Client Success Story with Marlys

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Transcript

Melanie: Welcome to Dishing Up Nutrition. I'm Melanie Beasley, Registered and Licensed Dietitian with Nutritional Weight & Wellness, and I am so excited. I have the privilege of interviewing a very special guest today, and, I have sat down with her many a day, and she's just a lovely human being, and I'm so happy that I get to interview this delightful client and talk about her journey with her health issues.

She went from a pretty miserable to, to some lasting relief, and after discovering really how food was playing a role in her symptoms. And you'll hear about her journey and what she learned, the challenges of following a new diet protocol, and the practical strategies that helped her feel better and stay feeling good for years later.

And if you've ever been left without answers to your health issues and you're wondering if there could be a food connection, you won't want to miss this conversation. So without further ado, welcome Marlys.

Marlys: Thank you, Melanie. I am so excited to be here talking with you today.

Why Marlys came to us

Melanie: We haven't seen each other in a little while, so this is kind of fun. So let's start by having you tell us a little about how you first came to Nutritional Weight & Wellness, and what made you decide to see a dietitian. You had been experiencing, I know, some new symptoms, and you sought help from other health professionals, but testing didn't give you many answers, and you yourself suspected there was a food connection. So tell us a little bit about your journey.

Marlys: Well, it started out with what I always called my face exploded.

Melanie: Your face exploded.

Marlys: I would show people pictures of this, and they would just be, "Oh my God, how can that be?" and that's why I sought out allergists, and primary doctor, and my dermatologist. And finally, the allergist, the last one I saw, had me take, two Zyrtec in the morning and two Zyrtec, two Zyrtec, easy for me to say, at night.

Melanie: Wow. And- You must have been exhausted.

Marlys: And then- But, but then I was with a friend who kind of had the same issues, and she's, it happened to us on a camping weekend. And she said, "Oh, when that happens to me, I just take a handful of Zyrtec." So then I started taking more when that happened, and there were days I was up to 10 Zyrtec a day.

Melanie: Oh my goodness, Marlys.

Marlys: And I said, "Self, this cannot be good. You know, you cannot, you cannot continue like this." So that's when I resorted to Dr. Google, and I, and I just, I researched too much histamine in your body, and then it opened up a whole new world to me of this antihistamine, or histamine intolerance.

And I'd never heard of histamine intolerance, and, and the more I talk to people, they haven't either. But then I found out there were foods that I should not be eating, and I had been loading up on most of the foods in that list, so it's no wonder I was a mess.

Melanie: And I remember you had pretty significant regular heartburn.

Marlys: Oh, I would not, not go anywhere, I wouldn't leave the house unless I had a supply of, you know, Rolaids or Tums in my pocket. I, you know- Yeah ... I just had to.

Melanie: I, you know, I remember that I first removed gluten and dairy, and we put you on a low histamine diet when we first met, and that, that was a lot.

Marlys: Oh, it was. It was. Well, you know, what brought me to you was I had tried to do this. I had bought a low histamine cookbook off of- you know, what, someone's website. And I tried, but it was like, I don't know what I'm doing. I, I need help. And that's when I searched out Weight & Wellness, and they hooked me up with you.

And truly, Melanie, I think it was divine intervention because you, when you told me that you knew exactly what I was dealing with, it was just like, "Oh my God," I, I was just like a weight had been lifted.

Melanie: Oh, yeah. But you ... I can't imagine the misery that you went through, but you, you kept clipping along. You were still camping and everything with all those Zyrtec on board.

Marlys: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Improvements Marlys experienced

Melanie: So how soon did you start noticing improvements when you, we implemented the diet?

Marlys: Within months. Within, like, that... Because I believe it was, like, May. Okay. And by midsummer, I had dropped 25 pounds. Not-I mean, there was... I was not trying to lose weight. That was not anywhere in my mind, but I felt better than I had in years. I couldn't believe it. I was just like, "Wow, I didn't know you could feel this good."

Melanie: Yeah, I love that. I love that. You felt so much better. It became kind of a no-brainer to continue eating that real food diet, you know, without the gluten, the dairy, and the sugar, and, and being low histamine.

Marlys: Right.

How Marlys stayed on track while eating outside of the home

Melanie: You know, but we still have lives, so how did you manage to keep your diet on track while eating outside of your home on your trail rides, and your camping trips, and your social gatherings?

Marlys: You know, I realized that the safest thing for me to do when I would... Le- let's say I was going to go to a restaurant. I could have a chicken breast, and I would tell the server, "No seasoning. I'll season it myself," and steamed broccoli. I know not everybody does, likes it, but give me a double order of steamed broccoli and I'll be just fine. But even my kids got to the point that they would say, "Well, Mom, what can you eat?"

So if we were going to have a family gathering, they would make sure that they either made something, or I would say, "Don't worry about it. I'll bring my own."

Melanie: Mm-hmm.

Marlys: So.

Melanie: Love that.

Marlys: It, it, it it was all doable if you wanted to do it.

Melanie: And it sounds like you had a pretty good support system.

Marlys: Very good support system.

Melanie: You know, we had you on that low histamine diet, and you knew coming into our first appointment that there, there was that histamine connection because Dr. Google had given you that information.

Marlys: Yeah. Good old Dr. Google. Yeah.

Biggest challenge with a low histamine diet for Marlys when starting out

Melanie: Which can be really overwhelming. So, you know, I- for our listeners, if you feel like you have a histamine intolerance, I'm begging you not to Google, because you'll want to cry. But, how was it starting that low histamine diet? What was your biggest challenges?

Marlys: Well, at first I thought it would be hard because, you know, basically it was taking away all the things that I liked. You know, I, I loved cottage cheese, tomatoes, and, and spinach, and I was even trying to get my husband to like spinach, and he just wasn't going down that road. Well, then it turned out that spinach was one of the things I was should be avoiding. So I thought, "Oh, okay, I'll learn to like other green vegetables," which I did, you know?

But it was, it was easier because I knew that you were, you were proof that I could do this. You, you had gone down that road. You said, "I can do this," and I thought, "Yes, I can do this.

Melanie: You have, you know, you have such a tenacious spirit, and I think that was something that served you very, very well. And, you know, desperation breeds motivation.

Marlys: Correct.

Melanie: So I always say peace is wonderful and joy is fabulous, but when you're in pain, relief is everything.

Marlys: Yes. Yes. But you also, it was if I had questions, I could, you know, send you an email and you would say, "Yes, do this. No, don't do that," or, "Add that." And, and you had me add some supplements and, and why I should add them.

You know, not just throw me a list and take them, but, you know, I understood more what I was doing. You made me understand that we are what we eat, and, you know, and if your body doesn't like this, well then, you know, don't eat it.

Marlys’ food plan today

Melanie: Yeah. You know, and when we have those symptoms, the symptoms are really the body's communication to us that something we're doing isn't working. But, you know, it's been like five years since we first started working together. So what does your diet look like nowadays? Has it been some trial and error? What can you tolerate? What does your food look like today?

Marlys: It's trial and error, but I'm trying to so keep away from the sugar. And, and I, I have become such a label reader. I, I, I've never... I mean, I look at labels, you know, I'm standing in the grocery store and, you know, "Oh, no, no, no, that's got too much of that," or, "That's got this or that."

So I avoid, I want to have basic ingredients with what I'm, with what I'm eating. I try and stick to fresh or frozen- I have learned to, which good or like, I, the thing I miss the most when I had to, you know, really, you know, change the diet was pizza. I love pizza.

Melanie: Oh, who doesn't love pizza?

Marlys: So, but I have found that, you know, the, there are some good cauliflower crusts out there. You know, they, over the years they've improved those, so I get my pizza fix every once in a while.

Melanie: What do you do in place of tomatoes? Because tomatoes are really, really high histamine.

Marlys: You know, I've learned to just avoid, you know, there's-

Melanie: Get some olive oil and-

Marlys: Yeah. Oh, I use, there are certain places if I know where my husband and I are going to go out to eat, I have a little container where I take my own dressing.

Melanie: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Marlys: Because I know what's in that. I have learned that, you know, it's okay to put that little container in your purse and pull it out and put it on your salad because, you know, they might look at you when you say, "No dressing," but I, I-

Melanie: It's not worth it ...

Marlys: I want to know what I'm eating.

Melanie: Mm-hmm.

Marlys: And that's the only way I know for sure what I'm eating.

Melanie: So it sounds like you really focus on real food that are single ingredient foods, like the chicken and the broccoli, and you cook a lot too, if I remember, Marlys.

Marlys: I do. I do. And, you know, I am married to a meat and potatoes person, so, but I always include vegetables with that, you know, be it a salad or, you know, frozen vegetables. And, yes, I will eat the majority of those and, and maybe a, you know, a half a potato, but, you know, it's, it's doable.

Why can a dietitian be helpful?

Melanie: It's doable. And what would you say to someone who's trying to take on this new way of eating by themselves? Why would you think that they might need to meet with a dietitian? Because you did have Dr. Google.

Marlys: I think, I think what I would say to that is every team needs a good coach, and you were my good coach. You were the one that encouraged me. You gave me recipes. I still, the, your dairy-free Alfredo sauce, I have passed that recipe on to my friends who are dairy-free.

I said, "Well, here, you can still have Alfredo, just use this recipe." And so, yeah, you know, it's not that you can't do it by yourself, but it's a lot easier when you got somebody walking with you to do that.

Melanie: To navigate, and sometimes just plain food gets a little boring, so having a couple recipes under your belt that you like, some keepers- you know, like your dairy-free Alfredo sauce, can really make your flavor profile delicious without pain.

Marlys: Exactly. And there, you learn to experiment. You learn with things that you don't like. You know, "Oh, I won't do that one again," but then some- yeah, then you hit upon something that is delightful, and well, I'll do that one again. You know?

Melanie: You know, and I think, you know, our goal wasn't just, hey, let's make sure her face doesn't swell and she doesn't have heartburn anymore, but it's also we wanted to nourish you to flourish on in your retirement years, and we also want to make the diet delicious.

Marlys: Exactly, and, I know we accomplished that.

How have dietary changes affected Marlys’ life?

Melanie: Good. Good. Thank you. Thank you. I love to hear that. Oh, it was my joy. So what's your life like today compared to five years ago, before you met with me? How, how has your dietary changes affected other parts of your life?

Marlys: I think I have more energy than I did before. Less aches and pains because, y- you having me, you know, make s- stay away from the processed foods, I know that that was part of my aches and pains. I, I am quite sure that, well, and I do know that too much sugar, I can have a bout of heartburn, but it is nothing compared to what it used to be.

Melanie: Mm ...

Marlys: And I think the difference now is I know that if I have a day where I fall off the wagon, I'm going to get back on.

Melanie: Yeah. You've got those tools now.

Marlys: Right. I've heard that you have to have tools in your toolbox, and I have those tools now, and I know, you know, I know what to do now, where I didn't before. I mean, I truly was flailing.

Melanie: Oh. And you're a camper. You love to camp.

Marlys: Yes.

Melanie: And so you take your food with you to prepare when you're camping.

Marlys: Mm-hmm. We do.

Typical day of eating for Marlys

Melanie: And, you know, listeners are probably wondering what you actually eat day to day to feel this good. So will you share what a typical day of eating real food looks like for you?

Marlys: Well, I happen to love eggs, and I have a grandson who has chickens, so.

Melanie: Oh, lucky you.

Marlys: I have a, a good supply of eggs, so, you know, I can, you know, start out my day. And, and I have tried to get more protein into my diet, so it's either eggs, and, and I do find that now I can tolerate, like, Greek yogurt.

Melanie: Mm-hmm.

Marlys: And, s- so Greek yogurt and some blueberries, that kind of thing. But, and always, you know, for our evening meal, it's going to be meat and potatoes and a, and a vegetable of some sort, you know? I used to laugh when I, when I was first making meals for us at, and, and I made spaghetti and a salad, and I, I had a big plate of salad, and a little plate of spaghetti, where he had a big plate of spaghetti and a little handful of salad. And I thought, "Well, that was a challenge for me and myself." But, but I have, I have always, thankfully, liked vegetables. I just have learned to like different vegetables now than I, than I did.

Melanie: So what do you find that you're substituting for that wheat-ladened spaghetti now compared to, today?

Marlys: Well, I have learned that, like, even, you know, some, any kind of rice, I even, you know, I eat more cauliflower rice now. Because it, you know, I like it.

Melanie: Nourishes you, yeah ...

Marlys: And it, you know... Or z- zucchini, you can do, we have fresh zucchini in our garden, and you can do a whole lot of things with zucchini.

Melanie: Love that. What are you doing in place of the tomato sauce on your spaghetti?

Marlys: Well, I have learned that I can tolerate a little bit of tomato sauce now, but I only am very particular about what tomato sauce I purchase.

Melanie: And I know you grow yellow tomatoes.

Marlys: I'm reading labels, you know. Yes. Yes, and yellow tomatoes are, are easier tolerated, so yeah.

Melanie: So for our listeners, I just want to say, Marlys, you've done a lot of hard work to heal your digestion, and that has opened up the volume and the type of food that you're able to tolerate now, which I see a lot in my clients, that when they do a healing protocol, they really find that they're able to tolerate foods that they weren't able to tolerate, and that's what I'm hearing from you.

Advice from Marlys to others struggling with health issues

So before we wrap up our conversation, what advice would you give to someone listening that is struggling with health, health issues and really hasn't gotten the answers that they need to feel better? Maybe someone's nervous about meeting with a dietitian or changing their diet. What encouragement would you give to them?

Marlys: I would say that talking with someone who knows what they're talking about, a professional, because you can do all the reading and think you understand what you're reading, but when you actually talk to someone who can interpret all of that, everything you've read, and what does it mean and why should I do this, it just is, it's eye-opening.

And once you start knowing why you do what you do, you know, because if nothing else, for me to realize, well, I am what I eat. So, you know, if I'm putting things in my body that it doesn't like, you know... Something so simple as the probiotic that I was taking, and you said, "No, don't take that because that's going to cause more histamine." I didn't know that. I would have never known that had I not talked to you.

Melanie: So- And here you are able to tolerate some Greek yogurt, so that's really exciting.

Marlys: Yes, exactly.

More key changes Marlys made in her healing

Melanie: So- Were there any other, key changes that you made that really opened your eyes to the possibility of healing?

Marlys: Key changes. Well, it's just sticking to... Staying away from the center of the grocery store was probably the biggest change. You know, I could tell myself I was buying, you know, these chips or whatever it was, you know, because it was for my husband. Well, no, it wasn't. It was for me, you know?

Melanie: Yeah, we do that.

Marlys: Yeah, and now I have learned, you know, I eat more raw nuts than I ever used to, and, you know, I enjoy them. I love... You know, that's my treat.

Melanie: I love that.

Marlys: Yeah, life is just good now.

Melanie: I am so glad. Yeah. That's all we want is life to be good. And Marlys, I just want to thank you so much for taking the time to sit down and have this conversation with me. I think it will really help a lot of people to know that there is help out there, and we know how frustrating it can be to not have those answers for your health concerns.

But you and I are both examples of how food made all the difference in our life, and food always has a connection to a health concern. And, you know, is there anything else that you'd like to share before we say goodbye for now?

Marlys: Don't be afraid to make that phone call. It was the best thing that I could have ever done.

Melanie: I'm so glad. What a joy it has always been to work with you. You have always been willing to let me be the boss of you, so I appreciate that.

Marlys: Yes, I... Well, I knew you knew far more about this than I did.

Melanie: Well, we did it together. I gave you the tools, and you picked them up and used them. So what are some of your final thoughts, Marlys?

Final thoughts

Marlys: Oh. Well, I, I just thank, thank the good Lord for putting you and I together, because I now, you know, feel like life is worth living. Before that, it was, it was a struggle. I mean, I just, I just wondered, you know, "Is today the day I'm going to, you know, have another episode?" And I don't worry about that now, you know?

Melanie: Oh, I love that. Living in fear and anxiety is just, that's not quality of life, so-

Marlys: Right.

Melanie: I'm so grateful that you did this with me. I cannot tell you how fun it is to connect with you again and just to see your smiling face, and, you're just one of my favorites. So we thank you so much for listening to Dishing Up Nutrition.

Marlys' story is just one of the many that showcases the power that real food nutrition can have on your health. And if our discussion today resonated with you or maybe someone that you love, share our podcast, or maybe you're interested in meeting with, me or one of our other fabulous dietitians at Nutritional Weight & Wellness.

Learn More About Nutrition Counseling

You can just give us a call at 651-699-3438 or visit our website to learn more at weightandwellness.com. We hope to hear from you soon. Take care, and I'll talk to you next time.