Read The UltraMind Solution Online
Authors: Mark Hyman
UltraMind Success Stories
“I feel like a different person now and have so much energy. I am happy and grateful for life.”
By the age of forty I was in a negative spiral downward, physically, emotionally, and mentally. For a type-A, successful attorney, this was difficult for me. I went through a number of tests, because my body hurt all over and felt like it was falling apart. My short-term memory was almost entirely gone.
I developed a stammer and couldn’t find words anymore. My mind and body were failing so quickly that I believed I was developing both Alzheimer’s and rheumatoid arthritis. However, after seeing several specialists, my tests came back negative. I was at a point where I could only accomplish one thing a day, because I ran out of gas so easily. I struggled with depression for many years and during this time I became even more short-tempered, irritable, and unenthusiastic about life. I tried several times unsuccessfully to get off the medications.
Finally, I was introduced to Dr. Hyman and decided to follow his advice. What I uncovered surprised me. My mitochondria weren’t functioning properly, my body was unable to detoxify, so the toxins were building up and I had serious heavy metal poisoning with mercury levels in the upper sixties, and my lead and uranium levels were also very high (normal levels of mercury in the urinary chelating test are below four). After going through his detoxification program, changing my diet, making lifestyle changes to reduce stress and handle it better, and eliminating the heavy metals, my mental clarity came back, my aches and pains went away, and I ended up losing forty pounds.
I feel like a different person now and have so much energy. I am happy and grateful for life. My mind has changed and I can think clearly without being in a fog. Now the only medication I take is for my hypothyroidism. I enjoy my life, my husband, and my children so much more now. Thank you for saving my life.
Jackie Tepper
Stamford, CT
“She was normal again and wasn’t hitting or raging on her sister.”
When both of my daughters were young, they witnessed their father collapse on the kitchen floor and die. Emma, who was three at the time, reacted the most. Even after attending bereavement groups and seeing counselors, I started to see her acting in ways that were not normal.
She became extremely physical and full of rage. Digging her nails into me and hitting and kicking her sister constantly without remorse was an everyday experience. She had a difficult time socializing at school. Teachers wanted me to put her on medication,
and doctors wanted to do brain scans. It wasn’t until I was introduced to Dr. Hyman that it all made sense.
Dr. Hyman thought that the stress from witnessing her father’s death knocked her immune system out of whack. After doing a series of tests we uncovered two very important keys to her emotional and psychological turmoil. The first was an overgrowth of bacteria and yeast in her gut. Dr. Hyman said it was the worst he had seen in a person who didn’t have any real gut symptoms. The second was an intolerance to gluten and dairy.
After we treated the yeast overgrowth with antibiotics and got gluten and dairy out of her diet for two weeks, I couldn’t believe the transformation in my daughter. She was normal again and wasn’t hitting or raging on her sister. It wasn’t easy to make the transition and change the way we eat, but the difference was undeniable. If I would slip and feed her macaroni and cheese or the little yellow Goldfish, she would be bouncing off the walls. Her teachers cannot believe the huge improvement, and she isn’t seeing a therapist anymore.
Lisa R (mother)
Medford, NY
“I didn’t fully understand how bad I felt, until I felt better.”
For years my health was in decline. It got to the point where I felt like I had the flu all the time with a low-grade fever. I started gaining weight even though I wasn’t eating a lot, I had zero energy, and my social life suffered because I didn’t want to go anywhere or do anything after work except go home to lay on the couch. I took antidepressants and battled with chronic sinus infections.
After going to every doctor I could see including an endocrinologist, all they would do is throw antibiotics at me or suggest surgery. For years I thought it was just the stress of graduate school until my family jumped in and voiced their concern, and committed to helping me get to the bottom of whatever it was that was making me feel so awful.
Finally, I met Dr. Hyman and after listening to my story he did a series of tests to uncover that I had severe mercury poisoning with levels at two hundred sixty (normal levels of mercury in the urinary chelating test are below four) and a significant thyroid imbalance. Going through his plan changed my life.
The minute he told me about my mercury poisoning, I instantly had hope that I wasn’t going to feel lousy for the rest of my life. After time and with patience, I feel like myself again and I am happy to be here. I spent years feeling miserable. Now, even the small things like my hair and skin feel like they used to. I didn’t fully understand how bad I felt, until I felt better. I am a walking testimony of Dr. Hyman’s work.
Kaki Martin
Cambridge, MA
“I felt foggy and thick—like I was thinking through a marshmallow.”
All of my life I was very athletic, on the go, full of energy, and could sleep better than anyone I knew. Over the past twenty years I saw a steady decline, which I thought was due to aging until I started getting real scared.
The first major concern was on a family bike ride when I physically couldn’t hold the brakes. My hands and feet were not doing the things that I was telling them to do. After that experience and waking up every night with severe cramping, I knew something was wrong. But even the best neurologists and endocrinologists were telling me I was fine.
I knew these symptoms weren’t normal. I felt foggy and thick—like I was thinking through a marshmallow. What I learned (which no doctor could tell me) is that the various systems in my body couldn’t eliminate the toxins I’d received from foods, the environment, and the amalgams in my fillings.
In addition to the toxins, my mercury levels were dangerously high, which compromised my immune system and compromised me neurologically. After going through Dr. Hyman’s program, detoxifying, removing my fillings, and eliminating the mercury, I now have my life back (at least 90 percent given my age of forty-five). I sleep great again, have more focus, recently started a new business, competed in three triathlons last year, and, more important, I recognize me again.
Natalie Karp
Roslyn, NY
“We didn’t know there was a fog until we started eliminating the heavy metals.”
Up until two years of age, Jackson was developing at a normal level. He was up to twenty words, but suddenly started to regress. When we took him to see our pediatrician he was down to five words, three months later he couldn’t say one.
After seeing a speech doctor and psychologists he was diagnosed with pervasive development disorder, or autism. We knew we had to do something because he wasn’t getting any better. He was irritable and would throw tantrums all the time.
It wasn’t until we discovered Dr. Hyman that we started to put the pieces of the puzzle together. After going through Dr. Hyman’s program we found that our son had several food allergies, heavy metal poisoning, and severe gut inflammation and imbalances in his gut bacteria as well as yeast overgrowth.
After learning about this we changed his diet right away and within days of removing dairy we saw results. We saw more concentration. With the B
12
supplements our son developed more verbal skills and was able to focus. What’s amazing is that we didn’t
know there was a fog until we started eliminating the heavy metals (using chelation). After Jackson went through chelation he became much more alive, responsive, and verbal.
Marc R (father)
New York, NY
“His teachers told me he was like a completely different kid.”
As a young child Clayton had trouble staying on task, was easily frustrated, and rarely slept through the night. Once school started and we had other children to compare him to, it became clear these issues were pronounced. We reluctantly had him repeat kindergarten, and sought the help of a local doctor who specialized in educational testing. When the results came back, we were left with a diagnosis of ADHD, but were given very few options other than medication to deal with it.
Over the course of the next year he continued to struggle and we eventually made the decision to start him on medication. It worked well, but like all medicine it came with a high price. Evenings were a challenge, as he suffered through rebound effects. His appetite was poor and he continued to have trouble sleeping. His concentration at school was improved, but he often had sinus infections, complained of stomach problems, and frequently broke out in hives for reasons we couldn’t pin down.
We took Clayton to Dr. Hyman and for the first time had real, understandable answers for what had been happening to our son. Problems with gluten, yeast, and mercury toxicity were all correctly identified. Through changes in diet and nutritional support we were able to address not only the attention issues but all of his other physical symptoms as well. For the first time in his life, Clayton became focused, his health improved, and he slept through the night. A few months later I noticed a striking improvement in his handwriting, which before had been all but illegible. His teachers told me he was like a completely different kid.
Nearly two years later, our son has fully embraced this new model of taking care of himself. He packs his own lunch, manages social situations where foods he is sensitive to are present, and makes choices that keep him consistently healthy. I am extremely grateful to Dr. Hyman for his knowledge and compassionate support during our family’s continued journey toward optimum health.
Audrey Lampert (mother)
North Granby, CT
Also by Mark Hyman
The Detox Box
Ultraprevention
UltraMetabolism
The UltraSimple Diet
The UltraMetabolism Cookbook
Fix Your Broken Brain by Healing Your Body First
The Simple Way to Defeat Depression, Overcome Anxiety, and Sharpen Your Mind
Mark Hyman, M.D.
FOREWORD BY MARTHA HERBERT, M.D., P
H
.D.
Assistant Professor of Neurology,
Harvard Medical School
Director, Transcend Research Program,
Massachusetts General Hospital
This publication contains the opinions and ideas of the author. It is intended to provide helpful and informative material on the subjects addressed in the publication. It is sold with the understanding that the author and publisher are not engaged in rendering medical, health, psychological, or any other kind of personal professional services in the book. If the reader requires personal medical, health, or other assistance or advice, a competent professional should be consulted.