First, what is NAET?
NAET, an abbreviation for Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Technique, originated in California and integrates principles from allopathic (Western medical knowledge), chiropractic, acupuncture, kinesiology, and nutrition. This holistic approach is a natural, non-invasive, and drug-free treatment. Allow me to guide you through my personal experience and understanding of how NAET works:
Understanding the Mechanism of NAET:
In the realm of NAET, every element on Earth possesses an electromagnetic field, spanning from foods and pollen to hormones and neurotransmitters. Utilizing vials imprinted with these electromagnetic fields, NAET practitioners employ a method where your body “reads” the vial, determining compatibility or sensitivity. Incompatibility indicates an allergy or sensitivity.
Allergic reactions extend beyond conventional food allergies; NAET recognizes sensitivities to vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids, hormones, and neurotransmitters. Many patients report symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, and a general sense of unwellness due to the malabsorption of essential nutrients from allergic foods. By treating the underlying allergy, NAET facilitates the absorption and utilization of necessary nutrients, contributing to an overall improvement in health.
Diagnostic Approach:
NAET employs Muscle testing, a technique based on the work of Dr. George Goodheart, the pioneer of Applied Kinesiology. This method, widely used in chiropractic and alternative health, aids in diagnosing sensitivities and allergies.
Holistic Balancing:
Drawing from the wisdom of traditional acupuncture theories that have spanned 3000 years, NAET acknowledges the flow of life force or Chi through meridian pathways. Blockages in these pathways manifest as symptoms or illnesses, with allergies being potent contributors to such blockages. NAET founder Dr. Devi recognized that holding an allergen vial initiates a process of meridian and nerve disruption. To counter this, NAET introduces a breakthrough treatment involving the opening and balancing of meridian flow. Simultaneously, spinal nerves, including stimulation of the sympathetics in the thoracic spine, are addressed while holding the allergen vial. This approach has proven effective across diverse allergen classes, encompassing food, pollen, chemicals, fabrics, animals, and more.
Reprogramming for Wellness:
NAET operates on the principle that the human body, including the nervous system, is continually processing the environment for survival. The nervous system categorizes elements as either “safe” or “not safe,” with allergies representing instances where the body mistakenly labels something as “not safe.” NAET’s reprogramming methodology aims to correct this misclassification, swiftly placing the item in the “safe” category and thereby resolving the allergy. This reprogramming is notably faster than traditional desensitization approaches and boasts the versatility to address allergies across various categories, making it a comprehensive therapeutic option.
Does NAET work?
NAET is akin to the wild west of alternative therapies—controversial, with opinions on its efficacy as diverse as a box of chocolates. My journey with NAET began in 2019 when I discovered my allergy to nightshades, prompting me to wear gloves even for routine grocery shopping. My experience and understanding of NAET evolved as I navigated this unconventional approach to wellness.
In 2017, I uncovered a genetic variant on the BCHE gene, causing sensitivity to nightshades, leading to an accumulation of poisonous alkaloids in my body. Ingesting nightshades triggered a cascade of symptoms, from neck and back pain to headaches, brain fog, insomnia, and anxiety.
Even with this sensitivity, I could still dine out, with caution. If I told the wait staff, I have a “sensitivity” to nightshades, they did not take me seriously. I had to tell them I had a nightshade allergy. Well, after calling it an allergy, it became an allergy. If I touched a door after someone with greasy french fry fingers touched it, I would get contact dermatitis. Then, I would experience all of the pain and everything that goes with it, even though I had not ingested it. Same with smelling nightshades – I couldn’t go to restaurants, parties, or anywhere nightshades were being cooked, or served. It felt like life had been stollen from me, almost overnight.
The turning point came in 2019 when, prompted by a friend’s positive NAET experience shared on Facebook, I decided to explore this alternative therapy. A local NAET practitioner guided me through treatments involving breathing exercises, a vibrating buzzer down my spine, and acupuncture to reset my body’s reaction to nightshades.
Typically, 16 basic treatments precede nightshade-specific ones to address vitamin and mineral issues. However, due to my heightened sensitivity, the practitioner began with nightshades on my second visit. Holding a glass vial containing nightshades during the treatment, I noticed a red mark on my hand afterward. My body still reacted to nightshades, inside the vial – crazy!
Did it work?
With most NAET treatments, there is a 25-hour avoidance period before you can test yourself. The tangible results surfaced when I could sit in a restaurant without reacting to the aroma of cooking nightshades or touching surfaces with residue from greasy fingers. Holding a french fry, previously a trigger for contact dermatitis, became a non-issue. The ultimate test—eating sweet potato fries cooked in the same oil as the nightshade fries, and dipped in fry sauce—this yielded a new reaction, arthritic-like spine pain.
Confused by my new pain, I returned for my next treatment. We addressed nightshades again. This time I decided to test with jalapeno and siracha. I did not have my full reaction, or the arthritic pain in my spine, but I did experience some muscle tension in my back and I slipped a rib. The joys of having EDS.
My reaction is certainly changing, but I wouldn’t call it successful yet. We continued to address nightshades and with each treatment I improved. We also addressed the mild dairy and egg intolerances. and those completely resolved.
After one of my sessions, I found crystals coming from my hair follicles on my head. At the time I didn’t know what these crystals were, and my practitioner did not know. After reading Toxic Superfoods by Sally Norton, and joining the Trying Low Oxalate group on FB, I think these crystals, are oxalates.
Did NAET trigger an oxalate clearing, causing crystals to emerge from my hair follicles? The mysteries unfolded, and I pondered the relationship between NAET, oxalates, and the pain in my spine.
Unfortunately, I did not complete all my treatments when everything shut down in 2020. Then I had a baby, a hip replacement, and well, life happened.
Fast forward to late 2023—the nightshade allergy is reasserting itself. I’ve learned from others in the NAET FB group that if the 16 basic treatments are not completed and the reaction isn’t fully cleared, the allergy can come back. If you complete the treatment, it corrects it for life.
Touching a nightshade now feels like a burning sensation, prompting me to consider restarting NAET in early 2024. The journey continues, and as I uncover a list of possible treatments, I plan to explore additional facets with a new practitioner, specifically oxalic acid and neurotransmitters.
Here’s a complete list of NAET treatments and the required avoidance for each treatment. When embarking on your NAET journey, you do not do all those treatments. There are the 16 basic treatments, then you can address the allergies and sensitives.
Conclusion:
Did NAET work for me? Yes, it did. It served as the key to unlocking doors, allowing me to venture into restaurants, parties, and shopping without the encumbrance of gloves. While it didn’t completely erase my nightshade saga, it tamed the allergy beast. I am still able to tolerate dairy and eggs without issue. It was well worth the time and money spent. I just wish I had completed it.
In the NAET book, a bell pepper farmer required 28 NAET nightshade treatments. Perhaps continued treatments could have completely resolved the sensitivity, but if it took me 28 treatments, at the cost of $2,100 and 28 hours of time, the prospect of eating nightshades again doesn’t outweigh the benefits of my current carnivore lifestyle. However, I don’t want this allergy to keep coming back and I want to be able to eat meat with spices and not have to worry about cross contamination.
How do I find a NAET practitioner?
If you are interested in trying NAET. Please visit the NAET web-site, to locate a practitioner. I’ve been encouraged by those in the NAET community, to only see practitioners on the web-site. My practitioner is now missing from the web-site. They do this because some practitioners are not following protocol. I’ve located another practitioner for 2024.
Disclaimer: It’s crucial to note that NAET is a controversial therapy, and its effectiveness is debated within the medical community. While some claim benefits from NAET treatments, scientific evidence supporting its efficacy is limited. Before considering NAET or any alternative therapy, consult with a healthcare provider to discuss specific health concerns.
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If you have a nightshade allergy or “sensitivity”, please join our FB Group: Nightshade Free and Cholinesterase Inhibitor Sensitivity Support Group | Facebook
