Whole 30 - November Challenge (Closed Group)

Hey everyone. Vanessa here. I've been switching to paleo the last couple of months, removing foods from my diet. And i've been reading a lot about wheat/gluten and have removed that from my diet as well. Wheat is hard, fluffy bread.. oh. But my body loves paleo and it's been great for my weight loss as far as the last 10 lbs go.

My boyfriend has been a great sport, eating whatever experimental dinners I make. Although he'll ususally add a side of rice lol.

I've lost 75 lbs and i'm finally whithin my last 10 lbs! It's a crazy thought for me, and I'm loving the thought of paleo cause it's great for your body, it's not a "diet" and it will get me to where my body needs to be.

I'm glad to have found you guys!

Hey everyone. I am here and reading mostly.

I am suffering from severe depression from the Vitamin D deficiency and had some severe heart palpitations. My actions, words and thoughts yesterday were not leading by example and for that I apologize.

I am feeling a little bit better today and hopefully will get to feeling much better day by day. I am going to just have to take it one day at a time.

When I was first diagnosed with Vitamin D deficiency, on a scale of 33-100 being 'clinically normal' but 60-80 being a minimum according to the latest research for avoiding mood related problems from brain dysfunction and cancer risk, I was at a 4. A freaking 4 can cause *serious* brain function issues. I was depressed to the point of suicidal ideations over nothing. I was frequently anxious and had heart palpitations. The majority of physicians (endocrinologists, internal medicine doctors, neurologists, behavioral health, etc.) were sure that I was depressed and didn't attribute it to stomach or GERD.

It was all created by chemical imbalance due to poor nutrition. I had everything to live for, had spent years in therapy and this wasn't something therapy could make a dent in. Even though I was eating clean (as I understood it pre-Primal), nothing I had done repaired the years of damage to my digestion. The only thing that would have worked was correcting the deficiency. My physician didn't bother to explain this to me. Perhaps he didn't understand. He put me on megadoses of Vitamin D and I didn't get any better. They say it takes time when in truth, it doesn't take time it takes the *ability to digest* your food and your supplements which we often lose when eating and living according to the CW.

I needed 8 tablets of Betaine HCL to replace missing stomach acid *each time I ate* a meal, the result of eating grains and processed foods. I also used ACV, herbal bitters, digestive enzymes and DGL to heal my entire digestive system. Now my stomach is more hearty and is beginning to make its own stomach acid but still needs the HCL supplement for some meals or when I am under a lot of stress. Eventually, I hope to heal out of the need for any of the supplements but am content to be in such better shape. I had to quit eating all plants and stick to lots of fats and moderate proteins initially. After 60 days of taking the HCL, my body began to absorb the Vitamin D efficiently and I became able to eat cooked plants and some berries. Now I can also manage some raw foods on a hot day when I am very active. So if I feel like a salad, I eat one. If vegetables don't appeal, I stick to fat, meat, bone broths, herbal teas, coffee & chicory, etc. The chicory has inulin, a fiber that is a prebiotic and is helpful along with coconut oil for healing guts.

Now instead of struggling to get my blood levels up to 60 (this was true for 2 1/2 years of mega dose therapy from 2009 until September 2011), I am have a healthy Vitamin D blood level of 110. This is fine as far as I am concerned, especially going into Fall/Winter here in Seattle.

The mood issues didn't disappear until I got my blood levels above 65. I experienced uncontrollable sobbing and rages while I was deficient.

Now even in grief, I am not having mood issues. I am safe, healthy and more resilient than ever. Life is enjoyable and hope abounds. There is no way that I could have gotten to this place of wellness without the Betaine HCL to help my body utilize the Vitamin D.

YMMV