Juicing Cured My Gastroparesis
Juicing Cured My Gastroparesis
A lot of people ask me the same question “Why did you start juicing?” and I never thought so many would, because I figured they would just chalk it up to me wanting to be “trendy”.
This is not the case, though, and I find it pretty cool that people are so interested in my story. So, I am going to lay it all out there. Maybe it will help you find some peace in something you’re dealing with. Maybe it will give you hope for your health. Or maybe it will just be a little extra layer of info about me. Whatever it may be, here it is.
I Wasn’t Eating
You read that correctly. Let’s take it back to 2014. As each month passed, I stopped being able to eat more and more. I would always sit down to try, and sometimes I would force myself and then end up being really sick afterwards. It was not a good direction I was heading, nor was it a good lifestyle to be living. I could literally eat a piece of apple and be full for 2 days. That is not normal and that is not healthy.
I was running out of hope and ideas on why I was feeling this way. I tried everything, cutting out lactose, cutting out gluten, cutting out even certain fruits and vegetables. Nothing was working. Every trendy diet you can think of out there, I tried, and it failed me. Finally, I decided it was time to go to the doctor.
No One Knows
From October 2014 until May of 2015 I endured test after test, pill after pill and plenty of heartache. Doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. By all standards, I was a perfectly healthy 22-23 year old with a tummy ache.
We did tests for colitis, Crohn’s, IBS, IBDS, cancer checks and many more. Finally, my mom and I sat on her bed one night scouring the internet for any possible answer, and that’s when it came to us. We clicked on the link for something called, Gastroparesis. Sounds scary, but more than that, it was confusing. The only thing we could find, at first, was that it was for diabetics. I am not diabetic.
With more digging, we found that you can get Idiopathic Gastroparesis. This simply means they don’t know why it happens or what caused it. AWESOME. Gastroparesis technically means “paralyzed stomach”, but it has everything to do with your stomach not emptying the food in an appropriate amount of time and not being able to digest and then all the repercussions that follow that. EVEN MORE AWESOME…
The next appointment I had with the doctor, I mentioned the possibility of Gastroparesis and they looked at me and said, ”It’s highly unlikely, but if you really want to do the test for it, we can order it for you”. I am glad I asked. I went in for the 4 hour test and after 2 hours, the nurse told me “Oh honey, you don’t even need to stay for the next 2 hours. It’s plain as day that you have this.”
The test is comprised of you eating a completely balanced meal. So, 1 egg white and two pieces of toast with jelly and some water. You then lay down and literally just lay there. A machine monitors the emptying of your stomach. After 2 hours, you are supposed to have emptied 50% or more of your food. After just 2 hours of me laying there, I had emptied 32%. Now, this might not seem like a big deal, but it would take a normal person 4 hours to empty their stomach and digest, it would take me anywhere from 6-9 hours, depending on the meal. That can be painful, trust me. Food sitting there for hours, stomach acid building, and so many more things happening.
The Next Steps
Ok, so we figured it out. Now what? How do you cure a disease that you don’t even know how or why it happens? You take a guess and try every pill under the sun!
My doctors gave me EVERY pill they knew of that MIGHT help. The reactions were detrimental. One gave me anxiety so bad I couldn’t handle myself. I’ve never had it, and I can tell you that I never want to again. The next cramped my body up so bad I couldn’t walk. The final pill changed my moods so drastically that I was a nightmare to be around. I didn’t even want to be around myself. I knew taking medicine my whole life was not something I was wanting to do my whole life, either.
That was it. Those were all of my options. BUT WAIT, there was one more. The doctors said I could get a pacemaker put into my stomach. 23 years old and you want to do major surgery on me that might not even work? No thank you. I don’t want to have to return every 10 or so years for major surgery.
“Where do I go from here? Am I just doomed to feel like this for the rest of my life? I can’t even hold a normal job, because I am so sick. How will I be self-sustainable?” These were the daunting thoughts that ran through my head most days. This is not a good life for someone so young and just starting out.
Family To The Rescue
After expressing all of my pain and struggle to my older brother, he mentioned I should try juicing. At the time, he lived in Austin, so I just thought he was being a “trendy, hippy Austinite”. So, I wrote it off for a while. He then sent me 2 recipes to try.
The first one I ever sold, The Beginner, was a version of the juice he told me to try. It changed my life. I was feeling so much better, because my body was getting these nutrients I needed, but not putting the stress on it to digest solid food. I was able to “eat” without eating, without feeling sick, without all of the pain. This was my first step to getting my life back.
I decided to commit to juicing every day for at least breakfast and I did it for about 6 months and then tried a 3-day cleanse. Everything in my body was changing, for the better. I was feeling healthier, stronger, happier, full but not sick. BUT, my stomach wasn’t quite there. When I wasn’t juicing, I was trying to eat normal food, but my body still wasn’t having it.
The Final Step
Juicing had helped me out tremendously, but I still had what felt like a baseball once I ate real food. My mom and I started searching again! We found acupuncture. Wow. Just wow. I drank a juice and headed off to my first appointment, nervous and very reluctant. This was my missing piece.
I went to Marr Physical Medicine in League City. Dr. Marr is a Chiropractor that studied acupuncture. He was kind, and listened to all my complaints and knew exactly where to put the needles to help me out. After that first appointment, I finally felt like my old self again. I went back for 6 more sessions and then I continue to go about every 4 months. When I explain it to people, I equate it to jumping your car’s battery.
My nerves weren’t firing to my stomach, but as soon as he put those needles in and a heat lamp over them, it was like my whole body got a fresh charge. It was the most incredible feeling. I walked out of that first appointment with a smile and then about an hour later, I felt hungry for the FIRST TIME IN A YEAR AND A HALF. I almost confused it with being sick again, because I had forgotten what that felt like.
Here Comes Real Peel
Fast forward to 2016 and, I have done it. I have “cured” myself back to about 85% and I couldn’t have done it without juice and acupuncture. Once I realized the magnitude of what I had done, I knew I HAD to use this knowledge to help others. My thought was “If juicing could almost cure my incurable condition, then what could it do for the person with indigestion? Or the person with chronic migraines? But more than that, I thought, with all of this knowledge of juicing and nutritional therapy, how can I help others with Gastroparesis?”
Enter Real Peel. I got certified as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and did research on what each fruits and vegetables did for your body and I created juices around those. For those with Gastroparesis & other digestive issues, I always suggest The Guardian. Even something as simple as low energy, there is The Sparkler.
The possibilities are endless with nutrition and if you ever thought that Real Peel was created just to be a part of a trend, then you are mistaken!
Then, I knew juice wasn’t the only way, so I wrote down all of the things I tried to help with my Gastroparesis and created programs to help others. Just in a faster way than I figured it out.
It is now 2023, and I have spent years feeling great! For an update, click here.
But aside from my own health, I have helped countless women and men suffering with Gastroparesis with my One-On-One services. Want to learn more about Gastroparesis and how I have helped myself and many others get their Gastroparesis under control?
Follow these few quick steps:
Have you downloaded our FREE 3-Day Gastroparesis Guide? If not, click here to download.
Then, click here to head to our Gastroparesis page. There is so much information on there to go over and learn.
If you are interested in Juicing for Gastroparesis, we have an Ebook containing recipes for Gastroparesis for all severity levels. You can find that ebook here.
I am here to help you heal, to enhance your health, and to make your quality of life so much better! I want you to THRIVE, not just barely survive.
But, that’s just me. That’s my story of how juicing (and some other protocols) healed my Gastroparesis.
That’s also my why. That’s why I get up every day and help clients, write blogs, put out as much information as I can. To continue to make juices and provide you with nutrition information.
I don’t want anyone else to feel how I felt. I want to change the way you feel.
Until next time,
Aubrey.
Keep it Fresh. Keep it Simple. Keep it Real.
Foods to Boost Your Immune System
Our previous blog post focused on How to Boost Your Immune System, but you now know that one of those tips is a nutrient-dense, healthy diet. So, you might be asking, what kind are the foods to boost your immune system?
Here are 10 foods that are great for your immune system, year-round:
Citrus: I feel like this is the most obvious, but it’s a MUCH better option than a vitamin-C supplement. Include Oranges, Lemons, Limes and Grapefruits as a regular part of your diet.
Red Bell Peppers: Most might believe that oranges have the most vitamin-C, but they would be wrong. Red bell’s have more than double the amount of vitamin-C than an orange!
Ginger: an inflammation killer. Inflammation is a major immune response, and ginger can help reduce the inflammation in the body, which helps reduce the stress on the body and the immune system.
Turmeric: very similar to ginger, turmeric is a major player in the inflammatory process.
Green Tea: green tea is packed with flavonoids, a type of antioxidant that helps enhance the immune function
Yogurt: we talked about how keeping up the microbiome is an important part of the immune system, and one way you can do that is with yogurt. You need live cultures, like in Greek yogurt in order for it to work the way it should
Spinach: yes, it’s also packed with vitamin C, but it’s also packed with lots of antioxidants with infection-fighting ability. It’s at its best when it’s not cooked. All the nutrients are in tact.
Garlic: garlic is packed with antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal properties. They are rich in antioxidants that help eliminate free radicals in the body.
Broccoli: 1 cup of broccoli provides the same amount of vitamin C as an orange. It also contains a few of the needed B vitamins and some other needed minerals that support the immune system functioning.
Sweet Potatoes: they contain a TON of vitamin A and about 30% of the daily recommended vitamin C needed. Plus, they have a good amount of fiber. It’s like you’re getting a 3 for 1 deal.
Bonus: Pomegranate: I just love this fruit, so it’s my bonus tip. Pomegranates have beneficial compounds that inhibit the growth of bacteria.
Hopefully, this helps give you ideas on the foods you should be regularly incorporating into your diet in whatever way you can.
Some of these can be combined within one meal, making it super easy to have a variety in your diet.
If you are needing help on what exactly you should be eating for your Gastroparesis, make sure you download the Free 3-day Gastroparesis Healing Guide.
Until next time,
Keep it Fresh. Keep it Simple. Keep it Real.
Love, Aubrey
How to Boost Your Immune System
If you are looking for ways on how to boost your immune system, you are on the right path. However, you are probably looking during this crazy virus, and while that is a wonderful thing to do, you should continue to do these things all throughout the year, so that when the next flu season hits, you will feel a bit more confident in your body’s ability to handle anything.
So, here are 10 things to do year-round to promote a healthy immune system, in no particular order:
Get Outside: Many people do the same thing everyday. Go to work, come home and hang out inside cooking dinner, tending to children, etc. Getting outdoors, especially during the daytime, provides the body with needed Vitamin D, but also breathing in the chemicals produced by the plants, can help increase our white blood cell levels. (I don’t mean the manmade chemical plants like in Houston lol)
Keep Up Your Microbiome: basically, make sure you are feeding the good bacteria in your body, and replenishing the good bacteria. This can be done by a plethora of fruits & vegetables, yogurts, kombucha, kimchi, etc. Gut health greatly affects immune health.
Nutrient-Dense Diet: Speaking of fruits & vegetables, you need to make sure your diet contains plenty of nutrient-dense foods and minimal to no processed foods. Fruits & vegetables have so many needed vitamins and minerals that help your body function properly.
Exercise Regularly: Working off the previous tip of eating healthy, you need to make sure you are moving your body DAILY. This doesn’t mean high-intensity exercising or lifting a bunch of weights. This could be as simple as a 20 minute walk. Keeping your body moving will allow your body to produce more of the cells that attack bacteria that are looking to cause infection. MOVE. YOUR. BODY. EVERY. DAY.
A Good Sleep Schedule: Why do you think when you are sick that all it is you want to do is sleep? This is the time when your body can restore itself and for the immune system to recharge. Getting 2-3 hours of sleep per night can be detrimental to your body.
De-Stress: Americans, especially, are always stressed out. Somehow we think constantly being busy is something good. NEWSFLASH: chronic stress is one of the most dangerous things to your body. It can create inflammation, attack the body and boom, you’re sick. Do something that relaxes you and do it more often than not.
Stay Hydrated: Humans are basically water and then a little bit of other things, so why do we deny drinking water? There are too many functions where water is necessary, but think about those needed vitamins that are water-soluble, they NEED water. So, make sure you are drinking no less than half your body weight in ounces. (120 pounds = 60 ounces of water)
Cut Down On Sugar: no, this does not mean go Keto, or cut out fruit. This means relax on the amount of sugar you intake. Sugar can weaken your white blood cells, and you need those, because they are the ones that fight off bacteria and viruses.
Herbs & Spices: kick up your cooking by adding lots of herbs & spices to your food. Things like turmeric, ginger. garlic, etc. provide anti-inflammatory properties to help your immune system out.
WASH YOUR DANG HANDS: this should be self-explanatory, but here we are. Wash them and do it often enough to protect yourself.
Do all or majority of these things year-round and you will find yourself in a good position when the next cold or flu comes around. Do these things now and you are only helping your body get ready to fight anything it comes in contact with!
Part 2 of this blog includes the foods you should be incorporating year-round. Read Foods to Boost Your Immune System here.
Until next time,
Keep it Fresh. Keep it Simple. Keep it Real.
Love, Aubrey