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Kate Farms Shakes: Komplete, Peptide 1.0 and Peptide 1.5. Vegan and Hypoallergenic Complete Nutrition Meal Replacement Protein Shakes (Corn free, Soy free, Wheat free, Dairy free).

11/1/2017

2 Comments

 
This is not a sponsored post. I bought for and paid for all the items myself, and did not get anything in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.
Lady of Lyme: Kate Farms Meal Replacement Shakes: Hypoallergenic, Vegan, Corn free, Soy free, Gluten free, Dairy free
For those of you following along my journey on my blog you know how much I have struggled with tummy troubles. Pain, cramps, food intolerances, and food sensitivites have all been par for the course with me. Then, in May of 2017 after 6 months of hardly being able to eat anything due to severe pain I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. I lost a LOT of weight during this struggle, and all my food sensitivities flared big time. It felt like even my previous "safe" foods caused me pain and there was almost nothing I could put into my stomach without it hurting. For months I was hardly getting any calories, and my weight was plummeting. In the past I relied on an item called 'Benecalorie" which at the time was really great. It is a small 1 ounce liquid packed with 320 calories which you can add into any food or shake. However, in the past year I became sensitive to any and all dairy or milk derived items, and unfortunately for me Benecalorie contains calcium caseinate.

I was left with nowhere to turn. I made homemade shakes with simple rice protein powder and coconut milk, but those hardly contained the calories I needed nor the nutrition. I am already quite thin and my whole life I have been petite. With a genetically fast metabolism things can get dangerous for me very quickly if I lose weight. As I got weaker I searched all over for ready made meal replacement shakes, but they were all FULL of junk like GMO corn syrup, whey protein, soybean oil, etc. They were not allergy friendly, and they were more detrimental to my health than beneficial. I was so surprised that as I searched all of Nestlé Nutrition's weight gain meal replacement shakes I kept finding it full of fillers or other non allergy friendly additives. This is the stuff they tell Cancer patients to drink during chemo, and it horrified me. It seemed like there were no good options for someone like me, and I was really panicked.

I spent weeks tirelessly searching the internet, looking on Crohn's message boards for ideas. All these patients were just sucking it up and drinking Ensure (much to the detriment of their body). Absolutely no one had a good recommendation for me. I wish I could say I discovered something quickly or that it just fell into my lap by luck. But it was very real work on my end to locate an allergy friendly healthy meal replacement shake, which says a LOT about the big conglomerates who run Google ad sense. But I digress..

Finally, around late April (after 4 months of living on essentially air), I found Kate Farms. And that is when everything changed for me for the better. It is vegan, hypoallergenic, and nutritionally complete. Not to mention, they taste SO GOOD. I assure you, even if this begins to sound like an ad, it 100% is not. I am just THAT grateful for this company that I feel the need to shout it from the rooftops and share about it to anyone who might need it.


So now, let me tell you all about Kate Farms shakes..

The story of how this company came to be is inspiring in and of itself. Kate Farms was created when a little girl with cerebral palsy named Kate had a severe failure to thrive. Her parents were in a panic about getting her needed nutrition and took to their kitchen to concoct the perfect formula. They found the precise blend which essentially brought Kate back to life, and that was the basis for their shakes. Their motto is "ALL GOOD THINGS," and it's because they promise that their shakes will have only good things and be packed full of bio-available nutrition that is easy to digest.

They have 3 options for their shakes:
1. Kate Farms Komplete: A well balanced meal in a bottle with vitamins, super-foods, and plant based proteins. (290 calories, approx $43 per 12 pack)
2. Kate Farms Core Essentials Peptide 1.0: A ready to use oral and tube feeding formula that is nutritionally complete. (325 calories, approx $43 per 12 pack)
3. Kate Farms Core Essentials Peptide Plus 1.5: A calorically dense, ready to use oral and tube feeding peptide formula that is nutritionally complete. (500 calories, approx $95 per 12 pack)*

*The Peptide 1.0 and 1.5 is covered by insurance if you need enteral feeding or meal replacement and have a Doctor's RX. You can find a PDF for a Physicians written order to get insurance approval here.

I have been using the Peptide 1.5 mostly, and on occasion the 1.0. These have become a staple of my daily life, and I wholeheartedly mean it when I say that they saved my life. Yes, the Peptide 1.5 is pricey, BUT it is a small easy to drink bottle packed with 500 calories. It is worth every penny for this formula which is like liquid nutrition gold. It is about $8 a bottle which at the end of the day is completely worth it.

Here is the highlight reel about what the shakes offer:
  • Completely plant based
  • FREE of Common Allergens
  • No wheat, dairy, lactose, gluten, soy, corn, tree nuts, eggs, fish, shellfish.
  • Corn free, Soy free, Gluten free, VEGAN
  • Their peptide 1.0 and 1.5 have complete nutrition in a bottle
  • Delivers 24 micronutrients and a blend of superfoods that provide antioxidents
  • Hypoallergenic
  • Non GMO
  • Easy to digest
  • Almost 100% organic
  • Only 29 ingredients
  • Protein sources: Organic pea protein, Organic brown rice protein
  • Fat sources: Organic high oleic sunflower oil, Coconut oil, MCT oil (providing Omega 3 & 6)
  • Carbohydrate sources: Organic brown rice syrup solids, organic agave syrup
  • Prebiotic fiber source: Organic soluble inulin.
  • Contains a "superfoods blend" with phytochemicals from 29 fruits and vegetables without ANY of the allergens from the source ingredients. (This was HUGE for me because I am allergic to many fruits, so this way I get the nutrition from them without any of the allergy!)

For a more detailed break down of exactly what each shake has in them, please click on the corresponding photo below to open a PDF file.
Lady of Lyme: Kate Farms Core Essentials 1.0
Lady of Lyme: Kate Farms Core Essentials Peptide 1.5

These shakes completely saved my life. I was weak, frail, in immense pain and hardly weighed 90 pounds. The discovery of these shakes allowed me to get nutrition and calories in when absolutely no solid food was tolerable. I had to live on only liquid shakes for months (it's all I could manage), and these were (and still are) a complete Godsend. The fact that it is hypoallergenic, organic, non GMO, and so good for my body is a dream come true. The shakes are so easy to digest and feel so good to drink. One roadblock I ran into with other shakes on the market (even vegan shakes) is that they added in things like cherry powder, or banana powder, or some other form of whole fruits for nutrition, and sadly I am highly allergic. The saving grace about Kate Farms is that their shakes extract all the nutrition from the fruits and vegetables, but they do so in a way that no allergic compounds (such as the protein) of the origin food remains. This makes it completely safe for people like myself!

To top it all off the company itself is extremely kind and helpful. Everyone at Kate Farms are so patient focused and will do everything in their power to help you out or answer any questions you may have. They respond to emails in timely manner, and their staff will go to any length needed to properly answer your questions or remedy an issue. The way a company treats their customers says a lot about them, and in this case they couldn't possible be more generous or caring.


If you are looking for protein shakes or weight gaining meal replacement shakes which are nutritionally complete, non GMO, Vegan, Hypoallergenic, and full of good stuff, then I urge you to give Kate Farms a try! This is not a sponsored post in any way, but it's a really incredible company and product which I adore.

If you have any kind of chronic illness where you struggle to get proper nutrition then this product is for you. Whether its Lyme Disease, MS, Lupus, Crohn's Disease, IBD, IBS, Cancer, or ANYTHING else, this will be so good for you. The nutrition alone in these shakes make it great, so even if you can eat OK but are just having issues with getting good nutrition you can simply sub a shake for a meal each day. Even my mom who is healthy drinks the Kate Farms Komplete because she loves how they make her feel. I can personally attest that once I started drinking the Peptide 1.5 I instantly could feel the difference in how my body reacted. I was putting nutrition in without any inflammatory allergens, and the difference was stark. It gives me needed fuel and I will forever be grateful to Kate Farms.

To purchase these products from Amazon (if that is your preference), here are the links:
Komplete: Vanilla
Komplete: Chocolate
Komplete: Coffee
Core Essentials Peptide 1.0: Vanilla
Core Essentials Peptide 1.5

To purchase these products directly from Kate Farms, here are the links:
Komplete (Chocolate, Vanilla, Coffee)
Core Essentials Peptide 1.0 (Vanilla & Chocolate)
Core Essentials Peptide 1.5
Lady of Lyme: Collection of Kate Farms Meal Replacement Shakes
xoxo,
Christina

2 Comments

ProBiota Bifido - Histamine Reducing Probiotics for Mast Cell Activation Disorder and Histamine Intolerance -

9/28/2017

26 Comments

 
This is not a sponsored post, and I did not receive this item for free. I bought paid for it myself, and have been using it for over a year. This is just an informative post and my honest review.

If you struggle with Mast Cell issues or Histamine issues in any capacity you have come to the right place. Whether its MCAS/MCAD, chronic allergies, high Histamine level overload, Histamine Intolerance, or anything in between, it is a very real issue which plagues a lot of people in the chronic illness community. I myself have struggled with chronic food and environmental allergies which then spiraled into Mast Cell issues creating high levels of histamine. Some Doctors called it Histamine intolerance, other Doctors called it Mast Cell Activation Disorder. Either way it was wreaking havoc on my life and very difficult to control.

It took me a long time to learn that some strains of bacteria are actually histamine PRODUCING, and therefore some probiotics on the market could actually be adding to my full body inflammation instead of helping. I am someone who struggles with G.I issues and digestive difficulties, so taking a probiotic is an absolute must. However, I started to notice that I wasn't tolerating certain brands of probiotics well at all, but I wasn't sure why. This is when I began to do some research and I learned a lot of interesting things about how probiotics and histamine go hand in hand.

There are strains of good bacteria which are histamine producing, and the top culprits are: Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus reuteri, and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. Many of these are most commonly in yogurts, and yes you guessed it.. probiotic blends.

There are also strains of good bacteria which are histamine reducing (called histamine degraders), and those include: Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium bifido, Bifidobacterium breve, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Lactobacillus plantarum.

So, what do Histamine degraders do? These strains of bacteria actually reduce histamine levels in the body. For one they do not actively create histamine like other bacteria do, and they also eat up histamine (degrade it).

After extensively researching about this topic I learned about a probiotic blend called ProBiota Bifido. This blend only contains 4 stains of bacteria, and all 4 are histamine reducing strains.
Supplement Facts ProBiota Bifido Histamine Reducing Probiotic
Another thing to note with ProBiota Bifido is that it does not contain any Lactobacillus strains. This is because some individuals are sensitive to Lactobacillus, primarily because of it creating D lactic-acid which can lead to D-Lactic Acidosis. This occurs when the body is unable to get rid of the D-Lactic acid sufficiently, mostly commonly occurring when the digestive system is impaired in some way or overloaded (by eating too much of the strain). D-Lactic Acidosis is seen in children on the autism spectrum disorder, and some other health conditions can be more prone to struggling with this issue. The build up of D-Lactic acid can create neurological symptoms and be very problematic for some. So, I am very happy that ProBiota Bifido does not include any in their blend.

I began taking this blend over a year ago, and it has been the only probiotic which I have consistently tolerated, loved, and never had one issue with (which is saying a LOT because I tend to be highly sensitive to probiotics). In fact it actually helps to calm symptoms in the gut, and even outside of the gut (such as inflammation) due to its histamine lowering ability. It is absolutely incredible stuff. I have long struggled with digestive issues and other GI issues, and this strain keeps me well balanced.

If you struggle with any similar issues with Histamine or Mast Cells I encourage you to give this blend a try. I could sing it's praises 100 times over. It has made SUCH a difference in my life, in my symptoms, and in my tolerance of every day life. I do not know where I would be without this stuff.

It doesn't need to be refrigerated (per the bottles instructions), but I do keep mine in the fridge just to be safe. A bottle of 60 caps lasts me 2-3 months (depending on how often I take it), and it's about $45. That might seem pricey to some who take probiotics which are cheaper, but TRUST me on this one. If you share these issues which I talked about above it will be worth every single penny. And if you are just someone who has had issues with almost every probiotic you have tried, give this one a shot before you give up.

You can buy this online right HERE, and I would love to hear any feedback from anyone who has tried it. You can read the reviews on Amazon, they are all echoing my same sentiments. Probiota Bifido is histamine reducing magic in a bottle! I also want to note that for those who have colon pain, IBS, or some IBD's (Crohn's or Ulcerative Colitis) then you can use this blend in a probiotic enema for some relief. It bypasses the stomach acid that way and gets the probiotics rights where it needs to go. This is a method a lot of people I spoke to have used and say they had great results with, so it's just some food for thought! 

xoxo,
Christina
I paid for this item myself and have given all my own opinions and shared my own experiences. This post is not sponsored in any way shape or form.
26 Comments

Book Review & GIVEAWAY:  UNLOCKING LYME: Myths, Truths, and Practical Solutions for Chronic Lyme Disease- William Rawls M.D.

2/17/2017

2 Comments

 
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I am someone who really believes that the key to healing from Lyme Disease lies in the immune system. If you can repair the immune system and give it what it needs then it will kill the pathogens and return the body back into a normal homeostasis. I have experienced this first hand, and have also seen it with those around me. Antibiotics can only do so much when it comes to something like Chronic Lyme Disease. Many LLMD's and Doctors are also realizing this, as they move away from strictly antibiotic based therapy, and incorporate other holistic approaches as well. One really popular treatment approach right now is LDI (low Dose immunotherapy), and that is the Hallmark of a treatment approach which uses the patient's own immune system to find and target the pathogens in order to heal.

When I got my hands on an advanced copy of Dr. Rawls book, I was SO excited. I love to learn and I love to be educated about all the ways we can heal from this disease. I am always obsessively researching and trying to learn everything I can in order to help myself and put the pieces of the puzzle together to heal. This book is something which I strongly believe every single patient should own. Dr. Rawls lays out all of his knowledge in a format which is easy to understand (in layman's terms), an is organized beautifully. Here are the screen shots of the Table of Contents, so you can see a preview of all the wealth of info which is covered in the book.

This book is one which I wish I had access to when I was newly diagnosed. It explains Lyme Disease so comprehensively, while also making sure to not overwhelm the reader. Dr. Rawls then dives into all the other infections which can come along with Lyme Disease, and explains how it wreaks havoc on the immune system specifically.

Once the reader gets a taste of understanding the basics of Lyme Disease (including tid-bits even I, a seasoned patient, didn't know), you get the the second section which is personally my favorite: Testing. I was thrilled to see so much detailed info be included in this book about lab tests, their pitfalls, how to interpret tests, and what labs you need run. It's like having a personal guide take you through everything you need you know. If you are someone who suspects you might have Chronic Lyme but don't quite know how to approach it, this is for you! If you are someone who has Chronic Lyme and isn't sure if your Doctor is doing the proper testing, this is also for you! It is vital to understand the issues with testing, and what you need to have ran in order to get proper treatment. This section beautifully covers it all.

Next up, this book dives into treatment methods. What I loved in that it covers all the different approaches one by one. It speaks about traditional antibiotic therapy, holistic therapy, herbal therapies, etc. It touches on all the different commonly seen routes, but also goes into other lesser known therapies. The section on treatment dives deep into pretty much every different therapy there is out there for Lyme Disease. It contains all the information you would ever need to be able to compare and see all your options. Dr. Rawls does a fantastic job of diving into the topic of supplements, and how to manage big issues like insomnia, pain, depression, anxiety etc. In this section he also does over the topic relapsing as well as the all mighty biofilms (which is a topic often missed by Doctors). The best part? He also includes dosing suggestions so you aren't left in the dark about how much you might need of any given supplement/med. I am not kidding when I say this book is SO comprehensive, and an absolute must have.

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The last section tackles many common topics such as emotional support/mindset, digestive issues which come with Lyme, detoxing, mold, and how to get active again. The amount of comprehensive info packed into this book truly astonished me. All in all, it touches on every last issue you could possibly need to know, and I was really impressed every step of the way.

Because of that I am going to give away a copy of this book, and hopefully it can help someone else out there as well! To enter, just follow the instructions below. For those of you who want to purchase the book now, or if you don't win the giveaway, you can do so HERE.

If you want to learn more about Dr. Rawls you can check out his website HERE.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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    Welcome!

    This is the area of my blog devoted to Reviews of books, items, supplements etc, as well as Interviews with people in the Lyme Disease community.
    NONE of the posts are sponsored, and ALL items discussed are bought and paid for myself unless noted otherwise in the post. You will also find some wonderful Guest Posts by incredible writers in the Chronic Illness community.


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