Battling Hashimoto’s Disease is an evolving process for me. As I continue in this battle, I made a decision to take charge of my own fate as best I can. I believe this can be summarized in 7 overlapping steps.
The 7 ways of healing on my journey boils down to this:
- Research/self-advocate
- Diet
- Heal additional issues/functional medicine
- Stress reduction
- Dedication/support
- Supplements/medication/probiotics
- Exercise
Part 2 involves reducing the inflammation and healing my gut through diet changes.
This was hardest for me. I made the decision to restrict all added sugars, caffeine, alcohol, food additives, preservatives, anything artificial, gluten, soy, dairy, and anything processed. At first it was a general plan but quickly I discovered the Autoimmune Protocol (also referred to as the Autoimmune Paleo) diet plan.
Prior to this change, here was a typical day for me:
First thing as soon as I get out of bed, straight to the coffee maker. It was absolute heaven if my husband was home, primarily weekends, so that the brew was already waiting for me. While my coffee was brewing I would take my levothyroxine medication for my thyroid with a small glass of water. Within 10 minutes, the warm soothing coffee was revitalizing my soul. Over the years the coffee prep changed, sometimes with sugar and half and half, sometimes with just sugar, sometimes just black, sometimes just cream, sometimes flavored coffee creamer. As of the most recent it was strictly coffee with a little bit of cream. I ignored the fact I read calcium in the creamer could inhibit the effectiveness of the thyroid medication. Coffee wins. Heck, I needed it to start my day.
It has been 6 months for me now, but let me tell you, the thought of those first few heavenly sips still makes my mouth water.
I would have 2-3 cups of coffee in the morning, every morning. That was at home, to start my day. Breakfast would be hours later. If I was out in the late morning, let’s say at Target for example, Starbucks would beckon me over to grab a latte of sorts. Those Starbucks foo-foo drinks, as I so affectionately call them, would vary as well over the years ranging from anything to a cappuccino, latte, vanilla latte, caramel macchiato, pumpkin spice latte, flat white latte……you get the point. If it was Starbucks, it was my friend. And to make matters worse, I would even venture through Starbucks drive through AGAIN on my way taxiing my children around in the afternoons. Forget about health….the money spent was on the verge on insanity.
I didn’t always have Starbucks around. My 7 years living in Minnesota was also the same time frame of my love affair with Caribou Coffee. And man, the foo-foo drinks that place serves can be laden with sugar as well! Caramel Highrise was my fave. Speaking of love affairs, my husband and I would half joke our mutual love for coffee was the glue that bound us together. We completely supported each other’s addiction to caffeine. Well I may have hid a few purchases from him, primarily those multi coffee shop stops in a single day kind.
Fun story, when my babies were young, my husband and I would steal a “date” away grocery shopping. The fun part is that we went straight to the Caribou coffee in the grocery store to grab our foo-foo’s and so affectionately grocery shop. Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do for alone time!
Bottom line, giving up caffeine was something I never thought I would, or COULD do! I was not able to cut it cold turkey like I had hoped. On the 2nd day, the pain in my head was too unbearable. Luckily drinking a small half cup subsided the headache within 20 minutes (amazing and scary really when you think about the affect caffeine has on us!). I was able to have that half cup for just a week and then completely quit after that.
Oh, back to my typical day…… (Coffee talk can still distract me apparently)
Sugar: my second best friend. Not only did I have the sugar in my coffee drinks throughout the day, I also had quite the sweet tooth. I have loved sugar and sugar laden food items for as long as I can remember. Eating sugar straight up was not beneath me. Powder sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon sugar, hell even the sweet taste of toothpaste when I was a kid. Oh the effects on the blood sugar levels over all those years!! I had no problem eating a donut or Danish, or heck even a piece/half of a pie of lying around on the counter in the morning. I tried so hard to avoid purchasing the cookies and sweet snacks because I knew it wasn’t the kids’ lack of self-control I had to worry about but my own! Of course, I didn’t want to “deprive” them because I was getting older and had to suddenly worry about calories. I so clearly remember 2 very stupid things I have said in my lifetime (definitely not the only two). One was “I don’t have to worry about sugar and calories, only fat”. Duh. The other was “We don’t worry about food items with sugar”. That latter statement was regarding my whole family. I never claim to be a perfect mom.
Convenience was pretty key to a mom of four very active daughters. Convenience doesn’t typically equal healthy.
I was starting to notice certain things made me feel worse, one in particular that was obvious was dairy. I started to feel sick after my lattes and delicious RumChata (I seriously miss that drink!!). That was a sign to me that there could be more. As I mentioned in my Part 1 blog, I was starting to think added sugars were a problem as well causing migraines.
“All disease begins in the gut”-Hippocrates.
If this father of modern medicine knew this over 2,000 years go, how did we get so far off track in present time? Why don’t we start with our diet and save prescriptions and medications as a last resort?
I have come to believe balancing the immune system by repairing the gut is the best way to healing. I must remove the immune triggers from my diet, but how do I know what those triggers are? The only way to completely determine that answer is by performing an elimination diet. That is just what AIP is. Temporarily I have cut out all of the potential triggers and over time will slowly add them back in. I can only attempt to add things back when I believe the healing has progressed substantially and I feel well.
The modern American diet is loaded with sugar, preservatives, refined food, and vegetable oils. It has been found 68% of packaged foods on the grocery shelves have added sugar!! * One source states 80% of packaged food in America have additives banned in other countries! ** The only thing I consciously removed from some foods in my house contained Red 40. We learned years ago my youngest daughter suffers from hyperactivity from foods containing that food dye (research prevails again!). And let me tell you, we learned the hard way! If she had been my first she very well may have been my last. Even she became old enough to admit the change in how she felt once consuming foods with this coloring. She alone in the family of 6 could not have Red 40. Of course, when they served treats at school and she told her teachers she couldn’t have anything with Red 40 in it, they were quite confused. Look at food labels, you may be surprised just how many food items contain this controversial coloring.
To each their own with what they choose to eat. Convenience is huge in our chaotic over scheduled days too, especially for moms. I have always been more of a believer that we should be eating more natural whole foods. I haven’t always been an active participant though.
Now the time has come, for my health to step it up and accept the inconvenience. And let me tell you about the inconvenience. I have to cook every meal I eat. In order for my family not to be restricted and “suffer” I will make more than one meal for dinner: one for me and one for them. I try my best to find overlap but it isn’t always easy. Oh, and by the way, my one daughter is a vegetarian. Talk about a complicated dietary household!
The AIP is VERY restricted! I can’t eat about 99% of what is offered at the typical grocery store. I seriously have walked the aisles and have gotten a little down about it at times. Forget about restaraunts! Whole, organic, grassfed, cage free, gluten free….all those health terms is my way of life now. I can’t have any grains, nuts, seeds, beans, eggs (however I did recently add those back and think they are okay), dairy, nightshades (certain vegetables and spices known to have a glycoalkaloid content and includes tomatoes, eggplant, bell peppers, potatoes, paprika, etc***), refined sugars,anything processed…..you get the point. I eat organic fruits and veggies and meats and unrefined oils (coconut, olive, avocado). My diet is high in healthy fats. It is actually crazy simple, just requires prep and cooking. Good thing I love coconut because I have a lot of it in various forms.
Let me be clear about something, I was slightly annoyed by the bandwagon folks jumping on the no gluten diet. I had read if you do not have Celiac disease then gluten is fine. However, through more research I found that is not the case, primarily for any one with Hashimoto’s as well. Gluten has a structure that is very similar to the thyroid gland. When you have leaky gut and the gluten molecules are attacked by your immune system, so is the thyroid in the way of mistaken identity. **** Unfortunately anyone with Hashimoto’s should be gluten free forever. Fortunately there are plenty of gluten free options.
My day now consists of some downright weird things. I have replaced my morning coffee with hot lemon water (this does not satisfy the comfort desire previously fed with coffee), followed by a cup of warm salted bone broth about 30-45 minutes later. THAT fulfills my comfort drink in the mornings! Ew, that’s right, I said bone broth. Google it. Bone broth has amazing healing properties, especially for the gut! I try to make my own, which takes 24-36 hours and makes the house smell lovely (well the family doesn’t agree with that so much). I follow my comfort drink with a cooked breakfast, and then some kombucha. Yum!! Kombucha is my favorite part about this change in diet. It is full of gut healing and balancing probiotics. I make some of my own with a blob they call scoby, but I buy it too. Luckily for me it is a trendy drink right now! I cook both lunch and dinner too, and all three meals typically consist of cooked meat and veggies, at times cooked fruit too. Cooked produce is easier to digest, and honestly I prefer it. I have never in my life eaten so many vegetables, and I actually crave them now (cabbage=YUM!). Cooked fruit has become my sweet treat.
It isn’t easy. Ridiculously hard at times, especially when I am out running around, eating with extended family, traveling. I have learned it is possible and gets easier all the time. I just finished traveling for a week and was very surprisingly successful at sticking to the AIP!! Sometimes I just want to eat “normal” again, but most others I am happier knowing what I am putting in my body. How many can honestly say that 100%?
I do believe I feel a lot better since beginning this diet. I no longer have palpitations, restless legs, racing heart, acne, indigestion has decreased, more energy overall, and overall mood and feeling of well being has improved. I look forward to my next blood panel results to see how this change has hopefully improved my Hashimoto’s clinically.
The holidays definitely felt like something was missing without the holiday foo-foo drinks. However, I can honestly say I get up in the morning not wanting coffee anymore. I walk and drive by Starbucks with no hesitation. My wallet should rejoice but with the unfortunate cost of healthy natural food, I can’t say it has yet.
And speaking of holidays, I found plenty of recipes that made my Thanksgiving and Christmas meals just as good, if not better than ever before. Thank goodness for Pinterest!
I am still waiting for the day I don’t crave sweets. From my ongoing research adrenal fatigue may be to blame for that. I hope that is the case and once I repair those glands, if necessary, I hope not to crave the dates and honey I have substituted now in moderation. I envy those people who say they aren’t a “sweets” person. Somehow, my self control does still continue to amaze me and those around me who know me well.
Of course, at times an alcoholic drink would be nice, but one day….. remission first.
AIP Resources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/aip-diet
https://aiplifestyle.com/what-is-autoimmune-protocol-diet/
Sources:
*https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/upshot/it-isnt-easy-to-figure-out-which-foods-contain-sugar.html
**https://www.rt.com/usa/banned-additives-food-outlawed-089/
*** https://www.thepaleomom.com/what-are-nightshades/
**** https://www.rt.com/usa/banned-additives-food-outlawed-089/
Additional informative sites:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-raphael-kellman/hashimotos-thyroiditis-we_2_b_7118690.html
https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/is-red-dye-40-toxic#products