Overcoming skin issues, bloating and excess weight

Successfully overcoming skin issues such as eczema, acne or psoriasis can be a problem for quite a few people, especially women and girls of all ages.

In this post, I describe and discuss a remarkable clinical case of significant improvements or complete resolution of a number of symptoms including long-term eczema, bloating, gut pain, fatigue and weight loss. These improvements were the result of performing IgG food sensitivity testing and following the elimination diet based on the test results.

I have written about the IgG testing in my previous post and described the methodology used in our clinical study utilising the elimination diet based on food sensitivity testing results. It would be beneficial for you to read it first before proceeding to better understand the method used and steps followed.

The IgG food-specific reactions identified by the test help to guide an elimination diet tailored for each individual. It is proving to be a safe and effective method in significantly decreasing gut inflammation (and inflammation throughout the body), improving digestion and elimination, and calming down the immune system to support and speed up healing processes and weight loss.

Here’s Sophie’s step-by-step journey to better health and her ideal weight.

Overcoming bloating, skin issues and excess weight – Sophie’s story

Clinical case presentation

Sophie, a 52-year-old bookkeeper, presented with a number of long-standing health complaints and imbalances including:

Skin – eczema since childhood, at present eczema on both hands most of the time (knuckles crack open). Skin reactions to animal fur, dust, certain foods and when stressed
Gut imbalances – bloating, flatulence, diarrhoea or constipation, reflux, pain/ cramps – not all the time but bad if going through an episode
Fatigue – had glandular fever around 30 years ago, struggled with tiredness since
Joint pain/ osteoarthritis – swelling around wrists and thumbs, as well as bursitis and inflamed tendon
Stress – constant level of high stress, mood swings, memory problems/ brain fog, stress-induced diarrhoea
Food allergies (confirmed by IgE testing) – allergic to fresh fish (anaphylactic), potato, sesame seeds, egg white and eggplant
Nasal/ sinus congestion, watery eyes
Blood sugar imbalances – craves sweets, excessive abdominal weight (fat above belly button), frequent thirst and urination
Hysterectomy two years ago after years of endometriosis, adenomyosis and fibroids
Thyroid cancer – thyroid removed two years ago, now on thyroid medication
Asthma from birth, now under control
Removal of gallbladder 20 years ago

As evidenced above, Sophie was dealing with a number of significant health concerns over the years and was searching for natural therapies and nutrition strategies that could help her feel better. She also wanted to lose weight; her goal was to weigh 65-68kg. Her starting weight was 77kg.

She heard about the food sensitivity testing from her chiropractor and decided to give it a go.

Sophie’s initial IgG test results

High sensitivity ‘red’ foods: 49 (a significant number across many food groups)
Borderline yellow foods: 8

Main foods/ food groups that needed to be excluded included:

Dairy – all kinds: cow, goat, sheep
Gluten – all gluten containing grains and products made of them
Eggs – both white and yolks
Yeast – Brewer’s and baker yeast
Nuts (7 kinds)

Progress timeline

Sophie’s complaints and imbalances manifested across many body systems and organs making it a complex clinical presentation. She had a number of long-term health issues, some since birth, and other more recent. Improving her eczema, gut health and digestion, and decreasing inflammation throughout the body were the main goals of the nutritional therapy we embarked on.

I consulted with Sophie on a regular basis during the 6-month+ period of the elimination diet and beyond.

Initial consultation

To start with, we discussed the test IgG results in detail explaining and clarifying the restrictions and diet modifications needed to properly follow the diet. This included advice on what to eat to make sure no nutrient deficiencies developed on the diet. Sophie’s main goal was overcoming skin issues she had for a long time, namely eczema since childhood.

Sophie’s blood tests performed before commencing the elimination diet indicated low vitamin D and impaired digestive capacity. We agreed to support her digestion and decrease digestive stress from the start of the diet with tailored supplementation. This way she was able to increase the absorption of nutrients from foods and speed up the healing and repair processes.

The following supplements were prescribed: digestive enzymes – because her digestion was compromised, especially digestion of fats (gallbladder removal), vitamin D and a Trauma Remedy (homeopathic) for her PTSD and daily stress.

She was provided with relevant handouts including nutrition guidelines covering the trigger food groups, meal preparation tips, list of suitable/ safe products (from supermarkets and health shops), plus initial recipes and menu suggestions to get started.

Good hydration was emphasised and she was advised to increase her daily filtered water intake to 8-9 glasses, including suggested herbal teas.

Consultation #2: 1 month on the elimination diet

Sophie fully embraced the elimination diet from the start and removed all the ‘red’ and ‘yellow’ foods replacing them with substitutes, where possible. It was a big task because of the large number of food restrictions indicated in the test results. She was provided with tailored recipes and cooking tips. Sophie also actively searched and tried various recipes available online to find what worked for her taste buds.

She reported a number of improvement as follows:

Inflammation and bursitis (she was also concurrently doing physiotherapy treatments) – much better overall
Eczema – improvement of around 50%, small amount was still present on fingers only
Reflux decreased significantly
Diarrhoea improved in terms of frequency (now not daily) but intensity was still the same
No change in energy levels – still felt tired
Minimal improvements with bloating and abdominal pain
Weight loss of 2kg – from 77kg initially down to 75kg

She was strictly following the elimination diet, rotated the foods adequately and ate balanced meals (i.e. was including protein, fats and carbohydrates in each meal including snacks).

Sophie was tracking her symptoms on a weekly basis and we discussed her progress at each consultation. This was very helpful for overall monitoring and provided great insights into her eating patterns and nutrient intake.

Because of the removal of many calcium containing foods (namely dairy), it was agreed that she start taking a calcium and magnesium supplement to prevent potential deficiencies. She was also advised to regularly eat high-calcium and magnesium foods from her ‘green’ list.

Consultation #3: 2 months on the elimination diet

Sophie continued to improve and was losing weight steadily:

Osteoarthritis, inflamed tendon and hip – improving from 8/10 down 3/10**
Eczema on fingers – going OK, small cracks that heal quickly, improved from 5/10 down to 1/10
Fatigue – still no improvement: 5/10 to 5/10
Gut – bloating, major improvement – from 8-9/10 down to 3/10
Gut – cramps, up and down. Experienced bad cramps for 2 days around the ovulation time level (8/10) , then the pain subsided and she was feeling fine
Gut – reflux (occasional) – completely resolved from 6-7/10 down to 0/10
Weight loss – lost 6kg in the past 2 months and 8kg since the beginning the elimination diet

**Rating scale 1=mild to 10=severe symptoms

Overall, she was doing well with the diet and was very creative with cooking and finding suitable recipes. She was particularly pleased with the weight loss without restricting portion sizes or counting calories.

Her weight goal at the end of the 6 months was 65-68kg.

Consultation #4 and #5: 4-5 months on the elimination diet

Sophie reported that her eczema flared up because she had contact with animals. Prior to this her eczema was fine. This was a known trigger for her.

Gut symptoms were either minimal or non-existent. Her energy levels also lifted markedly and she needed less naps in the afternoon to get through the day.

She also lost another 2kg and her total weight loss at 4 months on the elimination diet was 10kg.

Consultation #6: 7 months on the diet and after the IgG retest

Sophie’s retest results:

High sensitivity ‘red’ foods: 22 (down from 49, a significant decrease)
Borderline yellow foods: 6 (down from 8 initially)
Weight loss: 14kg (from initially 77kg down to 63kg) – she said the last time she weighed 63kg was when she was 28 years old!

overcoming skin issues via IgG food testing

Sophie’s retest results showed a significant reduction in inflammatory, trigger foods, indicating improved gut function and digestion, and a much better functioning immune system.

Her gluten sensitivity also decreased remarkably, which is not commonly seen on retests considering her multiple health challenges and severity of symptoms at the start of the elimination diet. Some of the foods that moved to the ‘green’ zone and could be reintroduced included: organic oats, spelt, rye, rice, nuts (almond, Brazil) and egg yolks.

Please note that we are not aiming at having no food intolerances listed on retests, as they are present all the time and their numbers fluctuate depending on the diet, stress response, environment etc. Having around 10-15 foods listed is quite normal and in Sophie’s case the decrease of ‘red’ foods can be seen as a positive response and feedback from the body to the dietary adjustments.

Outcomes and Summary

Overall, Sophie achieved remarkable results considering her many complaints and the health status beforehand. Compare the before and after symptom rankings below.

IgG food sensitivity testing - overcoming skin issues

After the retest, we discussed how/ when to gradually reintroduce a few foods (one at the time) such as egg yolks, almonds, organic oats and spelt organic sourdough bread.

Sophie’s eczema was pretty much under control providing she adhered to the diet, avoided contact with animals or exposure to excessive dust or pollen.

Her energy and vitality improved significantly and she was able to start a part-time work which she enjoys very much.

At eight months on the elimination diet Sophie exceeded her initial weight goal of 65-68kg and her weight stabilised at 61-62kg. Understandably, she felt happy about it!

Although she still has high levels of stress in her life, she is able to deal with it better and feels stronger both physically and mentally.

Although she was a good cook beforehand, she needed to significantly modify the cooking methods and ingredients used. She was proactive and brilliant at finding new recipes, which she shared with me, including photos of the yummy meals she made.

Overall, it was a remarkable turnaround for Sophie in the vast majority of her initial symptoms. These included skin issues, bloating and excess weight, plus fatigue and other digestive complaints.

She followed the elimination diet diligently and reaped the many health rewards as a result! Most of hare symptoms/ complaints responded positively within the first two months. She was very creative with cooking and finding suitable recipes which helped her advancing with the diet and enjoy it as much as possible.

At 8 months+ after the initial testing, she continued the diet guided by the IgG retest results. She was also taking digestive support supplements and consumed foods that aid digestion and liver detoxification.

By embarking on the IgG guided food intolerances test and the elimination diet, her willingness to learn about nutrition and new cooking methods, Sophie found a personalised nutrition method that allows her to manage her baseline health and symptoms, as needed.

It’s a great result for both Sophie as myself as her therapist! Empowering and teaching clients to take control and the responsibility for their health is my ultimate goal and a measure of successful therapeutic outcomes.

Overall improvements: 80%-90% from baseline.

Read the fully referenced clinical study HERE.

Sophie’s story in her own words

“I have had health issues all my life. I developed eczema at 6 weeks of age and allergies and asthma by the age of 2.

I have always had issues with energy and this was compounded when I had glandular fever in 1989 and again when my thyroid was removed due to cancer in 2019. After my thyroid cancer I tried returning to work and could only manage three short days. I would come home and sleep for 2 hours. It was wearing me out so I gave up my job.

My chiropractor had suggested doing the IgG test several times and I wish I had done it sooner. At the start, I was so overwhelmed with the number of foods that I had to eliminate. It took me 3 months to completely adopt the diet as I needed to complete radiation for my thyroid cancer and learn to drink my coffee black!

I researched a lot of recipes and things turned around for me when I discovered a buckwheat pancake recipe. Learning how to replace ingredients was key.

Joanna was great supporting and guidance me all the way. I looked forward to our sessions as we talked a lot about my improvements, recipes and how my home renovation was going. The improvements in my health and wellbeing were extraordinary, and the weight loss was an added bonus!

I have suffered from allergies most of my life and prior to the IgG test, my IgE (allergy test) level was 2095 which is really extreme! I retested after 7 months on the elimination diet and it reduced to 1357, which is still extremely high but was quite an improvement for me.

I started reintroducing some foods into my diet, which I really enjoy (particularly egg yolk). I have only reintroduced a handful of foods and still stick to the elimination diet. I do however allow myself a small treat but not too often.

I am also now working part time two days a week and really enjoying it. I still need a little nap once or twice a week but I’m coping with what life throws at me a lot better”.

Do you suffer from eczema, fatigue or bloating and/or are overweight?

Get inspired by Sophie’s achievements and the major health improvements achieved! Her goals of overcoming skin issues, bloating, diarrhoea and excess weight, among others were achieved successfully over time.

You can do it too!

In our practice, we have many examples of health recoveries or significant improvements achieved by our clients suffering from a wide range of complaints. Please take time to review a selection of the case study reports HERE.

I’m an online gut and skin naturopath and nutritionist helping clients based anywhere in Australia. Feel free to get in touch if you’d like help to get back on track with your health.

Book an online consultation now or click on the button below to book a free 25-minute initial discussion to talk about your circumstances and how I can help.

I look forward to helping you get better health and wellbeing soon!

Best of Health

Joanna Sochan
Wholistic Health and Lifestyle Therapist
Natural and Lifestyle Therapies for Abundant Health and Wellbeing

Related case studies and additional resources

Disclaimer: The above material is for informational and educational purposes only. It should not be used to self-diagnose and it is not a substitute for a medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, prescription or recommendation. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should not make any changes in their health regimen or diet before first consulting a doctor or other qualified health provider with any questions they may have regarding a medical condition or their particular circumstances.

Joanna Sochan is a Natural Therapist and founder of Naturimedica Wholistic Wellcare. She has a passion for helping clients transform their lives by becoming healthy and well naturally. Joanna has 12+ years experience in clinical practice and has special interest in solving complex cases, gut health, food sensitivities, hormone imbalances, autoimmune disorders and weight loss. She helps clients individually (mostly online) Australia-wide and also offers online therapeutic programs, eCourses and self-help eBooks. View full bio.