EAT RIGHT AND BE PAIN FREE

Things aren't always what they seem

GIRL, DON’T HATE

One of my biggest pet peeves is when I hear women say to others of the same sex, “Gawd. You’re soooo skinny.” I admit, I find it irritating when I hear this mainly because it’s frustrating when people will look at me with a sort of envy, yet they have no idea what I’ve been through or why I have the figure I do. Sure, I am genetically a petite woman; however, back in my teens, before I began traveling, I used to really be able to pack on the pounds!

I NAMED IT HORATIO

Back in 2000, I spent 2 months traveling the east coast of Australia. The experience was life-changing in many ways. A week after having surfed empty, chocolate-brown peelers at The Pass in Byron Bay, I came down with flu-like symptoms. Almost a week and a half later, I was finally diagnosed with having a parasite, Giardia to be exact. The doc at the clinic my girlfriends took me to gave me 3 or 4 little white pills that seemed to give me instant relief. I vividly remember my first bowl of Top Ramen – it was the best bowl of soup I still have ever had!

I managed to finish the rest of our expedition in relative comfort; however, my digestive system had definitely taken a hard hit. Once I returned home, I quickly discovered I had developed digestion issues. On most occasions, I would get ill after eating. I thought I had developed bulimia. On the contrary, my parasite experience had caused my body to develop IBS – Irritable Bowel Syndrome. My first attempts at handling my condition consisted of completely changing my diet. I eliminated red meat, pork, dairy, and most fried foods. I ate veggies, but I thought rice and breads were safer. The initial stages of this change saw considerable differences in my pain and ability to keep down food; however, over the course of a few years, my belly slowly began resorting back to its old ways. I felt trapped within my own body and within the confines of my home. For years, I didn’t want to go anywhere to far from home in fear of having a sudden belly attack. My days of globe-trotting came to a halt.

FREE AT LAST!

Then, a couple of years ago, I was visiting longtime family friends in Kauai – the Dillberg’s. I have known the Dillberg Family for 30 years and I have always known them to be proponents of healthy eating and a natural, holistic lifestyle. When I began having one of my “tummy bouts” just a couple days into our trip, Dr. Kerry Dillberg and his son Dr. Dustin offered to help me finally get over this encumbrance in my life that was doing nothing but keeping my experiences limited.

So, I extended my stay, sent my boyfriend back to the mainland, and began my journey toward healing. The treatment entailed many different things including a wet and dry blood analysis, stress-management therapy, a vegetable-specific cleanse, and most significant to my recovery, another change to my diet and a new exercise and strengthening program.

wet blood analysis

dry blood analysis

And that’s what I really want to share with you all. What has changed my life most dramatically and most permanently is the Eat Right For Your Blood Type diet and the Egoscue Method Therapy. As a carrier of type A blood, I have now learned to base my meals around vegetables and I try my best to stay away from whole wheat and flour. I try my best to maintain a strong core and relaxed digestive system by practicing Egoscue.

Eating healthy CAN be fun!

It’s been over 2 years since that summer when I finally found relief. As long as I don’t binge too much, I can nearly eat as I used to. Now, I am able to tolerate dairy, which I had always thought was a big culprit to my discomfort. So, if I want to have the occasional piece of pizza, I don’t need to fret. I have more energy and I sleep better because I am no longer interrupted during the night. Most importantly, I am far more knowledgeable on what my body needs to feel not only good, but thriving strong and; therefore, I make far wiser, more health-conscious decisions.

JUST DO IT!

You do not necessarily have to be experiencing pain for this kind of alteration to be immensely beneficial to your health, as treating our bodies as temples should be a number priority to us all. I am positive; however, that there are many women out there who experience varying levels of digestive troubles similar to those I experienced, perhaps even worse. Well, there is hope, I promise! However, you have to be willing to possibly make some drastic changes. As someone who has been on both sides, I can assure you all: IT’S WORTH IT!!

Please check out these websites for more detailed information:

Dillberg Integrated Healthcare

Eat Right For Your Blood Type

Egoscue Method Therapy