The Road to Health is Paved with Good Intentions

"The cause of Meniere's disease isn't understood. One popular theory that hasn't been proved is that Meniere's disease appears to be the result of the abnormal amount of fluid (endolymph) in the inner ear. This often shows on autopsies, but it's not clear that it causes the episodes. Factors that affect the fluid, which might contribute to Meniere's disease, include: Improper fluid drainage, perhaps because of a blockage or anatomic abnormality Abnormal immune response Allergies Viral infection Genetic predisposition Head trauma Migraines Because no single cause has been identified, it's likely that Meniere's disease results from a combination of factors"  ( Mayo Clinic Staff, 2017 ). I was two months into following a low sodium diet and had a pretty good handle on what I was eating.  I bought a low sodium cookbook and was making homemade bread and other foods that I had gone without.  I started reintroducing foods that I ha...

The vertigo had stopped just as suddenly as it had started.  Other than the slight tinnitus, I was symptom free.  I decided that the medication the doctor gave me must have done the trick and I was cured. I was wrong. Imagine taking off in an airplane.  As you climb in altitude, the pressure inside the plane changes which affects your ears.  You feel fullness and it's hard to hear.  The solution is simple; you yawn and they pop.  The pressure is gone and your hearing is restored.  But what if the solution doesn't work?  Then what?  The pressure continues to build which increases your level of discomfort.  You yawn again without success.  You switch tactics and swallow.  Success!  Ears have popped, the pressure and discomfort are gone, and you can hear again.  Five minutes of discomfort and you're good for the duration of the flight - or at least until it's time to descend.   I was 18 years old, ...

"Signs and symptoms of Meniere's disease include: Recurring episodes of vertigo. You have a spinning sensation that starts and stops spontaneously. Episodes of vertigo occur without warning and usually last 20 minutes to several hours, but not more than 24 hours. Severe vertigo can cause nausea and vomiting. Hearing loss. Hearing loss in Meniere's disease may come and go, particularly early on. Eventually, most people have some permanent hearing loss. Ringing in the ear (tinnitus). Tinnitus is the perception of a ringing, buzzing, roaring, whistling or hissing sound in your ear. Feeling of fullness in the ear. People with Meniere's disease often feel pressure in the affected ears (aural fullness) or on the side of their heads. After an episode, signs and symptoms improve and might disappear entirely. Episodes can occur weeks to years apart" ( Mayo Clinic Staff, 2017 ). I've had issues with my right inner ear for as long as I can remember. ...

I don't have time to go into my whole history with acid reflux, but suffice it to say, I have a history and it increased with Keto.  As I've done a little AIP and removed dairy, it's almost non-existent which is why the last two issues with reflux are so interesting. This last Sunday, I started my morning off with an herbal eggnog flavored Rocket Fuel Latte  (RFL).  I used Bengal Spice herbal tea  instead of coffee and omitted the egg yolk and collagen.  I downed it pretty quickly which left my stomach unsettled for quite a while.  I've never had problems with any RFL variations so I figured it was related to how quickly I drank it.  Yesterday (Monday), I decided I wanted another one, but this time I added chia seeds to try to thicken it and add a bit more carbs/protein to balance all the fats.  About half way through, my stomach started hurting again so I threw it out.  Fast forward to later in the day when I enjoyed a very delicious pumpk...

The title of my post sounds all Silence of the Lambs .  Yeah, that's not what I'm doing. I have eczema.  I've had it for about 12 years.  I remember going to the pharmacy by the first apartment my husband and I lived in to get the topical medicine.  This is the first memory I have of my skin being a problem.  Around this time I started having scalp issues too.  I don't know if they're related, which is part of the experiment.  I've had a few doctors suggest that it could be caused by dairy while others are adamant that it's not.  With all the reading I've done about autoimmune disorders, I'm willing to bet there's a correlation.  I've realized that all of my autoimmune diseases are cries for help from my body.  Some of them may be irreversible ( vitiligo ), but I'm willing to do what it takes to reverse what I can.  If changing my diet drastically will bring balance to my body, I'm in. Although I know I have an intolerance to da...

I've known about a ketogenic diet for sometime.  My husband can be a health nut at times.  When I first met him, he was really into weight lifting and had a physic to show it.  Over the course of our marriage, he hasn't been able to maintain that physic as much as he'd like.  He's an amazing husband, father, and provider which is where he put his focus.  I can't say enough about how lucky I am to have him.  About four years ago, he learned about keto and started following it.  I was a little hesitant about the way he was eating because I thought it was a fad diet.  He lost the weight he wanted to, but I didn't think it was possible for him to follow the diet as a lifestyle.  I was right. When we first got married, I was completely dairy free.  I hadn't had more than an accidental amount in years.  Well, being married to someone who can and does eat dairy was challenging and over time, I introduced dairy back into my diet as a re...

Yesterday I decided to do a carb up with dinner and had rice.  I figured since I already ate a few carbs, why not eat a few more?  I then ate a cinnamon brown sugar pop tart.  I then ate a few more.  I didn't have any response to it yesterday, but this morning my right knee is hurting.  It's aching in the middle of the joint and tender muscles all around.  I've been told by a specialist and a physical therapist that when my knee is like this that it's due to inflammation. Perhaps I do have a wheat intolerance.  Or maybe the sugar is what's causing the problem.  I read in The Autoimmune Fix  that no human is able to fully digest wheat.  Although many people are able to digest most of it without any problems, there are many who cannot which can result in Celiac Disease or simply be a wheat intolerance.  When your body has an intolerance, it causes inflammation and will manifest in the weakest link in your body's health chain.  ...