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Things have been quiet on here for some time. Besides the fact that we're in the middle of a global pandemic, I haven't been feeling well for some time. While it's been a strange and often anxiety-ridden time, I'm grateful for a number of things. I've had more time to spend with my family, organized areas of my life that I'd been neglecting, and reflected on things that are important to me.
Upon reflecting on the things that are important to me, my health is one of them. I have always tried to take care of my body. I respect that it's a gift and that it's my responsibility to honor and nourish it. With that said, I'd had some things come up that were making me feel concerned that despite all my best efforts, I was still not feeling well.
I was diagnosed last year with rosacea. I woke up one morning and my face was swollen with redness on my cheeks and acne-like bumps all over my face. I thought maybe it was acne, but I'd tried everything to get rid of it and the redness and bumps never left and often would get worse depending on the day.
I finally went to the doctor and I was told that I had rosacea. I'd heard of it but didn't understand how I developed it. I was given a prescription for a mild wash and a topical antibiotic cream. I used both and my skin simply got worse.
In the meantime, I'd tried everything I could find to make it better. In addition, I'd put on some weight. It wasn't a huge amount by some standards, but it was enough to make me feel uncomfortable. It was also unusual considering what I was eating and my activity level.
Cleaning Up Shop
I decided to do a cleanse. I'd done a candida cleanse about 4 years ago and I'd had great results. It fixed several of the issues and complaints I'd had and I felt wonderful afterward. I thought that this might be just what I needed to reset my body.
I was getting worse. Despite working out almost every day and eating incredibly low carb and 'healthy', I wasn't losing weight. My face was still red with bumps and would get worse depending on what I ate and if I was stressed. The candida cleanse was not working for me and was, in fact, making me feel worse.
Then something came to me. I had a 'gut' feeling that my gut was the issue and that I needed to care for it in a way I'd never done before. I'd read a book called Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride many years ago and learned that many people had tremendous results with her protocol. It seemed really restrictive and it intimidated me even though I believed that it had helped countless people.
I've had gut issues for as long as I can remember that have stemmed from numerous sources from years-long antibiotic use (all doctor prescribed) to trauma and I thought that I'd been doing a lot to mitigate the damage that had been done. I had been, but apparently, it was not enough.
Family and Childhood Factors
My father died of stomach cancer. With my genetics and background, I felt certain that I'd be heading down a path of autoimmune disease or possibly worse if I didn't try to fix things now.
So, here I am a week and a half into my biohacking journey. I've begun the GAPS diet and I had a change the very next day. My skin was much smoother. The redness was dissipating. After 7 days, I'd lost 4 pounds of weight due to inflammation. At this date, if you saw my skin, you'd probably not know that I have rosacea because I have no discernible bumps. The redness remains, but I'm in this for the long haul and I'm happy to experiment and see where it goes.
This diet is not a quick-fix cleanse. It's a therapeutic protocol that can last up to 2 years depending on the severity of your gut damage. I'm taking it one day at a time and will see what happens. I'm so heartened by the results so far that I've experienced in such a short time and I pray it will only continue to heal further.
I'm going to share my journey with this process in the hopes that it might help someone else out there who is struggling with gut and stomach issues that won't seem to go away.
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