Public Diary #1

In addition to information on natural/holistic health, I also want to keep a public journal about my own struggles and triumphs with my health problems.

Originally, this blog was going to be a book titled, “I Told You I Was Sick”. I’m a fiction writer and I’ve been fortunate enough to have some of my short stories published.

My first real try at non-fiction was my e-book, “Healing Naturally ~ My Story” and the positive feedback I received made me think I may have a shot at writing non-fiction, especially on a subject I’m deeply passionate about.  

But then I thought about that. There was a chance my book would never be published and truthfully, my main objective was to get the information out there; above all else. So, I’m glad to tell my story for free. 

Helping people find natural healing and relief from the physical and/or emotional pain they’re struggling with means so much to me.

I know, first hand, what it’s like to have no energy, to be in pain, to be confused, anxious and sick most of the time and at a very young age.

When I was in my late teens and early twenties, I was living on my own, working 2-3 jobs and trying to go to school and I was doing all of this with constant stomach/intestinal pain and behavioral and learning problems that were so bad, I got fired more than once for incompetence or a “bad attitude”.

I couldn’t get it together and not only did I not know why, but I didn’t know what I was doing or saying to upset or alienate people.

I had a difficult childhood. Back in the 80s, when a child had behavioral problems, they didn’t test them for food intolerance or allergies. They didn’t see the connection.

Food intolerance manifests in behavioral symptoms such as social dyslexia (aspergers syndrome), sudden outbursts of rage, inability to process sensory information, brain fog, hyperactivity, non-stop, senseless talk , extreme phobic reactions and many others.

I exhibited all of these symptoms and more and because of this, social interaction with my family and peers was frustrating at best, exhasperating at worst. I acted out, talked nonsense, had extreme emotional outbursts, poor coordination which made me drop and spill everything and a terrible memory. A family member would ask me to, say, “Go into the kitchen and get the blue cup, fill it with water and bring it to me.” I’d go into the kitchen and I wouldn’t even be able to find the blue cup. It could be right in front of me and I wouldn’t see it. 

The problem was, nobody believed me. Despite my social and emotional problems, I got fairly good grades in school so nobody believed that a “smart” child could get confused about something that simple.

Because doctors could find nothing wrong with me, my confusion, outbursts and social cluelessness were thought to be a deliberate attempt to get attention. That created a huge rift between myself and my family. 

When I moved out on my own at 17, I maintained my conviction to get to the bottom of why I had the problems I did. I knew they weren’t in my head. I was in just as much physical pain as I was emotional and I was bound and determined to find an answer.

And I did. Food intolerance. 

Imagine that. Finding out at 22 that the reason you were being screamed at, shunned, punished, fired and disliked was because your body wasn’t properly digesting and assimilating food!

That’s what it was. I still remember calling my mother and telling her I had gluten intolerance. I said, with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes, “See, I told you I was sick.”

Getting to the root cause of the problems I had was such a validating experience. It started me on a process of healing and self-discovery that led me to where I am today.

The way I see it, if I can help people who have gone through something like this, if I can help them to feel validated and find the answers they seek, then what I went through was for a higher purpose.

Welcome to Public Diary #1.

Thank you for reading and sharing my journey.

For more information on how to heal your body naturally, visit: www.itoldyouiwassick.com.

This article is intellectual property © Jaime A. Heidel 2010

All Rights Reserved

Unexplained symptoms = food allergies?

Do you have unexplained symptoms? Have you gone to doctor after doctor and taken test after test just to have the health professionals you’re going to for help insist they can find nothing wrong with you?

I feel your pain.

I was sick from birth. As an infant, I had terrible colic, threw up constantly and did nothing but scream and cry most of the day unless I was passed out from exhaustion. In early childhood I had terrible behavioral and cognitive problems that only grew worse as I went into my teenage years.

I moved out on my own at 17 and continued to go to doctors trying to find out what was causing the constant stomach and muscle pain. I didn’t know at the time that the emotional and behavioral problems were linked to the same culprit. It wasn’t until my hair started falling out and my weight dropped drastically that I went to a naturopath for the first time.

He looked over my medical records, my symptoms and my behavior and knew, almost instantly, that my problem was food intolerance related.

Eight years later, I’m following a healthy diet free of the foods that used to make me sick from head to toe; gluten, corn and processed sugars and to a lesser degree, beans and peanuts and I’ve never been healthier in my life.

Do you have a food allergy or intolerance?

Food intolerance has been linked to the following health problems:

• Sinusitis
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Headache
• Skin rashes
• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Anxiety
• Brain fog
• Delayed learning
• Behavioral/cognitive problems
• Muscle pain
• Flatulence
• Candida (yeast)

among others.

As the digestive system struggles to assimilate what it is sensitive to, the body produces an inflammatory response causing one or more of the above symptoms.

Intolerance to wheat gluten has even been linked to autism spectrum disorders.

Also, those who suffer from autoimmune disorders such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome may develop food sensitivities that can worsen the symptoms of these conditions.

So what do you do if you believe your symptoms may be linked to food sensitivity?

While some would advise a blood test either done at your doctor’s office or through a home self-testing kit, my advice is to avoid this. Research shows, since we all make antibodies to the food we eat, blood tests for food sensitivity are too inconclusive to be of benefit.

Instead, try an elimination diet followed by the reintroduction of the most common foods that cause symptoms of intolerance. These being wheat, gluten, dairy, corn, soy, egg, citrus, nuts and seafood. 

The best example of an elimination diet I have recently come across is under the link below.

Elimination Diet

 Though it is categorized under fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, this elimination diet can be used by anybody who is looking to see if food sensitivity is the cause of their chronic ill health.

I would offer the diet I followed myself but it was mostly rice and vegetables and the above list has much more variety. 😉

Remember to keep a journal of what you’ve eaten throughout the day and don’t give up. It’s tedious at first but the results are absolutely worth the journey.

Good luck and happy hunting!

Check out the Product Review Page on my website for a list of natural products I’ve used to improve my digestive health.

This article is intellectual property © Jaime A. Heidel 2010

All Rights Reserved