MY STORY
...in tiny steps
Let me tell you something about myself…
Like most of us, I could not refuse a delicate piece of chocolate, a delicious dessert in a restaurant, or a juicy fruit at a farmers’ market. After moving to California and settling into a fruit paradise, I really believed my health would naturally take care of itself. After all, there are countless varieties of fruits and vegetables available in every season!
And so, while at my doctor’s, I looked with disbelief at the elevated glucose levels in the test results and I involuntarily checked whether the patient’s name on the form was mine! Yes, it was me, and those numbers were mine. How could that be true?
My doctor was not concerned. “Nothing to worry about,” she said, “the numbers are on the upper limit of the norm.” So I merrily went back to eating my delicious fruits until suddenly my favorite party dress became too tight.
My new goal was to get rid of a few extra pounds, which was not easy. I went on a true starvation diet. Two months later I was successful (I thought). I had returned to the weight of my dreams from when I was a teenager. Cheers! But along with losing the weight, I felt I had lost my mind. Suddenly I was out of control. Norwegian crispbreads became irresistible; I could not stop eating them. While munching on the crispbreads nonstop, I thought “My body is clearly missing something”. Of course, as you would expect, my weight went up again. I despaired.
What was going on with me?
Browsing in a bookstore, I came across “The Craving Cure”. The book was an explosion of information; I was finally getting some answers. I learned about the root cause of my cravings. It turns out that cravings have biological roots. When we feel lonely, unhappy, stressed, or low on energy, that is when sugar or alcohol “come to the rescue.” For a while we feel better, but only for a short while. The cause is not resolved at all. When carbs burn, the good mood and energy is short-lived, and the process repeats itself. So gradually, we turn into sugar or alcohol cravers.
Yes, the book opened my eyes, but how could I take that information and help myself? The book was so thick, it was impossible for me to read to the end. Six months later, it finally dawned on me: even if I read it in its entirety, it was not going to give me practical experience. I needed to find a specialist who could help me. Who has this knowledge? I located a local professional and made an appointment.
Soon I found myself trialing amino acids with my new coach to find out which ones would work best for me. Right away we found the amino acid that wiped out my cheese cravings. Yes! I began to take amino acids and other supplements, according to my individual plan.
That was just the beginning of my journey. On the way, I gradually felt that I could give up not only the crispbreads, but champagne and chocolate. The dairy and nuts “surrendered” last. Finally, my beloved munchies lost their power over me.
So began my training in this new specialty. As a medical doctor, I believe in getting to the bottom of things.
My name is Regina Gysel, I am an Amino Acid Therapy coach and amino acids are the bricks that proteins are made of. Why is this important to know? It is all because the neurotransmitters that are signaling molecules in your brain are built from amino acids.
The balance of neurotransmitters determines not only your food cravings, but also mood and sleep behavior. It is possible to get rid of the craving for sugar even if you have a lifelong sweet tooth. You can also improve your mood and promote healthy sleeping habits by using individually selected amino acids. In my studies and personal life quest to be healthy, I learned how to help myself and now I am focused on helping others with their cravings.
As a certified tiny habits coach, I will ensure that you achieve your big and scary goals in tiny painless steps. And we will be celebrating every tiny habit and win as we go!