Sherrill is a beautiful vibrant nurse, wife, mom, new grandmother, sister and friend.
She reached out about a year ago because she was dealing with pretty extreme abdominal pain caused by diverticulitis.
Her diverticulitis flare-ups would land her in the hospital requiring antibiotic treatments once or twice a year. This had been going on for the last five years or so.
Along with the diverticulitis Sherrill struggled with gallbladder issues. Upon investigation, her doctors were recommending gallbladder removal.
She had several trigger foods, the worst of which were cucumbers, which caused such a severe reaction that she had to go to the hospital.
Other foods that caused her abdominal pain and that she avoided were blueberries, tomatoes, melons, strawberries, popcorn, and more recently she was starting to react to eggs and chicken.
Finally to top it all off, Sherrill was struggling with gluten sensitivity (that resulted in headaches, blood in her stool and diarrhea), hot flashes (that caused disrupted sleep) and she wanted to lose a little bit of weight.
The gallbladder is a small organ that is used to store and recycle excess bile between meals. The proper delivery of bile at the right moment is crucial to keep digestion running smoothly and for avoiding deficiencies.
Our gallbladders enable fat digestion and the absorption of essential fat soluble vitamins like A, E, D and K.
This little organ also helps in the removal of cholesterol and toxins that have been broken down by the liver.
Bottom line, you can survive without a gallbladder, but you will be more prone to fatty liver, indigestion, diarrhea, bloating and deficiencies.
We decided to proceed with a Metabolic Balance program.
Upon starting her program Sherrill ranked her abdominal pain at a 4 / 5 (the score 5 being the worst, most extreme pain and 1 being the best)
Two weeks in, she rated her pain at a 1.5 / 5 and her hot flashes reduced from 7- 10 per day to 1 or 2
One month in, she lost 16 lbs. and she rated her pain at a 1 or not present at all.
With her doctor’s consent, she was able to discontinue her proton pump inhibitor medication (Omeprazole) and she was enjoying much more restorative sleep with only occasional hot flashes at night. She made the association of more hot flashes when she deviated from her plan and ate more processed or transformed foods.
5½ months in she was very happy to report much improved digestion and was able to eat pretty freely.
She was able to reintroduce all of her trigger foods including cucumbers (remember, cucumbers used to land her in the hospital) without issues or pain.
She was able to eat a great quality sprouted grain, sourdough breads and pasta without issues (all contain gluten).
Best of all, a scan of her gallbladder revealed that she had no gallbladder issues and was no longer at risk of having that important little organ removed.
Almost one year later, Sherrill is continuing to apply the foundational principles that she has learned to support her digestion and fully nourish her body.
She continues to test and pay attention to how processed and transformed foods trigger her and is learning how resilient her body is by testing the limits with the occasional treats and indulgences.
Sherrill is proof that eating healthy doesn’t have to be arduous or strict.
She’s learning that there is a lot of room for flexibility and has reintroduced all of her old favorites with the exception of certain highly processed foods that her body rejects.
I admire Sherrill for her determination to follow through with this work and to seek out natural alternatives rather than simply squashing symptoms.
Food is powerful and our bodies are resilient and want to heal.
Thank you Sherrill for sharing your journey.
Here are a few words from Sherrill:
”I had been dealing with stomach issues for the last 10 years; gluten intolerance, diverticulitis and for the last 3 years a dysfunctional gallbladder.
I had stomach pain quite often and my doctor said I might need gallbladder surgery and part of intestines removed.
I was also going through menopause with weight gain and hot flashes. I had heard about Kim from a few friends who said the Metabolic Balance program helped them 100%.
It was then I decided to reach out to Kim for help.
Phase 1 and phase 2 were quite challenging but it did not take long to begin to see changes. I lost 4 pounds just in the first 2 days.
Cravings went away and I felt less bloated. I experienced less joint pain and after 3 weeks, I had no more pain from my gallbladder or my diverticulitis.
After 3 weeks I had lost 16 pounds.
6 months after starting the program I went for a scan and there was no more signs of problems with my gallbladder.
Kim was great to work with. She’s very informative about the program and got back to me very quickly if I had any questions. She gave me great tips and recipes that were very helpful in this journey.
I had thought this program was more geared towards weight loss but can honestly say it has been the only thing that has helped me with my stomach issues.
I have not felt this good in years. So whether your goal is weight loss, stomach issues or struggles with menopause this program is extremely effective. I would definitely encourage anyone to try it.’