Back to the Beginning

By nature, I am a sugar-bug. I crave chocolate on a constant basis, breads and I love cheese. As I have aged, I am finding my digestive system can no longer handle a variety of foods, namely breads and dairy products.

Recently, I have embarked on a new adventure: Paleo eating. I will share my journey and hopefully some great sources and recipes as I travel along this new path in my life. First, I would like to share some of my health reasons, what my doctors have told me, and why I have decided to take the bull by the horns as much as I can, on my own, and potentially inspire others that have been struggling with some of the same issues. Perhaps together, we can become healthy and happy and full of energy.

It is important to add that I am not obese and have never been truly over-weight, but everyone has a size that is comfortable to them, when they feel energized and happy and healthy, and I lost mine.

A couple of years ago, I went from a weight I have been consistently at (give or take 5lbs) since I was 15yrs old, before babies, and after babies. Without trying, without dieting, I remained at this weight until I turned 37. Within a couple of months I had put on 20lbs. I had not changed my exercise routine, nor my eating habits. I went to the doctor. "Age" was the answer. Age?? I have been the same weight my entire life until a few years ago! "Metabolism slows down eventually, and a 20lb weight can can be normal" my doctor assured me. I left my doctors appointment very discouraged and a bit disappointed. Was that truly the only answer?? I was an active, fairly healthy person. Not a smoker, not a big drinker (a glass a month or less on average) and yet seemingly overnight I packed on 20lbs.

At age 38 I embarked on a new, challenging, journey...I returned to school full-time to become a Registered Massage Therapist. I will agree this decision had added some stress on my life, and additionally on the lives of my husband and children, but it was a good decision. Within a few months, I had gained an additional 10lbs. I will admit, the studying consumed a large amount of my time and I was seated a bit more during the day than I usually was, so I joined the gym at school and went as often as I could. No matter what I ate, or what I did, I could not lose any of the weight I had put on. So, now I was up 30lbs and a few pant sizes.

My profile photo is pre-weight gain, and is my goal, so it will be staying up.

Over my lifetime, I have had troubles with constipation. Over the last couple of years I this suffering has increased, with more and more time between bowel movements. It is uncomfortable, at times painful, and it makes you exhausted. I am a big eater, so when I suffered for 6 weeks at one point (No exaggeration), I went to the doctor again, fearing I would die of an obstruction or toxic build-up. Again, the answer was "this is within the normal range for a lot of women age 40 and over"...ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!! I felt as though I was dying. Bloated, exhausted, and full of toxins. When I eat dairy or drink alcohol I have abdominal bloat and can be in agony for days. When I eat a lot of high-fibre foods (grains) I become a pained, constipated, gassy, mess.

I asked my doctor if I could have colonoscopy and a thyroid test (we have thyroid disease in my family, and many of the symptoms I have fall under the 'hypothyroid' category), I requested not only the TSH, but the Free T3 and Free T4 tests (more reliable and discern whether T4's convert to T3's after production). My doctor said all would be tested. The specialist at the colonoscopy told me to increase my grains/fibre as all was clear. Good news. Following instructions, I tried it, and again, went into a painful spiral. Back to the doctor for my blood work results. All normal.

Suffering a few more years, I went to naturopaths and back to my doctor. Maybe it's celiac she suggested? No way, likely a gluten sensitivity I thought, but not celiac. She referred me to a gastroenterologist...that was over a year ago. My appointment is in a couple of months.

Over the past month, I have become dizzy, forgetful, bloated, and I have peripheral numbness in both legs, both arms and on one side of my face. I woke up one morning thinking I was having a heart attack. It passed, I am still here, so it wasn't that. The following night, my leg went numb and I had to move it with my arms to get the circulation back. I went to the chiropractor. Felt amazing after an adjustment (a rib was out, likely causing the chest pains, and my hip was out), excellent! The following morning, one side of my face was numb, and the lower portions of both legs and arms. I booked an appointment with a doctor. I was nearly falling on my clients at work, forgetting things, struggling with my paperwork, and dropping things. Within a few days, my hands were shaking so badly that any tasks requiring fine motor skills were nearly impossible.

The doctor (a new one) and myself agreed that B12 needed to be looked at, and then he suggested thyroid. I asked him to check the Free T4's and Free T3's as well. "NO. The TSH tells us all we need to know"..."no it doesn't" I responded. "I am not doing it" I was told. I also mentioned the celiac suggestion from my previous doctor. We both feel that's not the issue, but I paid the money to rule it out.

My symptoms worsened as the days went on, so I popped into the office to check out my bloodwork results. "All normal" I was told by the receptionist. "How is that even possible?! I am nearly falling over right now" I said. Another appointment booked, with another doctor.

Taking my husband with me, and armed with a list of symptoms and family history, we went into my appointment to review the lab results. "All normal". Extremely discouraged, now crying, I begged for the doctor to review my symptoms and test further into the thyroid. "NO." Again, the answer was no. Lucky for me, I have a friend that has been following along with my saga, and she is in the health-care field in the U.S., she recommended a variety of tests that should be done (including the thyroid tests) and I presented those to the doctor. "NO." Again.

After denying me further blood tests (which I pay taxes to be able to receive), I handed him the list I had taken the time to make him. He told me it was useless and that because I had taken the time to make a list, I must be suffering from anxiety.

Seriously??

"The only thing making me anxious" I told him "is that no one is listening to me!"

"Anxious people always say that." Wow. He then recommended an MRI to check out MS (as the peripheral neuropathies call for it to be ruled-out). "Why are you willing to put me through an MRI, but not do a few more simple blood tests?" I asked. "Because it's anxiety."

As a fairly laid-back individual, trying to bring my self back to a state of 'normal', I have decided to do what I can on my own. I took copies of the blood work I have had done in the last 2 years and tried to figure out as much on my own as I can. I know this, my TSH levels are nearing hypothyroidism (as per the new .5-3.0 recommended range), my B12 falls in the middle, but is hovering over the low-range. And then, I spotted my ferratin (iron stores) and the Canadian levels range between 10-291ug/L ...I fall at 14ug/L. The U.S. levels are from 20ug/L and the recommendation is 50ug/L + to keep a person functioning at a low, yet reasonable level. It was never even mentioned at my appointment.

Why does any of that matter?? Well, because in order for thyroid to function, you need iron to convert T4's into T3's and B12 aids in that process. There isn't much I can do regarding any thyroid dysfunction, but I can help the B12 and Iron absorption by eliminating gluten and dairy from my system.

The challenge is now on and my support from the U.S. has reminded me that it takes 30days to change your blood. I can't cut cold-turkey from the dairy...chocolate is my only vice, but I will do my damnedest to cut it back extensively. Even the coffee with half-hot chocolate will be going to the wayside.

I hope you will embark on this journey with me, I am pretty excited about it :)