Body Balance

Ok, before I get into the supplement, “Body Balance,” I still need to catch you up on the other changes I’ve made and the effects they’ve had on my health. I’m hoping that within a post or two that I can finally start writing about the present and begin officially keeping data.


On Day 4 of my new “detox” diet, I stopped taking the proton-pump inhibitor I was taking to treat my acid reflux. I had been taking it for about 3 months and found that I had become dependent. Unfortunately, chronic use of acid reducers can lead to B-12 deficiency since stomach acid is necessary for proper digestion (http://www.aafp.org/afp/20030301/979.html). I decided I would stop taking the medication and see how I did. Two days of ratatouille later, I had what felt like a lump in my throat, trouble swallowing, plus my reflux was back. I called my G.I. and spoke to the nurse, who spoke to the doctor, who wanted to up my meds. Go figure. I’d made these major overhauls in my diet, hoping to improve my health, and now I was destroying my esphogus. I found it pretty depressing that I had fixed one problem (my IBS) but had created another. I had heard that stopping an acid blocker could lead to rebound acid reflux (http://www.medpagetoday.com/Gastroenterology/GERD/14956), so instead of freaking out, I decided to find some alternatives to the acid reducer.

I checked out Dr. Andrew Weil’s website, http://www.drweil.com/. I first heard of Dr. Weil after he was a guest on the Oprah show and appreciated his ability to combine conventional and complementary medicine. He is also the founder and Program Director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine. Dr. Weil recommended deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL), so after a little more research, off to the local health food store I went. DGL supplements can taste pretty gross, but the lovely clerk at Earthfare recommended a chocolate flavored one that was gluten-free. Gluten-free, yes. Dairy-free, no. Since I could barely swallow by this point, I was pretty desperate and bought it anyway. After about three days, the lump in my throat was gone. I should add that I also cut out alcohol, dark chocolate, tomatoes, raw onions, fried foods, and spicy foods (my acid triggers). After a week, I was able to reintroduce small amounts of tomatoes and garlic, but not raw onion (which I also avoid because it aggravates my IBS) or alcohol (which has always given me reflux). I should continue to avoid chocolate, but sometimes I’ll have a bite and suffer the consequences. I take the DGL three times a day, twenty minutes before meals. I find that if I skip a dose and eat a large meal, my acid comes back. Oh yeah, there are a few other things that really helped me, such as eating smaller meals, chewing well, eating slowly, and not eating three hours prior to going to bed.

Body Balance started Day 5 into my diet. Life Force International’s Body Balance is a whole foods, liquid supplement recommended to me by my physical therapist. It’s a multivitamin, antioxidant, mineral, and amino acid supplement made from sea vegetables, combined with an aloe base. Because Body Balance is in liquid form, it’s also much more absorbable than the typical horse pill sized multi’s that I never end up taking anyway because they make me gag. I was a bit skeptical at first since it’s sold via multi-level marketing, but after speaking with my PT’s daughter, Sarah (name has been changed), who sells the product, and doing tons of research, I decided I would try it. Sarah has two young boys who suffered from multiple health issues, both whose problems started to resolve after a few months on the supplement. Sarah recommended I start with a low dose (.5 oz) to ensure that it didn’t cause G.I. distress. After about two weeks, I’ve worked my way up to 2 oz per day. I don’t really notice much of a difference being on the supplement; however, as with any supplement, it typically takes weeks before the health benefits kick in. In addition to Body Balance, I also take a calcium/magnesium/Vit D/ Vit K supplement, fish oil, and folic acid. I probably have the most expensive urine on my block! Previously, I had only taken calcium and fish oil sporadically and didn’t take folic acid. But since folic acid and fish oil are both key to brain health, not to mention important to prenatal development (should I get pregnant soon), I now take them daily.

Ok, it’s almost 11 pm and I’m beat. More to come after I’ve gotten some sleep.