I'm seeing my doctor on Wednesday and I'm sure he's going to want to run a bunch of tests.  I've just had so many tests in the past that say "normal" or whatever, according to their criteria, and it was when I started reading about food intolerances etc that some light was shed on the possible real cause.  I'm mainly referring to my diarrhea here - 10 years of suffering, endless tests saying "normal" and then a finally a solution that turned out to be a fructose malabsorption problem, and relief coming within days by simply eliminating some foods from my diet. 

You'll have to forgive me - I've become a bit of a major "Food Intolerance Convert" after years and years of no answers from the medical profession.  Your website really opened my eyes.  Sorry if I think you have all the answers - it's a big compliment from me - sincerely.

Keep up the great work.  Kindest regards - Jane

Dear Deborah,

A few years ago I purchased your program as I had been sick with IBS for 15 years (but did not use it). I did not improve very much because my doctor kept telling me I was not gluten intolerant as I was not celiac.

After testing positive for lactose intolerance I went to a dietitian who put me on a gluten free diet. Since following the diet to the tee I have improved 90%. I am still testing different foods but I feel the best I have felt in 15 years.

All the doctors were doing was give me more drugs: Nexium,Somac,tazac etc. I had cameras up and down 4 times in a few years. . . each time they found nothing wrong. All I can say is if I had of followed your Gluten advice years ago I could have had years more life enjoyment.

Ian McF

I just wanted to thank you for your website. I've been mainly suffering from severe stomach cramping and bloating. But also bad moods, liquid retention and more for the past 12months. It was a sudden onset and I thought it was from drinking too much water.

I went to the Dr.s and they said my body has just changed and that I’m just fatter. I got to stages where I got sent home from work because I was so tired that my eyes wouldn't stay open.

In only 1 week of my new diet i feel sooooooooooooooooooo much better. I feel like my old self again. just wanted to say a very big thank you.

(Later) Hello! Of course you can use my letter, that's no problems at all. Thanks for asking. Have a safe Xmas & new year! Emily

Thank you so very much.  The information gained on your web site has changed my life!  Now I know what causes the eczema and I have the choice of whether or not to eat the foods that I know will cause me problems (and I usually choose not to). 

Two doctors, a dermatologist and a general practitioner, are amazed.  I used to see them on a regular basis about my eczema and they prescribed many creams and ointments--none of which worked.  Now that my skin is clear, they look at me skeptically as if they don't really believe that all I'm doing is avoiding certain foods.  It's rather amusing really.  Thank you!  Virginia

When I stopped eating those foods, my life changed, seemingly overnight.  I lost eight pounds in 6 weeks;  I'm short and have a petit frame, so every pound shows on me.  Since August, I have lost close to 15 lbs.  Not even trying--I certainly eat my share of corn on the cob, potatoes and rice! My cholesterol has plummeted as well, to 187, down from a high of 264.

So now the hindsight comes into sharper focus:

I'd always had a problem with "Fiber"--couldn't understand why this was supposed to be so good for you, since all it did was to make me quite ill (Very bloated, irritable bowel, the works).  Never could tolerate much fiber and bran was simply awful.  I was very sensitive to vegetables, too--couldn't seem to digest them properly, very gassy, esp raw veggies.  And I was always taking something for my digestion, from peppermint tea, to ileo-cecal tonic, to buckthorn and senna supplements.  Nothing helped consistently.

Now I realize just how much was due to food intolerance.  Now I'm digesting all food better, I have a craving for vegetables that is new for me, and I'm off all supplements.

In general, I look and feel fantastic!  Better energy, no more bouts of daytime sleepiness, better concentration.  My clothes fit much better, I may even be going down a size (instead of up a size, which was where I was headed!).  My skin is smoother.  I sleep through the night better, and wake up refreshed, not groggy.  My exercise program just took a leap into the stratosphere after I started eating properly--it was as though I could "find" and feel my muscles in a way I couldn't before. 

And so, a great, big THANK YOU! from the bottom of my heart (and gut!).  I pass along your web site to everyone I know who is having food issues.  Keep up the good work!!!

All the best, Diane, New York

I have done the program and found to my surprise that after 56 years of being constipated (going once a week/fortnight from a young child) to going every day. 

It's a miracle AND I have been suffering from insomnia (thought to be hormone related) for 7/8 years and am now sleeping every night like a log.  I am extremely happy and want to thank you for your help. 

My daughter had done the program and suggested I try it.  I am very glad I did.... my life has been turned around.  Thanks - Lesley : )

"I am currently following the Detection Diet and not a doubt in the world...sensitive to gluten. I started this past Saturday. I have suffered from severe abdominal distention. As of today, waist is down a whopping 4 inches! No more "knot" up high in my stomach, constipation going away.

Battled eczema on my face in two stubborn places for years...GONE. Had celiac antibody test a year ago...came back negative. Amazing, huh? Tell Deborah I thank her with all my heart. Next is the dairy discovery!" Carole H., MI. USA

Aloha, I have been sick on and off all my life. I began getting sicker in the last 10 years I have been living without lots of foods and am now eating some of my favorite foods I didn’t think I would ever eat again.

My daughter found your website a few weeks ago and I joined immediately. I have learned a lot from you already. I am eating more variety in foods and not getting sick as much as I was.

You have changed my life!!!  Mahalo (thank you)

DAVID (One month later)

Thanks so much for all the great advice. Because of this list I am enjoying foods I haven’t had in years. I had resigned myself to lots of plain steaks and rice. It is wonderful to have color and flavor back in my diet in the form of certain fruits and vegetables.

Mahalo, David

Just thought I’d give you some feedback from Caitlin’s paediatrician. 

The first thing he did was comment how well Caitlin was looking.  He was very receptive to the whole food intolerance concept.  He said that they at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne had been looking more closely to the link between Crohn’s disease and food intolerances.  .  .

I told him all about your website and he was most enthusiastic and is going to have a good look at it.  He said to stick with the gluten-free/dairy-free for Caitlin (I was going to any way), taper off her steroids and see how she does over the next couple of months. 

All in all it was a very positive visit.  Again, I can’t say how grateful I am to finally have some answers. I was worried sick about Caitlin before starting this regime.  She was so thin, pale and achy.  Now she had colour in her face and has put on 1kg in a week and a half. 

She still feels achy and I’m really wondering about eliminating sugar from her diet.  (I’ve lost 6kg – wooohooo!!!!) Yes, I know we should be filling out the food journal – I promise we’ll start this weekend. 

Kindest regards  - Jane F.

Thank you - after 15 years plus of suffering and having very little life without certain medication, I have found i cannot tollerate fructose, I am feeling better than I have for ages! Symptoms gone I can enjoy life … again big thank you. Tracey

I am so excited about my results.  The eczema is healing, I no longer have the chronic pain that my doctor had finally determined was fibromyalgia.  The prescribed meds I tried made it worse. Today is day 15 and I have already lost 10 pounds, without any hunger.  I am not getting the saggy skin that usually comes with a 10 pound loss either.  I feel better than I have felt in years. 

Thank you, thank you,

Barbara B. (2 months later)

I have been doctoring since Dec. '09, determined to achieve good health.  After a complete physical, allergy testing, dermatologists, sleep studies (and 2 months with a cpap machine) and many other doctors, the best they could tell me was that my outbreaks were fungal and eczema. 

The dermatologist put me on antifungal medication in February and I had taken it until last week.  It helped, but did not completely clear up my problems.  

Since following the journal the outbreaks have healed completely.  Not one of the doctors I had seen ever recommended a change in my eating habits.  I have been on many prescriptions, and my doctor finally diagnosed fibromalgia after a process of elimination.

I had pain everywhere.  It seemed to be in both muscles and bones.  Even a couple of days where the pain was so bad that I couldn't do much of anything but sit in a chair. 

Now I am nearly pain free, I am sleeping so much better and  I don't have food cravings, and have lost about 20 pounds.  . .

Barbara B.

Hi - For a few reasons I didn't actually start doing gluten free until Thursday last week.
Although the lethargy had subsided by Saturday I still had stomach pains and some bloating/gas, so, is it ok that I decided to start to cut out dairy too?

It's now Monday afternoon and I started dairy free too from Sunday and I feel SO much better already! My stomach is much less bloated and I woke up without swollen fingers and feet (another symptom I get frequently) and I don't feel like I might embarass myself with gas any moment!

I've also found some wonderful UK websites that sell "free from" products online and some of them have really wide ranges of products, unlike when I go to the local supermarkets!
I really feel like I'm taking control of my life already, in fact, I'm getting back a life, because the symptoms can be quite debilitating, especially the lethargy for me. Anyway, thanks already and I'm excited about keeping going! Hannah

Jemma - I logged in and have been for the last 2 hours reading through it. Its a very good read and well designed. I have all (not all), some of the symptoms of gluten and dairy intolerance, but I also think that yeast is in there somewhere too. Its taken me about 10 years of going through weight gain, bloating, flatulence, stomach aches, water retention to finally realise that there was a problem.

What is amazing is the human capacity to just overlook and accommodate the discomfort and not least, the expense, of re-arranging lifestyle to tolerate it. 

I actually realised that I could do something about my body myself about a month ago - and I  cut out baguettes (they love these here in Spain) and butter and milk - from one day to the next they were out......the body response was immediate - so now I need the support to keep going and I think your website is going to do that.
Congratulations on the whole idea, I think its brilliant and I am going to "put it about" .

Best regards  - Jacqui

Hi again, 

I have come to the end of the Dairy Free elimination diet and I have proved without a shadow of a doubt that I DO have a food intolerance.  I don't expect my doctor to believe me as she hasn't been very helpful at all, just keeps putting it down to IBS.

...also thank you so much for very nearly curing a tremendous problem that I have had for over 20 years. Linda

I am following the diet and am feeling MUCH better. The headaches, loose stools, stomach cramping, abdominal pain, gas, sinus congestion and  headache have subsided. The sugar cravings, and fuzzy head are gone too.
In any case, I am still keeping up the food journal, which has proven to be invaluable.
Thanks, Pam  

PAM (Four years later)

Sure you can use the letter! It’s amazing to me that its been over 4 years now. I eat more organic foods, and learned to be a better cook. I even considered a career shift to diet and nutrition – that’s how much of a profound effect this journey has had on my life.

Thanks so much for the great info. I could not have gotten better without your help!

Pamela
 

Thanks for helping......

Your team was a great help to me...... After 50 years, I figured I had some kind of food allergy. That was not with the help of doctors. They just made me worse.

I have fructose mal-absortion and soy allergic !
Thanks to you, I now know why I cannot eat some of the things that should not have fructose, but do !
Here in Brasil, they do not even know that fructose can do so much harm!

I am helping my mum (80 years old) to find out what she is allergic to .......and after the 21 days diet, it was positive to dairy!
I even am using it to help my dog .....he has skin problems and it is food related!

I cook everything (I and my dog) eat, gives a lot of work, but finally after 50 years I am healthy.

Thanks for your work. George M.

Hi Deborah - Sure you can use my letter :) The diet has really helped my health. I've been able to gain weight and hence energy - as my food doesn't just go straight through me now.  
Thanks so much for all your help and support ;) Mel

I had IBS symptoms for years and a 10 year struggle to realise the foods that I could not eat.

I had all of the symptons you described in your list of bloating, wind, diarrhea, constipation, sinus, abdominal cramps etc., I talked to a friend who is a celiac and she advised me to eliminate gluten from my diet for a while. I did and I was quite poorly when I resumed eating gluten products. I did this test twice I was so shocked and the same thing happened. I am in my 50's and have never suspected I had a gluten intolerance. My son has similar symptons too.

My grandfather died of stomach cancer and I wonder if he was undiagnosed with gluten intolerance. I was/am so grateful to read your newsletters online and it has been reassuring and informative, not scaremongering at all and eye opening to find someone who is able to understand and relate my symptons.

Keep it up and thank you. Sue G. Suffolk, England.

Thank you so much for this site, this site is such a relief to me. I have had horrible mouth sores, gas + bloating, horrible depression and fatigue, I'm a classic example. If it were up to my doctor, I'd be on a plethora of prescription drugs, I can't wait to wean off of almost all of them. No medical person even brought up food intolerance - I researched it myself, I knew there had to be something to this. Thank you for helping me!!!

Sincerely, Michie

MICHIE (Two years later)

I am really excited that you want to use my letter (that would be a "yes"!)

Hopefully, you will reach even more people who are suffering needlessly from food intolerance.....you are presenting a real healing and viable solution. Thanks to you . . . I am living a happy life. I don't feel like I'm missing anything because there are many food choices out there for people like me, thanks to forums like yours who bring people together and create a demand for healthy food alternatives.

I appreciate you contacting me, and I wish you all the best on your latest venture!!! Michie

Thank you for such an easy system and thanks for putting the control back into our hands allowing us not to have to rely on medical practitioners, it is so easy.

I am going to tell anyone I meet who isn’t feeling their best about your web site.

Kind regards, Janine

I took your advice and the results have been fantastic. My headaches have reduced drastically as well as the regular wheeziness.

The biggest difference has been with the minor migrains i used to get after exercise...the hotter i got and the harder i worked out...especially running.....i would always end up with a massive headache that would last the rest of the day.

My husband and i love competing in triathlons, so in order for me to survive these headaches, i would take nurofen before a race (or workout) and then straight after....often i would still get the headache but sometimes not as bad. Now we have investigated a number of areas including my salt levels, neck and muscular problems and water intake, but nothing has solved the problem. It was getting to the point where i was scared to work out too hard (especially in summer) for fear of what i'd live with for the rest of the day......and with children...that's not good! 

Since being free of those foods i have been able to train hard and not have the headaches....it has been AMAZING....i thought it was something i would just have to live with.....so thanks a million!!!! Erica

Dear Deborah,  Thank you, so far, so good.  I've managed to take care of myself through six holiday parties. I take along something for me.  My ugly symptoms are beginning to leave me and a sense of  well-being is returning.

Take care,   Ann

Hello! I just want to respond to your recent newsletter article on depression.

How great is it that you are publishing this info because so many are affected and it is not until you seriously look at your diet and realise just how food really affects your emotions.

I can say this from my own personal experience. I know that if I have even a small amount of these foods my emotions are uncontrollable. I get panic attacks, anxiety, irritability, apathy and depression.

Thanks for the great info and keep up the good work!  Jayne

Thanks for your reply.  Actually, I am feeling good -- happier, pain-free, bloat-free, diarrhea-free, the dark spots on two of my nails are gone and more energy than I have had in a very long time.  After having had diarrhea for so long, it seems that the intestines are sluggish, but I'm hoping motility will improve soon.

Thank you Jemma for sticking with me through a very trying time.

CAROL (one month later)

I want to check in with you to let you know that I'm doing very well.  I've gained 3 pounds (up to 98 now), and I think I've really made progress. It baffles me (now that I am better educated thanks to you) that a gastroenterologist will diagnose IBS without checking for food intolerances as well. 

When I think of the years I wasted, feeling awful and lethargic, suffering awful brain fog and getting acquainted with every toilet in the county, I get sad.

Hello Deborah...and thank you for the Gift you have given me of a life free of the dreaded 'd' word (diarrhea)...and many other symptoms.

Yes, of course, you can use my words...any of them...and I do not mind if you use my name or not...I can be a testament to the success of Foodintol!  I can never thank you enough - all that really hard and dedicated work you did REALLY has saved my life...and I really mean that.  People were talking about how ill I looked (not knowing how really ill I felt inside) until I found out it was food intolerance that was causing the illness.

Warmest regards....Pauline

Hi again Jemma, I appreciate your prompt reply and your assistance. I feel that the money I paid for the programme is worth every cent. I found the documents so comprehensive and your assistance is invaluable. I will recommend this diet to anyone that I encounter with similar problems as I have.

Blessings

Sonia

I love this website.  It's so easy to understand and easy to send to my friends because they think I'm just totally finicky and high maintenance when it comes to eating.  I want to make sure I always have this information at hand.  I'm tired of explaining.  I want them to read it for themselves. 

Thank you. Rose

Hi Jemma,

Thank you! ...  I have spoken so highly of this website and have told several people about it.  Hopefully, it has helped change their lives as it has helped change mine.  It's hard for me to believe that for 40 years I have avoided eating until I was back home for the remainder of the day. 

It never occurred to me that there was a solution to my extremely sensitive digestive system and the medical community just pointed to stress and anxiety.   Through your website I have learned that I am intolerant to gluten and dairy.  I also am sensitive to fructose but can tolerate small doses.  I'm so glad I discovered you!  I recently traveled to New York and spent 24 hours running around the city with no concern whatsoever of IBS.

Thank you,  Jennifer H.

Yes you can use my letter. I have been on the diet for only 1 week and I feel like a new person, I feel SOOOO great. I have not felt this good in over two years. I was suffering from chronic headaches that would required medication to subside but the medication would put me to sleep so I was completely useless the whole day. I have been headache free for almost a week without taking any pills. I was also on a medication for GERD and IBS, which have both subsided!!!

It’s amazing, I forgot how good I could feel without taking pills, I feel normal again.

Thank you so much!!!!  Heather

I've been in the habit of reading up on health issues trying to figure this out for a long time.  I discovered the Healing Program on the internet last summer and have since learned about wheat intolerance, which I had not ever heard of.  Since every one of my symptoms was on the list for wheat intolerance I decided to cut it out completely.  I had a natural, inate fear of wheat products, but never understood it.  I felt immeasurably better the very next day.  I woke up at 6:00 again!  My arthritis completely disappeared within about two days.  My head has been clear every day and my emotional well being has become a non-issue.  One day while driving in the car I caught a glance of my eyes in the rear view mirror and realized the dark circles were gone.  My eye sockets have completely changed color and don't look sunken anymore.

I decided my 13 year old daughter had a problem also and I asked her to stop eating wheat.  I noticed a difference in her attitude the very next day.  She tested it last Friday and ate a lot of wheat in one day.  She broke out into hives on her face, had muscle spasms, and ached all over her spine and rib cage.

I can't thank you enough for ending the mystery of my health problems, but also for contributing to helping my daughter avoid a difficult life.  I'm so happy that my daughter is going to be able to avoid so simply her health problems.  I can tell she feels good now.

Thanks a lot. Monica S.

"IBS has ruined my life for the past three years. But your methods are sensible and simple: Food Intolerance Healing Program journal pointed to lactose intolerance in 4 days and I had actual proof in another 2 weeks. Brilliant, just brilliant!"
Peter L., UK

I am so thankful I found your site. I have felt great since mid April; have more energy, stamina and strength. My breathing is better and I do not get winded. I have lost almost 20 pounds and a couple of waist sizes when the bloat went away.

Your Symptoms Matrix is the first explanation to the Dermatitis Herpetiformis that I have had for over twenty years. Every doctor I went to said I didn't bathe enough, so I quit asking them.

The occurrences of anaphylactic shock symptoms are rare now and seem to be yeast or corn starch related. With gratitude, Noeline

Dear Deborah, You may use my letter if you change my name "to protect the innocent"! Thanks again for the information you put out that I still glean from. Noeline

I just wanted to say thank you, out in the open to all who put together these lists of answers that have been wondering around my head for the past few years. 50 plus doctors visits over this past year and an absolutely killed spirit (especially for a twenty year old) I'm very happy to find an easily understood compilation of information.

My last doctors visit ended in myself saddened to hear I didn't test positive to celiac disease (crazily, but I needed a resolution). Wish one of the many doctors I've visited could've explained this to me as well as this website has and I imagine my (medical) insurance company does as well. Sincere thanks again.

Natalie

Dear Deborah,

My neurological issues have reduced significantly!  This is great, since it was the category that was giving me the most grief.  I have had two to four migraines with aura per month for the last two years.  I have now gone 31 straight days without one!  That's huge!  I truly hope it's not a coincidence. My skin issues have diminished significantly. My musculo-skeletal symptoms have decreased to almost nothing.

Thanks, Bob Sawitski

"I wish to tell you that your program has been wonderful for me! What an amazing difference in my overall health! I can sleep better than I have in years! No more belly trouble, or worse, BACK PAIN! I've had that back pain for over 20 years! I'm not afraid to work in the yard or do other strenuous things that I always thought were "hurting my back"--I'm healthier than I thought! I wish I had found you sooner, but am so grateful to have found you at all! Thanks for a sensible, systematic approach to taking care of the body! I just thought my body was "out to get me!" I'd seen at least 6 doctors over the years, and not one asked about my diet…"

Valerie H., CA, USA

"My bloated stomach was a joke around the office. I have a full figure but not that big. But suddenly I've dropped a dress size! I always knew I had problems with wheat and gluten but the Detection Diet picked up that I'm lactose intolerant too. I've been overweight for years but I'm so much slimmer now - eating differently. I never suspected, now I wear size 10 skirts and belts. Thanks!"

Jaynee L., ID, USA

Dear Deborah,

I felt I had to email you to let you know how I have been doing on your program.

After the birth of my son 18 years ago I started suffering with symptoms of IBS.  I was in my early 20’s and utterly miserable.

I visited so many doctors over the years, I was bloated, tired, anaemic, suffered bouts of constipation and diarrhoea, my back and joints ached. I could name more but I am sure you know them all yourself.

I was told to carry Imodium in my bag, drink more water (because that’s why I had constipation right?!) and exercise more. I was too damn tired to exercise, but they just saw it as an excuse. I felt bad for my family, I couldn’t sit through a movie without having to rush to the toilet and driving anywhere new was a nightmare, I could need the toilet at the drop of a hat and I would suffer from anxiety when out and about.

I work as an Education Assistant in an education support centre.  About a month ago I had a particularly bad bout of diarrhoea, it went on for the entire week.  I am so lucky I work with a wonderful teacher who is very understanding, but by the end of the week I had had enough.  I was seriously thinking of leaving the job I love. How could I carry on like this? It wasn’t fair to my employer, the students or myself.  I started researching again my symptoms. 

I came across your website. I never seriously thought that my symptoms could be a result of a food intolerance.  The more I read the more I thought what have I got to lose?

I printed out the journal and decided I would omit gluten from my diet.  After FOUR days of not eating anything with gluten in I could not believe I felt NORMAL!!

I carried on with the detection diet, and came to the day when I had to eat breakfast with gluten.  I ate it.  I waited.  Within 5 hours I felt dreadful, I was bloated again, had diarrhoea, felt sick and I actually felt quite tearful. The next day was even worse.

Four days later, again following the detection diet and omitting gluten I felt fine, and almost a week later I feel normal again.

How could all those Doctors I saw not know about this?  I feel like I have wasted so many years of my life.I am so happy that I found your website, I wish I had found it sooner.  You have given me the knowledge to get on with my life and ENJOY it!!

From my family and I, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH

Kindest Regards - Kate P.

Dear Deborah,

You are the only one who makes sense, no one else seems to know anything about psoriasis and food intolerance.
Apparently, even our allergists here in this area don't recognize this so I haven't gone to one, but other people have told me that they don't know anything about it. I've gone to a Naturopath and he knows nothing.

Thank you again, Sally

It has now been 43 days since I started the Detection Diet and I feel WONDERFUL! I was creeping up to nearly 150 lbs, and at first had not lost any weight, but now am down to 139.5 lbs. I lost inches in the beginning. I was so bloated I did not even know it. I knew something was wrong, but had no idea what. It turned out all that I was eating was killing my stomach and intestines.

My doctor diagnosed me with intestinal spasms and gave me some medication to stop the spasms. Just prior to that appointment, I purchased the Detection Diet, read up on it for three days and got started, without taking the medication for spasms.
 
I am SO grateful for this. I have been on Prilosec for 12 years and every morning and evening I HAD to take it. Now, I take it about once a week if that. Unreal!
I never thought I was feeling so bad because of my diet. I ate healthy, in fact people look to me for advice on it.

I THANK YOU. Wish I would have done this before. Please use it in your newsletters, and I am happy to talk with anyone about it. THANKS AGAIN! Eva

Thanks for the email, I actually downloaded a few items and started the detection diet, I did the first investigation and I haven't had a migraine since, and only 2 or 3 very minor headaches.

I need to finish the diet but I have been so happy about not having headaches everyday I stopped tracking and writing stuff down, I need to follow through and finish the program.

The good news is that it looks like food intolerance is a major major problem for me, I have suffered with varying degree of headaches and migraines for many years now and food intolerance seems to be the problem.

Thanks for the email. Frank