About Alex

EXHAUSTED & SICK, I HAD TO DROP OUT OF COLLEGE

After handing in my last exam to my professor during finals week of fall term 2017, I felt like I could collapse right in front of him..... The beginning of my final year of undergrad punctuated a painful downward trajectory for my health and wellbeing. But the signs of ill health had been plentiful prior to 2017. Heavy antibiotics after birth set me up for a rough childhood and young adulthood. I developed asthma, allergies and severe muscular stiffness, which certainly contributed to the two inguinal hernia surgeries I had in grade school. In high school my allergies became horrible and I developed bad acne. I was severely underweight and started suffering from anxiety and nerve pain in my legs and pelvic area. After taking another dose of antibiotics in high school, everything continued to get worse. In college I developed chronic fatigue and chemical sensitivity. I couldn't be around any weed smoke, perfumes, vape and cigarette smoke, and I had sensitivities to clothing fabric and detergents. All of the crap food my friends were eating made me feel awful. I started having POIS symptoms (Post Orgasmic Illness Syndrome). No doctors or naturopaths I saw helped me. The supplements they gave me made me feel worse. I had chronic diarrhea and could not digest any fat whatsoever by the time I got to my senior year. My skin looked horrible, and I was losing clumps of hair. I felt exhausted constantly; it took a herculean effort to get through a normal college day. Right after I handed in that final exam, I knew I had to drop out of school to figure it all out. 

WHY WAS I SO SICK?

My poor digestion was leaving me deficient in a number of nutrients. Being unable to digest fats left me without the nutrition required to feed both my immune system and nervous system, which presented as chronic fatigue and chemical sensitivity. My health got worse year after year because I was unable to clear toxins, and my toxin bucket eventually began to overflow. I needed drastic changes in my diet and daily routine. 

HOW IS MY HEALTH TODAY?

 Within 6 months on my new regimen, I felt like a completely different person. I was able to reenroll in school and finish my degree. I no longer suffer from any of the conditions I had over three years ago.

WHAT WAS THE ANSWER?

The answer was to prioritize the right foods and proper lifestyle habits to heal and seal my gut lining and balance my gut microbiome. Our bodies are not equipped to handle the stress from modern diet and lifestyle. Some people are able to live normal lives with those stresses, but only because their gut microbiomes are protecting and helping them, rather than becoming an enemy like mine was for me.