Hi everyone,
I had a great appointment with the nutrionist. I decided to consult with Melissa Diane Smith who is the author of Going Against the Grain and a certified nutritionist as well. In addition to her practice in Arizona, she consults people across the country by phone. I figured it would be most beneficial to consult with a cutting edge nutrionist who understands gluten intolerance, multiple food intolerances, and MC.
There are a few points that especially stand out in my mind. She told me that dairy is the number one allergy above gluten. Although it's not widely known, dairy can do as much damage to the small intestines as gluten even in small amounts. You all probably know that already, but it's a point that hadn't full sunk into my mind.
Melissa said that the longer you have been eating gluten and dairy (in my case) while being intolerant, the more damage there is to your body and the longer it takes to heal. While that might sound like a no brainer, it provided a very useful perspective given that so many systems in my body have been impacted. My intuition is that I've been dairy intolerant since a very early age. I think gluten came much later but it still could have been in motion for many years.
In her experience, removing gluten is like peeling back a layer that many times exposes other underlying problems - other food intolerances, heavy metals, nutrient deficiencies, and other health issues like autoimmune diseases, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, etc. Some people are fortunate - the damage is less pervasive so they are able to heal quickly after going gluten free. For some people, like me, it's a beginning not an end.
She feels that multiple food intolerances are a sign of underlying fators, especially if you are only able to eat a relatively small number of foods as in my case. When she had chronic fatigue, she also got to the point where she was only able to eat around ten vegetables, plus meat, I think. She said that it is boring but it's okay (in my case), just to stay with it and over time healing will take place and ones diet will expand. I still have a good repertoire of foods. Your body will heal if you give it the right things (good food, air, water, taking care of body, mind, and spirit, etc. ) and the impediments are removed.
In my case, she feels there is a missing piece to the puzzle that remains to be revealed. Interestingly, this is essentially the same intuition that my naturopath has.
Melissa also recommended a few vitamins/supplements to support the adrenals, which are crucial in food intolerances, and for the liver which also needs to be supported in terms of both food intolerance and heavy metal detox, which I am undergoing. She also referred me to Dr. Wilson's book (Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome) for his terrific advice on lifestyle issues related to stress. And she gave me some tips on which foods to try to add back in to help me gain some weight.
In essence, she said that I am in the middle of a process but further along that I think. She was very encouraging.
While none of this may be earth shattering news to many of you, it was very helpful to me. I'm offering it here in case it might be of benefit to someone else someday. Sorry, it's so long!
Warmly, Celia
My appointment with the nutritionist
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
My appointment with the nutritionist
I beleive in magic!
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Love Oma
Very interesting, Celia.
I'd say that Melissa is right on target. What she said pretty much is the experience of those of us with multiple intolerances. How nice to know that there are some professionals, especially a nutritionist, who are knowledgeable about these issues (since we know that our docs are most definitely not). I'm so happy that you had such a positive experience!
Hi MO!
Good to see you again.
Love,
Polly
I'd say that Melissa is right on target. What she said pretty much is the experience of those of us with multiple intolerances. How nice to know that there are some professionals, especially a nutritionist, who are knowledgeable about these issues (since we know that our docs are most definitely not). I'm so happy that you had such a positive experience!
Hi MO!
Good to see you again.
Love,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
Hi Mo,
Melissa reviewed a list of my current supplements and this is what she recommended that I add or increase. This of course applies to my situation and may not be as relevant for someone else.
For adrenal support:
Panothenic Acid (B5) - 500 mg capsules, start with 1 and move up to 3 per day (total 1,500 mg /day). She thinks this might make a big difference for me.
Vitamin C – 3000 mg, she recommends it in combination with bioflavinoids, but since I may react to those she recommended plain buffered for me. I already take vitamin C, but she emphasized it's importance to adrenal functioning. She suggests starting with 1000 mg and then slowly moving up.
She mentioned Dr. Wilson's book as a good source of information for vitamins/supplements for adrenal fatigue (he also recommends a B complex and a few other tihngs.)
Zinc – 50 mg because Zinc boosts the immune system; mercury and cadmium are antagonistic to zinc (meaning they kick zinc out of it's place) so this is especially important for me since I am detoxing both those metals.
Liver support – Sillymarin, Nature’s Way. Start with 1 and see how I do, and go up to 3 a day. This is both for heavy metal detox AND food sensitivity. If you support the liver, food reactions decrease.
Homeopathy, constitutional remedies.
My naturopath agrees with all her recommendations for me.
As to dairy, she doesn't think that dairy products are bad for everyone, but she points out that many people who are gluten sensitive are also sensitive to dairy, as well as the point that it wasn't used by our paleo ancestors. She recommends that you proceed cautiously and test dairy, and then, if it's okay for you, to use it more like a condiment than a main part of your food intake. I assume that includes yogurt, but don't know for sure. She says that the research on dairy shows that the damage to the gut can be silimiar to that in celiac diesease if you are intolerant to dairy.
Nice to "meet" you and welcome back. Celia
Melissa reviewed a list of my current supplements and this is what she recommended that I add or increase. This of course applies to my situation and may not be as relevant for someone else.
For adrenal support:
Panothenic Acid (B5) - 500 mg capsules, start with 1 and move up to 3 per day (total 1,500 mg /day). She thinks this might make a big difference for me.
Vitamin C – 3000 mg, she recommends it in combination with bioflavinoids, but since I may react to those she recommended plain buffered for me. I already take vitamin C, but she emphasized it's importance to adrenal functioning. She suggests starting with 1000 mg and then slowly moving up.
She mentioned Dr. Wilson's book as a good source of information for vitamins/supplements for adrenal fatigue (he also recommends a B complex and a few other tihngs.)
Zinc – 50 mg because Zinc boosts the immune system; mercury and cadmium are antagonistic to zinc (meaning they kick zinc out of it's place) so this is especially important for me since I am detoxing both those metals.
Liver support – Sillymarin, Nature’s Way. Start with 1 and see how I do, and go up to 3 a day. This is both for heavy metal detox AND food sensitivity. If you support the liver, food reactions decrease.
Homeopathy, constitutional remedies.
My naturopath agrees with all her recommendations for me.
As to dairy, she doesn't think that dairy products are bad for everyone, but she points out that many people who are gluten sensitive are also sensitive to dairy, as well as the point that it wasn't used by our paleo ancestors. She recommends that you proceed cautiously and test dairy, and then, if it's okay for you, to use it more like a condiment than a main part of your food intake. I assume that includes yogurt, but don't know for sure. She says that the research on dairy shows that the damage to the gut can be silimiar to that in celiac diesease if you are intolerant to dairy.
Nice to "meet" you and welcome back. Celia
I beleive in magic!
Where is Melissa Smiths practice in Arizona. I live in Arizona and might want to stop by her office if she gives counseling
Dr Fine test shows positive for gluten and casien but negative for soy, eggs, and yeast
Maybe its UC maybe its MC? Who knows at this point, but at least I know my intollerances now... so heres to the road to healing!
Maybe its UC maybe its MC? Who knows at this point, but at least I know my intollerances now... so heres to the road to healing!
Andrew,
She's in Tucson. Here's her website. Click on the Personal Nutrition Consultation link, to see the details of her consultations.
http://www.melissadianesmith.com/Background.html
Tex
She's in Tucson. Here's her website. Click on the Personal Nutrition Consultation link, to see the details of her consultations.
http://www.melissadianesmith.com/Background.html
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.