I had suffered from ongoing digestive issues from childhood, along with high blood pressure as a teen. For the last decade I had experienced severe stress from relationship problems, which led to anxiety like I’d never experienced before. I started developing the symptoms of a heart arrhythmia – atrial fibrillation, which was diagnosed after I had a mini-stroke (TIA).
Over the next few years, as I neared menopause, I put on a lot of weight and tried the low carbohydrate Amway diet. I became paranoid about eating carbs – any carbs. In 8 months I lost 25 kg! Amazing! However, during this time the atrial fibrillation increased. What most people who go on these diets don’t realise is that research clearly shows that reducing carbohydrates this low increases the risk of AF. Unfortunately AF damages the heart so that you have to remain medicated all your life, and are at risk of a major heart attack or stroke at any moment if you go off the meds. All my anxiety didn’t help the situation.
When I came to Mary for help, I was practically eating nothing – nothing healthy at least. I was too scared to. She immediately set about increasing my carbohydrates – but had to be careful as the medications I am now on meant certain things had to be kept low to prevent a rebound effect.
In a really short time my digestive issues disappeared. I started feeling better overall. In two months my anxiety was all but gone – I felt happy and this led to a positive job change. Life started looking up. I started setting in place positive lifestyle changes for the first time in years.
My blood pressure is still high and I am on medication for that and the AF. We hope that my excellent diet will in time make a difference. But meanwhile, my quality of life is much better, I know how to look after my health now and I have no more anxiety. I have a healthier lifestyle overall, and it is likely to get better in the future.
-JS
