I have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.
What that means is that my body is producing anti-bodies that are attacking my thyroid. When I got blood work done a couple of months ago, it showed that my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) numbers were normal, which means my thyroid is still working. My TPO ( thyroid peroxidase antibodies test) numbers were elevated, which indicated the problem.
At this point, I’m not looking at taking thyroid medication, but looking into nutritional options instead.
Now this is where it gets sticky. Who do you trust? How many “experts” do you consult? Do you only accept the advice that is generally agreed upon, or do you go further afield?
I have made several changes in my diet and I’m seeing some encouraging results: I have eliminated gluten from my diet, which isn’t as straightforward as it might seem. (My multi-vitamin has wheat in it. What? What’s that all about?) I’m also taking some vitamin and mineral supplements: ashwaganha, selenium and B vitamins. When I ran out of Vitamin D supplements, I could tell a difference in my health, so I bought some more and started taking them again.
There has definitely been decrease in frequency and severity of my headaches. And, I have more energy.
Izabella Wentz and Josh Axe have published quite a bit of nutritional advice for dealing with Hashimoto’s. I have the most confidence in the areas where they are both giving the same advice.
Hit and miss exercise is the best consistency for my life right now.
I remember about a decade ago hearing a friend in her fifties say, “I thought I’d be farther along by now.” I can totally relate. I find it hard to believe that I’m still tripping over the same boulders that have been a problem for decades. I can’t believe I’m still trying to establish consistent morning routines. At my age. I thought I’d be farther along by now.
But. Here I am. Focusing on establishing foundational habits in my life: trying to get up out of bed when the alarm goes off. Every day.
Which is why I’m giving myself grace on the exercise. Some days it happens. Some days it doesn’t. I’m okay with that. I’ve got, hopefully, a lot of time to establish exercise routines as well as all the other good habits I need to incorporate.
I enjoyed Gretchen Rubin’s book on habits, Better Than Before, more than I thought I would. I got a little burned out on her books after reading two or three in a row. It’s a great follow up to what I learned reading The Power of Habit.
I signed up for Crystal Paine’s Make Over Your Evening course. I felt like I had a good handle on my mornings. I was making progress, moving forward, hopeful that I was on the right track and I was going to make it. But, I didn’t have a plan for the evenings. Honestly, it seemed like a goal for the distant future.
The course wasn’t what I expected. I thought it would be a list of things to check off to make evenings more productive. Instead, Crystal challenged my mindsets and beliefs. Wow. It’s amazing what some subtle paradigm shifting will do.
What have you learned this month?
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