For almost all of my adult life, I have been a sweater.
You know, one of those people who constantly have damp patches under their arms, even when it's not hot??
Well, that was me. Except I was careful to wear clothes that hid my humiliating problem.
I first started to notice it as a problem when I was about 18. I thought it must be hormonal, and covered it up with anti-perspirants. After a while, they no longer did the trick, and I found out they contained aluminium so gave up using them anyway.
By the time I was around 20 or 21, it was impossible to wear a white shirt in Winter, much less Summer. Even when I was cold, I was still sweating, but only under my arms.
I even turned down a job once, because the uniform was a red fitted shirt and I just knew it would be disastrous.
I trawled the internet looking for the causes of excessive sweating and the cure. I even bought an e-book, which promised that the problem would eventually go away, if I just exfoliated under my arms every day in the shower.
Which I did. Faithfully and vigourously.
But still I sweated like a polecat...with exfoliated underarms.
I noticed that I sweated more during social occasions or when I was out of my comfort zone. Perhaps it was a self-conscious thing. That must be it!! I worked hard on gaining confidence.
But still I sweated on.
I asked my doctor if I might have an over-active thyroid. My doctor assured me I did not.
After 10 years of sweating, I resigned myself to wearing black shirts for the rest of my life.
Last year, when I started to research food and health issues, I made a commitment to cleaning up my diet. The sweating was the last thing on my mind. I just wanted to get healthy and have more energy.
I stopped drinking fluoridated tap water, cut out sugar, cut out white flour and processed food almost entirely, cut down on yeast products, switched to completely natural skin and hair care products, swapped the table salt for Himalayan Crystal salt, and swapped the vegetable oil for pure unrefined coconut oil.
After a few months I was feeling so good and so mentally alert, I knew that these eating habits were something I wanted to stick to for the rest of my life.
It wasn't until Summer arrived, when I realised with a shock one day, that I wasn't sweating!! I checked under one arm. Nope. Nothing. Under the other arm. Nothing.
I could not believe it!! I could not stop checking under my arms, and revelling in how dry and how....normal they were.
The day I wore a white shirt and didn't get any damp patches was the best feeling!!
Looking back, I can see that the problem began after I moved away from home to study. I was brought up on a farm drinking rainwater, and eating home-cooked food.
When I moved to the city, I began drinking tap water that contained fluoride and chlorine (both toxins) and eating cheap packaged food. In fact, I recall living on white bread and margarine for one fortnight when there were too many bills to pay.
My only theory is that, while I was busy feeling rotten and hating my damp armpits, my body was desperately trying to rid itself of toxins, via the skin. Now that I have less toxins going in, there's less to come out.
It took around 4 months from the time of changing my diet, before I noticed my sweating had eased. No, it's not a quick-fix. It's not meant to be. It's meant to be a permanent solution and a permanent lifestyle change.
I hope that any others who undertake the changes, will feel so good after a couple of months (the first couple of weeks you'll probably feel worse), and see so many other benefits such as increased energy, thicker hair, healthier skin, increased mental alertness, that you simply won't ever want to go back to your old dietary habits.
I have no special washing routine. I wash under my arms with pure Sunlight soap, and after showering and drying, I apply an all-natural, roll-on deodorant and get dressed and get on with my day.
It took around 4 months from the time of changing my diet, before I noticed my sweating had eased. No, it's not a quick-fix. It's not meant to be. It's meant to be a permanent solution and a permanent lifestyle change.
I hope that any others who undertake the changes, will feel so good after a couple of months (the first couple of weeks you'll probably feel worse), and see so many other benefits such as increased energy, thicker hair, healthier skin, increased mental alertness, that you simply won't ever want to go back to your old dietary habits.
I have no special washing routine. I wash under my arms with pure Sunlight soap, and after showering and drying, I apply an all-natural, roll-on deodorant and get dressed and get on with my day.
If you know anyone who suffers from the same embarrassing problem, I encourage you to pass this article along to them.
I would be most interested to hear feedback or comments from others who have experienced this.
Please note: The aim is not to stop sweating altogether. It is natural to sweat when exercising, when sick, or nervous/ stressed. It is our bodies natural protective mechanism. The aim is to reduce excessive sweating, by reducing the amount of toxins entering your body.