Ioana's story

At the age of 5 I was misdiagnosed with underactive thyroid disease and put on the wrong tablets for 1 year that completely messed up my whole system. I was gaining weight weekly and my appetite was increasing rapidly, I was constantly hungry. In a very short space of time I went from being a normal size active kid to a quite chubby tired and lethargic one. I will never forget the day my mum picked me up from after school and the teachers had to ask her for more money for my meals, apparently I was asking for seconds on top of polishing off my schoolmate's plates. Life was never easy being the fattest in my class, especially when the rest of your family is normal size and your sister is rather skinny. Despite of the bullying and the nasty comments I always kept a smile on and carried on. Unfortunately I was eating even more in order to deal with my emotions. I don’t remember a life without a diet, without obsessing about food, without feeling hungry. Calorie counting, starvation, points counting and syns (slimming world) counting, to slim fast and lighter life shakes, you name it and I have done it. Successfully at times, but gaining double once I stopped the diet plan. I was constantly hungry, tired and miserable. 

I will never forget that Thursday evening, June 2014 when you called me Joanne and told me all about Grain Brain. "Eat natural food that you recognize: an egg is an egg, an avocado is an avocado and broccoli is broccoli", that sentence will stay with me for the rest of my life. When you told me to grab a slice of full fat cheese instead of the light version I was eating or full fat Greek yogurt to replace my fat free ones that were packed with sugar, that's when everything clicked. I borrowed Dr Dr Perlmutter's book Grain Brain, and started reading. Everything was making sense so I thought I’d give it go, what else have a got to lose apart from a few stone?  

Here I am today, age 34, 2 and a half stone lighter, full of life and full of energy, fitting in size 10 clothes that I never dreamed of wearing, feeling healthier than ever. I eat 3 regular meals per day, very rarely feel the need to snack, I no longer obsess about food or crave chocolate and savoury stuff. Who knew that you could eat butter, cream and cheese, pork belly, chicken with skin on and fatty juicy steaks and still lose weight and be super fit and healthy. I no longer need to take time off work during my menstrual cycle, I am now pain free and I can carry on like normal. My skin looks fresh and clean, no more spots or tied looking skin. The power of avocados, hey? My eyes are glowing and apparently the white bit is looking whiter and brighter. I sleep very well at night and wake up refreshed and ready for a new day. If only I knew about this way of eating many many years ago.