to discuss further treatment.

What symptoms indicate hormone imbalance?

The symptoms of low estrogen include…

• hot flashes
• night sweats
• vaginal dryness
• urinary frequency
• depressed feeling
• sleeping difficulty
• no interest in sex
• no periods

The symptoms of low testosterone include…

• fatigue
• lack of drive
• lack of initiative
• less assertive
• decline in sense of well being
• general depressed moods
• irritable
• lack of self-confidence
• difficulty in setting goals
• decline in mental sharpness
• no stamina/endurance
• loss of muscle mass, strength, or tone
• increased body fat around waist
• elevated cholesterol
• decreased libido
• decreased sexual ability
• sleep apnea

The symptoms of low thyroid include…

• general fatigue or afternoon fatigue
• elevated cholesterol
• difficulty losing weight
• cold hands and feet
• sensitivity to cold
• difficulty thinking clearly
• difficulty concentrating
• poor short term memory
• depressed moods
• hair loss
• constipation
• dry, itchy skin
• fluid retention
• recurrent headaches
• restless sleep
• tingling or numbness in hands and feet
• decreased sweating
• infertility or recurrent miscarriages
• recurrent infections
• muscles aches
• joint pain
• thinning of eyebrows and eyelashes
• enlargement of tongue and teeth indentations
• decreased body hair
• hoarse voice
• slow heart rate
• low blood pressure
• low body temperature
• sleep apnea

The symptoms of high estrogen/low progesterone include…

• premenstrual breast tenderness
• premenstrual mood swings
• premenstrual fluid retention and/or weight gain
• migraine headaches
• severe menstrual cramps
• heavy periods with clotting
• irregular menstrual cycles
• uterine fibroids
• fibrocystic breasts
• endometriosis
• history of infertility
• history of miscarriages
• joint pain
• muscle pain
• decreased libido
• anxiety and/or panic attacks