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.

Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease. The thyroid is dead and can’t be brought back to life, I was told. Don’t always believe what you hear. That’s my motto. With that statement ringing in my head, I began to learn about the thyroid.

Our thyroid is the largest endocrine gland in our body. No wonder people have problems. Think about it. This little butterfly-shaped gland works 24/7 to keep our body systems operating properly. Compare that to your computer, and consider this. If you turn on your computer and open 20 different tabs in your browser, one of two things will eventually happen. The computer will either lock up or crash.

Our bodies are similar on many levels. We don’t eat right or get enough sleep. The food we put in our bodies if packed with chemicals that we are not meant to digest. This one abuse causes our organs to work on overload to clean out toxins that eventually cause health issues.

Consider your thyroid. It is one small gland that we pollute every day. From brushing our teeth to eating meat injected with hormones and antibiotics to slathering our skin with cosmetics that are loaded with carcinogens. That’s only the beginning. We’ll discuss this in depth in a future blog.

So, we know the thyroid is busy. It produces two types of hormones, T3 and T4. These hormones control how and at what rate your body will burn energy. It also regulates how you respond to stress hormones. That’s a big job, considering the stressful lives we live. I will discuss this in a future blog as well.

We now know basically what our thyroid function is. So, it’s time to quickly look at two ways it can malfunction. There is hyperthyroidism, where the production of hormones is excessive. Then there is hypothyroidism, in which the thyroid produces too little hormone. Both situations can be disastrous if left un-checked. There are many things that are affected by your thyroid:

• Rough skin
• Weight loss or gain
• Fatigue
• Being too hot or too cold (excessively)
• Depression/Anxiety
• Digestive issues
• Frequent urination
• Low sex drive
• Trouble breathing
• Hair loss
• Vision issues
• Migraines (a biggie for me)
• Muscle aches/tenderness

We’ll be talking about all of these and more as the blog develops. My goal is to provide information I’ve found throughout my journey to reconcile my thyroid to my lifestyle. It is also my desire to have as many of my readers share what works for them too. We are all in this together. It is my hopes to bring to the attention to women (and men) everywhere that the thyroid is most likely causing problems for people without realizing it. Again another topic for a future blog. Thank you for taking the time to read, I hope to see you all back here for the next post. I wish you much success in your fight for great thyroid health.

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.