Healthy Living: Hope for Asthma and ADHD Sufferers and One Man’s Personal Testimony

A Journey to Healthy Living

Do you suffer from asthma, ADHD, and or mental fogginess?

A recent interview on local radio station WWIB.com

with nutritionist Karen Hurd really sparked my attention.

It included the personal testimony of a man that greatly

improved his health and reversed some health issues

he’d struggled with for over 30 years;

simply by making some basic diet changes.

It is highly likely that you are like me, and you either struggle with some of the same issues this man did, or you have friends or loved ones that do. I feel really impressed to share this interview and testimony with you to pass on some hope.

I’m continually amazed at how the most powerful solutions are often so simple.

The interview was on January 26 of 2011 during “Wellness Wednesday” with Karun Hurd on www.WWIB.com. (I was able to download the free podcast of the show from their website, and I highly recommend listening to the whole thing yourself.)

Tom’s Journey to Healthy Living

Let me give you an overview and summarize Tom’s testimony of his long battle with asthma, ADHD, mental fogginess, and unwanted weight.

Tom is a 48 year old man from Wisconsin and currently attending college and pursuing his second degree. He’s struggled for 30 years with asthma, ADHD, and the ability to think clearly, (he said he felt as if he was walking around in a mental fog).

His journey to healthy living actually began with searching for solutions for his son. Tom’s 20 year old son was hospitalized five times the summer before with severe joint pain and the doctors thought it was lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. He was prescribed medicine but with little relief and lots of side effects.

Tom wondered if his son’s illness might have something to do with his diet or a reaction to something he was eating. After searching online for answers, Tom had his son eliminate some foods from his diet. This resulted in all his joint pain symptoms going away and being able to stop taking the prescribed medications.

At that point they eliminated gluten from their diets and to be supportive, Tom did too. Tom was surprised to discover that within two weeks he was able to go off his asthma medication (which he had been on for 30 years) and the ADHD medication (which he had been on for a couple years).

Tom was feeling better but still dealing with low energy at night and unwanted weight that he just couldn’t get rid of; regardless of working out and counting calories. So last summer, Tom and his wife went to meet nutritionist Karen Hurd.

Karen taught them some basics of a healthy diet, including the importance of getting plenty of fiber and protein, and how beans are an excellent source of both. Tom began to eat beans at every meal and started to lose weight, even though he was actually taking in more calories. The increase in fiber was helping his body balance out and shed unwanted weight.

What is Tom Eating Now?

A typical breakfast is two fried eggs, a half cup of baked beans, and maybe some bacon. Lunch is usually a trip to the Mexican restaurant near campus for a lettuce salad with chicken and beans. Snacks throughout the day are things like yogurt, psyllium husk, cheese, vegetables, and nuts. Dinner might be eggs and beans, or stir fry steak with veggies and some beans.

In addition to helping a person lose weight, the additional fiber in the diet helps clean out toxins and bile in the system. As the body cleaned up, Tom noticed that he not only lost weight, but gained increased energy and mental clarity.

The Fog Has Lifted and Mental Clarity Has Moved In

The last two semesters Tom had the highest grade point averages ever, even though he had the most difficult and taxing classes. Normally he would have to read and re-read something several times to try and remember what he read. Now he can read and recall and remember what was written! Tom said he hasn’t been able to do that since grade school or Jr. High.

Men in their 40s typically experience increasing loss of memory and inability to focus. Tom said he always seemed to have what he described as “mental fogginess”; an inability to focus, which he thought was normal.  He said it was like always reading something and not being able to remember what he just read.

But now after making these changes to his diet, Tom says:

“It’s like the fogginess is gone and the cloud has been lifted out of my brain.”

Karen pointed out that Tom also eliminated sugar and caffeine from his diet. She said getting rid of the sugar is the biggest key to helping lift the brain fog. She recommends removing pop and desserts from your diet because these have such large amounts of sugar. ADHD people metabolize sugars really fast and have mental crashes, preventing them from fully accessing their mental capacity.

Tom said he used to be a sugar junkie and literally have two 20 ounce Mt Dews a day, candy bars, donuts, etc. – he loved sweets. He said he knew it was going to be tough to let those go, but now that they are out of his system it is not hard to avoid them.

Tom said he had been on asthma medication for over 30 years and his chest had always been tight and wheezy. He said a couple weeks after taking gluten out of his diet he had gone out of town and forgot to take his asthma spray with. But he realized he felt fine and didn’t even need it and hasn’t used it since. He’s felt fine and hasn’t had an episode even with working out, etc.

Did Tom Even Have Asthma?

Tom thinks he never even had asthma. He said he learned that gluten intolerance can make the immune system attack what it is intolerant to and create mucus. In Tom’s case his lungs produced mucus, but once he eliminated the gluten, there was nothing to react to and therefore he no longer had mucus in his lungs and what seemed like asthma symptoms.

If you suffer from asthma or ADHD, you may want to apply some of these diet suggestions and see if you experience the benefits. (Of course this is not medical advice and you should consult your doctor before making any changes.)

Want to Know More?

If you want to know more and gain a wealth of information about nutrition, then checkout:
www.KarenHurd.com

May you have hope for a better tomorrow, live healthy, and enjoy growing prosperity!

God bless you always,
Brenda