On a regular basis, I get a ton of questions about living with Hashimoto’s (an autoimmune disease). The questions come mostly from Instagram but also from clients directly. A few weeks ago on Instagram I asked what people truly wanted to know about when it came to living and organizing my life around having an autoimmune disease and boy, there were SO many responses! I love to help anyone I can I am here to answer some of those questions and dive in to my experience with Hashimoto’s.
I shared most of this on Instagram live recently but I also wanted to make sure to write it down for all of you who still like to read.
Now, I know not everyone has Hashimoto’s who wrote in or who reads this blog so whether you are curious because you have Hashimoto’s, another autoimmune disease or are just curious how I organize my life around living with it, this blog is for you!
Living with Hashimoto’s Q&A
Q: You mention your “immune protocol” diet a lot. What do you eat?
A: I am gluten, dairy, soy, coffee and a few other things, free. I tried many other elimination diets and different food options but with the help of my doctor, decided that this would be the best thing for my health. I also stick loosely to an AIP diet which is an autoimmune protocol diet and that has been very helpful.
Since I am very limited with my choices and don’t love to cook, I rely on services like DAILY HARVEST (sign up here for $25 off your first box) and PALEO ON THE GO (sign up here for $20 off) when I am looking for a homemade alternative. I have also done several allergy tests to figure out if food is affecting me and found out that things like apples and peas (who knew!) don’t sit well with my gut! And please know, this “diet” actually has nothing to do with losing weight (I wish!) as having Hashimoto’s is actually making me hold onto more weight than I would like.
Q: What have you changed in your kitchen? You mention the diet specifics a lot but is there anything you have done inside your kitchen?
A: Yes. I have changed what I use and how I organize my kitchen since my diagnosis. I got into things in a bit more detail HERE along with providing some recommendations on what I use now. Overall, the biggest changes have been with what I cook with (no more no-stick pans), what I clean with and how I store our food (no more plastic or tin foil).
Q: Where did you start once you were diagnosed?
A: My road to diagnosis was a long one and I will spare you the details but once I was officially diagnosed, I ordered every book I could get. I went into research mode and really searched to find voices that were knowledgeable on the subject. I knew my life had to change but I was not truly prepared for how much it actually had to change or where to even start with my diagnosis. Here are a few of the first books I read and still reference frequently.
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Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause
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The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in “Healthy” Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain
Q: Are you on medication for Hashimoto’s?
A: Yes. I am on naturethroid, not synthroid, per my doctor’s recommendations. I also take a ton of supplements, again due to my individual health concerns. I would definitely recommend seeking the advice of a medical professional when dealing with medication. I go to a naturopath who has been very informative and helpful in figuring out the choices and options out there.
Q: Where can I get a decent gluten free pizza?
A: Here in the Washington, DC area, I don’t think there is a ton of choice (I am VERY hopefully for more options in the future), but right now my top choices for a gluten free pizza are from TRUE FOOD and &PIZZA. If you find any other good ones, definitely let me know as I am on the hunt in general for great gluten free and dairy free options!
Q: How do you manage your business, schedule and family life and fit in health limitations?
A: That is a great question and dealing with all the daily stresses of life and managing things is something that I am still working on. When I was first diagnosed, (I wrote a bit about it HERE) and I went into overdrive trying to change the things that I could control and get organized when it came to my life. And while I am still using most the systems I put into place, where it gets tricky is when stress enters the picture or when my symptoms flare which are of course things I can’t control.
When I feel things changing for the worse, that is when I try to take care of myself a bit more. This isn’t easy for me to do but I also know it is the number one thing that will help with my overall care and recovery of Hashimoto’s. I try and utilize the organizational systems in place at home and with my business so I can spend more energy on healing.
Q: I noticed you have switched your personal care products to being all natural. Why? What do you now use?
A: Yes. All the personal care products that I use are all paraben free. See more about going green and decluttering my personal care products, HERE. Overall, I found that there are a ton of chemicals in personal care products and for me and my body, I didn’t need more. My body doesn’t detox things well so I wanted to make sure that everything I put on my body like shampoo and makeup to everything I put in my body like toothpaste and floss, wouldn’t harm me further. If you want specific product recommendations, just reach out as I have tested a lot of products in all different categories and feel almost expert level right now, even though I am no beauty blogger!
I have included some of my favorite products below for your reference. Thank you so much all for the questions. I hope the answers were helpful! If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me by email or over on Instagram. If my journey can help someone in anyway, I am happy to do it.
xo,
Rachel
Favorite Products for Living with Hashimoto’s: Kitchen
Favorite Products for Living with Hashimoto’s: General Well Being
Favorite Products for Living with Hashimoto’s: Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free Snacks
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HYPOTHYROIDISM DISEASE wasn’t one of those things I bargained for as someone who stayed healthy all through adult age. But it came with its own struggles of hair loss, dry skin, and constipation capped by depression. I was diagnosed when I turned 55. I did a series of T4 and TSH tests which revealed my thyroid condition. My TSH test was over 3.0 mIU/L which meant I had hypothyroidism. I was placed on Levothyroxine which I used for 5 years and had no improvement. The medicine came with its own side effects and I can’t even describe the pains I went through these years. I had limited knowledge about Hashimoto’s disease, so I read more about it and searched for natural treatment in order to escape the side effects of Levothyroxine. Gladly, YouTube videos and comments I saw all pointed to Dr. Mohan Ajay natural treatment. I gave his herbal medicine a try and got cured in a short period of time. I have come to understand our body can amazingly be healed with the right tool, Mohan medicine is the right tool for hashimoto’s disease. Talk to Mohan to know more about his medicine via: drajaymohanbose@gmail.com