When I first met Amy, she told me she’d always battled her weight and was tired of the constant struggle. She said she gains by just “looking at food.” She also had arthritis in her knee, her digestion was not ideal, and she felt sluggish during the day. Amy had just found out her Hemoglobin A1c level was 6.1, which is in the pre-diabetic range. Amy’s goals were to feel better in her clothes and stay active to play with her grandkids.
With her symptoms of stubborn weight, fatigue, knee pain and subpar digestion, I wondered if she had a food sensitivity to gluten.
We ran a comprehensive blood test, the Wheat Zoomer. The results showed that her body was creating inflammation every time she ate wheat, barley or rye and that she had “leaky gut.” We also ran another food sensitivity panel and found she had reactions to rice and sesame.
Eager to feel better, Amy gave up eating gluten, rice and sesame and diligently followed her nutrition plan.
Her improvements from changing her diet are awesome:
- she lost 21 lbs and counting. The last time we met she told me that she’s able to wear older jeans because they fit in the waist again. She said, “I feel like my metabolism is in gear – the weight is just coming off!”
- all areas of digestion are better,
- knee and wrist pain is gone, even when she’s gardening,
- her mood is improved,
- she is more energetic,
- her A1c is now 5.5, she’s no longer pre-diabetic,
- and her body no longer wants to eat sugary foods since she feels much better eating whole, unprocessed foods.
I wanted to share Amy’s story because I know you may be feeling some of these same symptoms and wondering, “how can I feel better?”
For Amy, going gluten-free was a pivotal part of her success. Her comprehensive plan also included ways to balance her blood sugar, eat nutrient dense foods, and maximize digestion.
Your transformation and your results are unique to you. With the skill and expertise of a carefully customized nutrition plan, our nutrition therapists can help you discover improved health.
We hope that everyone can feel as great as Amy does!
Cheers to your health,
Jen
Article updated February 3, 2026.
Nutrition therapy is not intended as a diagnosis, treatment, prescription, or cure for any disease, or as a substitute for medical care. Our nutrition therapists are not licensed medical providers. Nutrition plans are not intended as a substitution for traditional medical care, nor should be interpreted as medical advice, but instead is an adjunctive and supportive therapy.