The Path To Wellness Isn’t Easy

How many tines do you feel like for all your good intentions and healthy changes to behavior , you’d like to feel a bit more happy or healthy or have more well in your #Wellness goal?

Well, you’re not alone.

Why is it that despite all the meditation , eating healthy, exercising as best as you can especially if your suffering from chronic pain or a chronic condition , eating kale making smoothies and protein shakes, you seem to spend most days feeling run-down and uncomfortable?

For me that’s Hashimoto thyroiditis.

Plus my adrenals are fatigued making my already slow thyroid work even harder. It just gets so tiring.

I miss that none stop energy I had. I was able to work 8-10 hr days come home get dinner , clean our pool with my husband, have a small patio garden, clean the house , shop etc…..

Now I am exhausted after I do some errands and ride my recumbent bike for 15-20 min.

Again I’m told it’s the Hashimoto

I get sick of mixed messages one Dr. says one thing and the other says another.

I have been told I don’t eat enough. I have been told I eat to much

Drink more water – yes this one is true and I’m working on it.

Eat this

Don’t eat this

High carb

Low carb

Eat your greens , don’t eat your greens

I just get so sick of it .

I know how to eat healthy, I never really ate horrible. I gained weight first after my mom died. Because food soothed me at the time. I was grieving. I knew I wasn’t eating how I should back then.

After working through that and trying to exercise nothing.

Still tired , still carrying a few extra pounds

I tried Atkins and it was just for me more meat than I cared to eat.

I tried a few other things and same ok same ol.

A few year ago I bought some dvds and worked hard and I mean hard.

So hard I tore my meniscus leading to osteonecrosis in the knee that already was a pain in the ass by having osteoarthritis.

And I won’t mention how bad spondylolisthesis pain is.

I have always been a veggie lover. And I prefer veggies.

You’d think switching to plant based would have blasted any fat off me sine it’s been a year plus.

Nope I lose 5 here 10 there then gain 2 back. Over and over.

Again I’m told it’s my Hashimoto

I’ve had hypothyroidism for 20 years and the levothyroxine always made me feel like crap.

No one ever listened when I told them this. I remember telling my Dr. I feel like my body is fighting against me. Most of just looked at me.

Here I was right my body was attacking me.

That’s Hashimoto – I found this out maybe a month ago.

Finally I feel vindicated !!

Even before I went to plant based I didn’t eat horrible.

Sure 1 night or 2 was fast food but not the golden arch kind. Fast food to me meant I was not cooking. I would buy baked fish or on occasion a good spaghetti dinner.

It was going to decent restaurants ordering dinner.

Yes I know they have a shit load of salt in them. But that can’t be the only thing keeping this damn weight on.

Maybe someday these restaurants will get with it and cut their salt by at least half.

And then there’s adrenal fatigue

So what is Adrenal fatigue?

Adrenal fatigue is a potential result of not eating enough and or not eating enough of the “right” foods and the hormone imbalances that creates. While many people don’t fully understand it, the theory is simple it will make you feel tired.

I learned all this from my Naturopath and the Registered Dietician I see.

‘Adrenal fatigue is also a big topic  which comes from calorie restriction for too long throughout the year.

‘Calorie restriction is fine for short periods of time but unfortunately people are looking for body fat loss 12 months a year and the body hates that. Your body is smart and will adapt, so goals become very hard to reach in that state.’

Now What is Hashimoto?

Hashimoto is a condition that arises when the immune system attacks – and damages – the thyroid gland.

Over time, the thyroid gland, which straddles your windpipe at the front your neck, becomes unable to produce enough thyroid hormone so it becomes under-active.

As one of the primary functions of thyroid hormone is to keep your cells – and you – active, if you have insufficient amounts of the stuff, your body will slow down.

Say hello to tiredness and tighter fitting clothing.

“Hypothyroidism is a slow burner and it very easily can go undetected, and often misdiagnosed as depression.

Hashimoto cannot be cured but, symptoms can be managed with medications, designed to rebalance the levels of thyroid hormone in the body.

Did you know 75% of people with Hashimoto are lactose intolerant? some people also find that avoiding gluten can help.

Well I meditate to help manage stress , I cut out daily and I am working on the gluten free area. Some days are harder than others.

A few ways I’m learning to alleviate Hashimoto symptoms through diet.

1. Support the thyroid -This means stripping your diet back to basics – Reduce your consumption of caffeine, sugar, alcohol and refined carbohydrates, which are common triggers for thyroid problems.

2. Avoid Soy

Steer clear of soy products such as soy sauce, tamari and miso,” even the fermented, organic and non-GMO types. “They can impact your cell receptors and disrupt feedback through your hormone system.

3. Eat greens in moderation

It might sound counter-intuitive but, when it comes to thyroid problems, these act as goitrogens this means they interfere with the uptake of iodine by the thyroid gland and, therefore, the production of thyroid hormones.

“I’m a big fan of green veggies so don’t feel like I can never have them,

I enjoy vegetables in the brassica family (broccoli, cauliflower, some kale and Brussels sprouts) cooked well rather than raw, as heat inactivates the goitrogenic compounds.

Other foods to watch out for? Soybeans, millet, strawberries, peanuts, turnips and watercress.Everything I love.

4.Time to love my Adrenals

High cortisol (which is pumped from the adrenals) is directly linked to lower thyroid function so managing stress levels is essential.

5. I take a probiotic every day.

6. I am a flexitarian so I will eat meat or fish 1x a week.

So I have learned meditation, qigong, I love walks in nature and time switched off from social media. People actually get pissed off at me when I don’t respond right away!! I mean really ?! I also practice deep-belly breathing every day.

I am still tired just not totally exhausted.

I just want to feel better get this weight off because that will help my bone conditions also.

I hate feeling like this. I’m sick of feeling so tired.

I’m a happy person who likes to stay busy.

I shouldn’t feel so tired by 3pm

I get frustrated because I am sick of carrying this extra weight around.

My Naturopath feels I’m biking to hard. And suggested I slow the pace down and go longer.

So I bike longer slower , I like it better. I’m not as tired afterwards.

So tweaking more things.

I hope someday I find that sweet spot that revs up my thyroid helps the adrenals and I can feel great and get this fat off my ass once and for all.

I will continue to eat mostly plant based. The other benefit it has is it’s helped my bone pain . I still get it just not 24/7

I do love to meditate and I also enjoy qigong.

One day at a time is all we can do.

Well here’s to wellness!!

Have a great day.

Deb Andio