Category: Healthy Living

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Eliminating Soy

The soy debate continues. Some people believe it is a major contributor in thyroid disease, while others think it’s healthy if it’s organic. If you have thyroid disease the one thing you need to remember about soy, is that it’s a goitrogen. That means it causes a reaction in the thyroid that produces goiters. Read more on thyroid and goitrogens in my blog 31 Foods Containing Soy.  Organic soy is a goitrogen, so it still affects the thyroid the same way Genetically modified soy does.

Sneaky Soy

In my last blog 31 Foods Containing Soy, I exposed foods that contain soy. You may find it difficult to remove it from your diet. You will find soy in almost every processed food. Look at the labels.  Some manufacturers add soy to their product and list it on the ingredients under a “stealth” name. Some of these alternatives are:

  • Soy lecithin
  • Bean curd
  • Hydrolyzed soy protein
  • Soy milk
  • Soy sauce
  • Soybeans
  • Vitamin E/tocopherol
  • Glycerin
  • Bulking agents
  • Thickeners
  • Hydrolyzed vegetable/plant protein
  • Guar Gum
  • And mor

Keep these in mind when you are purchasing any packaged foods. That includes vegan products. Because of the effect of soy on my thyroid, I have opted to eliminate it from my diet. I try to purchase only food products from nature (no processing). That includes organic range free beef and chicken, and organic fruits and vegetables.

I Was Afraid to Eat Anything I didn’t Prepare Myself

You may think I’m crazy; a neurotic, who has gone over the edge. I will admit, in the beginning I was a little crazy. I was afraid to eat anything that I didn’t prepare myself. But three years later I have learned a lot. Initially, I thought I couldn’t eat broccoli, kale, or cabbage. I know better now. I didn’t want to go out to a restaurant because I was afraid to eat what was on the menu. Today there are many restaurants that cater to food sensitivities. I may have been a little more cautious because my food sensitivity, which affected my thyroid, also prompted migraines; something I have fought with for years. I will discuss my development in the area of food in future blogs. I will also discuss migraine and how that fit into my Hashimoto’s diagnosis.

One thing I want to share relative to my change in diet, is that I feel a thousand times better than I did before my diagnosis.

Dietary Substitutions

Over the last three years I learned to cook without flour, milk, eggs, and butter. You may think it impossible, but it isn’t. Two years ago, I prepared a complete Thanksgiving dinner without any of those ingredients just mentioned. The surprising thing about the meal is no one knew it until after we ate. Then I told them. They were all surprised.

I substitute flour for a gluten free flour mix. I mix my own because I haven’t found a packaged gluten free flour that doesn’t have xanthan gum in it. When I need to use milk, I use coconut milk. Yogurt or sour cream is substituted with coconut yogurt. I use chia seeds in place of eggs. It can be done, you need to do your homework though and experiment…a lot.

I eat more salads now than I ever did before being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s. I mention the salads because they can be boring. Most people won’t eat a salad without dressing. Salad dressings are the biggest culprit when it comes to soy. It’s nearly impossible to find a salad dressing that doesn’t include it. Because of this fact, I make my own. I use red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, avocado oil, coconut yogurt, and herbs and spices. Use your imagination. It’s fun to create new recipes. I find it challenging to make something work, even food. I will be sharing some recipes in future blogs for anyone who would like to experiment.

Hashimoto’s and Protein

One of the challenges with Hashimoto’s is protein. When I was first diagnoised, I was told I should eat 25 grams of protein for breakfast. I found it challenging to find a protein powder that didn’t contain soy, dairy or gluten. I ended up using Hemp protein which was free from soy, dairy, and gluten. For months I would start my morning with the same shake; coconut milk, hemp protein, chia seeds, mixed berries, and a banana. I changed out the berries from time to time. Today there are more protein options, such as Rootcology. I’m sure each part of the country has different options. Be sure to read the label before purchasing a protein powder. Many sneak that soy into the product, sometimes under an alternate name (see 31 Foods Containing Soy).

Everything Changes with a Hashimoto’s Diagnosis

When you are diagnosed with Hashimoto’s everything changes. Your diet is the first thing that should change. If you haven’t changed your diet, you should. I’m not one for telling people what to do, and that isn’t my intention here, but I suggest highly you change your diet because you will feel like a new person. You will lose weight, be more focused, your skin, hair, and nails will become resilient, and the pain you have been living with will be reduced significantly, if not eliminated completely. Your mood will improve, and you will see your life through a new point of view. I only share what I say in this post because I want every person with Hashimoto’s to have the information, they need to be a whole person again. I wish you all good thyroid health so you can enjoy living again.

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The Do’s and Don’ts of Diet

Once diagnosed with Hashimoto’s you realize you must make some drastic changes in your life if you don’t want to have to take medication. In some cases, it may not be avoidable, but if you work with your healthcare provider and discipline yourself, you should be able to accomplish it.

I think the biggest change one must make is diet. I don’t mean go on a diet. I’m saying you will have to eat reasonably healthy. Cheat when you can without affecting your health. I’m including somewhat of a guideline I created for diet. I have experimented an awful lot over the last three years and I’m happy to share what I have.

There are many natural or organic options out there for things we already consume. I found a brand of rice pasta that is not too bad, and I’m finding more and more organic fruits and vegetables all the time. Some things are still a challenge. I buy coconut milk for shakes and baking. If you decide to use it, be mindful of the sugar content when planning meals. I replace sour cream with coconut (milk) yogurt.

I cook with olive oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, or rice bran oil (difficult to find the rice bran oil). Remember to pay attention to the temperature that each will burn. It is getting easier to find organic meats so if you still eat meat you can get protein from a source of organic grass fed meat. Just eat meat in moderation.

Things to consider when planning your new diet regiment:

Start with a diet that excludes gluten, dairy, soy, and meat that is not organic or grass fed. If you can do this for 30 days, you can then incorporate foods back into your diet. Focus on how you feel as you incorporate each one individually. If you feel sluggish or unfocused, avoid the food that triggered that feeling.

  • You should eat a low-carb diet which should be easy if you eliminate gluten.
  • You should do a heavy metal detox (check with health care provider before trying a heavy metal cleanse. You could have a reaction) or body cleanse
  • Use coconut oil and avocado oil in everything…. (Get creativ)
  • Eat only meats that are grass-fed and organic
  • If you like salmon you should eat lots! But make sure it’s Pacific or Alaska and not farm raised
  • Eat sweet potatoes. White potatoes are good too
  • If you take a multivitamin, be sure it is soy free and does not include chromium or selenium if you are taking it as a stand-alone supplement

If you want to learn to regulate your thyroid a good way to start would be to take your temperature throughout the day (Wilson Syndrome tracks temperature but I found it a good way to determine if I was moving in the right direction). You can find a fill-in chart if you choose to use it, on my website, for your convenience. You should take it first before you get out of bed in the morning. If it is low, you are probably experiencing hypothyroidism. When I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s I took my temperature every three hours, every day for a month. This is how I knew what I was doing was helping. When I had my TSH tested it went from 5.2 to 3.1 in 30 days. I went back every 30 days for testing, then every three months. I stopped polluting my thyroid, and it performed again…

So now we come to my eating habits. This is just a general outline of how I eat. The most important thing is what I eat for breakfast. It makes a difference in how the day progresses.

First thing in the morning:

Take Red Marine Algae – I found Vibrant Health Gigartina is the best quality, so that is what I use.

When you have a thyroid condition, it is important to incorporate 25 grams of protein into your breakfast. This is how I get the protein I need to start the day.

Morning Breakfast Shake:

·         ¼ cup Hemp protein

·         1-3Tablespoon Chia Seeds (can be difficult to digest, so if you have tummy trouble omit.

·         ½ cup Coconut Milk

·         ½ cup frozen berries (Wyman has some good choices and its natural – mixed berries)

·         1 Banana

I take my supplements with the shake. Below are some that may help. You may have   to experiment:

  • Ashwagandha, Tulsi, L-tyrosine (one or combination of) – These are adaptogen
  • which help regulate stress
  • Rhodiola – Adaptogen
  • Licorice Root
  • Ginseng – Adaptogen
  • Holy Basil -Adaptogen 
  • Chromium (10 micrograms) (be careful with this make sure it isn’t in any other
  • supplement if you take it as an individual supplement)
  • Selenium (200 micrograms)
  • B-Complex to include B-12 and thiamine (600mg)
  • Vitamin D (4000IU in am 4000 with lunch in winter)
  • Coconut Oil
  • Zinc
  • Co Q10
  • I take feverfew because of the migraines (not necessary if you don’t experience
  • them)
  • You may want to take a probiotic 50 Billion CFU
  • L- Arginine (3x daily)

There are supplements on the market that combine some of the above. If you find something you like, be sure there is no soy in the product.

Lunch: 

·         A serving of organic meat or fish (I like salmon, so I lean toward that daily)

·         Veggies

·         Sweet potato or white organic potato or rice pasta.

Take second supplement (Vitamin D, Ashwagandha, Coconut Oil, L-Arginine, etc.)

Dinner:

·         Serving Organic meat

·         Veggie

I try to avoid carbs at dinner. They have a tendency, to hang around. If I’ve had a busy day and am feeling hungrier than usual, I will double up on my veggie.

Take evening supplements (Coconut Oil, L-Arginine, Calcium, Magnesium)

You may not like eating the same thing every day. You can substitute the fruits and meat. You can also swap out the shake if you are getting the 25 grams of protein and you don’t over-do it with the carbs. I followed the above diet for 30 days. I was desperate to get clean and because I was new at planning and purchasing, I took the easy route. Boring, maybe, but it was simple, so I was able to stick to it.

Please note: the information in this post is a guideline of my eating habits. These are things that have helped me to heal and live a better life. Please check with your medical provider before making any lifestyle changes based on what I provide here. I’m not a doctor and do not mean the information to be considered medical advice or treatment. I wish you the best in finding what works for you.

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Teeth Trouble and Thyroiditis

Today I’m getting real, with you. I’m going to share with you a story about a day in my journey with Hashimoto’s. I’m feeling a little vulnerable, but I know each of you will listen to what I tell you and smile. Because you have a similar story.

The week after I went in for my visit that confirmed my Hashimoto diagnosis, I had an experience that was, well it was weird. I woke up one morning experiencing tooth pain in the lower left jaw. If you are familiar with tooth placement relative to a Tooth Organ Meridian Chart you will understand where I’m going with this story.

I woke up in pain. I couldn’t understand how I could be perfectly fine the day before, yet, be in so much pain upon waking. I felt an acute pain in my lower left jaw. The tooth where the pain radiated from was #20. I have a high tolerance for pain and this pain was more than distracting.

I took out the dental floss and started flossing. I thought something must be caught under the gum and was causing the extreme irritation. I flossed without success. The gum was clean. I didn’t stop though, because the pain didn’t stop. I moved the floss around hoping to dislodge the particle of food that was the culprit. Nothing.

I gave up on the floss and turned to peroxide. I brushed my teeth with the peroxide thinking the tooth must be infected. I brushed and gargled, then repeated…many times. The tooth still hurt. Nothing helped. I finally gave up and called the dentist. It must be a cavity, I thought.

Thankfully, the dentist was able to see me later that morning. If it was a cavity, he would take care of it and that would be the end of it. Well, I went in and explained my dilemma. The dentist did an initial exam. When he looked in my mouth, he asked me about the spots under my tong. I was embarrassed to tell him but had no choice. The blisters under my tong were from the peroxide. It burned the inside of my mouth. I was in so much pain that I burned my mouth with peroxide hoping to get rid of an infection that didn’t exist.

The dentist instructed his assistant to x-ray the tooth. When we were done, I sat patiently waiting for his return. What happened next baffled both the dentist and me. There was nothing wrong with the tooth or the gum. He couldn’t explain the pain. I went home in pain and suffered through it for the next few days until it mysteriously disappeared.

It wasn’t until after researching further, Hashimoto’s, that I realized the problem wasn’t the tooth, but my thyroid. If you look at the Tooth Organ Meridian Chart you will see what I saw. The tooth that gave me the trouble is the tooth on the left lower jaw, #20. That tooth is on the thyroid meridian line. Once I saw that, the whole tooth catastrophe made sense.

I share this story with you because I want you to realize you’re not the only one that has or will experience ridiculous situations or instances where you feel helpless, baffled, and frustrated. I want you to know that if you haven’t already experienced a similar situation, you will. And now, when you do you can smile because you’ll know you’re not alone. When you do have that moment, I want to hear about it. I want to help you get through the awkwardness of the unknown. We’re all in this together. I know you’ll get through whatever comes your way in your journey of thyroid health.

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Body Cleanses and Hashimoto’s


We live in a technologically advanced world. And while it may be a good thing in some areas, there is one area I can think of that may leave us asking, “why?”

If I Can’t Say It, I Can’t Eat It

I’m talking about food. You can walk into any supermarket and find aisles and aisles of processed food. You can make your way to the meat department and find refrigerated displays of many options, most of which are injected with antibiotics and hormones. If you look at the labels you will see many different ingredients in each item, most of which we can’t pronounce. I adopted the idea, if I can’t say it, I can’t eat it.

We Are What We Eat

This brings me to body cleanses. Because we spend much of our lives eating food we can’t pronounce, we have polluted our bodies with chemicals and toxins without knowing it. Today there are a growing number of people who are choosing to eat clean. Hopefully the change will encourage more companies to put the health of the consumer above profits.

Body cleansing has become more popular in recent years. The last decade at least has seen a growing number of people concerned with health and environment.

As a person living with Hashimoto’s, you now know that your thyroid is polluted. It has been absorbing environmental pollutants, heavy metals, and toxic food your whole life. Now it’s tired. It can’t function for being bogged down and unable to function. You can fix that with a body cleanse. Well you can’t fix the Hashimoto’s with the body cleanse, but you can clean the toxins out of your body and eat healthy so your body can repair itself.

Hashimoto’s, Detoxification, and Weight Gain

When you begin a body cleanse you are detoxifying your body systems. This detoxification begins in the liver. To use scientific terms, your liver first converts toxins to metabolites, then excretes the toxins. The liver plays a major role in detoxification, but your kidney, lungs, and gut play a role too.

When we are healthy, our bodies are more likely to be able to clean and heal from toxins. But when we have been exposed to an extreme amount of them, we can’t purge the pollutants from our systems. We get more and more toxic and our bodies can’t purge them. Our body systems grow sluggish and our metabolism slows down, causing fluid retention and bloating; weight gain.

Natural Food Cleanse

Ideally, we should be able to cleanse our bodies by changing our eating habits. Healthy food equals healthy living. By eating natural foods such as organically grown fruits and vegetables and grass-fed meat, we are on our way to being healthy. We also need to eliminate processed sugar or fructose. Fructose is a major contributor when it comes to chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. Both contribute to weight gain and the increase in obesity.

You should also avoid trans fats. Trans fats are found in processed foods. When you see “partially hydrogenated” on the label, you are looking at trans fats.

Now you know some of what to avoid, the list below are some foods to incorporate into your diet.

  • Natural fats and oils (extra virgin olive oil, organic coconut oil)
  • Nuts and seeds (You will be limited with these if you have Hashimoto’s. More in a later post)
  • Proteins
  • Fruits
  • Vegetables

Hashimoto’s and a Healthy Lifestyle

In addition to clean eating here are some detox suggestions

  • Eat right
  • Support your immune system
  • Exercise
  • Reduce inflammation
  • Support your gut
  • Drink plenty of water
  • Get plenty of sleep
  • Visit a chiropractor
  • Supplement with a body cleanse of your choice twice a year

If you have never done a body cleanse before, talk to your health care provider before embarking on the cleanse. Ask for suggestions, you may be pleasantly surprised. No matter what you decide, supplement it with a healthy diet and lots of water.

This is where you begin living healthy with Hashimoto’s.

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Getting Hashimoto’s Under Control

The first thing I did when I went home was to begin a search for the definition of Hashimoto’s. The first thing I learned was that it’s the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States. It’s also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disorder that causes chronic inflammation when antibodies are directed against the thyroid gland.

It’s not known what causes Hashimoto’s, but it often runs in families.

As time passes, Hashimoto’s results in the thyroids inability to produce thyroid hormones and it becomes impaired. This impaired function leads to an underactive thyroid. Hashimoto’s is most often seen in middle age women but can be found in men and children.

Once I knew what I was diagnosed with, I moved on to natural cures. I found many sites where I was told once you have Hashimoto’s you’ll have to take medication for the rest of your life. I didn’t like what I was hearing so I continued my search until I found what I was looking for. Now we get to the nitty-gritty.

First, I learned if I was going to live with Hashimoto’s without taking medication, I was going to have to listen to my body. I needed to become familiar with the signs and symptoms of Hashimoto’s and learn how to manage them. I began the process of monitoring my thyroid by paying attention to my body temperature. If you have Hashimoto’s you will relate to always being cold. Well, I used that to my advantage. I began taking my temperature every three hours throughout the day to determine if my lifestyle changes were working. Take your temperature before you get out of bed in the morning, then every three hours after that.

When I began to monitor my temperature, it ranged from 96.8 to 98.5 depending on the time of day, and day of the week. The doctor didn’t instruct me in the temperature taking process. I found the idea when I was on the internet and stumbled across a website for Wilson’s Syndrome. I figured if it was related to symptoms of hypothyroidism, it could help me regulate what I was doing for Hashimoto’s. I knew as my temperature went up so did the function of my thyroid.

I did this for a month as I cleansed my body and changed my eating habits. The American Thyroid Association recommends a TSH range of 0.5 to 2.0mU/L. Mine was 5.12mU/L. Within 30 days I reduced it to 3.1mU/L. It wasn’t perfect, but I was moving in the right direction. Nothing, worth having or being, comes easily or quickly. If you choose to follow this method, it will take time. Every person is at a different place in their health and healing. We all bounce back differently. I have never been a drinker or smoker, so I had that going for me. Your situation may be different. Don’t give up you can get there.

In the next post I will talk about body cleanses. See you then.

Please remember my post’s are a journey toward good health that worked for me. Please check with your doctor before making any changes in diet or medication. I’m not a physician and am not directing any person to follow the information in any of my posts.

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Thyroid Awareness Month

Three years ago, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Before my diagnosis, I’d never heard of Hashimoto’s. I knew it was possible for a person to have a hypothyroid or Hyperthyroid. But I thought it was genetic and didn’t give much thought to the possibility that I would have to worry about it. My grandmother had Grave’s disease and had her thyroid removed when she was young, but again I didn’t think about how it affected me.

Healthy with Hashimoto’s

Today, many years later, I’m 54 years old and living with Hashimoto’s.  I spent the last three years working my way back to good health. Some days I struggle, and I spent many hours researching Hashimoto’s and how I could “beat it” or at least live a healthy life without having to take medication. Well, I continue to be a work in progress, but I’m at a point where I feel healthy, and I don’t need to be on medication. Some days I think that is a miracle.

Thyroid Awareness Month

Now I think back on the journey and realize I shouldn’t be stingy with what I have learned. So, I think it appropriate to begin this blog in January, which I now know as Thyroid Awareness Month. I am celebrating my good health by giving back to those who share my diagnosis.

Real Life Credentials

I’m not a doctor, I have no medical background, with the exception, of being the mom of a nurse. I spent many hours studying with her as she went through nursing school. She is now a nurse, I’m still only her mom; no degree, no real medical knowledge. I’m proud of her though.

So, when you read through my blog please remember I’m only a woman living with Hashimoto’s, trying to find the best way to be healthy and happy. I’m happy to share what worked for me, but please take my words for what they are; mine; my journey, my body, my results. If you have Hashimoto’s or think you do, please talk to your doctor, and if you like what you read here, share the information with him/her and use what information you can, leaving what isn’t possible for you.

Why Now?

I’m going out on a limb publishing this blog. I’m doing it because we need to make people aware that thyroid disease is serious. Twenty million Americans have some form of thyroid disease. Sixty percent of those don’t realize it. They may have symptoms of thyroid disease, but their bloodwork doesn’t show it. We need to be educating people to ask the right questions to get the correct diagnosis. I will discuss this dilemma in future blogs.

Now is the time for me to do my part. I want this blog to be interactive. If you are reading and have questions, please comment. We can help each other by supporting one another and educating others to see the signs. I hope it will help many to live with a healthy thyroid.