top of page
Writer's pictureKristin Woodward

Waking Up, Feeling Brighter

It’s been nearly a month since I sat down and wrote about what’s been going on with my health (chronic fatigue, weight gain and general blahs) and what I’m doing to fix it. That honestly seems like forever ago! I was still getting used to eating dairy-, gluten- and soy-free. I hadn’t had a glass of wine in a month (!!). I was actively trying to reduce stress in my life and listen to my body’s signals (i.e. sleep when you’re tired, instead of just pushing through). And I was going nuts trying to understand why it was taking so long for my lab results to come back!

The good news is that it’s now been seven and a half weeks since I started what’s basically a gut repair eating plan and supplements . . . and I feel amazing! I think I feel what is normal to other people. I have energy to get through the day. I sleep through the night. I’ve lost a little weight and am less bloaty. And I’m generally just in a better place mentally. The other good news is that my labs are finally back and I had a follow up appointment with my doctor this week to learn what’s going on.

Long story short, I have some gut issues — not just muffin top, but like real, inside my intestines badness going on. I have issues with gut permeability (aka leaky gut) that are causing inflammation throughout my body, messing with some of my metabolic processes and keeping me from absorbing some vitamins and nutrients. Basically, these deficiencies and out-of-whack bits are what are making me feel like crap because my system isn’t functioning optimally. It was a lot to take in. I literally have about 20 pages of lab results, which my doctor went over with me. And it all made sense, but I’m having a hard time repeating back to anyone how it all works and what it all means, so I have spent a lot of time on Google over the past several days trying to get myself more educated.

More good news: it’s all fixable, and to that end, I’ve invested in the Big Mama Granny Pack for pills, to house the whole new slew of supplements I have to take until my next follow up in six weeks. My new regimen includes

  1. 5-HTP — mood regulation and rest

  2. Amino Acids Complex – energy, exercise recovery, neurotransmitters

  3. B Complex — adrenal support, neurological support, stress

  4. L-Carnatine — deficiency

  5. Herbal Blend — gut healing

  6. Niacin — lipids imbalance

  7. Vitamin Blend — adrenal hormone production, energy

The lipids thing is the slightly scarier element of everything that came back. My PLAC® Test results came back a bit high. This measures a cardiovascular-specific inflammatory enzyme, Lp-PLA2, which can predict your risk of heart disease and stroke. That will get checked again in six weeks and I expect will be in a better place, based on everything I’m doing. This enzyme is related to cholesterol, which prompted me to look back at the tests I’d had done two years ago. My total cholesterol has dropped 40 points from a slightly elevated number since then! And it, again, made me wonder why that doctor didn’t seem concerned.

Anyhoo . . . My husband thinks all doctors are quacks. My mom thinks I’m now part of a supplements cult. So, you know, it’s been great getting that support. But as long as I keep feeling better, I firmly believe it’s all totally worth it! More updates as they come . . .

1 view0 comments

Komentarze


Post: Blog2_Post
bottom of page