The post I have been wanting to write

I have been excited about what's to come for a few weeks now, but I couldn't pretend it all happen easily. I think the struggle is sometimes worth the lesson. I think I need to venture off path to remember why I chose the path I did. This path is mostly well lit, successful and warm. I just can't stray.

I started working with a Naturopath a while ago, I expected her to do this for me. I expected her to come up with a plan, force me to do it and I would wake up without all my baggage. It has happen before, but that was when I had far less baggage (pre-marriage, mortgage and babies).

This time she outlined the areas of concern and offered guidance, but I wasn't ready. My head was filled with regrets about the weight loss grant and I fixated on a date, that didn't matter, then I punished everyone around me when I couldn't do it.

So this Naturopath (I can so easily get lost in a rant)... she recommended the NDT and increased my dose every time I said it didn't feel right. She suggested I go see her nutritionist, but that budget had been far exceeded. She talked about carb restriction, but I don't want a fad, I don't want a temp fix. So for months I only went in for my B12 shot and kept doing what I was doing. A month ago she asked if I had read  'The Adrenal Thyroid Revolution' by Aviva Romm and what I thought. I didn't have any thought.

BUT as an information junkie I looked it up and read the details, the first chapter and the reviews.

I ordered the book.

I am a huge fan of things that don't make anyone money, it feels less like I am getting taken advantage of. So when the cost of the book is the only cost for a complete overhaul, I went for it. Although it looks like a novel, it is a workbooks, mine is covered in sticky notes and pencil scratchings. I am only 3/4 of the way through, but I think it might be perfect for me.

Let’s pause that story, because below ran parallel and is just as important.

The universe introduced me to a Nutritionist who lives down the street, completed the same schooling I am hoping to enroll in and is leading a gluten free life, while her family isn't. I reached out to her to see if she could help, I had a great conversation with her and found out we had a lot of the same ideals. She works with patients like me, at their end. She develops a fitness plan, a meal plan and shopping list. We would meet weekly for follow-up and questions.

Now the stories merge and interestingly enough both think my symptoms (and maybe the cause of my autoimmune disease, Hashimoto) sound like leaky gut. I thought THIS was the next fad just another buzzword I thought people were throwing at me. So what is leaky gut? (I’ve never been great at regurgitating information, as I am sure you are aware).

What is leaky gut?

Leaky gut, or "intestinal permeability," is a condition in which the lining of the small intestine becomes damaged, causing undigested food particles, toxic waste products and bacteria to "leak" through the intestines and flood the blood stream. The foreign substances entering the blood can cause an autoimmune response in the body including inflammatory and allergic reactions such as migraines, irritable bowel, eczema, chronic fatigue, food allergies, rheumatoid arthritis and more.

With leaky gut, damaged cells in your intestines don't produce the enzymes needed for proper digestion. As a result, your body cannot absorb essential nutrients, which can lead to hormone imbalances and a weakened immune system. 

Source - www.healthywomen.org

Sounds like the cause of all your problems too, right? The logic of it makes sense, the process of obtaining leaky gut also matches my lifestyle... then the book arrived and I dived in.

I love it; I understand it and I want to do it. It’s not just about food, it was overall health guided by a Doctor, Midwife and herbalist who saw a gap in the health field and, with kids in college, went back to school to become an MD.

This is about taking care of yourself in every aspect from meditation to dry brushing, bedtime routines to salt baths, exercise to hygiene. She talks about putting down the screens and explains not just the distraction but the physical impact.

She even adds notations for people with thyroid concerns, like did you know people with Thyroid concerns should avoid the Brassica family of vegetables? Like Broccoli (my fav) and kale (my go to smoothie green). That night shade vegetables can affect your digestion; tomatoes, bell peppers? So maybe eating healthy was bad for me since all my go to healthy foods impact my thyroid. 

The best part of the book is its strict for 4 weeks and then it teaches you how to reintroduce certain foods and to watch for symptoms. So it could be a great turning point.

I am going full steam as of October 1st. 

UPDATE; It's October 2nd. I am in, I feel good. I don't like coconut yogurt. Fresh peas are cooked differently than frozen peas. Jelly Beans are gluten free (not that it matters). I like baths. I am down 7lbs. 

Taco Tuesday when you're GF/DF

Wish me luck on the continuation as I figure out what to eat and how to enjoy it. 

This mornings treat, I boiled fresh blueberries with vanilla, water, lemon juice and maple syrup (fresh Canadian maple syrup) until it was a jam. That is going on my coconut yogurt this morning, Richard called me a food scientist and I liked it. I also added strawberries, raspberries, hemp seeds and ground flax. 

Today is also my third bootcamp, I only just recovered from one and two. 

Wish me luck. 

This might be just what I needed.

xo