John Frovold|My Health Journey

My health story begins in 2013 when I had random occurrences where HALF of my face would swell up for a few hours in the morning. This happened about half a dozen times, then stopped happening, and never has occurred again. To that point, I had a diet of processed foods, gluten, junk food, and very few fruits and vegetables. I also drank alcohol more than a moderate level and used smokeless tobacco.

After the face swelling issue, I began researching possible external causes for reactions. At that time, I installed a reverse osmosis drinking water system and I moved away from using aluminum paste-based deodorant. In May of 2014, I stopped drinking alcohol entirely. I stopped using smokeless tobacco at the same time as well. I haven’t had an alcoholic “drink” or “dip” since. I feel it is one of the best decisions I have ever made.

I will preface my next health event by pointing out that I did have a few significant stress events, one in 2012 and one in 2014. In 2017, I noticed that I felt more tired than usual and suffered from extremely achy joints after a normal day of activity. My doctor ran some tests and determined that my thyroid output was low. They diagnosed me with Hashimoto’s disease. I was told that I was going to have to take levothyroxine pills for the rest of my life. Nothing to help me understand WHY my body is attached to my thyroid.

Around this point in time, I noticed a new problem, small spots or clusters of blisters on the tops of my fingers and the bottoms of my feet. The blisters on the bottoms of my feet would sometimes get so bad that it was painful to walk. Shortly thereafter discovering my thyroid issue, a family member had to go gluten-free, as they discovered they had Celiac disease.

In 2018, I decided to eliminate gluten from my diet. I felt better, and my blisters were reduced, but still present. At this point in time, I was unaware of how important eliminating gluten was for my thyroid. In September 2020, I stumbled upon Dr. Berg’s videos on YouTube. I felt that my problems still might be related to food/diet. Everything he said made sense to me. I decided to give it a try.

After one year on Keto/Intermittent Fasting, I have noted improvement in the following areas: - Fewer headaches - No more abnormally achy joints - Tonsil inflammation reduced - Energy levels increased - Blisters have almost disappeared! My next hope is that my thyroid function returns. I am soon coming up on my yearly blood test for my thyroid level check. I plan to taper off my levothyroxine gradually before I go in for the test, to see if my thyroid responds.

My current regimen is Keto/IF on a 20:4 intermittent fasting pattern. At least once a month I do a 60-72 hour fast. I also cycle my metabolism to carbs, 1-2 times per month, incorporating healthy carbs for a 2-3 day span, then back on Keto. Aside from potentially regaining my thyroid function, I am excited about the prospect of gaining additional health benefits such as autophagy, increased HGH, reduced aging, and less chance of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s.

In late 2020, I contracted COVID-19 and it amounted to nothing more than a bad head cold. I feel that my immune system has gotten stronger over the past year, and I have not been sick since the end of 2020. Thank you for showing me a new way of life!