Thyroid Health - update and possible solutions

Status update! So back in April I mentioned I was feeling a little down and wondering why I have not been losing weight, and discovered I potentially have a thyroid/hormonal imbalance. Since then I've been playing "Inspector Gadget", and along with the information I gathered from the Thyroid Sessions I decided to do a few experiments on myself.

One of the take-aways from the free thyroid sessions was the importance of incorporating iodine in your diet, especially if you feel you have an under-active thyroid. There was something about that information that clicked with me, so I went with my gut and looked into different iodine supplements.  Since the beginning of May I've been taking a daily dose of Atomidine which I purchased via Vitacost.  It's very easy to consume and it's almost tasteless; it's like licking a teardrop or tasting a little bit of salty water. I take a bit every morning.  All you need is one drop a day in a little water, so easy to do.  I started noticing the effects about 2 weeks in, along with continuing to incorporate more live foods (fruits, salads, vegetables) in my diet.  I felt more energized and overall more motivated.  I don't know how to explain how bad I was feeling back in March/April.  My energy levels were virtually depleted and with that so was my motivation to do anything. Now I find myself kind of like how I felt last summer; full of energy and ideas, and hopeful of the opportunities to come.  I don't fully credit the Atomidine with completely transforming my energy/motivation levels, but I do give it some credit because I think it helped to possibly restart or replenish something inside which was preventing me from being at the level I needed to be at.  I think of this product as a part of the gas my "car" needed to run.

Another piece of useful information I got from the thyroid sessions was the importance of good gut health. Basically making sure you have enough good bacteria in your stomach to help you properly digest and break down the nutrients in food.  I was previously taking a daily spoonful of Lactobacillus Acidophilus, which I got in liquid form from Vitacost (yes I love shopping on there).  Let me just say, it tastes great (the black cherry flavor)!  If you want to incorporate more good bacteria in your diet, this is a great (and easy) way to start.  I upgraded to a probiotic, and so I currently take 2 pills a day of Vitacost AdvanC® 1000 mg with Probiotics. This is another great way to get vitamin C and some good bacteria.  Over the last 30 days I've become this supplement machine; I just want to make sure my body is getting everything it needs to run properly.  

I think the combination of supplements mentioned has greatly improved my health overall because I am feeling much better.  Because my energy is higher now, I've been able to start exercising again.  I do some light exercises in the evening, at home, including some Shrink Session by Erin Stutland.  I really feel I am on the right track.  The best piece of advice I can give you, when it comes to improving your health, is listen to your body.  If you feel something is off, even when the doctors are telling you everything is fine, take that extra step to do your own research and find what works for you.

If you're interested in purchasing any of the Vitacost products I mentioned in this post please consider using my referral link =)

I am not a Vitacost affiliate but I do get reward points for every person who I refer to their site, which you can do the same once you sign up (free).

By the way, have you checked out my FREE E-BOOK? It's called "Greens on the Side" and will help you get started with your weight loss goals in just 5 easy steps. Check it out =)

My semi-Virgin Diet

So I started the semi-Virgin Diet on 4/1/14. I call it semi-Virgin because I did my own twist of JJ Virgin's "The Virgin Diet". First a little background...

I can't pinpoint exactly when I started feeling "weird" but it was sometime between December '13 and January of this year. I stopped losing weight (even gained a little), had a big dip in energy and stamina, noticed an increase in appetite, my sleep cycle was off, and my acne was flaring up. I've had issues with acne for over 10 years but it had gotten a lot better since I started eating healthier. However I was confused because I was eating pretty healthy and still wasn't feeling better. Plus the fact that my acne issues were back and I was beginning to notice red bumps popping up around my chest; it was starting to worry me. My other issues included feeling bloated, dry mouth and itchy skin.

So around mid-March I happened to catch the podcast of the Underground Wellness interview with JJ Virgin.  The timing couldn't be more perfect. I listened to JJ discuss food allergies and intolerance. I knew about food intolerance but didn't consider that as reason for the way I was feeling. I immediately checked out the book from my local library and discovered the most common food allergens. The book also opened my eyes to sneaky ways these allergens (especially corn and soy) are put in foods. Now every time I go food shopping I spend a ton of time looking at the ingredients with a fine toothed comb.

In the book she discusses what foods you should eat and what to avoid within the 3 cycles. The first cycle (21 days) is removing the allergens. The next cycle is a week by week experimentation process where each week you introduce a different allergen to see how your body responds. I will keep you posted on my progress.

Because I've been learning about what works/doesn't work for me I've been able to tweak her recommendations to fit my needs but if you're just starting out l suggest really learning for yourself about her recommendations. Most things I agree with her on, some things I just don't. For example, she's not a big fan of agave or honey (she does recommend raw honey in small doses), but instead recommends pure leaf Stevia. I cannot stand the taste of Stevia. I've tried many different brands and it tastes worse than artificial sweeteners to me. It leaves a bitter aftertaste in my mouth. I prefer honey (especially raw) over anything. But that's just me. You do what works best for you. There is no "one size fits all" way of eating.  I can say that an allergy-free diet is A LOT of work.  You have to really analyze every single thing you eat.  It takes a lot of patience and preparation to be successful with this.

My pantry

I decided to try an allergen-free diet for 21 days. JJ lists 7 food types to remove but I also removed shellfish so I have been eating foods which do not contain: gluten, soy, corn, artificial sweeteners and added sugar, peanuts, eggs, dairy, and shellfish. I'll share my actual meal plan in a later post. The first 6 days were surprisingly easy.  I was amazed at how I felt.  I really thought I would be hungry and cranky but I wasn't at all.  It was the complete opposite.  I ate and felt satisfied, and I also didn't have hard cravings for things.  My skin got noticeably clearer and I was feeling a lot more energized and motivated.

By day 7 of the diet (4/7/14), I don't know what happened.  I had a stressful week and my energy level took a huge dip. I found myself so tired at work and craving sugar.  I notice that between 1-3pm my energy and motivation are at 0.  Someone was passing out candy at work on Monday and I had 3 laffy taffys and a jolly rancher.  It helped me a little. I also added a little creamer to my coffee.  That week my emotions were all over the place.  I got restless, anxious, bored; thankfully I started reading a new book which helped me de-stress a bit.  I then gave in on Wednesday and had a croissant with butter in the morning with my coffee.  I needed something warm and comforting. I noticed I felt gassy and sleepy.

Oh no!  Gluten!

Last week was a very low-energy week for me.  I went to the doctor on 4/10/14 and he told me he suspects I might have hypothyroidism; I am getting tested this week.  When in doubt, seek medical advice and attention.  I am hoping that's what it is because I really need to learn how to tackle this problem. It really makes no sense to feel this weak when I eat well.  I am going to continue with this diet and I'll count today (4/13/14) as my day 7.  I've already prepped for the week; I'm also traveling this week and am going to make a conscious effort to remain allergy-free while I'm away. I will keep you posted!

P.S: I am going to read The Hormone Cure which I also heard the podcast for on Underground Wellness.  I would love to learn more about hormonal imbalances and their effects.


By the way, have you checked out my FREE E-BOOK? It's called "Greens on the Side" and will help you get started with your weight loss goals in just 5 easy steps.  Check it out!