I love classical music for its evocative and visually inspiring qualities. And the bodies of work that have been compiled over the centuries is staggering! Many works are entitled, "Variations on a Theme by Haydn"or "... by Mozart", or by some other mad genius. Composers would take a melody written by a fellow composer and add their own flavor, if you will, transforming a piece of music that they most likely admired, to a piece of music even more to their liking. I am taking this approach in holistically treating my Hashimoto's.
We all are at different stages of the disease, and its presentation is always unique, so a variety of treatments is necessary. It would seem from the literature I have read that going gluten free is a major theme. Just as classical music composers take a good theme created by another composer and make it their own, so too can we make a gluten free diet a foundation on which to build our very own healthy lifestyle, one that suits our own personal needs and tastes.
As I said, I am not ready to go hardcore AIP and give up all grains and legumes at this juncture, so I have found gluten free replacements for some of my favorite staples. Udi's makes an entire line of pretty okay breads to use. They are not like normal bread, so don't get all excited. They are hard and sticky and not moist like bread with gluten, and you have to keep them in the refrigerator, but I FEEL better eating them and I make them work. I spread on Coconut oil to make yummy grilled chicken, turkey or goat cheese sandwiches or toast for tuna. And for breakfast, I use Food for Life's gluten free English muffins with a bowl of fruit or a smoothy.
Again, this is just my variation. A lot of Hashimoto's folks have found it necessary to eliminate ALL grains, and I may very well have to at some point, but for now, these products are helping me preventively treat my Hashimito's (hopefully), so that I do not have to be on thyroid hormone replacement therapy for the rest of my life, (not that there is anything wrong with that). But if you can avoid it, why not try, right?
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!
For a few years now I have noticed a strange rash on my upper arms. It's disc shaped, very lightly raised and pink in color. It doesn't itch, but kind of stings sometimes, like a sunburn. It's more embarrassing than anything, especially when I wear sleeveless blouses. I had asked my dermatologist about it in passing during my annual skin check up and she didn't think much about it at the time.
However, it suddenly started to appear in different places; my forearms, my shins, and I even started getting dry patches in the center of each hand. I suspected eczema on my hands and decided to see the dermatologist once again.
Dr. Pamela Hite at The Dermatology and Laser Clinic in Newport Beach looked at my new lesions and decided to order some blood work. She thought it looked like something autoimmune related, as opposed to contact dermatitis, so off I went to the lab to draw blood, something I was going to have to get used to in the months to come.
