“I was a mess. I felt really old, struggling to get through the day. I got “summer colds” 5 and 6 times a year, in spring, summer, and fall. Most of those times, I had to take a few days off from work. I hated to drive at night, oncoming headlights made my eyes hurt so badly. (Yellow lens helped, but they weren’t enough.) I absolutely had to wear sunglasses during the day, for the same reason. And all of that was before things got really bad. When things were at their worst, I was gaining a pound or two a month, instead of a pound or two a year. I gained 25 lbs in no time at all. I had hives on my legs, elbows, and the tops of my feet. They itched so horribly that I just had to scratch until I had open sores everywhere.
Serious antihistamines gave me temporary relief, so I knew I had an “allergy” problem. But I didn’t know what I was allergic to–and I’m not a fan of taking drugs to treat symptoms. So I kept my eye out for solutions. Fortunately, I found the folks at Root Cause Medical. I went to Dr. Vikki’s lecture on weight loss, of all things, and discovered that the most common food to produce negative reactions is wheat, due to the gluten it contains. I did my homework on gluten reactions. Sure enough, almost every single symptom I had been experiencing stemmed from that single, root cause–and it explained quite a few childhood ailments, as well. I began working with Dr. Rick. We removed all possible symptom-producing foods from my diet, slowly adding back those that were found to be ok. We shored up my exhausted adrenal glands and provided higher levels of nutrients I hadn’t been absorbing well–with the understanding that these were temporary measures necessary to counter gluten’s ill effects. The results were astonishing. In a matter of months, I dropped the recently-acquired 25 lbs of body fat.
Over the next year, my energy levels steadily rose. I became more productive at work, and began exercising more regularly and more vigorously, so my body fat percentage keeps improving. The itching stopped almost immediately. The sores on my legs and arms began to heal, and recede. Eventually, they vanished altogether. I still have an “early warning radar” in the form of itchy elbows or feet whenever I unknowingly encounter something that has gluten in it. But I use that warning to identify the offender and remove it from my diet. Now, I frequently find myself outdoors or driving at night for quite a while before suddenly realizing that I forgot to put on my shades. I found gluten-free versions of bread and even cookies, so I don’t feel like I am missing much–but I also found that I was no longer /addicted/ to them, as I had been with wheat. I can go days without eating them and never even miss them. I feel great after my treatment. And as my insides heal, things just keep getting better. Most of all, I feel as energetic as I did 20 years ago. I no longer feel like I’m so old that I’m just “hanging on”, unable to do much. In many ways, I’m stronger now than I ever was. It’s a kick and a half to be young and active again!”
— Earl A.
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