Relieving Health Conditions through a Personalized Diet

Ruby Moore* from Brown Summit, North Carolina was pre-diabetic, suffered from high cholesterol, iron deficiency, ulcers, and a sinus infection that she couldn’t shake. She sought help from many different care providers and had mixed results. Ruby sought care at Duke Integrative Medicine and saw Joanne Gardner, an integrative dietitian and nutritionist who was able to properly assess Ruby’s problems and relieve her symptoms with a personalized diet.

Read more about Ruby’s story and discover if a meeting with a Duke Integrative Medicine nutritionist could help you.

Tell us about yourself and why you sought help from Duke Integrative Medicine

I had high cholesterol and took statins for several years as well as an anti-inflammatory drug. One day I started burping and could not stop. After three days, I went to the doctor who tried to adjust my medications, but I ended up having even more issues including painful stomach cramps, food intolerances, and iron deficiency.

How did you hear about Duke Integrative Medicine?

My chiropractor, Dr. Matt Taylor first told me about Duke Integrative Medicine. When he was a student at UNC he took a course at Duke Integrative Medicine.

What did your first appointment at Duke Integrative Medicine look like?

In the spring of 2019, I saw Dr. Phillip Barr at Duke Integrative Medicine to lower my cholesterol and I happened to mention that I had a severe sinus infection that my primary care doctor could not help resolve. I had tried two rounds of antibiotics and Prednisone and it had not helped. Dr. Barr suggested I see Joanne Gardner, an integrative dietitian and nutritionist, for food hypersensitivity testing. I decided to try that. I had already seen two different allergists and had allergy shots years ago, but it didn’t help.

Joanne recommended having the MRT Food Sensitivities test. According to Joanne Gardner, “The Mediator Release Test is a blood test which evaluates the individual’s reaction to 120 or 170 foods and food-related chemicals. The results are used to develop a personalized meal plan (the LEAP diet) which begins with the best tolerated foods and, over several months, other foods are gradually reintroduced.” When I got the results back, I worked with her to follow the LEAP ImmunoCalm Diet (an individually tailored dietary protocol). She explained how to follow the diet and I have had a lot of success with it!

” My husband is so happy with my results he is considering doing the testing too.”

What results did you experience?

Following LEAP ImmunoCalm Diet helped my cholesterol come down (almost 100 points!), I am no longer pre-diabetic or anemic and I don’t have a runny nose or morning fog anymore. My hands and feet are not swollen and weather fronts don’t bother me. I am moving more. I am very happy! As an additional benefit, I now heal from poison ivy without having to get prednisone shots. Twice this spring it has gone away on its own! My husband is also happy because I don’t wake him burping in my sleep anymore!

What would you say to someone else suffering from similar symptoms?

I have recommended Duke Integrative Medicine to family and friends and told them how happy I am! My husband is so happy with my results he is considering doing the testing too.

“My cholesterol came down (almost 100 points!), I am no longer pre-diabetic or anemic and I don’t have a runny nose or morning fog anymore. My hands and feet are not swollen and weather fronts don’t bother me. I am moving more. I am very happy!”

Duke Integrative Medicine provides customized, patient-centered healthcare that combines conventional medicine with complementary care like nutrition.

Integrative Dietitian and Nutritionist Joanne Gardner is available to see patients at Duke Integrative Medicine. Joanne is a member of the Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine, Sports and Cardiovascular Nutritionists and Hunger and Environmental Nutritionists, sub-groups of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She is a Certified Leap Therapist, specializing in food sensitivities. She is a Certified LEAP Therapist for Food Hypersensitivities. She coaches clients toward thoughtful, customized selection and preparation of meals to maximize their ability to contribute to improved health and help overcome obstacles that can interfere with achieving with a healthy, mindful lifestyle.

Learn more about nutrition services at Duke Integrative Medicine and Set Up an Appointment Today!

Questions about cost and coverage insurance, our Guest Services team will be happy to assist you!

*Individual results may vary