We’ve all heard the saying, “Health is very fragile!”
In May 2021, my health took a turn for the worst. At 50+ years old, working out five
days per week, and at the peak of fitness conditioning, I decided to begin juicing fresh
fruits and vegetables to detox.
I juiced a variety of recipes which included raw ginger and turmeric. I enjoyed juicing raw fruits and vegetables daily and liked the spice that ginger brought to it. However, I believe I over-dosed with the raw ginger if that’s possible. The raw ginger triggered a systemic allergic reaction in my body, causing me to itch and scratch everywhere!
The scratching caused so much bleeding that I eventually contracted a bacterial infection. From there, my health spiraled down even further. I was home-bound for approximately nine weeks and bed-bound for about seven weeks. On two of those days, I recall saying I could no longer go on living
without any relief!
I visited many doctors for relief and to reverse whatever was happening to my body. My skin appeared in bad shape, marked with bloody scabs everywhere (oh, and yes, I washed my bed sheets daily for weeks because of the amount of blood on them)! The itch was insatiable. I visited alternative and medical practitioners (acupuncturist, herbalist, medical doctor, doctor of osteopathic medicine, and a dermatologist), each providing minor improvements and most just addressing the symptoms of my skin.
Finally, after exhausting every professional, a friend suggested I inquire with a nutritionist. “Hey, that makes sense” I said to myself. “Why not look at what’s going on internally?” I began seeking a nutritionist with a doctorate in the field and was at the top of their game.
Enter Dr. Mandy LaGreca.
I reached out to Dr. Mandy, and she responded, “I specialize in nutrition and the gut microbiome with an emphasis on bladder issues, but I think I can help you.” After her initial consultation and patient history, Dr. Mandy went to work on me. She conducted several rounds of blood work and stool tests, analyzed the data, and prescribed a diet regime and supplements to “reset” my gut micro-biome.
Dr. Mandy insists, “Food is medicine.” Well, almost immediately, my skin improved so dramatically that one looking at me wouldn’t even notice I had a skin problem. Better still, my “itch” subsided substantially. Fast forward, and I am still changing my diet to improve my gut microbiome. I am finally on the road to recovery. Fixing the digestive tract (i.e., gut microbiome) is Dr. Mandy’s specialty! How does one thank Dr. Mandy enough for the help and expertise she provides?
Tom Hanik
July 2022
