Case Histories

Karen - Yeast intolerance caused her general ill health and lack of energy

I was at an all time low. I knew I didn't feel right but no one could tell me what was wrong with me. I had lots of symptoms that didn't seem related at all from regular heart palpitations, bloating, flatulence, itchy ears, joint pain in my fingers and toes and sinus inflammation to really bad symptoms leading up to my period. These included terrible moodiness, a feeling of being disassociated from the world and people around me, a very itchy vagina, very painful and swollen breasts, irritability, splitting headaches and insomnia.

 I had been to the doctor who ran a whole load of tests and said everything was normal and that I was healthy. But I knew I was not. I didn't used to feel like this and I was only 33 so it couldn't just be the normal aging process. I told the doctor this and she told me that my symptoms were all in my mind and that I needed to go and keep busy and think about other things apart from my symptoms! Oh, and that PMS was a normal part of life.

I was angry, frustrated, let down but most of all, desperate. It seemed I couldn't be helped! Then a friend of mine suggested I test for food sensitivities. She had found out she was intolerant to wheat and dairy and was feeling great now that she was avoiding wheat and dairy. I followed her advice and visited a nutritionist and after some sound advice and an elimination diet, we found out that I was intolerance to yeast and gluten. Well I was so relieved that at last someone was telling me there was a reason for all my symptoms and it wasn't all in my mind. I wasn't going mad after all!

I followed my restricted diet very closely because I was determined to get rid of these symptoms and return to health. The thought of feeling like this for the next 40 or 50 years was too awful to contemplate.

The first symptoms to completely disappear within 3 weeks were the heart palpitations, the bloating and the flatulence. Then as my period approached the disassociated feelings came back and I felt very depressed. However, the vaginal itchiness did not come and the breast tenderness was very mild for the first time in 2 years. And when the feelings of being spaced out and disassociated went within 3 days instead of the usual 10 days, I really knew I was on to something. I began to feel energised and less irritable and this spurred me on to continue with the restricted diet for a further 5 weeks.

It was hard, but I found that planning meals, having recipes and buying the right ingredients at the right time made it much easier. Being organised was key.

After 8 weeks I can confirm that ALL of my symptoms have disappeared apart from some niggly joint pain in my fingers. I still get a little PMS each month, but I can handle it and it feels more normal. I feel like my 30-something self, rather than the 60-something self I had begun to feel like. I'd advise anyone who has symptoms they cannot explain, no matter how small or big, to test themselves for food intolerance.

Colleen - The Diabetes Health Program cured her Diabetes and dropped her cholesterol, blood pressure and weight levels

I have to admit I was sceptical but I had read so much on the side effects of statins for high cholesterol and diabetes drugs that I was determined to try a more natural method first. I had a few false starts and during the first month I cheated a bit but I figured that I had bought the Diabetes Health Program so I ought to use it and also I was starting to feel more energetic and I had lost weight. So I got tough on myself.

It took me about 3 weeks before I realised that the plan wasn't that hard to follow and I was getting used to cooking certain recipes which were, as you said, easy and quick. The plan also gave me advice on where to find substitute products as I was eliminating gluten from my diet. When I just went day by day, week by week, following the instructions, 3 months went by really quickly, In fact I continued the plan for another month until my doctor wanted to do further blood tests.

I had lost 9 kilos, was feeling great and actually wasn't planning to change my diet no matter what the results were. I wish you could have seen the doctor's face when my tests came in. I was absolutely clear of all indications of diabetes and my cholesterol level had dropped significantly. I still had a little way to go but now I was determined to do it through diet and exercise and the lifestyle changes you recommend. It feels good to be in control of my health and not visiting the doctor to get more medication and tests every 6 months. My blood pressure was also lower than it had been in 20 years.

I'm 65 years old, slimmer, more energetic and I even sleep better. I no longer expose myself to toxins which make it hard to lose weight and I continue to follow the diabetes plan (with the odd cheat) almost a year later. Thank you for your advice, for getting this information out there and for making it all so easy. I am telling my friends about this and I know they'll be in touch. One of my friends has cancer and I see you do a program for this too.  

Baby Christopher – Food intolerances caused his excema

Christopher was just 4 months old when he began to suffer with eczema.  It started on his face and body and was obviously very itchy.  Even at such a young age he would try to scratch it and would get very distressed.   His GP prescribed a hydrocortisone steroid cream which worked fantastically well and the eczema patches cleared up within a few days of using the cream.  At first his mum was thrilled – her lovely little boy had beautiful smooth skin again and was free of irritation and pain. 

However the GP had warned that because it was a steroid cream, it would not be suitable for long-term use, and as soon as Christopher’s skin improved his mum was told she needed to stop using the cream.  She stopped and within a few days the eczema had returned, except this time it had also spread to his knees, elbows and ankles.  This pattern continued for quite some time - with periods of recovery when his mum applied the cream followed by periods of real discomfort for Christopher when he had itchy, flaky and weeping skin!  It was dreadful for him and he had constantly disturbed sleep.

Christopher’s mum was desperate to find a long-term solution and to try to establish WHY this was happening to Christopher.  She wanted to find out the cause of the condition rather than just treating the symptoms each time he had a flare-up.  She spent many hours researching, reading and talking to doctors to try to gain more insight into this condition.  Her GP said that although it was possible that many irritants could be worsening his eczema, they would not be the cause of his condition.  He said ‘many children have eczema, it is a common childhood complaint and hopefully he will grow out of it someday.’  In the meantime he said he would prescribe the steroid cream when the flare-ups got really bad.

Fortunately for Christopher his Mum could not accept this diagnosis and continued to try to solve the problem.  Eventually when Christopher was 6 years old his Mum put him on an elimination diet that identified dairy and strawberries as foods that Christopher could not tolerate.  Within 3 days his eczema started to improve slightly, within 2 weeks although it was still visible it was no longer red, flaky or itchy; and within 4 weeks it had completely disappeared. 

Christopher is now 10 years old and is completely free of eczema.  He rarely eats dairy but does find he can tolerate it if he only has it occasionally, and so he ‘saves’ it for times when he really wants a treat, like birthday parties.  On the occasions when he has eaten dairy for a few consecutive days his eczema begins to return – but eliminating dairy brings about a rapid recovery of his skin.  He is happy and healthy, and old enough to appreciate that avoiding a few foods is a small price to pay to be free from this horrible condition.

William – Food intolerance caused his stomach cramps & diarrhoea

William was in his mid thirties before he started to develop health problems.  He noticed that he was getting a lot of stomach cramps and bloating, followed by diarrhoea.  At first he just thought she was unlucky and that he was contracting minor stomach bugs, but the frequency began to concern him.  Sometimes it was happening every few days and it was also leaving him feeling very lethargic and slightly low. 

He spoke to his GP who suspected that it may be linked to something that he was eating.  William had tests done to see if he had any food allergies and they all came back negative so he assumed that it couldn't be food related but he still had no idea what was causing it or how to deal with it.  The cramps and diarrhoea continued and began to really affect William.  He was nervous about going out, or going to friends houses in case he had an episode whilst he was there. He was referred to a gastroenterologist who ran various tests and again they all came back negative.

William had been suffering like this for about 2 years when his wife persuaded him to take a long-needed holiday with her.  In the 2 weeks they were away in Thailand William had perfect health with no bloating, cramps or diarrhoea - he was delighted and amazed.  Upon his return home, his symptoms returned and seemed to have intensified - he didn't leave the house for 3 days. At this point he was convinced that diet was behind his problems because it had been radically different when he was on holiday.  His traditional Thai diet consisted of lots of rice, meat and vegetables and contained virtually no wheat.  He eliminated wheat and all wheat products for 2 weeks and again the symptoms disappeared.  Confident that he was onto something by now, he reintroduced it to test his response - which was dramatic and unpleasant.  Finally William knew that a wheat intolerance was the root of his problems.

That was 2 years ago and William still eats very little wheat.  Many people have commented how great he looks compared to before.  The thing he found most difficult at first, was the social aspect of refusing to eat foods that people had prepared for him.  At times he would eat wheat just to be polite - and then he would suffer the consequences!  He is now more at ease with letting friends know that he can't eat wheat - and is much happier living a healthier life. 

Michelle – food intolerance caused her weight gain and complete inability to lose weight.

For as long as she could remember Michelle had been overweight.  Not hugely overweight but definitely a bit on the chubby side.  She loved food as a child and it was an important part of her family’s social life – family barbeques, picnics at the beach, and pizza dinners on a Friday night.  As she developed into a self-conscious teenager her weight started to matter to her – she felt awkward at times and avoided certain social situations because of her weight.  She tried various diets but they never lasted very long and all the time she was getting bigger.  By the time she was 26 she weighed 224 pounds, had a BMI of 38.5 and knew that she was putting her health at risk.

She decided that it was finally time to do something about it and felt the time was right to change her diet and lose weight.  She joined weight watchers.  The first week she stuck to the diet 100% and lost 1 pound.  She was disappointed she hadn’t lost more weight, especially when she knew other people had lost 4 or 5 times as much.  The instructor was encouraging and Michelle felt positive that the following week would be better.  It was, but only marginally – she lost 1 and a half pounds.  The third week she gained half a pound!  The instructor kindly pointed out that Michelle had to stick to the diet for it to work – and refused to believe Michelle, who was insistent that she had. 

Michele was upset but was so determined to lose weight, she continued with the diet.  She approached her fourth week with great determination - walking for 40 mins each day, cutting out the allowed treats - and still she only lost a pound!  So in one month she lost a total of 3 pounds!!!  The instructor insisted the diet should work for everyone and Michelle must be cheating somehow to lose so little weight, when she was so overweight. 

At about the same time Michelle went to see her GP about what she regarded as a few health niggles that she had been suffering from for some time.  Michelle was very lethargic, suffered from aching joints, stomach cramps and bloating.  The GP said these symptoms were all due to her obesity, she had to lose weight and for her to come back in three months if things hadn’t improved.  Michelle was completely fed up and was desperate to lose weight and feel better.  Amazingly she managed to stick with the Weight watchers diet for another month – and lost another one and a half pounds!  She was at her lowest point ever – she was following all the advice and it just wasn’t working.

At this point she decided to try something different – and she made an appointment to see a nutritionist.  A lengthy consultation identified that Michelle may be suffering from some food intolerances.  She was advised to avoid all wheat and dairy for one month.  Michelle lost 19 pounds in that month.  She says the weight literally started to drop off and it was her ‘Eureka’ moment.  Wheat (bread, crackers, biscuits, and dairy) and dairy (low-fat yoghurt, low-fat cheese, low-fat butter) products had dominated both her weight watchers diet and her previous diet and she ate them at every single meal.  Identifying and eliminating her food intolerances not only allowed Michelle to lose 71 pounds over a 14 month period but also cleared up all her other symptoms within the first month. 

Holly - Food intolerance, parasite cleansing and avoiding chemicals sent her breast cancer packing.

I'm not sure how breast cancer ‘got' me. I was a healthy, active, 32 year old mum. I had no health problems and ate a good diet. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I was filled with fear about leaving behind my children. But then I became determined not to let that happen. I'd seen a friend go through chemo and decided it was not for me. I explored alternative healing methods. I was like a research robot. In the end, the critical thing I learnt was that I was intolerant to pineapple, wheat, gluten, dairy and yeast. As a result of eating these foods whilst I was intolerant to them (for years probably), my body became toxic. It couldn't deal with the toxin overload that was being produced as my liver failed under the strain. Perhaps that's when my body couldn't deal with all the chemicals we consume and absorb either through our food (pesticides, fungicides) or the products we use on a daily basis.

So I eliminated all chemicals from my life. That meant no shampoo, toothpaste, soap or make up that contained the known list of cancer causing, toxin creating, hormone interrupting chemicals found in most cosmetics and personal care products. It meant only eating organic, fresh produce. It meant not using plastics to eat or drink from. It meant using chemical friendly laundry powder, dishwasher soap, disinfectant and more. I learnt we all commonly have over 100,000 chemicals in our home (just one product can have over 40 different chemicals in it). My liver just wasn't coping after years of dealing with an undetected food intolerance.

I thought it would be hard to adapt but once I listed what I needed to change and sourced the products, it was easy. What choice did I have?

I also followed a parasite cleansing course with special supplements and I don't want to describe to you what came out of me! Apparently 100% of all tumours investigated contained parasites! I accompanied this with eating green foods like spirulina to help return lost nutrients to my body. 3 years later, I still do an annual parasite cleanse.

After 3 months I really began to feel better. I had another check up to be told that the cancer was reducing. I was elated and continued in my search for what I now can only call cures.

I then increased my intake of raw foods and did a lot of juicing. I cut out all sugar, soft drinks and artificial sweeteners too. I hadn't eaten processed foods or transfats (pies, donuts, chips, margarine) for a couple of months either. I reduced my stress levels (the side effects of stress cause the body to become very acidic and that's just more toxins). I rested a lot! I drank a lot of filtered water and balanced that with a good quality sea salt as I learnt that the body does actually need salt for all its minerals, but that these minerals aren't in your common table salt which is all sodium and chloride. What about the other 82 minerals needed by the body? And I visited a great acupuncturist.

It only took 9 months of following this methodology before I was cleared of any sign of breast cancer. I'm still clear, 3 years later. I'm not a doctor, but it seems to me that doctors just treat the problem they can see or get evidence of, but don't try to find the cause. I do believe I would not have got breast cancer in the first place, had I known about and treated my food intolerance years earlier and had I followed a routine of eating a nutritious, organic diet accompanied with super foods and all the while avoiding any exposure to chemicals in the foods and products I buy. Apparently we are what we absorb now - through the skin and the internal organs.

(Information about green foods, parasite cleansing, acupuncture, supplements, food intolerance eating plans, avoiding chemicals in food and other products are all available in each specific Health Program).

 Liam - Food intolerance caused his tantrums and generally difficult behaviour

Liam's behaviour caused concern to his parents from a very early age.  As a 2 year old his tantrums seemed worse than other children's, his concentration was terrible and he would have violent angry outbursts.  As he grew older his mood swings worsened and his behavioural problems continued.  His mum would frequently be called to school to collect him after yet another violent outburst.  It was clearly very difficult for everyone dealing with Liam - his parents, his siblings, his teachers and his classmates - but it was especially difficult for Liam.  His parents were constantly upset at the unhappiness he seemed to display and his increasing isolation from his peers.

His parents weren't in the least surprised when Liam was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 8 and sought advice from as many people as they could on how they could help to cope with his ADHD.  He was prescribed drugs which his parents were very reluctant for him to take but with their son becoming increasing difficult to handle they were reaching the point where they felt they didn't have any other option. 

They had asked Liam's doctors whether food intolerances could be involved and whether it would be worth changing his diet.  Three different doctors said they would be wasting their time. Despite this advice, his parents still decided it would be worth a try and began the process of trying to identifying whether Liam was suffering from any food intolerances and whether they could be a factor in his ADHD. 

Within days they noticed that Liam seemed ‘slightly calmer' but weren't sure if they were imagining it because they were so desperately hoping for that outcome.  However, within 2 weeks of Liam being completely additive-free the improvement in his behaviour was dramatic.  His parents and siblings were over-joyed to see him transform into a loving, caring boy with a lovely sense of humour.  His teachers were amazed and his classmates relieved. 

That was a year ago and Liam has continued to go from strength to strength.  His parents have kept his diet strictly additive-free apart from the occasional mistake which confirms his intolerance within hours.  It is almost as if his personality changes.  There has been an enormous difference in his schoolwork and his learning - and this is all without medication.  He is old enough to realise that some foods make him feel irritable and angry and he avoids them himself because he doesn't like to feel that way. 

Liam was very fortunate that his parents chose to explore the possibility that food intolerances could be a factor in his ADHD.  Liam is not an isolated case.  There will be thousands and thousands of children whose condition can be hugely improved if they identify and eliminate their intolerances.  It is sad and frustrating that a lot of the anguish experienced by Liam and his family could have been stopped much earlier.  The good news is that he got there in the end.

The Contented Body's I.D.Kits can help you determine if you or your child has a food intolerance. They are the only form of tests that are non-invasive. You can also try a faster food intolerance test in the form of a pin prick test. Again, to be performed at home and you get quick results. This is will give you a full report of accurate results. If you know you have food intolerance, then accept our help and support and join us with a Health Program either for your specific symptoms or health condition or for a specific food intolerance. See the list of health conditions or a sample Health Program. Or if you need to contact our nutritionist, click here.

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