**Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, if you feel something is wrong please visit your Doctor and do not compare your health to mine as we are all unique. I am promoting creating a journal in which you collect information for your medical professional to help improve your gut health as quick fixes are not a "one fits all" when it comes to your gut health.
Secondly I will be discussing specific things such as: weight loss, bowel movements, and diet. If any of those triggers you in anyway, please do not read this blog.
Many have really started to notice my weight loss journey and the biggest question I get is what is my secret? I usually have the same answer. I fixed my gut health but what does that mean and how do you fix yours?
In this blog I'd like to share what helped me figure out what foods were causing me to feel sick all of the time.
I was never able to handle alcohol and I remember blacking out from small amounts from a younger age. The next symptom I had was seeing undigested food in my BM (bowel movement). I remember seeing a half a slice of mushroom and I have never forgotten it. That just didn't sit right but shortly after that experience I ended up in the emergency room.
My earliest memory of my tummy troubles started in 2012. I went to the walk in clinic and I was referred to the hospital. That's when I figured out that my lipase was elevated. I was told to rest and to eat very light. I had constant dull pain in my right side that radiated towards my back. My tummy was inflamed and I couldn't even sit down. It never really went away but I was always into eating healthy and working out.
My next biggest symptom was weight loss. I had gotten down to 100 lbs when and people kept telling me I looked sick. It made me sad because I was trying to lose weight and I thought that was the result of me working hard. I was new at pole dancing at the time and was just getting the hang of intermediate pole. I lost muscle, strength and my mental health was so bad I had to give up my pole dream.
I remember giving up drinking and that's when my symptoms really started to go away. A big symptom, now looking back. I had cystic acne all over my face and in between my butt cheeks. They were painful boils that made it hurt to sit. At the time I wasn't experiencing any other pain symptoms. Unless I had a drink or two with a friend for a special occasion. In 2014 I became a kick boxing instructor and I was chatting with the other instructors when I complained about my acne. They all said it was the dairy that was causing it. As I was eating yogourt and cheese.
I decided to cut out dairy and almost immediately started to see a difference in my acne. I wasn't completely dairy free but the health benefits were very noticeable. I had lots of energy. Things kinda stayed like this while I maintained the same diet for a few years.
When I was pregnant in 2019 I was very sick but I didn't know how sick I was. I had undiagnosed ADHD that made my cravings that much more intense for things I had cut out of my diet. I did have lots pain and I had high blood pressure even after having my baby.
After reaching my plateau in 2021 I had a miscarriage. I had all the same pains, high blood pressure, elevated pulse and extreme intestine pain. Sudden loss of 20 lbs without changing my diet or working out. I wasn't able to workout and I was too weak. I went to the hospital and they told me again, that I have pancreatitis. I was so sick and all the Dr's would tell me to do was to eat soup. Its now 2023 and they are still only telling me to eat soup. I knew I had to take my health into my own hands.
In 2022 again I ended up in the hospital and they told me they same thing, my lipase was very high. This was after I decided to indulge in dairy, alcohol and sugary drinks. I knew it had to be linked to the foods I was eating. I decided to make a food journal so I can pinpoint the foods that were causing me to have pain and feel sick. I'd like to take this moment to share some pictures:
It's now been 1 year of no dairy, no alcohol, no drinking sugar, and no red meats. I started with this because it was the main diet of people with pancreatitis because it was the easiest to digest. It works well as long as I strictly adhere to my diet but recently I had another attack after indulging in chocolate, a burger and bread sticks. I still eat deep fried foods like chicken nuggets and fries, candy and chips because those things do not cause me pain. I only believe in cutting out foods with your Dr's knowledge that hurt you.
Its a constant battle of should I just cheat on my dietary needs and get sick later? It becomes a bit lonely because I feel like a burden when I go over to family or friends or even just eating out in a group. I do know that the reason I keep such a strict diet is for my health.
After fixing my gut health by completely removing those foods that hurt me. I had no pain, more energy, I got past my plateau and was able to keep a consistent weight. I had very clear skin and no longer felt weak.
It's a battle trying to figure it out with my Dr's because my sugar levels are normal and every other organ is completely normal. Even my pancreas looks normal but I cannot digest certain foods, and it causes extreme pain and the only thing that comes back is my lipase. As long I keep this diet. It's allowing me to live a normal life. I can train and maintain my muscle and I have lots of energy to work out but the moment I slip. I end up paying more each time.
I encourage you to write down what you eat and then write down what happens to your body. This will be eye opening for you and it will help your Dr better understand where to start. It can be a long journey of figuring out what's wrong but if there are things that could help you until you get care, it might be worth a try. Could you imagine if all I ate was soup for 3 years!?
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