Day 13

Oops, I got busy!  Today is Day 13 on the LEAP diet.  I am still 100% on Phase 1.  I haven't really noticed improvement of symptoms.  I did intend to redo my measurements and symptom checker on a weekly basis, so I will do that tomorrow.

I read that joint pain can take 3 weeks to 3 MONTHS to subside once you remove whatever it is that is causing the reaction.  Yes, I said three MONTHS!  Yikes. So I am trying to be patient with the process.  Assuming that I eliminated the correct foods, I probably won't see results for at least three weeks.  And if the test didn't catch the right foods... well, then I'm just kinda screwed!  :)

In the meantime, I'm trying to rid my body of candida using the protocol my dietician gave me.  I don't have much time, so I'll try to write more later.

The Doctor Treadmill & Day 5, Phase 1

Once my Mystery Symptoms started appearing, it felt to me like I started seeing lots of doctors.  I don't remember exactly who I saw, in what order, and for what.

I do remember that a general practitioner was convinced I was having trouble with my GI tract and ordered a test where I had to swallow barium and then they x-rayed it.  Nothing showed up.  I also remember seeing a homeopath who said I had Lyme Disease.  I saw another cardiologist who said I was fine.

During this time, I was in high school.  The doctor treadmill had just begun.  No one found anything "wrong" yet I remember not feeling well.  I can't remember exactly what my symptoms were, 20 years later.  This is where I started to get the label of hypochondriac.  My friends were (mostly) kidding, I think.  But I did get the senior class award for "Most Likely to Call in Sick".

Thankfully I was able to keep up with my studies and graduated near the top of my class in 1996.  And I was off to college that fall!

Day 5, Phase 5

So here I am starting Day 5 of the LEAP diet.  I can't say I've had any moments of revelation yet.  I don't feel like one area is significantly better... I'm only starting to wonder - "Am I feeling better?"  What I mean by that is sometimes I think that I'm experiencing less abdominal pain.  I can't quite put my finger on it yet though.  And then sometimes I think my fatigue is lessening.  But then I slept until 10:30 AM this morning.  So there are contradictions to the clues I'm getting.

I feel like my joint pain will be the thing that will be easiest to recognize.  And actually, even more than that:  My ankle stiffness.  Every morning when I get up, and anytime I've been sitting and get back up, the stiffness and pain in my ankles is very noticeable.  My god, I hope that goes away!!!

As for what I'm eating, it is pretty simple fare.  I rarely make recipes, mainly just use whole ingredients (for instance:  beef roast, turkey breast, steamed asparagus, steamed broccoli, etc.).  I have a couple recipes I've been enjoying - the Sweet Potato, Carrot, Apple Soup, and my homemade granola.  I've also been enjoying a "dessert" of sunflower seed butter mixed with a little bit of honey, some unsweetened raw cocoa powder, and some of the granola mix.  That definitely satisfies my cravings for dessert.

And yesterday I made Lemonade with Honey.  My husband was a fan, and it was all raw (fresh squeezed lemon juice and raw honey blended with water and chilled), so it was pretty darn healthy for us.  On a hot day like yesterday, we really needed something to replenish our reserves, and this is a MUCH healthier alternative to an energy drink.

Mystery Symptoms & Day 4, Phase 1

When I was in junior high and high school, I started to get "Mystery Symptoms".

One time, after running a mile in gym, I "kind of" passed out.  I remember drifting in and out of consciousness for probably 45 minutes - my friends just thought I was really tired or something.  I felt like I couldn't talk or explain what was happening... like I was suspended in cement or something.  Eventually they got worried for me and a friend's mom took me home.  I of course recovered and I think the consensus ended up being that maybe I hadn't eaten enough that day.

Another time -maybe in 10th grade?- I was in cross country skiing, and at the first ski of the year, we took our heart rate after a quarter mile.  Mine was 220.  My coach didn't believe me so he retook it himself and came up with something over 200.  He immediately had me sit down.  He refused to let me ski until I got the all clear from a cardiologist.  I didn't know it yet, but this was the start to my saga with cardiologists, neurologists, gastroenterologists, ENT docs, and every other specialist under the sun.  That first cardiologist told me "young women don't have heart conditions", but humored me with a Stress Test because my coach demanded it.  It came back all clear, and I was told that I should stop looking for attention like that.  (As if I could control my own heart rate?)

Then there was the time I woke up for school, and was too dizzy to get out of bed.  This just happened to be on a day when there was a HUGE test for AP government (that would determine whether or not I would earn college credit for the course or not).  After a lot of investigation with doctors and chiropractors, my docs said maybe I had Vertigo (which is just a medical word for dizziness!), and told me it was probably because I was nervous for my test and it was probably all in my head... and my chiropractor thought that my neck was out and adjusted my spine.  Honestly, that seemed to fix it at least for that day.  Now I think it was coincidence.  But at least they didn't tell me I was making it up.

Day 4, Phase 1

So today I'm starting Day 4 of Phase 1 of my personalized LEAP diet.  I missed writing yesterday because of a busy day at work.

Yesterday I *may* have started to feel like I had a bit more energy.  Maybe.  Like everyone else, I have good days and bad days, whether I'm following a diet protocol or not.  One day of slight improvement doesn't make me think this is working.  But it is hopeful, at the least.

Today I woke up without stomach/intestinal pain.  This is fairly significant.  When I'm laying flat, my GI pain is more pronounced, which means I usually go to bed with it and wake up with it.  I've had this for at least five years.  Today I didn't notice anything.  Again, one day is not a trend, so I will keep an eye on it.  Again, it is hopeful.

Here is what I'm hoping to improve with the LEAP diet:

• Stomach/intestinal pain - I have had pain in my belly area for at least five years.  I don't know exactly when it started, because it's usually so non-descript.  But I have been experiencing some degree of GI pain for at least that long, maybe longer. I would say it has gotten more pronounced in the past few years - settling to a horizontal line right under my ribs, and then a pretty sharp pain in my lower right abdomen.  There's other things too - sometimes in the middle, sometimes on the left.  Anyone who's experienced GI pain knows that it is truly hard to pinpoint.  Last year, I was checked for everything from appendicitis to gall stones to colon cancer.  They ran lots of tests and all they came up with was "Inflammation of the Ileum".  
• Joint Pain - Again, I'm not exactly sure when this started.  It has crept up on me over time, but I would say again that it's been at least 4-5 years.  This is incredibly limiting, as almost every joint hurts almost all the time.  Literally every knuckle in my hand, to my elbows, to my ankles, and everything in between, even much of my spine.  It's easier to list what doesn't usually hurt - hips, shoulders.  Maybe that's it?  It does seem to be symmetrical, and yes, I've been tested for Rheumatoid Arthritis.  
• Joint Stiffness - This just seems to be my ankles, sometimes my hands.  Most pronounced in the morning.  I have trouble walking because the pain and the stiffness is so great.  Again, this points to RA, but the indicators came back negative, so we are going on the assumption that I don't have it.  I haven't pushed this with my docs, because I probably wouldn't go on RA meds anyway.  I'd try to find another way (reducing inflammation in my body), and that's why I'm doing the LEAP diet.
• Fatigue - Sometimes it's crushing fatigue and sometimes it's just sleepiness.  But every day I feel like I lack energy.  Considering I'm a Type A person who likes to *get shit done!* this is very concerning and limiting.  I am hoping to get my Mojo back!

Last night, I dreamed that I ate somewhere (a friend's house?  out to eat?  I'm not sure.) and my husband reminded me that night that I had gone "off the plan".  For some reason, this hadn't occurred to me at the time, ....

I interrupt this post to bring you stomach/intestinal pain.  It just started in that horizontal line right below my ribs.  It's pretty mild, but it's there.  

Anyway, back to my dream:  for some reason, this hadn't occurred to me at the time, and when my husband reminded me about it, I was incredibly disappointed and frustrated.  I felt like I had ruined all my work.  I hate to think like that ... like it's either all or nothing.  But with this particular diet, it's kind of true.  If I eat one of my sensitive foods, then my body gets aggravated again and I have to calm the immune response again, which will take time.  I was disappointed with myself and ended up being sad about all the work I had lost, and how much longer it would take to get me to feel better.

I am motivated to do this - I'm all in.  I haven't cheated (even with another "green" non-reactive food) and I don't intend to.  I'm a little nervous about what happens if I don't feel better... then what?  But I try not to get ahead of myself, because that's still at least 10 days away, and a lot can happen in that time.  

Day 2, Phase 1

I'm short on time today so I'm just going to be really brief.

Food prep is going well, I'm trying to get creative so I don't get bored.

Today I made a really good soup called Sweet Potato, Carrot, Apple and Lentil Soup.  I found it on allrecipes.com and modified it to eliminate the foods I'm not yet eating.  I didn't really make any substitutions, just left out the things I couldn't have, mostly spices and flavorings.  Surprisingly, it was still really good!  Even my husband liked it.  This is definitely a keeper!

I also made some granola, using gluten-free rolled oats, sunflower seeds, honey, sunflower oil, cacao nibs, and salt.  I tried some before I put it in the dehydrator and I think it's going to be really good.  Tomorrow I'll be able to take it out of the dehydrator and try it for breakfast.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

I also started drinking Pau D'Arco tea today to get started on the candida cleanse.  I found that I actually like it pretty well when it's cold and mixed with some lemon juice/wedges.  Tastes almost like an Arnie Palmer!  This might be a really good option for me once I can have chai spices again.  Have I mentioned that I LOVE chai tea lattes?  Tea was in my yellow zone, so I'll need to avoid it for 3-6 months.  But the chai spices (like cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, etc) are in my green zone, so I'll be adding those back in the weeks to come.  Mixed with the Pau D'Arco tea, it might actually taste somewhat similar.  Then I'd just need to find a sub for milk/cream.  I'm not sure what my options are there... maybe homemade cashew milk? 

My symptoms were pretty much the same as yesterday - joint pain, stiff ankles, fatigue (mid-afternoon nap again), abd/int pain.  I didn't have a headache (yesterday was pretty rare - I don't usually have headaches).  

Okay, time for bed.  I'm really exhausted!  Fatigue is a symptom I'm hoping to overcome with the LEAP diet.  I don't expect any changes for at least 4-5 days, maybe more.  Let's hope for sooner rather than later!

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

'twas the night before LEAP...

On Wednesday, I got my MRT test results.  We had to rush right to work so I didn’t have time to really digest what they said.  In fact, work has been extremely busy and I haven’t had a lot of time for much else.  Which is concerning as I embark on the LEAP diet, considering that my food prep will take more time and I’ll just need to be more conscientious in general about what I’m ingesting.  Also, I just feel like I need time to research and look up creative recipes.  Ugh.  Ah, I'm just kidding – I’m up for the challenge!  I'm actually really passionate about healthy food and the effects it has... BUT, I'm also really pressed for time.  So this will be an interesting experiment!

The real purpose of this blog is to document my experience with MRT/LEAP.  When I was researching the testing, it felt like I could only find a forum post or two, or sponsored websites that sold the testing.  It was really difficult to find a full account – starting from the beginning… what prompted the test?  what do I hope will happen (what results am I hoping to see)?  how long did it take a real person to see results?  what sort of setbacks should I expect?  And eventually, I hope to answer the question… did it work?  

I saw lots of testimonials and did my research, but I would have liked to see a first-person account.  The ups and downs and everything in between.  I hope this blog can maybe help someone in the future, when they are considering the testing.  Or just experiencing nagging health problems and don’t know what else to do.

For the past -oh- maybe 16 years, I have been aware that the foods I eat make a real difference in how I feel.  Before that I hadn't given it much thought.  I’ll be covering my food journey in pretty great detail in this blog, since that’s what it’s all about.  Foods and their effects on our health.  

My family always tried to eat healthy, and I discovered the origins of our food source a long time ago – big family garden, fishing, hunting, etc.  My mom always did her very best to feed us healthy foods.  But over time, our perception of what is healthy and what isn’t has changed drastically.  I’ll cover this topic more in future posts.  Here is one of my first experiences with catching my own food!

 

I'm the little girl on the right!  :)  

My mom canned much of our food, baked our breads, made dinner from scratch just about every night (going out was a VERY special event!), sent our lunches to school (man, were we envious of the kids who got to eat school lunches!), and did everything in her power to keep us kids healthy!  So how did I end up here?  It’s a long story.  And one I’ll cover over time in this blog.

Also in future posts, I’ll cover questions like:

• What exactly is MRT testing and the LEAP diet?
• What are the symptoms that prompted me to get the testing done?
• What am I hoping to achieve with the LEAP diet?

I’ll also document my stats: symptoms, weight, size, etc.  Yikes!  Okay, I’m a little nervous about that part.  :)

Tomorrow’s my first day following Phase 1 of the LEAP protocol, and I’ll write a little bit about my own personal health history too.  But now it’s time for a good nights sleep!  If you guys have any questions about anything, please feel free to pop in and ask a question in the comments.  I’m happy you’re here!