As many of you already know, I have followed a gluten free diet for six years (for health reasons including my thyroid, etc.). My most recent blood work shows on ongoing battle with intestinal inflammation (aka Leaky Gut Syndrome) Not good. I feel no symptoms of this which is what makes it so dangerous. Inflammation has been called the “Silent Killer” by many.
Recently, a fellow celiac/gluten intolerant friend sent me an article from The University of Chicago. This institution has one of the leading treatment and research centers for Celiac Disease in the U.S., so my jaw dropped when they posted this:
“While healing may take up to 2 years for many older adults, new research shows that the small intestines of up to 60% of adults never completely heal.”
So I dug my heels in, like I do with most things, and began researching my butt off about how to heal the leaky gut. I already follow a strict gluten free diet and I am eliminating dairy. So what else am I supposed to do? According to Chris Kesser, a leading doctor of naturopath:
1) Supplement for nutritional deficiencies.
2) Take a probiotic every day
3) Take a digestive enzyme every day
Why am I telling you this? Because you may have been seeing (and annoyed by) my posts and decision to sell Plexus products. What you may not know is that for 2 years now I have been counseling numerous people about thyroid/adrenal/hormonal conditions. I spent 5 devastating years screaming at every doctor I could find that something was wrong with me. I am pretty sure most doctors thought I was a hypochondriac. All suggested anti-depressants. I took them. I didn’t get better. What were my symptoms?
*Debilitating fatigue
*Wide-spread muscle pain
*Shortness of breath/Air hunger
*Heart palpitations that were awful
*Insomnia
*Infertility/multiple miscarriages
*Being extremely startled by loud noises
*Weight gain
*Chronic jaw pain
*Inability to exercise – Because if I did, it took days/weeks to recover (exercise intolerance)
*Depression and anxiety
*A chronic battle with iritis (eye inflammation. Very painful)
Nobody had an answer for me. I saw a rheumatologist who wasn’t helpful. My family doctor (who is fabulous!) was willing to test my thyroid and adrenals. He agreed to try Synthroid for my thyroid, but it didn’t help.
In desperation I began researching and also seeing an Integrative Medicine doctor. That was helpful and difficult because it is INSANELY expensive (they don’t take insurance) and although a lot of the supplements were helpful, I have been swallowing 20 pills per day and spending even more money for stuff that I wasn’t sure was really working.
After I had Loralei in October of 2011 my world began to spin completely out of control. I was diagnosed with post-partum depression. I was placed on anti-depressants and anti-anxiety meds. The A-D made me clench my teeth so I had to stop taking it. I tried to treat it naturally. This went on for almost 18 months. I was a shell of my former self. I was suffering from chronic dizziness/vertigo. I have mentioned previously that I had to undergo an MRI and was placed on 60 MG of Prednisone (that’s 500 times more that your body makes on its own). The result of that forced me into having take an anti-depressant and allowed me to begin putting my life back together. That brings me to where I am today. Feeling better than I have in a LONG time, but coming to the realization that until I heal my gut I will not get to 100%.
If you’re still reading (amazingly) this post started by talking about Leaky Gut. I have been dealing with the symptoms of Leaky Gut and I think that is why I am not at 100% yet. I don’t think most people realize how devastating Leaky Gut o yeast overgrowth can be to someone’s immune system. I watched a portion of the show “The Doctors” the other day and they were highlighting the latest treatment for C-Diff that is now being used to heal the guts of celiac patients as well. It’s called a Fecal Transplant. Yes, you read that right. Someone with a healthy gut donates their stool and then it is injected into the gut of the unhealthy individual. O.M.G. (if you don’t believe me just google it) This procedure is so cutting edge and so successful. That means it is also expensive. You Tube is full of videos on DIY versions involving your husbands poop, a blender and an enema kit. (Again, if you don’t believe me ….)
If you aren’t down with a Fecal Transplant the other alternative is taking heavy doses of an anti-fungal called Nystatin, which is effective, but has some nasty side effects. What is point in this??? It is that if you want to get healthy you HAVE to heal your gut! period.
So this is the journey I am embarking on … (no, not a fecal transplant). I am going to attempt to heal my gut by the most natural means. That means I am going Paleo (for the reals) and will be incorporating things like bone broths into my diet. I will also be using the Plexus products I have already been taking.
I chose to take (and sell) Plexus because of the Probio5. It basically replaced three bottles of supplements I was already taking (digestive enzymes, probiotic and antifungal) because it contains all of them in one pill and cost me half as much as I spent on all three. No brainer. I also found out I had a major issue with candida/yeast that I was not aware of. And candida/yeast is a symptom of leaky gut and can prevent weight loss. It all comes full circle. It is all tied together.
I have never done an MLM before and I swore that I never would. But since I was taking the product anyway I decided to sell it because I do see the potential for supplemental income. However, this is my predicament. A good friend told me once that it’s hard to sell anything with a pure heart because your bottom line is connected to it. That has always resonated with me. Through a lot of discussions with Michael and some prayer I decided to give it a shot, and this is why: I have spent countless hours counseling other people who have been battling issues similar to mine. I have found them doctors who will work with them, directed them to the specific blood tests to ask for, told them about supplements to take, discussed symptoms and pointed them towards a diagnosis, and on and on. So if I am taking something that has helped me, why would I keep that a secret from them? I had my answer.
I am passionate about women’s health issues. I love to research and learn and teach others about it. I love being told that I changed someone’s life. And it breaks my heart to hear people say, “Why did my doctor never tell me about this?” I wish I had an answer for that one.
So, if you want to learn more about Plexus, please feel free to contact me. If you are annoyed by my occasional posts to FB or Instagram, don’t de-friend me. I am not going to be the person selling something that you duck and avoid at the grocery store. It won’t hurt my feelings if you say NO. I just wanted to take this opportunity to share my story so you could understand why I am doing this.
**And if you are one of the peeps whom I have helped with health issues, please comment here so people know I am legit!!! 😉
Rachael Neagle: The Lubbock Loudmouth 