Going Naturopath

For the past year we have been carefully monitoring Ben's diet and keeping track with a daily food journal to try and determine which foods are triggers for behavior and other physical problems.  It's a lot of detective work and trial and error.  In an attempt to shortcut this process, I decided that Ben and I would visit a Naturopath Doctor.

What is Naturopathic Medicine?
Naturopathic medicine is based on the belief that the human body has an innate healing ability. Naturopathic doctors (NDs) teach their patients to use diet, exercise, lifestyle changes and cutting edge natural therapies to enhance their bodies’ ability to ward off and combat disease. NDs view the patient as a complex, interrelated system (a whole person), not as a clogged artery or a tumor. Naturopathic physicians craft comprehensive treatment plans that blend the best of modern medical science and traditional natural medical approaches to not only treat disease, but to also restore health. (You can read more about it here.)

So I did a little research and found a Naturopathic Doctor in Folsom that specialized in children and women's health.  Perfect.  I went for a free 15 minute visit and really liked Dr. Larrow and her entire approach and demeanor.  Darin and I talked and decided it would be the right course of action for Ben and I both.  The very first step was an appointment for us to give four vials of blood each, with which they tested us for allergies or sensitivities to over 160 different foods (called an IgG and IgE Food Antibody Assessment).  The results were very interesting and not at all what I expected.  Neither one of us has allergies that would cause an actual deathly allergic reaction, thank goodness.  But there was detected sensitivity to many different foods.

For Ben, he has to completely stay away from Cantaloupe, Mushrooms, Clams, Oysters, Red Snapper and Sole.  Then he is limited to no more than three portions a week of Asparagus, Cherries, Parmesan Cheese, Rice, Peanuts, Tuna, Cashew, Cottage Cheese, Garbanzo Beans, Oats, Watermelon, Cheddar Cheese, Yogurt and a few other things we never really eat anyway.

For me, I have to completely stay away from Corn and Sesame.  And I am limited to no more than three portions a week of Cottage Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Cantaloupe, Peanuts, Cashews, Coconut, Garbanzo, Oat and a few other things I never really eat.  (What is Filbert?  And I refuse to eat something called a Mung bean.)

Dr. Larrow says that food sensitivities can manifest themselves in different ways for different people: migraines, eczema, joint pain and arthritis, mood swings and behavior issues, rashes, stomach aches, etc. No particular food causes the same reaction for any particular person.  Over time, because our sensitivities are at somewhat low levels, Ben and I may be able to eat our "never" foods occasionally - but for now they are off limits for good.

In addition to the testing, Dr. Larrow has Ben (and Lia) on an approved children's vitamin and fish oil, me on a zinc (because apparantly I was low in zinc) and fish oil in addition to the supplements I already take.  She also has me doing a testing for my hormone balances for the next month to see if those are out of whack.  And she put me on a three week detox/cleanse to rid my body of the toxins that I have put in it over the years like medications, alcohol, caffeine, etc.  (Not one of those nasty charcoal cleanses or lime juice cleanse.)

I'm six days into the detox/cleanse and I'm feeling really great.  The whole point is to remove the common allergens from the diet and add in supplements that help keep vitamin levels up and rid the body of toxins.  So no dairy, eggs, peanuts, gluten or wheat, sugar, beef or pork, caffeine or alcohol. This week I'm limited to veggies (except no tomatoes), fruits (except grapefruit), and chicken and turkey, and I drink a supplement in a smoothie or water once or twice daily.  Next week I drop out the meat and legumes completely, and drink the supplement (with its 29g of protein) three times a day.  In week three I add the meat and legumes back in and drop the supplement to once a day.

I have incredible levels of energy, I don't feel like I have swings in my mood (although Darrin said the second day that I was a bit grouchy).  I'm not hungry at all - I think because I have to plan out my meals and am paying attention to getting meat and veggies with every meal.  But it is very hard to not have a beer or glass of wine occasionally, it is hard to not have my morning cup of coffee, and it is the hardest to not have SUGAR!  I am so craving carbs and sugary sweets.  I can have potatoes and gluten free waffles and noodles, but those are no substitute for a bread roll or my homemade cookies.

I just keep telling myself it will only be three weeks and dammit, I can do this! 

Once the three weeks are up, I will slowly start adding back in my regular foods - a new  one every three days to make sure they don't cause a reaction.  I am very curious to see if I notice any changes in how I feel or how my symptoms have changed or gone away.  I am also curious to see if removing the foods Ben and I are sensitive to makes any difference in his behavior (or mine!).  Some of the items we know (thought?) were triggers for Ben, like chocolate, did not even register on his list.  So maybe we got it wrong, or maybe Dr. Feingold and his diet go a step further than what registers on the IgG and IgE tests.  Only time will tell.

Two years ago I never would have thought I'd be doing this.  This would only be something my granola friend, Morgan, would do.  But I am so thoroughly convinced that food does so much more to our bodies than just feed us.  In fact, when I told Dr. Larrow about our Feingold Diet and explained that we don't eat anything artificial or with preservatives she laughed and said "They have a name for that?!? Naturopath Doctors have been telling people to eat that way for a century!"

In the past year I have learned that it really is true:  We Are What We Eat!