Welcome to my world...

Hi everyone and welcome to my little piece of the world!

It has been evident to me since I was in about seventh grade, that I love writing and it is a talent I have been blessed with . It wasn't until I reached the ripe old age of 28 though, that I realized God had a much bigger plan for the gift he had given me.

Through blogging on MySpace, I was able to reach not only those that I knew in my own life, but also complete strangers and was amazed at how just my "ramblings" had helped so many people to be inspired, encouraged, or just to think about things in a new way.

From there, it grew into an inspirational column in The Charlotte Observer, then a religious news column in The Statesville Record & Landmark, a speaking engagment for a women's church group and now, a gig as a religion news freelance writer for The Charlotte Observer.

The writing that is closest to my heart though is not the news reporting, but the words that come from my soul - the words that I know God puts there not only to help me to understand life better, but also those around me.

I hope you feel encouraged, enlightened and inspired but what you read here and of course, I look forward to hearing back from you too!

Sunday, January 6, 2013

The Repairvite Diet... crazy or miracle?

Well I'm about a week late in posting this since I wanted to start a blog about my restricted diet starting on Day 1.  But it's only Day 6 so that's not too bad.  ;)

For those of you that don't know, I've been having some strange health issues for the past year, since about Jan/Feb of 2012.  I've been to my PCP, a gastroenterologist (actually 2 GI docs and a GI nurse practicitioner) and an endocrinologist.  I've been prescribed about ten different medications (not to mention the ones that I didn't even bother filling), none of which did a thing to help me.  Which on a side note, can I just mention how disturbing it is how many times you are offered anti-depressants/anti-anxiety medications, etc. as a treatment option for real physical symptoms?  It's crazy.  Anyway, I now owe the hospital system several hundred dollars for absolutely NOTHING. 

It started in January when I started having a dull pain under my last rib on the left side.  It was sporatic and not too intense so I didn't pay it much attention at first.  In fact, I went on a mission trip in end of Feb/beginning of March and was fine.  But by the time I came back from the trip, the pain had gotten more frequent and soon I started having problems with constipation, bloating and a lot of "gurgliness" in my side and stomach.  When I went to the GI doctor that had done my colonoscopy in December (which was just a preventative measure at that point... I didn't even have any of my symptoms yet) and told him about the pain in my side, he said he thought I had pulled a muscle and to put ice on it and take Advil.  WOW.  So eventually in May, I saw a GI nurse practicitioner in the doctor's office where I worked.  She did x-rays, had me drink several lovely concoctions, take several medications and even go for a not-so-fun "cleaning out" and literally 15 minutes after I left that procedure, clean as a whistle, I had the pain in my side while standing in line at a grocery store.  Hmm... guess that had nothing to do with the pain, huh?  The GI doctor that she worked with then prescribed me more medications and did an ultrasound, said he saw nothing and sent me on my merry way.  I went to the endocrinologist to see if any of it could be thyroid-related since my symptoms seemed to match up with that and was again told, everything looks normal.  At this point, I had pretty much given up although my symptoms hadn't gotten any better, in fact, they actually got worse.

Besides the pain in my side, the constipation, bloating and gurgliness, my anxiety has come back, I feel strangely down/blah most of the time, I have shakiness/tremors, frequent urination, trouble sleeping, can't concentrate or focus like normal and am SO TIRED 24/7, I can hardly do my normal routine much less anything like exercise.  I never sleep through the night anymore, I get winded just bending over to pull the laundry out of the washer and when I stand (yes, just stand) for too long... say, like the time it takes me to take a shower, my legs feel so tired you would think I had just run a marathon.  I'll wake up in the morning and feel like I haven't slept in days.  I don't have an "afternoon crash", I basically have a morning one, an afternoon one and a night one cuz I'm tired ALL day.   I can't remember anything anymore without writing it down and just focusing on something is an effort.  Not to mention the time I left for work in the morning and couldn't figure out where to turn onto the highway.  Yes, the highway I drive every single day... it's like my brain forgot where the entrance ramp was.

At first, I gained like 15lbs out of nowhere too, although I'm not sure if it's all still there (I don't own a working scale) but my stomach/waist is always distended so all of my clothes that just fit me last season don't fit me this year.  And the worst part is, you get so sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, that you stop wanting to even do anything.  I worry that my friends won't even ask me to do anything anymore because of how many times I've said no or cancelled at the last minute from not feeling good.  It sucks because I'm sure to just look at me, I probably look fine (although I can tell the difference when I look at myself in the mirror) but half the time, I just feel BLEH.  I think I understand what people with chronic pain must feel like.  Not that I at all compare my issues with theirs, but that I can understand what it feels like to not have "visible" symptoms.  And then of course, I start to feel bad for feeling bad because I know how much worse it could be and how people with terminal illnesses can only wish to have the "issues" that I do.  And so the cycle goes round and round.

So about a month and a half ago, I decided to go to a naturopathic doctor.  Pretty much as a last resort.  At the first meeting, I had a better feeling than I ever had at one of the "conventional" doctor's offices.  He gave me SO much information that most of it went over my head but I felt like he at least had a clue.  He sent me for a couple blood tests and I got all of my records from the other docs for my next appt.  At that appt, he again gave me more information than my brain could handle, but he said my bloodwork clearly matched up with the symptoms I was complaining of and... surprise! I wasn't crazy.  Well hallelujah.  He said he could tell off the bat, I have issues with my blood sugar, have an autoimmune disorder (although he couldn't say for sure which one specifically without further testing), have adrenal/thyroid issues (yes, the numbers traditional doctors use when they decide what's "normal" are not always accurate) and he thinks I have what's called "leaky gut syndrome."  I didn't quite get all of what that is but something about the membrane that lines my intestinal tract is not intact so things get across it that shouldn't.  So basically, bad things can get in and good things can get out.  He said my body doesn't break down nutrients properly so I'm barely getting any essential nutrients from my food and on top of that, he thinks I may have some food allergies so my body is most likely wasting a ton of energy attacking itself every time I eat the "wrong" thing.  Oh and, my white blood cell count is elevated (which again, all the other doctors missed) which is a sign of a chronic infection.  He wasn't sure exactly what it was again without further testing.

HUH.  Gee I wonder why I've been feeling like crap lately.

So what's the solution?  Well to start with , there are supplements.  I'm taking a probiotic, two other oral supplements, a lotion supplement and drinking a lovely concoction called Repairvite that is like caramel-flavored sand that dissolves in hot water.  Yum.  Then there's the diet.  I wasn't the ideal patient since I decided to wait until after Christmas/New Years to start the diet.  I figured it would just be too hard with all the parties and food everywhere.  So I started on January 1 and this will be my life for the next 2 months:

What I can eat:
-Meat (antibiotic free, hormone free, grass fed beef, chicken, turkey and fish)
-Certain veggies
-Certain fruits
-Coconut
-Fermented foods (pickles, sauerkraut, kombucha tea)
-Yam noodles
-Olive oil
-Spices

And THAT'S IT.  So to make that more clear, here's what I can't eat:

-Other vegetables like potatoes, peas, green beans, etc.
-Other fruits like bananas, pineapples, mangoes, etc.
-Any dairy products
-Any grains including oats, quinoa, wheat, etc.
-Any sugars including agave, honey, chocolate, etc.
-Eggs
-Nightshade foods including tomatoes, eggplant, tobasco, peppers, etc.
-Condiments
-Beans
-Nuts
-Soy
-Coffee
-Alcohol

Yea basically, 95% of the grocery store.  So for this week, I have mostly been eating berries, turkey sausage, avacados, chicken, spinach, sweet potatoes and broccoli.  And I have come to the conclusion that I am just going to eat to sustain my life for the next 2 months, not to enjoy it.  ;)  And if it works and it actually changes how I feel, IT WILL BE WORTH IT.

I read a bunch of posts about this diet on the internet the other night and I was inspired.  Most people that said they had done this diet said it was awesome or "life changing" and all of them said they had the same symptoms as me... GI problems, fatigue, anxiety, depression, brain fog, etc.  I found one girl who said she was going to blog about her experience but never posted again after the first day.  So that gave me the idea to do this.  I love to write and I'm doing the diet, so I may as well share it!  I'm not very educated on how to get my blog out there to the people at large though, so I hope maybe it will come up for them in a search like it did for me cuz I'd love to hear from other people that have had similar experiences or are doing the diet too!  And I hope to keep up with updates about how it's going for me.

So goodnight for now... wish me luck!

33 comments:

  1. Just read the blog. I really hope this diet helps cure all the symptoms. The thing about your legs sounds like exactly what happens to me a lot of the time. Told my doctor but he didn't really have a comment about it. If your doctor had an explanation for it, let me know. Good luck and I pray for you improved health each day.

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  2. always loved your writing, so I'm glad you are on the blog again. More importantly, glad to hear they figured out what was going on with you. If you weren't good at writing, you would have just said what was wrong in 3 sentences, instead, you keep me on the edge of my seat with 8 paragraphs. Glad you are back at it Jenn

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  3. I've been on the Repairvite diet and supplement for 12 days and I feel worse than I did before I started. Now I don't even enjoy food. In fact I dread eating and going to the grocery store. Has anyone had a similar experience? Does it eventually get better?

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  4. Hi Alyson,

    I just started this blog recently so I'm hoping more people will come across it like you did and share their experiences. I've been on it for 23 days now and I don't realize a whole lot of difference yet. Maybe a little less "gurgliness" overall but still have most of my symptoms. I've read a lot of people's stories though about how much it helped them so I'm trying to be optimistic about it. Not sure how long it takes to kick in though.

    As for the food thing though, I know how you feel. I was really overwhelmed at first and I still miss a lot of foods, but I did find one thing that's been my saving grace. It's a website with menu planners for diets like this one. Her recipes are easy and really yummy and she even gives you a shopping list each week, broken down into departments. It might help you feel better about shopping/eating, it really helped me! The site is alleryfreemenuplanners.com.

    Keep in touch and let me know how it's going for you. I hope things start to get better soon!

    -Jenn

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  5. Just started this program too. I'm on day 6. I am so thankful to have found your blog.

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  6. Hi Rosa, I've posted another update or two since this one. I am actually a little over two months in now. I'm not sure how long I will have to do the diet, I will be following up with my doctor hopefully next week. Not sure if I've seen a lot of significant change yet but some things have gotten better... sleeping through the night now, being a little more regular about going to the bathroom and my stomach isn't so audibly "gurgly" all the time, so that's hopeful! The grocery shopping/cooking gets easier though the further you get into it, especially if you use recipes like I have been. Good luck! I hope you do well! :) Keep me posted. What did your doctor prescribe the diet for?

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  7. I initially went to a fertility specialist to a help treat my polycystic ovarian syndrome. Once tests were run I found out I'm diabetic, have a low functioning thyroid, and I have all of the symptoms of leaky gut syndrome. At this fertility center there is a chiropractor/dietician. My levels are completely off the charts. So after my first consultation I began to prepare for this strict diet. My brain and my ideas never made it onto paper so when I started I ended up scrambling for recipes and ideas ideas for what to eat. I did go gluten free about 3 weeks before starting. I haven't lost weight in years, but by just cheating out gluten, I lost 10lbs. I dread waking up to take those supplements and since I'm taking Synthyroid first thing in the morning, I have to force myself to eat after 45 minutes.

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    1. They think I have leaky gut syndrome as well and I also have thryoid symptoms. The diet will definitely make you lose weight (which I didn't want to do) but you just have to be good about always being prepared for meals. There's no such thing as "grabbing something quick" unfortunately. Everything that I have read from other people who have done the diet though seems like it really makes a difference. So I'm hoping it will work for me too and you! :)

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  8. Hey- just came across this post! Gurrrl I am 24 years old and I have had very similar symptoms as you: brain fog, shakiness, crazy muscle weakness, extreme fatigue, poor memory, breakouts on my face, neck and back, depression, anxiety, racing heartbeat, just a general feeling of being "out of it", keratosis pilaris, and interstitial cystitis. Also, like you I have been extremely frustrated with traditional western medicine doctors telling me " oh, your blood test came back normal, your fine." and then prescribing me an anti-depressant-LOL. Anyways I found an amazing doctor in Tustin who basically told me in detail about everything going on in my body which included: hypoglycemia, malabsorption, liver dysfunction, b12 defiency, chronic parasitic infection (reason for my low white blood cell), type 2 hypothyroidism due to adrenal gland dysfunction, and leaky gut. He has 100% certainty he can get me to 95-99% optimum health in 4-6 months! I'm in the beginning stages, 2 weeks in to his program which includes the repairvite diet for the first 60 days along with neurological therapies to build back my brain strength again. I can say that within the first 10 days my acne has completely gone away, I have more energy, my crazy headaches aren't there really anymore, my interstitial cystitis is completely gone. I know I still have months to go, but I am definitely seeing results! So happy you posted about this, I haven't heard of someone with such similar symptoms as me! I'm very interested to hear about your progress!!!!!

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  9. Hey, glad you found my blog! :) That's why I started it, because I wanted to hear from other people out there that were doing this diet too and find out how it was going for them. I can't believe how similar our symptoms are! I had every one of those except the bad headaches and I don't know what keratosis pilaris is so I don't know if I have that. ;) That's interesting though that you mention the interstitial cystitis because my urologist did tell me I have that but my naturopath (who put me on the diet) didn't really mention anything about it. Your diagnosis sounds very similar to me also. I also have issues with hypoglycemia, malabsorption, leaky gut, thryoid/adrenal issues and he's not sure about the parasite yet, but he thinks that's why I've had low white blood cells also. I just did a stool profile for that so I should get my results back soon. That's crazy that you had that too!

    So far, I'd say some things have gotten better but not all. I'm amazed that you already feel like you have more energy and the interstitial cystitis is gone! My acne definitely was the first thing to clear up also. I also had a lot of issues with falling asleep and staying asleep and that improved a lot too. I still feel fatigued most of the time and have bad muscle weakness (my legs hurt just bending down to hook up my dogs' leashes!) and the constipation has good and bad days. I would say overall it's better though than it was when I first started the diet. I'm definitely not as shaky most of the time either because I think my blood sugar is staying a lot more level. The anxiety and brain fog are still around but less than they were also. What kind of neurological therapies are you doing?

    My naturopath also has me on supplements and he just recently altered my regimen a little so I'm not sure exactly how long it's going to take. Since you said your doctor told you 4-6 months though, that makes me feel a little better cuz I'm only on month 4. :) Keep me posted about your progress and good luck with the diet!!

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  10. Keratosis pilaris are the red dots & bumps on back of arms, legs. He did a neurological test on me to see what parts of my brain have been getting weak. We do a lot of balance work, oxygen therapy, Metronome therapy, light therapy, etc, like 20 different therapies in all. This guys a genius! I just finished my two rounds of parasite killing herbs, I'm on liquid b12 supplement and the repairvite powder. He incorporates supplements as needed. He said it might be a lot Of different supplements at first but then you taper off as the months go on. I was waking up like 4 times a night before.. Now my sleeps are deep and I might wake up once to go to the bathroom. I still am anxious and still "out of it" a little. But I'm positive that will go away as my gut heals etc. My doctor has me do therapies at home 6 days a week, it only takes 15 min, and I go into his clinic twice a week for 45 minutes to do in clinic therapies. I will taper off to once a week as the months go on. He basically told me he's there for me to help me but I need to be completely dedicated to see results. I'm excited I've finally figured out exactly what's going on!!! Also, curious to know do you have the tendency in your neck to shake it from side to side? That is another symptom I have because my lower left cerebellum has been breaking down. Glad we can chat about this!!

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  11. I am too!! Especially since our symptoms/experiences are so similar. I actually have keratosis pilaris too but I don't think I've ever talked about that with my naturopath either. I've had that for as long as I can remember. Would be interesting to see if that actually cleared up too! I'm impressed that you've had results so quickly. And I'm intrigued about the neurological therapies too. I think my focus/fogginess has gotten a little better than it was, just still feel tired a lot of the time. Your doctor is right, it definitely takes complete dedication!! My friends and family would roll their eyes at me sometimes when I wouldn't even be willing to take a bite out of something, but I wanted to give it 100% chance to work! It is definitely a good feeling to pinpoint what it is after having no idea for so long. I still have the pain/discomfort on my left side under my ribs which we haven't figured out yet, but I guess it could be part of the parasitic infection if I do indeed have that. I haven't had the symptom you mentioned about my neck. Isn't it crazy how many things can be affected just by the foods you take in?? How are you doing with the cooking/eating part of it? I mentioned in my later post that I found a menu planner online for elimination diets that has been a Godsend!

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  12. Hi! I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's in 2011 and with leaky gut in 2012. I have been on the RepairVite Diet since January of this year. The first 3 months I felt worse than ever before. My Dr. couldn't understand why it wasn't working out for me so he ordered a comprehensive food allergy panel. It turns out I was reacting to several foods on the RepairVite Diet such as chicken, spinach, sweet potato, carrot and apple to name a few. I am going to remove all of the new allergens and start over again. I'm excited to try it again because I'm expecting great results now that we know what my triggers are. If you're still not feeling great, you might want to look into the food allergy testing - it really makes a difference. Good luck with your journey, I'm glad I found your blog!

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  13. Hi Dana! Welcome to the world of Repairvite and leaky gut! ;) That's interesting that you were reacting to the foods on the diet. I guess they choose them because they're usually pretty "neutral". I'm glad you found out what the problem was though! I actually have seen a definite improvement since I've been on the diet. My stomach is less rumbly/noisy, I don't really have diarrhea at all anymore and the constipation and bloated feeling got better as well. I found out last week that I have a parasite as well so I am on 2 anti-parasitics for 2 months and 1 of them is a little strong so unfortunately the constipation and bloating has come back with that. But I'm going to stick it out! I think the diet will definitely help you in the long run now that you've figured out your triggers. I actually get to start adding foods back in today (YAY!) so I get to start figuring out what my triggers are (if any). Good luck with your journey too and keep me posted!! :)

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  14. Hi I recently diagnosed with leaky gut and some food allergies :( I just start repairevite supplement 2 weeks ago n my acne cleared up a lot but I m confuse with the diet becz I m vegetarian and it's hard to find good protein source which are low in carb , fat and high in protein, so if anyone have idea plz help !
    I m looking gluten free, soy free and dairy free bars which don't have tapioca syrup becz I m sentive to tapioca :(

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  15. Hi! I wish you luck with the diet! It should really help you with the leaky gut symptoms. My acne cleared up very quickly too once I started the diet. I'm not a vegetarian but I did try to add extra protein where I could by using protein powder in my smoothies every morning, I used pea protein that my naturopathic doctor sold at his office because it was gluten-free, GMO-free and sugar free. It provides 24g of protein with each serving. I also try to eat a lot of almond butter (usually on apple slices) because my doctor said it was okay to introduce almonds even though the diet says no nuts. I'm not sure about other sources of protein but hopefully either your doctor or someone else that sees this blog can help you! :) For the protein bars though, try youbars.com where you can customize the bars to have exactly the ingredients and protein content that you want. Hope it works out for you! Out of curiosity, did you have a test done for your allergies or did you figure them out through an elimination diet? I am finished the diet and am in the process right now of adding foods back in one at a time to "test" them and I was wondering how I should test tapioca.

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  16. Hi Jenn! thank u so much for your time, i will look for pea protein now. Another question comes becz i m very picky with food taste and wondering which milk you use to mix this pea protein becz i was big on dairy and now i can't have milk, coconut milk and almond milk taste is not good as cow's milk :( so plz share if any other milk out there which taste good and allow to have in this diet.
    Yes, i had the allergy test done through Cyrex LAB and that's how my doctor found out about some food allergies and sensitivity and i read about that lab online a lot!According to the lab i m only senstive to milk fat ( milk butyrophilin ) but as i m reading the diet, so i try to avoid all dairy.

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  17. Well I actually use coconut milk and I like it. :) But have you tried the vanilla coconut milk? That might help if you don't like the taste of the plain. Or you can add flavored stevia too which might sweeten it up a bit for you. I always put almond butter in my smoothies to cover up the taste of the pea protein. I just think it tastes better that way.

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  18. yah, trying all tricks to get better taste..just want to ask you as you are on this diet from while now, are you feel all better ? ,or any symptoms coming back...
    I did pretty well for 2 weeks and i was happy but all of sudden again start getting acne which disappoint me :( don't like to bother my doctor on daily basis but wondering is just me or it happen to anyone else too. How long your doctor said to continue this diet ?

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  19. Well I actually did the diet for about 5 1/2 months! And just recently started adding foods back in. My symptoms definitely did get better but I feel like some of them are starting to come back a little now that I'm adding other stuff back in. Mostly the "gurgliness" and bloated feeling in my stomach, the fatigue and the waking up in the middle of the night. I know at least the last one though is probably my own fault for not regulating my sugar intake better but I'm a little frustrated with trying to figure out what foods I have a reaction to and what I don't (without an expensive test). You should definitely see an improvement while you're on the diet though. Maybe your body is just pushing out all the toxins and that's why you got some acne again? Give it a little more time and see if it goes away again. How long are you supposed to do it?

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  20. OMG, OMG, OMG you are writing about me! I googled RepairVite Diet and came across this post. I am DESPERATE to find help with this diet, but first, let me rewind. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease several years ago and have eaten gluten-free for almost 3 years. That was hard at first (especially since I am the only one in a family of 6 to have issues...so far.) I didn't think I would have to go through all the frustration, depression, anger, etc. of having to go on a restricted diet again. I decided to go to a naturopathic doctor (I think we may use the same one since several things you've mentioned sound VERY familiar) after spending 2 years seeing additional drs trying to get help with all the symptoms that didn't improve after going GF. I have been on antidepressants, anti-anxiety meds. I also had sleep issues and after having a sleep study done, I was put on non-stimulant medicine that worked for all of 2 months. After that, I went on stimulant medicine. Wow...the energy! I lost 20 lbs. That medicine worked for all of 3 months. My dr. kept increasing the dosage and then prescribed a medicine to take before going to bed. It only costs over $4k/month. CRAZY! Side effects were horrible. Made depression very severe. I stopped all meds and decided I was going to just be "sick" for the rest of my life. I was sick of drs. My new practitioner ran tests and has diagnosed me with leaky gut; I also have problems with so many other things (sugar imbalances, anemia, etc., etc., etc.) Your description of symptoms closely match mine. I was amazed at how well he explained everything to me and dotted all the i's and crossed all the t's with making sense of all my symptoms. Finally, I'm not CRAZY! Since I began all the supplements, my symptoms have not really improved. I haven't been strict on the diet since trying to find time to research is limited. After my last appt. (which was the diagnosis one), I was told about the website you mentioned above. I have been struggling with what I can and can't eat and have been going through so many emotional break-downs. I did sign-up for the website, but after viewing the menus, I was discouraged. I am an EXTREMELY picky eater, so most of the recipes weren't good for me. I LOVE the idea of it and for those non-picky eaters, I think it would be a LIFESAVER! Ok, so I've rambled enough here. I'm just glad to know that I'm not the only person out there with these symptoms and I'm also glad to know that others are getting help by being on the diet.

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  21. I just came across your post and am blown away by the similarities in our situations. I think we are using the same practitioner as well. I am just beginning the diet (should have a month ago, but trying to wrap my mind around this.) I had to go GF 3 years ago and that was hard. This diet is depressing! I signed up on the menu website, but since I'm an extremely picky eater, it doesn't work for me. I'm am struggling and depressed right now, but know that I have to do this diet to heal. I just want to feel good! Thanks for sharing your story. It helps to know that I'm not the only one out here suffering.

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  22. Hi Heather! Glad you found my blog! I know exactly how you feel. I was SO relieved to read about other people having the same symptoms that I was because I was really starting to think I was alone, hopeless, crazy, or all of the above! It sounds like we probably do have the same naturopath if he mentioned the website. Are you in Charlotte? I actually told him about the website and he said he was going to start sharing it with patients. It was such a HUGE help for me to get through the diet. You didn't see anything you liked? I can recommend a few of my favorites if you want but I'm not sure what things didn't work for you. It definitely can be VERY depressing if you don't have a plan. Eating out and being around friends/family who aren't on the diet makes it REALLY hard but once I started making menu plans every week and stuck to them, it got easier.

    I'm done with the diet part of my treatment now and have added most foods back in but I'll admit, I'm still kind of confused. I haven't gone back to where I was, but my stomach/system doesn't seem as calm as it was while I was on the diet. If you really stick to the diet and don't cheat at all, it will help you. I slept better, didn't have the "gurgliness", the constipation got better, my skin cleared up and I stopped being so shaky. I did still feel tired though and still had the brain fog so I'm not sure what we're going to do about that. Now that I've added some foods back in, I am kind of hit or miss with the insomnia and the "gurgliness" but I think that may be because I'm not being as disciplined about how I eat. Anyway, now I'm rambling. :)

    But I hope you can find a way to really give the diet a try because I do think it will help you. I'd be happy to try to give you tips on what worked for me. And feel free to vent whenever you need to! I know it can be frustrating. Good luck!!

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  23. Such a blessing to find this blog and find others with my symptoms! I am starting repairvite today...I'd love it if any of you could post updates on how you're doing!!

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  24. Hi Bobbi! I'm glad you found the blog as well. I have been off the Repairvite diet for about a month and a half (after being on it for five and a half months!). If you read some of my previous comments or my other posts, you can get more of the specifics but overall, the diet wasn't too bad once I found a meal planner and got used to it. I am doing okay now... but still not totally "normal." I'll admit, I actually felt better when I was on the diet. I have kept gluten cut out and have cut way back on dairy but added everything else back in and I do think I felt better overall when I was eating completely "clean." My naturopath wants me to go back on it again for another 3 weeks actually because it's so hard to determine allergies, etc. by way of an elimination diet so there's a lot of trial and error involved!

    What symptoms are you having? Have you been diagnosed with anything yet?

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  25. I have not been tested for anything, but after much research and based on how I'm feeling, my chiropractor and I both believe it's leaky gut and she suggested repairvite. My symptoms are: MAJOR brain fog (daily), headaches, gurgling stomach, struggles with constipation and diarrhea and constant fatigue. I wasn't hit with everything all at once...every symptom was gradual--but now it's as if they're all ganging up on me! I'm only on day 3 of repairvite so I definitely don't feel better right now. If anything, my brain fog is worse. I also forgot to mention the heartburn!! BUT so far with repairvite, my stomach seems less bloated, it's not as gurlgly ( if that's a word) and I've had teeny bursts of energy...they only last about 5 min but I'll take it!! I have no clue how long I'll be on it..at least 1 month...so just taking things one day at a time.hopeful for some relief! Like you, I'm constantly canceling plans which is so frustrating..and I'm a wife and mom...this brain fog makes life impossible...it's as if the joy is just being sucked right out!

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  26. Yes, that definitely sounds like leaky gut! And I totally understand what you mean about all of the symptoms ganging up at once. That's how it was for me too. I ended up having a combination of things with leaky gut, my blood sugar, autoimmune issues and a parasitic infection. If the diet alone doesn't help you, you might want to see a naturopathic doctor to make sure nothing else is going on. You should feel better though after being on the diet for a little while... I noticed less bloating and less gurgliness too and the constipation got better too. Are you taking any supplements with the diet?

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  27. Along with repairvite, I'm also taking the strengtia, GI synergy, Tumero and Resvero. I am also taking magnesium (calm) and Metagest (digestive enzyme) with meals....along with Vitamin D. Yes, I have figured that if I don't notice any significant changes in 1 month, it will be time to see a naturopathic doctor. I've already narrowed down my #1 choice by researching the ones closest to me online. I've done multiple blood and saliva tests and found my iron and progesterone were very low. They have now stablized and my thyroid is completely normally. I'm also on iodine.

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    1. I took strengthia and GI Synergy also. I've since stopped both of those and am on something else called Neuro02 that's supposed to help with the brain fog. I also have to take several supplements for the parasitic infection but those are almost done, thankgoodness. I haven't heard of the other ones you mentioned. I definitely think overall naturopaths have a better idea of what's going on than medical doctors but it's still frustrating when things don't go back to "normal" as quick as you want! I hope that it works for you... keep me updated about how you're doing!

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  28. Hi Jenn,
    just found your blog. I am in the same boat mostly. I did repairvite for 2 weeks then clearvite for 3. Tried to add food back and have violently reacted to every single thing I have tried. I was suspicious when the doc only wanted me on reparivite for 2 weeks....like you I think I need to be on it for months. I feel the best on the "clean" diet and really the symptoms are so bad I cannot go off. It's a frustrating road, glad you have made some progress...bummed you aren't totally well yet. Jesus is our Healer....keep on keepin on! ~ Donna

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  29. Hi Donna,

    Welcome, glad you found it! Yea, that sounds like me... I felt like I was "reacting" to everything when I added stuff back in but I'm sure some of that was simply because it was a shock to the system. It's a little better now but I do keep thinking maybe I should just go back on it again because I did feel better when I was eating totally "clean."

    That does seem like a very short time to be on it, is he going to put you back on it since you've been reacting? Also, what is Clearvite? I've never heard of that.

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  30. Clearvite is the follow up to repairvite. It is a detox. I did 2 weeks of repairvite and then the Clearvite is the same diet minus beef. It is a shake that you do for three weeks. You start off one shake a day, build up to three for a while, then go back down to one. It is supposed to cleanse your liver and help you detox better overall. I felt really good on it. I felt good until I started trying food again. :) I am going to ask for repairvite for longer since I can't go off the diet anyway, I may as well be taking the supplement!

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  31. Hmm. I might have to ask my doc about that! Do you do the shake and the restricted diet together? Or just eat whatever you want?

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