When It All Started & Day 1, Phase 1

My own personal health journey started the summer after 6th grade, when I fell ill with Mono.  I was really sick and basically spent the whole summer laying in a hammock out on our breezeway.  I didn't know it then, but that summer was the start of a very long health journey that would take me to dozens of doctors and specialists, being diagnosed (incorrectly) with everything from hypoglycemia to lupus to Lyme Disease to fibromyalgia to... on and on and on... and finally ending up at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester for a proper diagnoses of a heart condition.  It's the same journey that led me to a naturopathic detox center, a physical therapist with a PRI specialty, and the Weston A. Price Foundation.   But I get ahead of myself.

That summer after the 6th grade was followed by a school-year riddled with illness.  Mainly strep throat.  Something like 13 times.  And a round of antibiotics for each one.  And chronic sinusitis.  With more antibiotics.  When I got my final report card at the end of that school year, my attendance listed that I was absent for a full quarter of the school days.  Thankfully school came easy for me and I still was able to manage straight A's, or I would have been in loads of trouble!  I think my mom would have had to start homeschooling me or something.

My mom was my personal advocate through all this - trying to research how I could get (and stay!) better.  I'm not sure how she came to this conclusion, but she had me stop drinking milk.  Shortly thereafter, my sinus infections cleared up.  My strep throat issue decreased in frequency.  I had a normal 8th grade year!  It was the first time I made the connection between how I was eating and how I felt.

Fast forward to today.  Today is the first day on my LEAP diet, or what they call the ImmunoCalm Dietary Management Program.  It's based on my MRT Food Sensitivity Test Results, which was a blood test I took a couple of weeks ago.  It took 10 days to get the test results back, and here's a summary of what it said for me:

Highly Reactive (Red Zone):

• Almond
• Coconut
• Mango
• Catfish

Moderately Reactive (Yellow Zone):

• Acetaminophen
• Candida Albicans
• MSG
• Benzoic Acid
• Cheddar Cheese
• Garlic
• Paprika
• Parsley
• Blueberry
• Cranberry
• Plum
• Zucchini
• Amaranth
• Buckwheat
• Millet
• Wheat
• Salmon
• Tilapia
• Sole
• Scallop
• Coffee
• Cola
• Tea
• Hazelnut
• Green Pea

To start this diet, they start with your 20-25 least reactive foods (3-5 in each category), and work up from there.  The list above is slightly different than what my test results said.  That's because my dietician is having me avoid dairy and gluten for the time being.  Dairy because of the lactose - I will be trying to rid myself of candida, so I'm avoid sugars for awhile.  And gluten because this test doesn't test for gluten sensitivity.  I've been tested for celiac (negative), but since I'm reactive to wheat, this will allow me to challenge gluten specifically.  

This also doesn't test for pure allergies.  For instance, it listed that shrimp was low-reactive for me but I've never done well with seafood, so I am avoiding it.

You can see I mostly added vegetables, since we have a big vegetable garden and it's just starting to be harvest time.   

Here is my list for now:

Protein

1. Beef
2. Turkey
3. Lentil
4. Chicken

Starches

1. Sweet Potato
2. Oat
3. Quinoa

Vegetables

1. Beet
2. Spinach
3. Asparagus
4. Carrot
5. Broccoli
6. Lettuce
7. Greens

Fruits

1. Cantaloupe
2. Olive
3. Orange
4. Apple

Dairy/Misc

1. Cocoa

Nuts/Seeds/Oils

1. Olive Oil
2. Sunflower Seed

Flavor Enhancers

1. Cumin
2. Lemon
3. Carob
4. Honey 

Once I start (hopefully) feeling better (should be with a week or two), then I start adding things back in, based on the reactivity.  If I don't feel well after a couple weeks, we start taking things out (most likely starting with fructose, since my dietician is wondering if I am having problems absorbing fructose).  

I also wanted to track my stats and measurements.  This is probably the scariest thing for me (what woman wants to give out her measurements???), but I still think it's good to know if what I'm doing is working.  Mainly, I'll track my main symptoms/complaints for the day.  On a weekly basis, I'll also record my weight, clothing size, and measurements.  Ugh.  :)  

Just as a means of establishing a baseline:  I'm 5'6" with a normal/muscular build.  I was a steady 140 lbs from 8th grade until my mid to late-20s.  I am currently 35 years old.  I believe my ideal weight is 145-150. 

Main symptoms:  Joint pain (specifically ring finger on my left hand, pointer fingers, ankles, knees), stiff ankles, mid-afternoon fatigue (took a brief nap), slight headache.  I also experienced mid-severe intestinal/abdominal pain after dinner (beef roast with olive oil and salt, sweet potato).  

Weight:  191.7

Clothing Size:  16

Waist:  43.25

Hips:  45.5

Upper Arms:  12.75

Upper Thighs:  25.75

Calves:  15.875

Bust:  41.5