If you've been reading this blog for a while you know my "secret" isn't really secret at all. But I have refined it over the years and I wanted to update you. You might remember in 2019 I lost 50 pounds with extended fasting and following a pretty strict keto/carnivore diet. I was in a fasting group led by a doctor.

Well, after a few months the doctor got more and more extreme. He started recommending dry fasting for a week at a time. By the time I left the group he was advocating drinking your own urine and doing 40 day fasts. That wasn't the only reason I left (although it was certainly the main reason!). I had stopped losing weight and even gained weight during a five day fast. My hair was falling out. I was having extreme stomach discomfort as well. None of it should have been happening; fasting researchers typically find regular fasts help digestive issues. A couple years later I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease.

Mystery solved! Hashimoto's Disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks its own thyroid. It is triggered by stress, including stress on the body caused by extreme dieting and exercise, Vitamin D deficiency, and pregnancy. I had been dealing with the symptoms for 23 years before I was diagnosed. It started during my first pregnancy when my husband nearly died and became disabled in a work accident and unbeknownst to me my son was sucking all the vitamin d out of my body because I was following the no-fat diet recommended at the time by my obstetrician. So I had the trifecta and every single symptom, but no amount to doctor visits amounted to a diagnosis, much less a cure.

After experimenting on myself with essential oils and various diets over the years I got it somewhat under control. Then in 2021 a COVID bout brought back all the symptoms and this time my treatments weren't working. I went to the doctor but after $600 or tests was told I was "fine". At that point I had been bleeding heavily for almost 4 months. The doctor's own testing showed I was anemic and deficient in vitamin B-12 but that was apparently not a cause for concern to her. I was complaining to my son, that very same baby I was pregnant with when this started, about the lack of treatment.

My son is now a biologist and he ordered me some tests. Within 3 weeks I had a diagnosis and all-natural treatment plan from Dr. Westin Childs and within a few months I felt amazing. Learning about my disease taught me to stay away from extremes, so now I just skip breakfast some days and breakfast and lunch other days instead of doing long fasts. I do a 24 hour fast no more than once a month. Instead of following a strict diet I cycle carbohydrates and foods, so I eat keto 3 days a week, medium carb 2 days a week, and high carb 2 days a week. Nothing is off limits but I am steadily losing weight. I even lost weight over the holidays and I didn't deprive myself at all.

The best thing is, I look younger than I did 7 years ago. I will be 50 in a couple months and this is working for me. It even worked for my 75 year old mother! Stay tuned if you're interested in starting a plan like this because I have something great in the works!

​I made a short video about it  & you can click the button below to watch.