Gluten, why you gotta hate?

One of the first things I discovered in my research of lifestyle changes that could help heal the thyroid, was that gluten and autoimmune diseases were not friends. According to pharmacist and Hashimoto's expert Izabella Wentz in her book,  Hashimoto's Thyroiditis: Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause, gluten sensitivity is a major factor in the progression of not only Hashimoto's, but a host of other autoimmune diseases, particularly Celiac. Integrative medicine practitioner Chris Kresser describes gluten's specific threat to the thyroid gland thusly: 

"It’s a case of mistaken identity. The molecular structure of gliadin, the protein portion of gluten, closely resembles that of the thyroid gland. When gliadin breaches the protective barrier of the gut, and enters the bloodstream, the immune system tags it for destruction. These antibodies to gliadin also cause the body to attack thyroid tissue. This means if you have AITD and you eat foods containing gluten, your immune system will attack your thyroid."

So, goodbye gluten. Now there are many schools of thought as to the degree to which one ought to change their diets, but since my symptoms were fairly mild, I chose to eliminate gluten, cow dairy, soy and sugar, (mostly, as it is a terrible weakness), to start. Many of my fellow Hashimoto's sufferers  swear by Paleo or AIP diets, but it is just too much restriction for me at this point. And if I feel I need to make further changes, I am free to do that! 

After just one week of eliminating gluten from my diet, I lost three pounds. I don't necessarily need to lose weight, so this was sort of frustrating.  I went on a search for some healthy fat options at my local Sprouts Farmer's Market, my oldest son's former employer, and found some fun stuff that I had never tried before. I got a jar of Spectrum Organic Coconut Oil, some goat cheese, including a mini round of Montchevre Brie, which is delicious!  I am using these in place of butter and cow cheese, respectively. I don't know how many other food sensitivities I have, but since I have never used these products before, it's more likely that I am not sensitive to them. Let's hope that remains the case!