It is definitely a time for reflection at the new year. Isn't that something we all do naturally at the beginning of a year? Well, I opened this "can of worms" almost two years ago in January of 2010. The diagnosis of Hashimoto's didn't come until March of 2010, but I had started a new journey in January with a doctor (student intern at the time) who really understood what was going on with me from the get-go and she took the time (2 hour initial visit) to really look at the whole picture or whole person. This to me was a new experience and I wanted to provide her with more than enough information to put the pieces of the puzzle together. I was committed to at least trying whatever she asked me to do because I knew there was something different going on and it was the first time I felt like I wasn't crazy. There really was something wrong with me and there was a reason why I felt so crappy most of the time. Unfortunately her time with me was short lived because she moved to start her practice in Atlanta, GA. It was bitter-sweet because I knew there were many more people who could benefit from her help and I knew she was going to be an excellent doctor. To this day, much of what she said to me still sticks in my head and for a very good reason, she was right about her intuitions about my health status and her recommendations. It just so happens that she, Rachel (Dr Marynowski), is still slightly involved in my case today, only from the standpoint that she happens to be a Naturopathic doctor on staff where I have had some of my lab work done over the past year. It gives me peace of mind to know that she is there as a resource with regard to my lab work for my current Naturopathic doctor, whom I also think is wonderful. I will share one of Rachel's blog posts today with regard to the importance of gut health.
The importance of gut health has been a consistent message from all my practitioners that has been hammered into my head over the past two years, though it is not a new concept to me. I had a mother who was a health nut before it was entirely cool to be so. I sort of pride myself on knowing a good deal about good nutrition, just because I've been around it most of my life. I continue to enjoy learning about good nutrition and I grew up in a rural area that afforded us that ability to raise most of our own food. I'm one of those unique individuals that actually knows where my food comes from. That doesn't mean that I haven't had my fair share of eating things I know I should not be eating, but that is what makes us all human. We need to allow ourselves that on occasion instead of constantly overindulging and feeling guilty about it.
Gut health is important especially for an auto"immune" individual because 70-80% of our "immune" system resides in out gut. I recently had lab work done that indicates I have 3 known parasites and 1 unknown. YIKES! The first question people ask is if I've been out of the country recently. No, but I wish. The next question is how does that happen? My philosophy is that I am possibly Celieac (no formal diagnosis) and that even though I no longer have gluten in my diet, I ate it for 30+ years and it probably did quite a bit of damage to my intestines. It is highly possible that I have what is called a "leaky gut." meaning there are tiny perforations in my intestines which allow things to cross my intestinal barrier that should not be there. This creates a toxic situation and also leaves the intestines vulnerable to parasites, bacteria or who knows what. I also believe that I am more suseptible to invasion because my immune system is compromised. The truth is that parasites are on the rise in the U.S. This is no longer a third-world country issue. It is a global issue. See the following article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125090339313750961.html Parasites can live with their host up to 30 years, so it is possible that I have had these unwanted guests for quite some time. I will discuss in future posts how I take care of my gut health through food, supplements and lifestyle changes. Here is a post from Dr. Marynowski on the importance of gut health: http://www.metametrixinstitute.org/post/2010/08/02/Heal-that-Leaky-Gut!.aspx
I can say that there is something that clued my doc in on the fact that I could potentially have parasites prior to testing for them. I began an elimination diet in hopes of finding 1 or 2 offending foods that were exacerbating my symptoms, but what happened is that I reacted to everything we added back into my diet and I also reacted to some of the hypoallergenic foods. This is not normal and was a big clue that something deeper was causing the problem and sure enough the test results came back positive for parasites. So then came time to go on a killing spree and let me tell you, getting rid of parasites is not fun. It is very draining on the body and I experienced a ton of nausea. I will discuss in further detail the protocol I utilized to get rid of parasites. I will have to re-test at the end of the month and will have results by mid-February. I will provide an update and more information.
In reflection of the past two years, the discovery of parasites is a huge revelation. Another "light bulb" like the diagnosis of Hashimotos. I feel hopeful that once I am rid of these horrible guests that my health will improve significantly. They have been robbing me of my nutrition and creating a toxic environment that has likely gotten in the way of making larger strides with my quest and efforts toward wellness.
Please feel free to ask questions about any of the information posted in this blog. Until next time... Happy New Year!
