Time has a way of flying by when life is busy...and that certainly is the case with me. Between the holidays and getting my Nia White Belt certification, I have not been very diligent in writing my blog. I hope to be more consistent in the future.
The last time I wrote, I was a few weeks into my gluten free life. I had been diagnosed with Hashimotos Thyroiditis--an auto-immune disorder where the immune system damages the thyroid. Gluten proteins are molecularly similar to the thyroid and when the body goes after the gluten, it mistakenly destroys the thyroid too.
I am now a veteran gluten free foodie and it is just a way of life for me. However, my first gluten free holidays were a bit challenging...I will admit to having a bit of a pity party for myself when I realized I would not be able to eat some of the traditional favorites that are served at our big Moore family Thanksgiving. Once again, I reminded myself of how much I like my thyroid and want to keep it healthy, which helped my get focused on solutions. Here is what I did. The week before Thanksgiving, I cooked an organic turkey at home and made my own gravy (free of wheat) and brought it with me when we went home for Thanksgiving. I also brought my own gluten free dinner rolls from a local Gluten free bakery and I had a dark chocolate bar in my purse, in case there were no safe desserts to eat--which there weren't. Next time, I will bring a pumpkin "pie" that I can eat because I did miss that. All in all, I was able to enjoy a delicious meal and was not nearly as full as I usually am. Our small family Christmas celebration was much easier because my daughters adjusted the ingredients in their recipes and made all of the delicious traditional foods that we always have. I could enjoy everything. Gluten free just takes a bit more planning and creativity, but it is very do-able!
I recently had follow-up blood work done to see how things are progressing. My thyroid hormones are all in normal range now! Pretty amazing, don't you think? Removing gluten has stopped the autoimmune reaction that was damaging my thyroid and I feel great. One of the big things I have noticed is that I am not as cold anymore. I used to be colder than everyone else around me, but now I have much more body heat--a sign that the thyroid is working properly. I have also noticed that I don't have the extremely dry, itchy skin that has been with me most of my life, especially in the winter. And my energy level is much more consistent, without the ups and downs that I used to have.
Hashimotos Thyroiditis is genetic--meaning that the gene is inherited. However, until the gene is triggered, there may be no symptoms. Pregnancy and illness or surgery are often triggers for it. Both of our daughters are pregnant...so they are mindful of the possibility that they may be joining me in being gluten free. They also know that giving up gluten is not that big of a deal, especially when the pay off of a much healthier life is HUGE.
The last time I wrote, I was a few weeks into my gluten free life. I had been diagnosed with Hashimotos Thyroiditis--an auto-immune disorder where the immune system damages the thyroid. Gluten proteins are molecularly similar to the thyroid and when the body goes after the gluten, it mistakenly destroys the thyroid too.
I am now a veteran gluten free foodie and it is just a way of life for me. However, my first gluten free holidays were a bit challenging...I will admit to having a bit of a pity party for myself when I realized I would not be able to eat some of the traditional favorites that are served at our big Moore family Thanksgiving. Once again, I reminded myself of how much I like my thyroid and want to keep it healthy, which helped my get focused on solutions. Here is what I did. The week before Thanksgiving, I cooked an organic turkey at home and made my own gravy (free of wheat) and brought it with me when we went home for Thanksgiving. I also brought my own gluten free dinner rolls from a local Gluten free bakery and I had a dark chocolate bar in my purse, in case there were no safe desserts to eat--which there weren't. Next time, I will bring a pumpkin "pie" that I can eat because I did miss that. All in all, I was able to enjoy a delicious meal and was not nearly as full as I usually am. Our small family Christmas celebration was much easier because my daughters adjusted the ingredients in their recipes and made all of the delicious traditional foods that we always have. I could enjoy everything. Gluten free just takes a bit more planning and creativity, but it is very do-able!
I recently had follow-up blood work done to see how things are progressing. My thyroid hormones are all in normal range now! Pretty amazing, don't you think? Removing gluten has stopped the autoimmune reaction that was damaging my thyroid and I feel great. One of the big things I have noticed is that I am not as cold anymore. I used to be colder than everyone else around me, but now I have much more body heat--a sign that the thyroid is working properly. I have also noticed that I don't have the extremely dry, itchy skin that has been with me most of my life, especially in the winter. And my energy level is much more consistent, without the ups and downs that I used to have.
Hashimotos Thyroiditis is genetic--meaning that the gene is inherited. However, until the gene is triggered, there may be no symptoms. Pregnancy and illness or surgery are often triggers for it. Both of our daughters are pregnant...so they are mindful of the possibility that they may be joining me in being gluten free. They also know that giving up gluten is not that big of a deal, especially when the pay off of a much healthier life is HUGE.
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