I'm putting this under menopause symptoms because that's where I started last summer when diagnosed with ovarian cysts. I had terrible periods, and terrible insomnia. When my gynocologist started getting the look of surgery in her eyes, I started on a year-long (so far) quest for better health and have learned so much. I was lucky to find a regular MD who is exploring with alternative methods. Most of the cures have been through diet and herbal remedies (pills).
I have to say that most of my symptoms are gone --including asthma! I started with a cure for adrenal exhaustion, including a cure for h. pylori bacter which is a parasitic bacteria that lives in your stomach and probably led to the adrenal exhaustion but can potentially lead to stomach cancer and ulcers.
Then in July I took a blood test for "food toxicity". I guess it's similar to food allergies. They check for antibodies in your blood to see what foods your body treats as toxic then they give you a diet to follow. They rate the foods on a scale of 1 - 4, with 4 being the most toxic. I was amazed to find that foods that I shouldn't eat are eggs, black pepper, cane sugar, safflower oil, celery, radishes, and -- most of all -- yeast!
Besides the fact that my blood sees yeast as a toxin, I also had a huge amount of candida of my intestines. So for 10 days I had to avoid all the toxic foods, PLUS anything that makes yeast grow, which includes more yeast (i.e., breads, etc.), and almost all carbohydrates, like rice, oats, potatoes, fruit, and cows' milk products, etc. I grossed myself out by eating meat almost three times a day.
But now, believe or not, I can sleep again. Of course, most of my favorite foods are gone for now (I am a chocoholic, big time. I still have a huge chunk of Ghiradelli dark chocolate stashed away.)
The thing with the diet is that you abstain for 60-90 days, then you can start rotating the foods back into your diet starting with the 1's.

Never heard of a blood test for food toxicity. How cool!

I am definetly lactose intolerant. Something that has happened with age! Or should I say, another thing that's happened with age? So would allergies to milk products show up in that type of blood test?

What kind of doctor did you go to for this treatment? I'm wanting to go to an alternative doctor to help me with my arthritis and not sure where to turn to.

Actually, she's an MD who realized that western medicine didn't have all the answers -- and actually she used to be the head of internal medicine at a local hospital. It seems that she herself had some health issues that western medicine didn't address. I heard about her through a colleague of mine. My friend is a poor artist, and this doctor actually accepted paintings in lieu of money for the visits. She's a real find.
One of the things I was diagnosed with was intestinal candida overgrowth. I recently heard that candida in women has been linked to lupus, crohn's disease, MS, and chrnoic fatigue syndrome, etc.

The topic of this post hit me smack in the face this morning.

We went to a friend's home for dinner last night and she is an awesome cook. One of those dear people who remembers what you like and don't like and cooks for you accordingly. New recipes, old recipes, the best food with sauces, creams, spices, the whole nine yards. Soup that I know had a pint of cream in it, plus sauces and dips, etc!

But ouch, I'm not use to eating like that very often and boy did my stomach tell me so. Actually, it's still taking to me this morning. The thought of breakfast disgusts me. Wow has my tummy gotten picky over the years!

Her son jokingly informed us that his mom sure knows how to dish out stomach-aches for her guests.

Darn, but it all tastes so scrumptious when eating it.

And she even sent us home with some home-made pound cake that weighs at least 5 pounds a slice...

Sounds like that meal was the gift that keeps on giving.

Oh yeah, definitely!

I forgot to mention that she gave me some of the potatoes to bring home too. They had sour cream, cheese, and all kinds of other fattening things in them. Yeah well, ate them again on Sunday!

I want this woman to adopt me. Enough said

JJ, I laughed out-loud when I read that!

Guess what, she could adopt and feed me too, but the older I get, the more all the rich food does me in!

When my mom was sick with cancer, my friend made it her mission to cook for my parents on a rather regular occasion. That was one of the blessings amidst the turmoil...