Erin Shares Her Allergic Reaction Story
by Erin Porter
I will never forget the day I walked into a health food store feeling absolutely desperate. The best of the best physicians had failed me as I was only two weeks out from my fourth sinus surgery and I was already reinfected and at the end of my rope. For well over a decade a debilitating sinus infection had become my constant companion and unfortunately that was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to my ailments.
I had heart arrhythmias which I was sometimes hospitalized for, severe acid reflux (laryngopharyngeal reflux to be specific), recurring Epstein Barr virus, autoimmune disease, chronic fatigue, nerve pain, and food allergies so intense that almost everything I ate caused my nose to become congested, complicating the cycle of my chronic sinus infections. I arrived at the store in tears begging the owner to help me.
The advice I received that day was that I needed to “repair my gut” and stop the cycle of allergic reaction simultaneously. The manager went on to explain that I cannot continue throwing antibiotics at my sinuses for decades and think this will fix the problem, as well as not have negative repercussions. She told me that I was destroying my intestinal microbiome with the more than one hundred courses of antibiotics I had already taken and that I should be focusing on repairing my intestinal permeability or “leaky gut”.
I walked out of that store feeling hopeless because I thought that was just about the worst advice I had ever heard. I could not reconcile the horrendous state of my health having anything to do with my “gut”. She planted the seed, but it would take another year or two, any many more antibiotics before I could wrap my mind around that concept and healing could start to begin.
If you are familiar with my website Eat Pray Get Well, you know I became like a detective in regards to my health. I had to backtrack and see how and where my health had gotten so off track. Although that fourth surgery was seemingly a complete waste of time and money, one positive thing did result from it. Although I had had many sinus cultures in the past, this time the results were a surprise. Instead of just being positive for hard to treat bacteria such as pseudomonas and staph, it also came back positive for fungus as well! As crazy as it sounds, I was excited because this was new information I could work with.
Through much research I came to realize the damage that was done to my body due to toxic mold exposure after moving into a mold ridden apartment in Manhattan at 18 years old. I even began to learn the cause of my dreaded food allergies. You see when your gut microbiome is altered, for instance by eating a poor diet, too much alcohol, or excessive antibiotics, good bacteria gets killed off which results in bad yeast and fungus gaining a foothold. Once this happens this can result in holes (wider cellular gaps) in the intestines allowing undigested foods, yeast, and toxins into the bloodstream. What happens next is your immune system kicks into high gear working hard to attack these “foreign” bodies in your bloodstream. This process also triggers inflammation throughout the body and of course food allergies!
It turned out that trip to the health food store that day was a blessing. I set out to take her advice and heal my gut and stop my food allergies. I began taking colostrum and probiotics. Colostrum to help repair the leaky gut and probiotics to replace the good bacteria that was stripped away.
I also started taking NSC Beta Glucan Allergy formula. I cannot stress enough how much these three supplements changed my life. From the first day I took the beta glucan allergy formula I no longer had an issue with food allergies and haven’t gone a day without it since. In fact I include it in my “15 supplements worth taking”. NSC Allergy formula doesn’t just “cover up” the symptoms of allergic reaction but goes to the cause. Beta Glucan helps to normalize your immune system and when an immune system is operating properly, most of the time it eliminates erroneous immune cells release of histamines and chemicals which cause allergic reactions in the first place.
Here is one of my interviews on televisions Know the Cause where I discuss my former health issues. My book, Eat Pray Get Well – Journey from Chronic Illness & Brokenness to Wholeness & Wellness (foreword written by Doug Kaufmann – Host of Know the Cause) is now sold in stores as well as NSC24.com, and on my website www.eatpraygetwell.com.
**Disclaimer by Erin Porter – “I am not a physician, I cannot help individuals with a personal plan or advice, I can only write about my experience. Please consult your physician when starting any new diet or supplement, and never forgo seeing your doctor in lieu of internet advice. I was not compensated for this post. Opinions are all my own, and I would never recommend any supplement or brand I didn’t personally love, use, and have benefited from.”
