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My Daughter’s Health Crisis Changed Everything—Especially Our Family Diet


Let me take you back to the day that changed everything.
It’s 4:30 on a Sunday afternoon in April, I’m standing at the kitchen sink making dinner and heard grunting sounds.  I turned to look over my shoulder to see my 8 year old daughter hunched and convulsing, drooling from the mouth…she was having a seizure.

I had never experienced this before and was terrified.

We called 911 and Julia was hospitalized for four days while doctors ran all the test…EEGs, MRIs and CAT scans.  The crazy thing was Julie had one seizure each day while in the hospital, and it always happened when the doctors were on rounds and would come in to check on her.  Something deep inside me knew it was related to the emotions she was feeling, even though her emotions couldn’t be measured by an EEG or MRI.

The next four months were the most challenging months of my life. 

Julia continued to have seizures, sometimes as many as 10-15 in a day.   She ended up taking 4 different seizure medications to get them to stop.   The episodes were so unpredictable and the uncertainty of everything in our lives was exhausting.  My husband, Mike and I were trying to keep a close eye on Julia, provide for our 3 younger daughters and maintain some normalcy in our lives.  It’s amazing how a negative situation with a child can have such a dramatic impact on everyone in the family.  Shortly after Julia’s health crisis, Mike started having anxiety attacks (in addition to his life-long allergies) and my auto-immune condition, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis flared to record levels.

The amazing thing is we were able to work with numerous experts, coaches and specialists through an amazing journey of self-discovery and heal our entire family.  Not only did Julia wean off all medication and remain seizure free, Mike eliminated his anxiety and reversed his life-long allergies.  I also, healed my auto-immune condition.  We discovered a simple holistic approach to health and found deep connections and joy in our lives.

During our journey we discovered the importance of an underrated nutrient…. fiber!

Soluble fiber plays a crucial role in detoxifying fat soluble waste from the body.  This includes hormones, environmental toxins, and most significantly our own metabolic waste (the by-product of the trillions of chemical reactions that happen in our cells on a daily basis!) must be removed from the body for optimal functioning.

The liver is an organ responsible for creating a substance called bile.  Bile collects all of the body’s fat soluble waste and there is waits to bind with soluble fiber.

Soluble fiber is a unique nutrient because it attracts bile like a magnet and it is the only nutrient that cannot cross the blood barrier in the digestive system.  The strong bond between bile and fiber is what creates the path for waste to exit the body in the form of a bowel movement.

However, when a person does not eat consistent and adequate amounts of soluble fiber, a backup of waste occurs.  This is because the fat soluble waste which has collected in the bile moves through the digestive system and if it never binds with fiber that same waste will be reabsorbed into the blood stream.

It’s like never taking out the garbage in your home.  If you don’t ever put the garbage to the curb to be removed, you’re going to end up with an unpleasant situation over time.

Just imagine what will happen inside a body if all the excess stress hormones (the ones currently causing symptoms like allergic reactions, anxious thoughts, distraction, hyper-sensitivity or seizures) don’t ever get cleared out of the body.

Imagine what happens when the same pattern of daily choices continues to pile on more and more problematic hormones and toxins into the internal environment.  This is when allergies lead to irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety becomes depression, ADD progresses into bipolar disorder, or seizures leads to migraines.

All chronic illnesses such as auto-immune conditions, diabetes, psychological disorders, heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s are a result of an imbalance in the body’s internal environment.

So by starting with this one lifestyle pattern of increasing fiber you are setting up vibrant health in the future!

Some foods that are high in soluble fiber include:

  • Beans (garbanzo, black, lentil, cannellini, kidney, navy, all varieties)
  • Seeds (chia, pumpkin, sunflower)
  • Vegetables (carrots, beets, broccoli, collard greens, spinach, potatoes)
  • Fruits (bananas, oranges, apples, mangoes, strawberries, raspberries)

Of these foods, beans are by far the highest source of fiber.  There are many ways to get creative with adding beans into your families’ meal plan. Toss some lentils into a soup, make roasted garbanzo beans for a snack, use Fava bean flour in pancakes, or add black beans to your tacos.

Who knew beans were that important!

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About the author 

Amanda Hinman

Amanda Hinman is the Co-Founder of Hinman Holistic Health Institute, Ltd. and works with moms who are frustrated because they don’t have enough time and inside feel like a failure when they don’t know how to support their child’s health. She has a process to help moms tap into their own INNER STRENGTH and make life easier.

Amanda helps moms nationwide 1) discover what new healthy habits are most beneficial, 2) create time for things they are passionate about and 3) gain clarity in how to support their children!

As a result, those who coach with her save time and enjoy better health with deeper family connection. Her clients get faster results because her process empowers moms to become a role model and create a ripple effect for everyone in their family.

Along with Aspire Magazine, Amanda has been featured in Huffington Post, Natural Awakenings, and various guest blogs. She is a Family Health Expert, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, speaker and author of Vibrant Child: 7 Steps to Increase Your Child’s Health & Happiness.

Visit www.Hinmans.com and claim your free “Vibrant Child Starter Kit” today.

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