THE DIET DILEMMA

Ever since I was eighteen years old, I had a weight problem. Although I was not heavy, my desire was to be thinner. Diet pills were the latest diet fad in the 50's and 60’s. Our doctors prescribed them along with a diet. The results were remarkable and I was extremely happy along with my admirers.

Through the years I went on and off the pills whenever I gained weight. Whenever I was on them, my body felt as though I was taking uppers and downers at the same time. The feeling was quite weird. Although the pills worked and kept me nicely trimmed, I believe it caused my thyroid to go out of control. Hoarseness, hair loss, rapid weight gain and fatigue were my constant complaints. My condition was called Hypothyroidism.

Although I was committed for life taking Synthroid and other alternative drugs, my symptoms never diminished. Candy was always in my purse for a quick pick me up. My diets went on and off through the years but hard to follow once working on a daily basis and raising a family. Now, at age 73, with the kids out of the house and retired from a busy office, I want to take control and get my body back.

A local chiropractor held a seminar saying endocrinologists and primary physicians are not treating thyroid problems accurately because they are not doing more tests. His testing is enormous, costing about $150 -$300 a month for excessive blood work and consultations. He does not take insurance . But he promised my energy would return along with curing my symptoms which included loosing weight.

The next alternative and in my opinion the best, if you can afford it, or if it is covered by insurance, is to seek out a nutritionist who is a medical doctor. He is the only one who is knowledgeable about chemicals in the body and how it reacts to different individuals.

Desperate to control my appetite, I went to Costco to purchase Sensa as I heard about it on TV. Although the company offers one month free, you have to give your credit card for the following month. If you do not want it, simply call the company for a return label. Otherwise they will ship and charge you every month. I was anxious to get it immediately rather than wait for the mail. When I got it home, I researched on the Internet that the product does work, like most of the fad diets such as "the Cookie" diet. The product has a chemical that tells the brain you are full. So you become committed for life to use it. There is no evidence what it does for you later in life. Once you get off it, as you will be satisfied with your results, the brain reacts differently, your appetite increases enormously and your weight gain is twice when you started.

Someone said something interesting. If Oprah with all her money could not succeed with any fad product how can we? Then I remembered several people who were on the “Cookie Diet” among other fad diets who lost a tremendous amount of weight and looked terrific. As soon as they went off the diet, they put back more weight than when they started. It was a sad horror show. So.. what to do?....

My next issue will reveal the best secret with no cost to you...

HOW THE FOODS YOU EAT AFFECT THE WAY YOU FEEL

For most of my life I have been eating foods that made me feel better.  I had no idea that those very same foods played havoc on my body later on.

My interest in food sensitivity started with my son who was an asthmatic in his early years.  Back in the early 60's most doctors did not believe nor want to believe in allergists.  But when my son begged to God to help him breath, I took him to the emergency room where they medicated him for relief.

Putting pressure on our Pediatrician to get my son to an allergist was the smartest thing we did. It was there he was tested for food sensitivity and was not allowed to eat the many pleasures that children love.  Ice cream, pizza, milk, diary products, tomatoes, oranges, and chocolate

When I sent him to sleep a way camp, I notified the camp director of his restrictions.  They could not figure out what to feed my son for lunch.  I told them they would have to get him cold cuts. 

Prior to his restrictions of those foods, he was always very irritable.  I could not understand why he was that way.  When he continued on his restricted diet, his asthma went away or was arrested as they say.  He turned to be a happy well adjusted child. Until we moved a few years later....

As soon as our furniture arrived in our new home, he started wheezing.  New to the community and not knowing anyone, I chose the nearest allergist.  I wanted to prevent another attack.  To my dismay, this guy did not believe in tests claiming that it is not the same thing as when food is digested. He said to my son, "you can eat what ever you like from now on." I was so upset, while my son was rejoicing.

Gradually he became irritable again, with massive head aches occurring often.  His asthma was still arrested, however I feared the worst that it might come back.  It was very difficult for us to live with him as he was now a very unmanageable teenager.

One day, driving in my car, listening to WOR, Carlton Fredericks, world renowned nutritionist, was speaking about a case he had.  I will never forget the scenario.  A mother called up on the air saying that her son was diagnosed as  schizophrenic. "Bring the boy to my office before you do anything.  Take his lunch and his favorite drink so I can evaluate him.  I bet it has to do with something he ate" The mother thinking it might be a waste of time and foolishness, went along with it.

On visiting with Dr Fredericks, the young boy seemed very normal and well behaved.  The Doctor was sitting at his desk while the mother and son was opposite him.  Questions were asked and a conversation began.  The boy was very well mannered and answered all the questions put to him.  The Doctor. instructed him and the mother to start eating their sandwich and Coke as it was lunch time.

They continued to chat getting the family history.  With approximately a half an hour after they finished their lunch,  the boy became cranky and wanted to go home.  "It is not time yet, we still have some more work to do" the doctor said.  The boy became very irritable and within minutes he started to have a tantrum kicking and swinging.

Dr. Carlton Fredericks said, "you see what is happening, do you see this, your son is not a schizophrenic, he is severely allergic to the coke.  Discontinue that and he will be a normal child again"

After listening, I tried to get an appointment with him for my son. I was referred to Dr. Michael Schachter MD.  who studied with Fredericks.  I knew what my son was allergic to, however because my son was a teenager, he had to see for himself  and obtain another doctor's opinion.  He was definitely in agreement about how foods affect him. He told my son to continue with his previous restricted diet.

Reflecting back when my son was an infant, he was always irritable with colic.  Then eczema broke out on his face when he was one years old. At the age of two he developed Hay Fever. Asthma followed after age three. This whole process was  food sensitivity.  The doctors never told me about this until  Dr Schacther  and  one of our allergists mentioned it to me when asthma set in. It was a shame all this could have been avoided.

In my next issue I will tell you about how to test your food sensitivity by yourself painlessly with the help of your spouse, partner or friend.

Today my son is an adult and understands how bad certain foods affect him. He continues to learn about food sensitivity and how some of the other foods contain poison which most of us unknowingly are feeding our children

Please watch this very short video especially if you are a parent

WHAT ARE THE BAD FOODS OUR CHILDREN ARE EATING