For two summers in college, I worked in a small fishing village in Alaska doing fish processing. My second summer, the grinder that chopped the fish guts into tiny pieces was constantly overflowing, leaving rotting guts and bloody water all over the floor on the lower level of the plant. I was in charge of spreading chlorine in the water to try and control the bacteria and smell until it could be cleaned up. I was spreading chlorine one day when I had a terrible respiratory reaction and couldn't breathe. I was terrified! I went to the hospital in the village, but it was two hours before I was able to see a doctor. By that time the symptoms had subsided, and the doctor thought I was lying about the whole incident. They gave me an inhaler and sent me on my way.
When I got home after that season (my senior year of college), I felt different. I was tired all the time, suffered from terrible brain fog, and started gaining weight really fast, even though I wasn't eating any differently than I had before. I was convinced, after doing online research (of course) that the chlorine exposure had ruined my thyroid, and I was, therefore, not producing the hormones that I needed to maintain a normal weight. I spent nights frantically reading forums and message boards about people's experiences with hypothyroidism. The outlook was terrible. People were sharing stories about gaining hundreds of pounds while eating a vegetarian diet and exercising every day. They talked about the misery they felt as their symptoms lasted years or decades. I got my thyroid tested, and it was normal. I just knew my doctor was lying. I was thoroughly convinced that I would never lose weight or feel normal again.
I did all kinds of research on special diets and supplements that I could try to coax my thyroid into working again. I tried them. I took kelp tablets and didn't eat broccoli. I didn't eat any soy. I was gluten free for three months. I saw absolutely no improvement in my symptoms. Soon, I gave up and tried to accept the idea that this is what the rest of my life would be like.
Several years went by. I was sure my hair was falling out. I was always cold. I couldn't concentrate, and the weight continued to pile on. Some months were worse than others, but based on my research, I was positive that my thyroid was toast.
When I decided to commit and start making serious changes for my health, I started looking for something to give me the boost I needed to get started. I was hoping that I would find something to support my thyroid, but I started seeing article after book after Facebook post about gut health. I realized that the symptoms I had attributed to an under-active thyroid for so long could also be the result of an underlying gut issue. I read about candida (yeast) overgrowth and leaky gut syndrome (http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/05/20/is-your-digestive-system-making-you-sick/). So many of the symptoms were ones that I had! I decided I needed to heal my gut and see if that solved anything.
A friend of mine from high school had been posting on Facebook about Plexus, a healthcare company that focuses on gut health. I was skeptical since many of the testimonials were too good to be true. I was sure the before and after photos were photoshopped. Then I saw my friend's before and after picture and one from another girl I went to high school with. They were astounding! She constantly raved about the added energy she had and that her back pain was gone. One of them had lost over 100 pounds. I decided to go for it.
I carefully researched the ingredients, kept an open mind, and started taking the Plexus Triplex Combo in March. It involves drinking a "pink drink" in the morning, taking a magnesium and citrus supplement to help with cleansing the intestine and oxygenating the body, and also taking a probiotic/anti-fungal at night before bed. These three products together target underlying gut issues that can lead to tons of other surface symptoms. After being on Triplex for almost two months, I can honestly say it is awesome. It has provided benefits I never expected, and it has given me the the boost I needed to really get this health journey started.
The changes I have seen to date include:
1. Better sleep-- I actually wake up to my first alarm in the morning after YEARS of having to set 6+ alarms to wake up.
2. No more seasonal allergies-- After moving to North Texas about three years ago, I was completely debilitated by seasonal allergies every spring and summer. I have not had any allergies so far this season (except the one day I forgot to take my probiotic)!
3. No more constantly feeling bloated-- I feel leaner and comfortable in my clothes
4. More energy throughout the day-- I can make it all the way through the day without coffee. Coffee is no longer a crutch, but more of a treat!
5. Regular appetite (boosted metabolism)-- I can eat breakfast without feeling nauseas! This is huge! I have never been a breakfast eater. Even in high school, I drank ice water for breakfast, and until almost two months ago, I didn't eat anything until about 1pm. At lunch time and dinner time I am hungry but not starving, and I don't crave sweets at night.
6. Increased water intake--I have tried several times in the past to start drinking a gallon of water per day (or at least 1/2 my body weight in water). I have never even gotten close to that. Some days I wouldn't drink any water at all, or at the most, I would drink about 40 ounces. Since starting the products, I am drinking between 80 to 100 ounces of water per day. I crave ice water!
These products have gotten me so excited for health! If you are interested in learning more about gut health or Plexus products, let me know! You can also check out these websites:
http://shopmyplexus.com/apriltrafton
https://www.plexushealthclub.com/home.html
Change: Listen to my body
Keep an open mind about what could be causing negative symptoms
When something doesn't work for me, try something else instead of giving up
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