When Eating Healthy ISN’T Enough

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Are you eating healthy but still don’t feel well? You’ve made a ton of dietary changes, but you still. don’t. feel. well.

Even though some people can see amazing changes just by changing their diet, being healthy is about more than just food. So here are some non food tips to help you feel your best when eating healthy just isn’t enough.

You’ve gone gluten-free, or even paleo, you’ve gone on a candida diet, and gone sugar-free, you’re taking probiotics, but you’re still sick.

Over the past 6 years, I have struggled with a variety of health issues. Intense anxiety, a panic attack here and there, extreme fatigue, achey joints, dizziness, loss of equilibrium, chronic digestive issues and the list goes on. Even since the beginning of all this madness I always believed that I had the power to fix my broken body. I knew this wasn’t my new normal and I was convinced that I just needed to be repaired, so to speak, and that I could find answers.

The first thing I began to change was my diet. EVERYONE has to eat so I figured that was an easy place to start. A friend of mine who had some similar issues in the past suggested that I try a gluten-free diet. I had already been thinking of testing it out so I was glad to hear someone that I knew suggest it.

I started in full swing. I went off gluten for 6 months, then back on one weekend when I was at a family reunion. Bad idea! The sudden increase in breads and junk foods did a number on me and I spent the remainder of the weekend sick to my stomach. I went back to gluten-free and it did help…to an extent.

I have tried some other dietary things such as grain-free (which actually works better for me than gluten-free) and adding probiotic foods and cutting sugar. All of these dietary changes have helped greatly!

The thing is, I’m not 100% yet. I still feel stressed and I still feel tired a lot! I get wiped out very easily and I still struggle with anxiety from time to time.

I’ve realized over the last 6 years of dabbling in different diets that first off everyone is so different.

For example, my parents eat meat sparingly and don’t like the way they feel when they eat too much, but I thrive on it and it gives me energy and sustains me for long periods of time.

Each of us is unique in what we need. There is no perfect diet for everyone. Our bodies have different weaknesses and needs.

I used to think changing my diet was the cure all. The fact is…there is no cure all.

The fact is…we need to take a holistic approach to our health. We need to look at the other factors that influence our health in a major way.

You could be eating the most pristine, organic, processed food free, allergen-friendly diet in all the world, but if you are negative, stressed, not getting enough sleep or exercise and don’t set time aside for relaxation, fun and relationships–

I’m sorry but you’re NOT going to have vibrant health.

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What to Do When Eating Healthy Doesn’t Seem to Be Enough

Positive Thinking

This has been a toughie for me in the past. You can eat really healthy foods, but if you have a negative mind and are constantly thinking about your huge “to do” list, and that person that cut you off, and your annoying coworker, and how stressful it is to be a mom, then you know what?

You’re going to feel like junk.

You can’t feel good with a negative mind, you just can’t! I’ve written about starting your day with positive affirmations. This can be a great way to set the tone for your day. Another thing you can do is to start a gratitude journal and write down 3 things you are grateful for, first thing in the morning. Try it out! These 2 tips only take a couple of minutes but they could really change the tone of your day.

Stress Management

The thing about stress is that we can’t avoid it. Stress is a normal part of our life. The thing we can do is manage our stress so that it doesn’t rule our lives. One thing that I’m REEEEALLY really good at is worrying which just adds to stress levels.

One thing to do to manage stress is to notice when you’re body starts revving up, and take a 1 minute pause to just breathe.

One breathing technique I use a lot is deep belly breathing. Lay down if you can, if not do it wherever you are. Breathe in for 5 counts through your nose and concentrate on filling up your stomach with air. (Put your hand on your tummy). Don’t breathe with your chest, breathe with your belly.

Hold the breath for 5 counts and the release through your mouth, slowly for 5 counts. Repeat this until you bring your stress levels down a few notches. This belly breathing technique helps to lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels and really gets you breathing back into your stomach rather than in your chest which is what we do naturally when we are stressed!

Sleep and Exercise

Sleep and exercise are so important to our health. I used to exercise so I could eat junk foods. I believed in my teenage years that this was “healthy.” The exercise definitely helped keep my anxiety at bay growing up but I didn’t do my body any service eating all the sweets!

Exercise is extremely important for our emotional well-being. It also, like deep belly breathing, lowers our stress levels and produces good mood hormones and endorphins.

Sleep is also important in regulating mood, stress and energy levels. If exercise wipes you out, like it does me lately, try pilates, yoga or walking. You don’t need to run a full sprint and bust your buns. Light exercise will do the trick and you can always work up to more.

Sleep greatly determines how we feel. It’s generally better to go to bed earlier and wake up early if you can. Staying up late and sleeping in just doesn’t do the trick and is not nearly as restful. If you can’t go to bed early because of your work then try to catch a cat nap when you can to keep energy levels up and stress hormones down.

Here are some tips for getting to sleep and staying asleep.

Relaxation and Relationships

This part of health is greatly overlooked. We spend way too much time running around trying to accomplish as much as we can during the day and forget to take time to breathe and just chill.

Take time each day to do things that help you feel relaxed.

– Is it reading a book?
– Playing a game with your kids?
– Fishing?
– Taking a drive?
– Going to the grocery store alone!?
– Knitting?

Whatever it is make sure you do it, every day.

Also who do you love spending time with?
A spouse, children, family member, best friend?

Don’t forget about those around you that you love and that make you feel good. A feeling of connectedness with others makes you happy and thus strengthens your health.

I could go on and on about other things that impact your health that aren’t food related but for times sake these are the top and most easily accomplished things you can do to increase your health. As I’ve placed more and more focus on the non food sources of health I’ve seen my health increase so much more.

Food is still important, of course. However, you’ve got to think outside of food as well for true vibrant health!

What do you do aside from healthy eating for good health?

Hannah Hepworth - contributing writer at Whole New Mom

Hi, I’m Hannah, a formerly sick mama who is reclaiming my health naturally one step at a time. My passion is to help others do the same. I am a former special education teacher who now teaches about fermented foods, unprocessed-sugar free eating, green smoothies, positive mindset, natural stress and anxiety relief and holistic health and wellness.

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43 Comments

  1. Stress is something I have to look at deeper. As was pointed out I’ve tried various dietary changes but it hasn’t brought out the health changes I was hoping for.

    1. It’s a huge issue. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you – I have been swamped here and trying not to have too much stress myself :). Any progress yet?

  2. I have enjoyed reading all of your comments and many of you have mentioned that diets are certainly very individual. I have just finished following The Plan by Lyn-Genet Recitas for 30 days. Her premise is based on individual diets and it starts with a 3 day cleanse (you eat lots of food these 3 days but they are specific foods) and then ‘test’ one food at a time per her guidelines to see what you are reactive to. Many foods that are considered ‘super foods’ such as salmon and almonds are reactive for some people. You can purchase her book and cookbook and follow The Plan yourself, or you can sign up and get personal guidance for a fee. The knowledge that you gain about yourself and the foods that you alone should be eating is invaluable. In the end, you are creating your own menus with the foods that are least reactive for you. I highly recommend The Plan – no, I am not getting paid to say this. I lost 8 lbs, most of my chemical sensitivities (perfume, road salt, fabric softener, mold, fresh ink in catalogs, etc) disappeared. My husband lost 20 lbs, and he no longer has sleep apnea, his allergies have improved and he has much more energy. I urge any of you who are really suffering to consider this avenue of self-healing.

    1. Thanks – very interesting. The thing is that I have gotten more reactive so now I am working w/ someone to calm my body down so that I can eat more foods again. I am so hopeful. Thanks!

      1. Yes, unfortunately that is what our bodies do. The more inflammation we have, there are more foods that become reactive. That’s why most resets, cleanses, etc. start with 3-4 days of the lowest reactive foods. Good Luck!

  3. Thank you for your research!!! I just put in a nice $40 order with NAN. However, I will say, the pricing for the Neroli seems like a big scam. Maybe not… but after watching a video with Paul Dean my “SALESMAN” alert kept going off in my head. He may know a lot, but I think he’s charging what he thinks he can GET for them, not what they COST. That is bogus, and be careful with getting caught up in that karma. I sure hope you get some decent commission on that $40 order because your review is the only reason I went with them, and not to buy neroli, which I ended up buying here for a mere fraction!
    https://www.essentialoils.co.za/essential-oils/neroli.htm

    1. Hi there. I forwarded your comments on to NAN. Here is their response with any corrections as needed:

      I would say smell our neroli compared to whatever neroli he is comparing it to that is much cheaper and he will notice the difference. With flower oils, they are the hardest to extract, they also require the most raw ingredients which all adds to the cost. There are cheaper ways to extract flower oils, but the therapeutic values are much lower.

      Neroli is very powerful for neurological conditions and emotional stability. It actually mimics many of the same constituents that rose has for dealing with emotions and grief. Like rose, it takes a lot of product to produce a few drops of oil. It takes about 300 pounds of bitter orange blossoms to produce a single ounce of Neroli. The vast majority of the cost comes from the labor of collecting enough flowers. In contrast, lemon essential oil requires about 20-30 pounds of lemon rinds, which is far easier to collect and can be done with a machine, versus handpicking of the flowers. So the whole process is much more cost efficient.

      We care for our soil and plants before they have even been planted. There is care that goes into the growth of the plant, that most other companies do not concern themselves with. So that contributes to the additional cost. The price of {our} Neroli is right in line with comparable quality Neroli products, which is why I am sure the bottle you are comparing it to is of a different quality level.

      Its very interesting that they see Paul as a salesman. It is not how I would describe Paul. Paul is passionate and caring and full of knowledge. Yes he obviously will say his oils are the best, but he has good reason to when you see the level of care he puts into it compared to most other people. Paul takes it more personal, this is a friendship, not a transaction. Its funny because he has never rubbed me as a salesman. And trust me, I deal with salesmen multiple times a day. Everyone has different opinions, but thats just not a word I have ever heard to describe Paul before.

      I hope that helps. If you have any more concerns I would be happy to address them.

  4. Our family, myself, mom and my adult son, all have had the ALCAT food sensitivity test done. We each had different symptoms, but all knew it was food related. It began with my younger sister, passing away two years ago from complications from Celiac’s Disease. Bottom line, she didn’t know enough and wasn’t putting herself first when it came to caretaking. She was 49. I knew my issues of constipation, bloating, fatique, blemishes, etc. were caused from gluten and dairy. After my testing, my “red” list contained, rice, cane sugar and chocolate. I chose to stay away from these still. My “orange” list contained beef, dairy, gluten, blueberries, egg yolks, black pepper and about 15 more items. The “yellow” list contained another 20+ items. My “green” list was my safe food list and became MY diet.. Only eating from this list for about 5-6 months, helped my body heal. Of course, I had other issue I was healing from as well, and they came out as I got my “gut” under control. My son had been experiencing extreme pain in is left side. Dr’s wanted him to take anxiety meds, which he refused. After he changed his diet and allowed his body to heal, he is 25 and loves his “greens” as he puts it! My mother had been told she had IBS for over 40 yrs. Then she was diagnosed with Collagenous Colitis. Rare, but painful. She had a major set back last winter, losing 15 lbs in 3 wks. She got tested, changed her eating habits completely and is a very healthy 74 yr old. After eating cheese, every day for over 65 years, she now eat sheep’s cheese and doesn’t feel a bit deprived! We have more family members who have not reached the point of being tested and changing their diets, but we are here to support them as they approach that journey. Good luck on your journey. Eat organic as much as possible and support our local farmers!!!

    1. Thanks so much for sharing that. Fascinating! I do think you can be healed to tolerate the intolerable foods again, but it might be hard. Thanks again!

  5. You are all so right. It’s such a balance to find out what the perfect “recipe” for your health is. Definitely Sander one diet that may work for one person could be terrible for another! Julieanne I’ve never heard of those shots but they sound cool. It’s amazing just how many resources we have. It can be mind boggling to try and figure it all out but it’s nice to know we have other options!

  6. The quest to get better turned me into a natural health researcher. Not only is eating healthy not enough, but also everything you talked about above, liver cleansing, liquid zeolite, colon cleansing and other detoxes, plus herbal, probiotic, enzyme, and almost any other supplements you can think of are not always enough. After many years of suffering from chronic systemic candida (which began at least 35 years ago for me), depression, adrenal fatigue, cold sores (herpes lesions on my mouth and nose), constipation, allergies, asthma and food intolerence, I have found another missing piece to the puzzle of wellness… Orthomolecular Medicine, also known as Megavitamin Therapy.
    High doses of niacin now replaces the “emotional wellness” herbal supplement I was using, which had previously replaced the antidepressants I had been prescribed.
    Large doses of vitamin C completely stopped the severe skin rashes under both arms and on my stomach, which I had for seven years! from the candida.
    I recently found out that high doses of vitamin C combined with the amino acid lysine is the cure for heart disease that was discovered years ago by Dr. Linus Pauling.
    I still have health issues, but now I finally see a break in the dark clouds of chronic illness for so long.
    Don’t give up and always look for an alternative to prescription drugs. It’s not easy to take control of your health, but it will be worth it in the long run.

    1. Wow. Fascinating. I was told not to take too much Vit C b/c it could lead to troubling adrenal issues. I wonder what you think about that. Thanks!

      1. This doesn’t sound like good advice considering the adrenals have a high concentration of vitamin C and the body will utilize it every day when available, especially in stressful times. Many alternative health experts consider vitamin C to be the most important nutrient for adrenal fatigue recovery.
        Everyone’s needs and high dose tolerance varies though. Right now I can take 3,500 mgs. a day before bowel intolerance occurs. I take it in 3 divided doses along with my many other supplements.
        I don’t get cold sores, colds or sore throats anymore…(not yet, knock on wood!)

        1. I just went through my notes from my practitioner now and I can’t find the reasoning. Perhaps it was something about taking too much that it would cause hyper episodes? I don’t recall. Thanks for your help!

  7. Something else you might want to look into are the Low Dose Allergy (LDA) shots initially started by Dr. Shrader. A lot of the info. on his website hasn’t been updated for quite a while, but doctors trained in using LDA shots are using it to treat many of the symptoms mentioned here – and one shot covers all food allergies a person will ever have. So much better than taking one shot for one or two food allergies, and then five years down the road, developing another food allergy or allergies and having to start over with a new set of shots using traditional allergy shots. The shots also cover household (mites, dust, mold, pets) and chemicals (scents, any other chemicals that affect people).

    LDA shots are now being used to treat Lyme Disease, candida, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and a lot of other diseases now. It might truly help! Be prepared, though, to spend about 18 months getting the shots every 7 weeks or so. The first set of shots requires some changes in diet and lifestyle for three days surrounding the shots, but for family members, it has been truly worth it. 🙂

      1. LDA shots (or something very similar) have been around for quite some time now. My naturopathic physician has been practicing for over 40 years and has been using LDA shots for the last five years with amazing results! And I believe, if you research it, some form of these shots has been used since the early 1990s. Here are some more conditions that are being treated with LDA: hay fever, dust mite allergy, perennial rhinitis, asthma, urticaria (“hives”), eczema (dermatitis) of most all varieties, angioedema (swelling of the face, lips, etc.), food (or food additive/preservative) allergy or intolerance, adverse responses to chemicals (“multiple chemical sensitivity” or “MCS”), ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), autism, Tourette’s syndrome, irritable bowel disorders, Crohn’s Disease, ulcerative colitis, migraine and other headaches, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Lyme Disease, and systemic lupus erythematosis, to name just a few.

        I personally think this is one of the greatest areas of advancement in true, healing medicine that I’ve seen in a long time. My niece and nephews were having to use epi pens for peanut and other nut allergies, and after 18 months of LDA treatment, they can eat every single food and not have a single reaction. I had started to have an almost anaphylactic reaction to eggs (not quite epi pen stage, but it ruined me for the rest of the day), and after my first set of shots, I haven’t had a single reaction since! By the time I’m finished with the 18 months of shots, my doctor tells me that I will no longer need to take an allergy pill for the phlegm I get from dairy products. I’m very excited with how the LDA shot treatments are starting to change lives!

        1. Very interesting. I hadn’t heard about these. I am looking at it now. Why are we not hearing about this? I have issues w/ some foods and my son has anaphylaxis. My main issue is w/ eggs and cow’s milk. I would love to be able to eat them again – the eggs are a bad reaction – heart racing, etc.

        2. I heard that taking a tablespoon of raw, local honey a day for a month or two can alleviate seasonal allergy symptoms for years. Organic would, of course, be best. I found local raw honey at my Wal-Mart. The person I heard it from has not had symptoms since doing that 7 or 8 years ago. I googled and found that taking a bit of bee pollin would also perhaps work if you don’t want the sugars in honey.

      2. I don’t think I’d trust any shots. At 57, I see many younger people so sick with so many ailments that boggle the mind. My suspicion, with nothing other than common sense to back it up, is that it’s been food, water and vaccinations. We had minimal vaccinations as a child. I’m saddened to see that the vaccinations are up in the double digits before you even hit school age. It’s a racket. Our food was clean-er. When artificial sweeteners, pesticides and chemicals hit the food in the 70s, health issues popped up like crazy that we’d never seen.

        Doctors write prescriptions for anything and everything and Big Pharma and Big Ag are reaping the benefits of our poor health. We heard about how antibiotics would eventually not work as superbugs got stronger and stronger. And here we are…..that time has come. Not only have antibiotics killed the bugs, it’s killed all the good stuff in us that can fight the bad stuff.

        So to all you young women out there suffering from heaven knows what….I think start with eliminating the crap, get on a good probiotic and eat clean….whatever clean is for you.

        1. I hear you on that. What do you think about all of the illnesses that some say are rearing their ugly heads now….and that we need to get shots now or get ill and/or die?

          I think you are so right about what has happened and that it is the toxins in the air and water too that are ruining us. And our guts can’t handle it.

          Blessings.

          1. Adrienne said, “What do you think about all of the illnesses that some say are rearing their ugly heads now….and that we need to get shots now or get ill and/or die?”

            It’s propaganda from Big Pharma trying to scare us into submission. They are doing that with the flu shot. Local media hypes it up….get your flu shot or you will die….but it’s been proven and told to us that this particular flu shot wasn’t the right one anyway. And what is “rearing their ugly heads now” ??? What illnesses are those? Measles? I had them as a child. It wasn’t a big deal. It was the right of passage as a child. I wish our government was more concerned about ebola than the measles. They told us not to panic…it was alright…that they had it under control. With the measles it has been outright hysteria. If your child is vaccinated you’ve got nothing to worry about now do you!? But most of the people I know are now not vaccinating. You can’t trust what is in the shot….read the ingredients and the label….if they will let you. It’s the shots that are making us ill, along with pesticides, chemicals, artificial sweeteners, bad ingredients in food, fluoride in our water. It’s all killing us. And most will drink the koolaid and go along with the program because our government says it’s ok….I call B.S.

            1. I have thought measles wasn’t such a big deal…of course the doctors are telling us otherwise now so it’s really hard to get all of the data. I haven’t had time to do much research and would like to–my life has just been crazy recently. I think they should be more concerned about dengue which is horrid b/c it’s communicated by mosquitos.

              I think (to try to understand the other side) that they know that the vaccines aren’t 100% effective and so they want everyone to be vaccinated. Do you agree or do you think differently?

              1. Measles are being hyped up because it brings Big Pharma money. Always, always….Follow the Money. I grew up in the 60s. EVERYONE got measles and the mumps. We stayed home from school, got special treatment on the couch and in a few days we were back to school. Not a huge deal except mom had to stay home with us and she missed work. Now….think of this….follow the money……if you child isn’t in school, the school does not get paid because there is no butt in the seat that day. (Not sure, but don’t they get paid per child, per day?) And if you don’t get a vaccination, Big Pharma does not make money. And parents have to stay home and take care of you and most want to ship the kids to school as a form of day care so they can go to work (because most families MUST have those two sources of income or they can’t make ends meet). AND Of course they know the vaccines are not 100% safe, they don’t care. It’s money for their bottom line. READ READ READ….it’s online and it’s out there with documentation that vaccines are safe; food is not safe, and our water is not safe. . I’m not sure if this web site will allow me to post other web sites that give you FACTS on vaccines, food and water. Look for Dr. Sherri Tenpenny. She is amazing with her facts. All this information is very controversial because it threatens the herd mentality. Read for yourself and you will find what I’m talking about.

                1. Yes, I do think that schools get money per child. Not per day, but they have a school count day and that’s the day that they are counted. At least that is what I heard about in our city.

                  What would you say about those who are talking about measles deaths?

                  As for Dr. Tenpenny, I haven’t looked into her much. I have heard mixed things – but haven’t evaluated her at all for myself. Thanks!

  8. Thank you Brandi! I think I will get thyroid levels checked as well, it’s nice to know I’m not alone! Great advice:) I’ve heard so many people lately with hashimitos it’s crazy.

  9. One thing you don’t touch on is defining what is healthy eating. What might be healthy for you is not for me. For instance, I cannot eat coconut anything or my hands become useless. Cook with coconut oil, eat paleo etc, can’t do it. Eggs are supposed to be healthy. Not for me. You need to find out what healthy is to you.

  10. For me personally, I think that mercury played a big part in me staying sick. After much prayer, research, and preparing my body I had my mercury fillings removed. I had been working on my health for a few years when I made the decision to have it done. Actually, adrenal fatigue was the first thing I realized was wrong. I read the adrenal fatigue book (Dr James Wilson) and when I got to the chapter on underlying causes it was kind of overwhelming. But for me I did have a deeper root cause for my adrenal fatigue. And I have steadily come up since the removal. Mercury is very tricky, and I need to write more about it on my blog, because I want to help people that do need to go down that road.

      1. Before I had my fillings removed I had extensive testing (regular labs and Metametrix Labs). I was treated for a gut infection (triple antibiotic therapy. (If I had it to do all over again I don’t know if I would have had that. On one hand I needed to “kill off” some serious issues. On the other I am sure it added to other issues). I took vitamin C iv’s. I was put on a bunch of vitamins and milk thistle and bioidentical progesterone. I think that at the time I needed to do alot of these things because things were so out of balance in my body. I chose not to do the chelation challenge test to test for mercury (I felt it could make me sicker). I decided to have the mercury fillings removed myself (instead of having a doctor tell me that I was mercury toxic). I had done enough research and read enough stories to know that I definitely had the collection of symptoms that a mercury toxic person would have. I read Andy Cutler’s book and he explained what a mercury toxic person would look like. I also contacted DAMS international (Dental Amalgam Mercury Solutions). I asked lots of questions and read lots of their literature. I read some other books by people who overcame chronic fatigue by having their fillings removed.

        After deciding to have the fillings removed, I did extensive research on how to find a safe dentist. I called and asked questions. I made an appointment and asked lots of questions. When I felt that the proper protocols were in place I made the appointment to have the fillings replaced. I had tweaked my supplements to match the DAMS recommendations. I did not take vitamin C for a few days before the removal, because vitamin C can make the pain numbing medication not work! After the removal, I went and ate lunch and then went and had a vitamin c iv at my doctor’s office. I brushed my teeth with activated charcoal when I got home. I took some activated charcoal. The next day I woke up and realized I could feel terrible. I decided that I was going to fight it, so as soon as I thought about feeling bad I began quoting scripture verses immediately. (I learned more about God’s healing from Andrew Wommack, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Joyce Meyer and others.)

        Later on I worked on detox. I took detox + from the Bulk Herb Store. I took liposomal glutathione. I took bentonite clay internally and I did foot baths. I kept tweaking my diet. I didn’t do chelation therapy. I can look back at my notes if you want more details about detox. 🙂 I also went off the progesterone, and eventually dropped alot of the other supplements. I am down to just a few now (good minerals, B vitamins, magnesium). I use some other supplements here and there as needed.

        I had a lot of people that encouraged me and prayed for me. I learned that what God says is powerful even when I don’t “feel” that it is true. I could keep writing, but I don’t want to take up too much more space. Also, Adrienne I really appreciate your blog-I have been reading and learning from you for a long while!

        1. Thanks for sharing, Kristie, and for your kind words. I am glad to hear you are doing better. Frustrating to me when folks think that this stuff isn’t real. I am looking into detox myself. So that detox + is for internal and external use?

          Just for the record (for my readers), I am not in agreement with all that Joyce Meyer teaches and have concerns about Copeland (but haven’t read enough to firm up my thoughts), and am not aware of Wommack. I don’t at all mean this to cast aspersions on you–just that I have gotten comments from readers about things that they think I am giving assent to and wanted to put that out there. I am impressed w/ Joyce’s enthusiasm, however.

          So it sounds like you basically did this yourself rather than getting direction from a practitioner? Very interesting.

          1. Detox + is for internal use. I have worked with various doctors and was grateful for the help I received. I did end up doing some things myself, but I had consulted with doctors first. Many doctors are either inexperienced with mercury toxicity or only do chelation therapy with drugs. Which I feel might help some people, but I didn’t feel it was safe for me.

            If you feel led sometime, you should look up Andrew Wommack. I was encouraged by the different testimonies of people that were healed under his ministry. Of course, God healed them. Andrew Wommack just prayed for them.

            By the way, my comment looks huge now that it is published! 🙂

            1. Thanks – I’ll look into that more. There are a lot of comments on the BHS site about it being used externally.

              I’ll see if I can do that.

              Oh, huge comments are great :).

  11. I second what JS said. And I love everything you’ve listed here for helping stress etc. It’s all so true. I’ve been on a similar journey. Get your blood sugar tested, check for adrenal fatigue, check your thyroid levels with a functional health doctor and even check for thyroid antibodies. I have blood sugar issues, adrenal fatigue and Hashimotos. I’m also working on bio identical hormones, because if your thyroid hormones are off usually other hormones are off too. I also have food sensitivities, with gluten/wheat being one of them. Most of this has really been caused by having Hashimotos disease.
    This all sounds super familiar to me too, and it’s a tough ride. You take it one piece at a time and you are right on: everyone is different. I hope you can find what works for you 🙂

    1. I would love to hear what you are doing for bio identical hormones. That’s an arena I have never delved into. How are your antibodies doing?

      1. So sorry for the delayed response! I just started the bio identical hormones about three weeks ago, and it takes at least 6 to 8 weeks to start seeing a response. It can actually be longer if you are severely depleted. My numbers were all pretty low, so it could take some time. We naturally lose hormones as we age, and our thyroid hormones are one of those.
        I had a large blood panel done which tested my thyroid levels, ferritin, DHEA, cortisol, fasting blood glucose, insulin, vitamin D (which is actually a hormone and super essential – especially in the winter), estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
        I was told this: 6-8 weeks to really start seeing a difference. Some people notice small changes pretty fast however. Then at the six month mark you start feeling pretty good. By a year you feel great and think you cant’ feel any better, but it continues to improve. It is a lifetime thing – so I will stay on the hormones forever. But I’m okay with that. I’ve actually been ill since I was 10 or 11, and finally found a doctor who was smart enough to do good testing after I had my daughter. That is when I was diagnosed with Hashimotos – three years ago. I’m only 29, but the physician I am working with said my levels were that of a 50 year old woman. Anyways, I do feel a decrease in the intense fatigue, but I also feel different. It’s not bad, I think it’s just my body adjusting to having the hormones it should have. Only time will really tell. I’ve done so many things in my years to help my health, diet, supplementing, different therapies etc. Most of those things were trying to get my body to kick into gear like it needed to, but I was too depleted. My body really needed help. I was skeptical and worried about trying one more thing (after trying for so many years and still feeling awful, it’s pretty discouraging and exhausting to try more and put more work in when you feel SO awful). But I’ll be honest, I believe this was inspired for me in particular. I had some recommendations and that is why I’m doing it. From what I’ve learned and am continuing to learn, your body is so interconnected that one problem starts another. If you have any kind of hormonal issue – thyroid, vitamin D deficiency, adrenal fatigue etc. etc., then you should probably look into your other hormones too.
        I haven’t looked into my antibody count recently, although I want to, to see what progress I’ve made since I started really fighting for my health after I was diagnosed.

        1. Hi there. So sorry for not getting back to you sooner — I have been just so busy. I am so glad you are doing better and hope that continues. 🙂

  12. Hannah, have you been evaluated for adrenal fatigue? All of your lingering symptoms suggest this (“I still feel stressed and I still feel tired a lot! I get wiped out very easily and I still struggle with anxiety from time to time.”) plus the fact that you feel better with eating more protein, which is something you must do to heal them. Try a saliva test (done at four times in one day) and possibly consider having your thyroid evaluated as well (they tend to go hand in hand). This all sounds very familiar to me–it’s been my journey as well. 🙂

    1. Hi JS,

      Actually you know what?! I have been thinking about this a lot lately. I’ve heard about and read about adrenal fatigue for a while but just recently I was thinking that I most likely have this. I’m going to my doctor next week because I’m also concerned about my blood sugar. I will google saliva test and see how that works, thank you for the suggestions:)