I wanted to let you know why I believe in the gluten-free diet. It is actually for my 2 year old son, who was diagnosed with autism about 8 months ago, just before he turned 2. We started therapy intervention right away, and in February, after much reading on the gluten-free casein-free diet, I decided to try it on my son. He immediately went through withdraw, and was nearly unbearable for about 3 days. After he got through the withdraw, he was like a different child. He stopped stimming, he started connecting with us, his intestinal issues cleared up, and he even has spoken words – AMAZING! Well, this past weekend, he got some bug bites that welted up pretty big, so his doctor gave me a 4 day supply of Childrens Claritin samples instead of using Benedryl so he would not be drowsy. The day that he took is first dose, I noticed that he started stimming, and he wasn’t as connected has he had been since I started him on the GFCF diet. I looked up the ingredients in Childrens Claritin online, and sure enough, starch is one of the ingredients. I did not give any thought at all to checking the ingredients in medications. Since I stopped the medicine, he went through withdraw again, and seems to be getting back on track now. That certainly is validation for me. Gluten definitely enhances my son’s autism. Major lesson learned for me!

Nicole

I have had issues with my health that I could never figure out. I wasn’t sure if they were skin issues, mental issues, or something seriously going wrong with me internally. That is until Sandi became medically involved in my life. She noticed my bloating and behavior changes which led me to my first consultation. I found that I had candida and terrible gluten and dairy problems. With all of her help with my lifestyle change, I could not let her down. She helped me in more ways than just food issues. For the last 2 years I have been gluten free, and the past 6 months I have been dairy free. I cannot believe it was so hard for me to get diagnosed by a regular doctor when it was completely easy and painless to see her and I had results in less than a month. I see how strong and healthy she is and inspires me to do the best I can with my health. Within 4 months I had dropped 40 pounds and have kept it off by addressing the underlying cause.

Lacy - Carlsbad, CA

I still remember your workshop I attended several years ago. I needed to understand “inflammation.” Your wisdom led me to gluten free products and never having sciatica pain again! Your health consults always support my moving forward in a good direction, and your supplements keep me healthy and I can trust your resources. Thank you for all you do!

Genny

Someone referred Sandi Star to me after an amazing talk she gave at Jimbo’s on gluten. I loved all the detailed info she handed out. I contacted her at Sandi Star Wellness because I had been holding onto 11 pounds since having my baby 2 years prior and I had tried everything and could not get it off. I also felt like my food selections had become very boring and it didn’t excite me to cook anymore. At the same time I was getting migraine headaches and they were becoming increasingly worse. I met with Sandi and I decided to go gluten free, dairy free, and soy free for 3 months and see how it went. I am a vegetarian so this task was particularly challenging because I was worried that I would have even more limited choices on what to eat. This was not the case, I lost the 11 pounds and embarked on a very joyous food journey. I never felt like I was dieting because she gave me so many incredible recipe ideas and great tips. I was never hungry and very satisfied with my food choices. My excitement for cooking also came back. Best of all I haven’t had any migraines since starting the new way of eating. After the 3 months of being gluten, dairy, and soy free I actually decided to continue with it and make it part of my lifestyle. I am very happy and feel very healthy! Something helpful I did with Sandi before embarking on the new diet was taking a tour of Jimbo’s. I learned about many great new and delicious products to support my diet. This was so exciting for me because I had been shopping at Jimbo’s for years and always seemed to purchase the same things. We walked through the produce section and we went over different ways to prepare and eat the produce that I never had done before. Every aisle of the store was full of new and different items that I would have never tried on my own! I am so very appreciative of Sandi for the support she gave me through this very important positive change in my life! I contacted Sandi after some 1-on-1 diet work I did with her because I was interested in a cooking party for a birthday in my family. My family is mostly vegetarian and wanted a meal that was gluten and dairy free as well. I know Sandi would have some GREAT ideas. She did the grocery shopping for us and came to the house and cooked incredible appetizers, salad, soup, entrée, and dessert with a Thai theme. Each course we observed or assisted Sandi in the preparation. Sandi had great tips and explained everything she was doing very thoroughly yet was very quick in cooking it all! We received detailed recipes as well as a beautiful menu we could save as a memento. The birthday girl was so impressed and loved the idea to make her birthday celebration a Thai cooking lesson party! It was fun for everyone and Sandi fit into our family so well too! I would highly recommend this idea for a birthday, anniversary, shower, or even girls night out!

Laura

Here’s my story. One day about a year ago I confided in Sandi about my husband. He had been suffering with psoriatic arthritis for 15 years starting at the age of 30. I would watch him night after night limp around barely able to walk from both his psoriatic arthritis and plantar fasciitis. I knew Sandi was eating GF and seen a huge improvement with her so I asked what eating gluten free could do to help my husband. It’s deep and really if you just read the information on Sandi’s website you will have enough knowledge to get started today. But you need to take the bull by the horns and go for it. It has been 8 months since he and I started eating GF and to date I can tell you that he has not taken any ibuprofen and is walking everyday with no pain. The psoriasis spots that he has are not so bright red and have not progressed any since GF. I have lost 23 pounds and still going strong. It is not as hard as you think. Once you get the hang of it…you now are living a much better lifestyle. And eating GF does not mean giving up taste. He says “eating GF brownies, for example, are more sinfully delicious than the gluten version.” You don’t need to spend a lot of money as there are a lot of natural foods already GF, and the goodies you used to buy, you don’t any longer. This saves money too. Now you have the extra money needed to get started on your weekly staples. Build up a little at a time and soon you are off and running (or should I say off and cooking). We love eating this way. You feel much more energized and never feel that bloating you get with processed foods. Every day is a new adventure. Cooking together helps us enjoy our meals much more. The more color (there’s a rainbow available) the more healthy. The first step is just getting started. The rest will follow.

Jo

I originally went to see Sandi because my cholesterol level was getting higher and the doctor wanted me to address it. At the same time, I was also experiencing some knee and shoulder pain from old sports injuries. Sandi told me that if I can improve the health of my gut bacteria not only would the cholesterol go down but the knee and shoulder pain would go away as well. I must admit I was very skeptical at first. How good got bacteria reduce pain in my knee and shoulder? This seemed far-fetched to me. However, after one month of diligently following Sandi’s recommendations on diet, nutrition and taking supplements not only had my cholesterol improved but my knee and shoulder pain were completely gone. I went back to Sandi to not only thank her but also to apologize for doubting her at first. One year later my cholesterol remains much lower and the knee pain and shoulder pain are completely gone. I feel great and have more energy. I will be a client of Sandi’s for life. Thank you.

Brad

I can’t thank you enough for helping me feel better through eating healthy! I have my life back and I’m enjoying it to the fullest. I don’t know where I would be without your guidance. Thank You

Mary

You can imagine how hard it is for a parent to receive news that your child is diagnosed with autism. Immediately we heard that interventions like special diets would aid children with autism. One of the diets discussed and recommended was the Gluten Free & Casein Free (GFCF) diet. My husband and I had no idea what a diet like that entailed. We were so overwhelmed and didn’t know where to begin. Sandi Star was a God send. It helped educate us on what gluten and casein were and in what foods they were found in. Sandi Star even went to the market with me to help me know what foods to look for and give me ideas for replacements. On top of that, she spend several hours at my home teaching me how to cook some of the new GFCF recipes. Sandi provided us with a wealth of knowledge on GFCF benefits, recipes and resources. From time to time, we would get stuck or have a question about the diet and she was only a phone call away. Thank you Sandi for helping us get on the right road to our son’s recovery. You have been a blessing!

Patricia & Wesley

I’ve been on and off antidepressants ever since I had my daughter 10 years ago. This last time I was taking Zoloft for about 4 years. I had been taking 25mg, then after a while I would take half of that. It seemed to be working fine, but I had always been wondering,” will I be on medication for the rest of my life? Is this even healthy for me?”. So ever since I had met Sandi, about 5 years ago, we had been discussing this. Finally I was at a point in my life where I was ready to make that change. Sandi and I discussed a couple of options. Per Sandi’s recommendation I spoke with my doctor and got him on board as well. So, I quit the Zoloft and I started taking Mood Stasis. It took a week or two of adjusting. I had a couple anxiety moments, but other than that, I’ve felt amazing!! No more drugs, just all natural supplements! I feel so much better knowing that I’m doing something healthier for my body, rather than harming with drugs. I’m so grateful to Sandi for showing me this option and helping me through it! Thank you!!

Shawna

Sandi Star Wellness has helped me tremendously with my diet and recovery due to a gluten, dairy, and soy allergy. I came to Sandi with my body in its worse possible condition it has ever been in. I knew I had an allergy to all of these food items but had continued to eat these offensive foods for over 10 years. My body finally got to its breaking point. I was rundown, lethargic, bloated, and suffering from chronic diarrhea. I needed help, and I needed it quick. I contacted Sandi. During my consultation she advised me to eliminate Gluten, Dairy, and Soy at every meal along with suggesting some herbal supplements and probiotics to help my gut rebuild the damage I had done. I am on the road to recovery and I feel better every day. I am gaining more energy, and have minimal problems with my gut. I know that my recovery will take some time to heal, but I also know that I have Sandi and her experience, guidance and knowledge to help me get my body back to its optimal health. Chris Mahalo Sandi and Sandi Star Wellness!!!!

Chris

I recently had a very bad bout with diverticulitis and was put on potent antibiotics and subsequently got an extreme case of Candida. Had no energy, was weak, dehydrated and in the kind of pain that can only parallel to birthing a child. Not to mention I was an emotional wreck. I made an appointment with Sandi for Thursday. Upon my arrival she had a glass of mineral water with electrolytes, this was amazing in itself considering my current state. She helped me out with homeopathic drops for my Candida and placed me on a strict Candida diet. Explained to me what foods feed on Candida, etc. VERY IMFORMATIONAL. She also prescribed a daily Probiotic and DGL Powder with L-Glutamine, amino acid and aloe along with other supporting herbs to help repair my GI. Along with this she also suggested homeopathic antibiotic spray. Folks, I kid you not within a day I was on the road to recovery, by Saturday the thick white Candida coating that was on my tongue was all but gone. Sunday it was completely gone. I am still on the Candida diet, just because I want to give my intestines more time to heal and repair. I would highly recommend Sandi for all your health needs. She is super knowledgeable, extremely caring and just a good person to have on your team!

Angelina

My husband and I have been seeing great results and benefits in working through the weight loss program that you’ve introduced us to! B has given away a total of 24 pounds and I have seen 22 pounds go away! We take the Weight Loss Support Packets daily, and along with our morning shake use the OptiCleanse Plus protein powder; for our lunch shake, we use the fitfood Vegan protein powder, and then eat a good meal at dinner. We were “All In” and ready for a lifestyle change in our eating and exercise habits – and are blessed to have your knowledge, wisdom and encouragement on this journey. We continue towards our goal to eat clean, having great energy and feeling great in this upcoming New Year Thank you again, Brian and Kristen B. PS: By the way, as folks can see the results of our hard work, we are always quick to share that you have been the catalyst that has helped us begin to heal our bodies from the inside out!!

Brian and Kristen B.