Health
now browsing by category
You Are Not Crazy…It’s Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis by Terry Ryan
I have Hashimoto’s thyroditis
Been there and will always be there. I have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. It is an autoimmune disease. Plain and simple. AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE! An autoimmune disease is a syndrome where the body senses an invader and goes on immune attack. In my case, it attacked my thyroid. My autoimmune disease is named after the doctor who discovered the disease. Hashimoto’s is diagnosed by a high TSH (thyroid thyroid-stimulating) lab test and high TPO, thyroid peroxidase . Hence, I am hypothyroid. My thyroid is not producing enough of the thyroid hormone, T4. When that happened, I felt extremely fatigued, suffered with hair loss, aches and pains, DEPRESSION, just to name a few. And what do your doctors, friends and family think after your complaints about symptoms month after month and year after year? That you are crazy. You are not crazy…it’s Hashimoto’s!
Buy Here
It takes years to develop
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis disease. This happened slowly. My symptoms started showing up one by one. First, I noticed my energy reducing, I started dragging myself through the day. I went to the doctor. He ran lab tests, but everything looked “fine” including my TSH. If it is high…usually over 3, it means you are hypothyroid. The TSH lab test is the standard test that endocrinologists use to determine if you are either hyperthyroid (too much thyroid hormone) or hypothyroid (not enough thyroid). Sort of goes against reasoning. If you have a high TSH reading, this means you are HYPO (I have been as high as), and if you have a zero reading, it means you have too much thyroid hormone and you are HYPER. Why is this?
How it works
The pituitary gland itself is regulated by another gland, known as the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is part of the brain and produces TSH Releasing Hormone (TRH) which tells the pituitary gland to stimulate the thyroid gland (release TSH). The pituitary gland located in the back of your head regulates when the body needs thyroid hormone. When it needs more, it sends a message out to the thyroid that it needs more hormone. When this happens, your TSH goes up, When there is too much hormone, it will do the opposite. By the way, in the beginning I swung back and forth between hyper to hypo. I miss the hyperthyroid times when I had more energy and could lose weight easily. This happens as my thyroid gland was sputtering to a dead stop at producing hormones.
What happened next to me? I said this happened slowly; my decline in health did not happen overnight. It wasn’t one day I woke up and I had all the Hashimoto’s symptoms. No, it crept up on me like a monster stealing my life force. Horrible and insidious.
I lost count of the doctor visits where I plead my case of I DON’T FEEL WELL, only to be dismissed as, I would guess. a hypochondriac, or a overworked and stress out middle-aged woman.
As the days, months and years went on, I felt worse and worse until I was not able to do normal activities, and I even became antisocial. Sound familiar? You are not crazy…it’s Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
You Can Finally Say Goodbye To Your Chronic Fatigue, Depression, & Extra Flab Using This Totally Natural Thyroid Solution Click Here! 
Here are some symptoms associated with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis:
- Anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Weight gain
- Extreme fatigue
- Dry skin
- Headaches
- Sore throat
- Muscle aches and pains
- Temperature sensitivity
- Hair loss
The lost years…
I suffered for many years. I call them the lost years. No doctors helped me. They didn’t have the knowledge or if they couldn’t throw a pill at it, they didn’t know how to treat me. By the time I was diagnosed, my thyroid was a shriveled up gland with nodules. No worries, they weren’t cancerous. I have a ultrasound every year and they are getting smaller.
Yes, I will be on thyroid prescription for the rest of my life and I have tried them all. My greatest results are with the prescription Tirosint. It is expensive but I switched years ago when I learned that Synthroid used gluten as a filler, and I am anti-gluten. Gluten is a no-no if you have an autoimmune disease.
Holistic Treatment for Epstein Barr Virus
The good news
The good news is that I no longer suffer with symptoms even though I still and always will have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. I have figured out how to put my Hashimoto’s into remission. Some people call it that, but all I know is that I now have energy and no pain. How did I achieve that? By taking a lot of junk out of my diet. Clean living and eating. My entire life changed…and for the better.
Now I exercise for 3 hours per day, and then come home and run errands, clean house, make dinner, blog, write, read and all the things that go into a normal day. And I am so happy. So happy. I have my life back.
I have written one book on Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and it has a lot of medical information, and maybe too much medical mumbo jumbo. A lot of people have purchased it on Amazon, which surprises me because I do very little promoting. Right now, I am in the process of writing another book which will be available soon.
If you want to be on my mailing list, I send out healthful tips, recipes and updates on when my books will be available, you can sign up here.
I want you to know, that having a normal life is possible when you have Hashimoto’s. I am the proof.
Thanks for reading!
Terry Ryan, Health Blogger, Pickleball Competitor, Mom of 2 adorable chihuahuas, wife, good friend to many people, and Hashimoto’s recover-er.
Terry Ryan
The Fuss About Toilet Paper by Terry Ryan
Toilet paper, toilet paper! I cannot believe all the fuss about toilet paper. Growing up in our house, Mom stocked the house with the cheapest brand available. The one-ply, almost-see-through, fall-apart-in-one-wipe kind. I knew no better. I thought toilet paper was toilet paper. Ha! Was I wrong!
bain of my existence
The first commercially available toilet paper was invented by Joseph Gayetty in 1857 in the United States. But this toilet paper was made available to people in 1920.
The popularity of toilet paper is ranked third among the non-food products. Some leading brands of toilet paper include Procter & Gamble, Kimberly Clark, Georgia Pacific and Fort James. About 6 million tons of toilet paper is produced in the U.S. including face tissues as well as paper napkins.
Before people had “toilet paper,” people used leaves, corncobs, and yes it is true, pages from the Sears catalog, among other things. Principally, anything that could be used to clean the bottom parts and also act as a barrier between a hand and poop.
My first notification that there was something up with toilet paper is when a male friend complained about his roommate (a female) was using too much toilet paper. And he said this in the most angry-tinged way. What the!? Someone notices how much toilet paper someone else uses? I was stunned. (By the way, women will always use more toilet paper than men.)
On another occasion, my neighbors complained one day about one particular visiting couple that were using astonishing amounts of toilet paper. “What are they doing with it all?” they said. Again, this shocks me that someone is being judged on how much toilet paper they are using.
I remember a driving trip I took with a friend to her son’s boarding school (tuition 50k per year), and the school was forcing her son to use inferior toilet paper, so we brought him a case of his favorite. No, I am not kidding.
Another friend said she buys the kind of toilet paper that uses no cardboard tubes so her husband, who criticizes her overuse of toilet paper, won’t be able to count the tubes in the trash. Whoa!!!!
Thankfully, this has not been an issue at my house. My hubby does not comment on my use of toilet paper nor does he have a brand that must be used. We usual go with a two ply that happens to be on sale when we run out. And we tend to run out a lot. Then we resort to the facial tissue that is sitting on the back of the toilet before one of us finally breaks down and buys a case. No, I am not the kind of person who goes to Costco and stocks up on truckloads.
One time we had a windfall when another neighbor bought the wrong kind of toilet paper and we ended up with the entire case. We thought it was fine.
Follow the money
Toilet paper is definitely a money making product for the companies that sell it. Just look at the amount of TP in the aisle. My goodness, there is a huge selection so it must be inexpensive to make and very profitable.
Then you have to pick from two ply, aloe added, soft, extra soft, jumbo, strong, quilted, scented, printed…and it goes on and on. OMG!
Here are a couple of examples below.
Families with low incomes pay more for everyday household items such as toilet paper than families with higher incomes. It’s not that low-income families are unaware of how to take advantage of discounts and deals, but their ability to buy in bulk is financially limited. As a result, the shoppers who need to save money the most are forking over more of their paycheck.
Click Here
The recent study by the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business examined data on toilet paper purchases by 100,000 U.S. households during a period of seven years, reported CNN Money. Toilet paper was chosen for the study because it is used consistently by almost everyone and is an item that often gets discounted by stores.
What they found was that families who earned less were unlikely to afford the higher upfront cost of purchasing things in bulk at discount stores. Buying in bulk involves a higher upfront price, but the savings will eventually make up for it in the long-term. While a pack of 36 rolls of two-ply toilet paper may cost around $15, buying each individually will cost $1.
The shopping method of buying in bulk helps families save in the long run, so low-income households’ inability to stock up will lead them to visit stores more often. It also hurts low-income families’ budgets since they’re more likely to miss out on sales and are forced to buy more toilet paper whenever it runs out.
Materials needed to make toilet paper are:
- Trees
- Water
- Chemicals for extracting fiber
- Bleaches like chlorine dioxide
For paper recycling, companies use oxygen, ozone, sodium hydroxide, or peroxide to whiten the recycled paper. Toilet paper is often perforated, scented, embossed and colored. There are several differences in manufacturing process depending on what materials are used to make toilet paper.
If toilet paper is made of recycled paper, process starts by many different kinds of paper being mixed together. Next step is choosing a solution to remove ink. Recycled paper needs to be washed and is often deinked prior to being pulped. Toilet paper is then pulverized and reformed into very thin and soft paper. At the end of process toilet paper is bleached and scented.
Making toilet paper from the trees
Toilet paper is generally made from “virgin” paper, using a combination of softwood and hardwood trees (a combination of approximately 70% hardwood and 30% softwood). Other materials for final product of toilet paper include water, chemicals and bleaches.
Steps:
1. Preparing trees (a combination of softwood and hardwood trees). Trees are stripped of their bark.
3. The logs pass through machines that chip them into small pieces.
4. The wood chips are separated into batches.
5. A massive pressure cooker (a digester) cooks the wood chips with other chemicals for approximately 3 hours. The moisture in the wood is evaporated and the mass is reduces to cellulose fibers, lignin and other substances. Result is usable fiber, called pulp. The pulp is what paper is made from.
Facelift exercises>>>>>> Click Here!
6. The pulp is then washed clean of the lignin and the cooking chemicals
7. The washed pulp is bleached until all the color is removed. The adhesive that binds fibers together (lignin) must be removed from the pulp or the paper will become yellow over time.
8. The pulp is mixed with a lot of water to produce paper stock (99.5% water and 0.5% fiber). The paper stock is sprayed onto screens of mesh that drain the water.
9. The paper is then pressed and dried to final moisture (content about 5%).
10. The paper is scraped off with metal blades and wound on jumbo reels. Then the paper is moved to machines that cut it into long strips and perforate it into squares. Finally, the paper logs are cut into rolls and wrapped packages.
“Warren Buffett knew that he wanted to be in business with the kind of guy who would leave a black-tie party to count sheets of toilet paper.” A quote about Ben Rossner.
Things have been added to the toilet paper aisle. There is a new product in town. Wet wipes! Oh yes. When you want to make sure you are really clean. And they are flushable, but there seems to be an issue with these showing up plugging sewers, so don’t flush. Throw them in the waste basket. You know, that waste basket you have sitting by the toilet. Yes, throw it there. Let me give you a tip. Baby wipes are cheaper and thicker than Wet Wipes. Use them instead.
Next is the Poo-Pourri. Something you spray in the toilet before you go number 2 so you don’t stink up the place. I have one but have not tested it out. It always seems to be somewhere else when the occasion calls for it.
Having a “talk?”
I was visiting some friends the other day when another person who was also visiting admitted that they had a long-term guest staying with them and that guest was using too much toilet paper. She was going to have a “talk” with her about the toilet paper use. And she added, that she and her husband liked the kind with aloe. Really!? They have 5 airplanes and they are counting toilet paper sheets. Does anyone else think this is odd? Please let me know what you think of people complaining about other people using too much TP, or is it an issue for you.
By the way, I have learned and I bring my own toilet paper when I stay at someone’s house…you know when I stay a week or more. I don’t want to be judged for my toilet paper usage. I’m judged on enough things already. Amen!
Thanks for reading,
Terry Ryan, Health Blogger
Terry Ryan
Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid Cancer by Terry Ryan
Surprisingly, I have had 2 friends diagnosed with thyroid cancer this last month. Both are female and in their 50s. So, and of course, I had to research THYROID CANCER to find out what it is and what to do.
Thyroid cancer has doubled since the 70s. It is fifth in most diagnosed cancer in American women now. Yes, the word CANCER is always scary, it is a very treatable cancer when caught in the early stages.
- Lump in the neck
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Pain in the throat
- Difficulty swallowing
- Persistent cough
If you have any of the above symptoms, you should see your physician. It mostly likely NOT be thyroid cancer, but it is good to rule it out.
Thyroid Cancer Awareness Click to Purchase
One of the friends I mentioned, that recently was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, had none of the above symptoms. Her thyroid cancer was discovered with an ultrasound of her thyroid gland. Prior to the ultrasound test, she was diagnosed with a parathyroid disorder when a regular blood test showed elevated calcium levels. Parathyroid glands are located behind the thyroid gland and control the amount of calcium in our blood and bones. They are 4 small glands located by the thyroid. My friend had an ultrasound to see which parathyroid had a tumor and would be removed.
However, the ultrasound showed a large, dark looking tumor on her thyroid, and later a needle biopsy was performed. The results showed that she has papillary thyroid cancer. Her thyroid will be removed this Friday.
There are different types of thyroid cancer
Once the type of thyroid cancer is determined, surgery and a treatment plan is designed. Normally, thyroid cancers are easily treated so no need to panic. 70% of thyroid cancer is papillary cancer, which is an uncontrolled growth of follicular cells.
Other types of thyroid cancer are:
- Follicular thyroid cancer represents 10% of thyroid cancers.
- Hurthle cell thyroid is another form though very rare.
- Medullary thyroid cancer makes up a small 3%.
- Anaplastic thyroid cancer is in about 1% of thyroid cancer.
Treatments
- Surgery
- Radioactive iodine
- Radiation therapy
What to expect
After surgery, there will be a thin red scar that, overtime, be hard to notice. Because the thyroid has been removed, the patient will be on thyroid hormone replacement for the rest of their life. Blood test are ordered every 6 months to determine if the dose of thyroid replacement prescription needs to be increased or decreased.
Survival rate is 90% if caught at an early stage. Most people lead normal and long lives after being diagnosed and treated.
Why is there an increase of thyroid cancer?
Physicians are mystified about what is causing the rise in thyroid cancers. Some theories blame radiation including Chernobyl nuclear power disaster in 1986, and possibly all the nuclear testing in the 1950s. Then there are the dental X-rays and yearly mammograms. Do they contribute? No one knows for sure.
More resources:
www.thyroid.org
www.thyca.org
Thanks for reading!
Terry Ryan, Health Blogger
What the Heck is Gluten? by Terry Ryan
Terry Ryan
What the heck is gluten? by Terry Ryan, Health Blogger
Gluten, gluten, gluten. That’s all you hear about if you are on social media sites like FaceBook. It’s bad for you, or it’s not bad for you. What the heck is it?
Gluten is the glue that keeps bread together. It gives it the chewiness that we all have come to know and love. Gluten is a mixture of hundreds of distinct proteins within the same family, although it is primarily made up of two different classes of proteins: gliadin, which gives bread the ability to rise during baking, and glutenin, which is responsible for dough’s elasticity.
Instant Pot DUO Plus 60, 6 Qt 9-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Yogurt Maker, Egg Cooker, Sauté, Steamer, Warmer, and Sterilizer
Sounds great doesn’t it? Here comes the problem. Your body may not like this protein. It views it as an invader and send out the attack squad, your immune system, and goes into red alert.
READ MY BLOG ON COFFEE-What kind to buy!
Who does this affect?
About 18 million people are gluten sensitive. And these are not just celiac disease patients where the villi is destroyed and makes the assimilation of nutrients from the food difficult. I’m referring to the average person who has heartburn or IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). They most probably have a gluten-sensitivity and don’t even know it.
Do you have bloating, cramping and/or diarrhea? You may be gluten sensitive.
Does gluten cause autoimmune disease?
First of all, what is an autoimmune disease?
Autoimmune disease is the body attacking and damaging its own tissues In the case of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which I have, it is an autoimmune disease that attacks the thyroid. The protein in gluten causes the immune system to go awry and it attacks the thyroid. Thereby destroying the thyroid’s ability to produce thyroid hormones. I’ll be on synthetic hormone replacement for the rest of my life.
Shop Amazon Devices – Save $15 on Echo Spot
Should people avoid gluten?
I think so. As people say, the bread today is not your great-grandmother’s bread. What is so different? First of all, all the pesticides, herbicides and fungicides sprayed on wheat used by farmers to protect the wheat from insects, and then Roundup is sprayed on the new wheat to force it to mature faster for a quicker harvest, and therefor, more money in the farmer’s pocket. Avoiding wheat for the purpose of just avoiding chemicals is a good reason alone not to eat bread…therefore, gluten. And you may not have an autoimmune disease set off by gluten right now, but it is something that might be destroying your body slowly overtime, so why take the chances.
Giving up gluten has improved my health, eliminated my aches and pains in my joints, and helped me lose weight. It has also helped my friends with other autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Books the Wheat Conglomerate Hate!
What to do to avoid gluten.
Avoid completely bread, crackers, cookies, and pasta are obvious ways, but did you know that a lot vitamins and prescription drugs use gluten as a filler? I switched my thyroid prescription from Tirosint to Synthroid after I found out that Synthroid had gluten as a filler. Yes, even a little gluten will harm you if you are gluten sensitive. You can’t go half way with being gluten. You should not eat any for best results.
Here are some other hidden gluten:
- Barley (flakes, flour, pearl)
- Breading, bread stuffing
- Brewer’s yeast
- Bulgur
- Durum (type of wheat)
- Farro/faro (also known as spelt or dinkel)
- Graham flour
- Hydrolyzed wheat protein
- Kamut (type of wheat)
- Malt, malt extract, malt syrup, malt flavoring
- Malt vinegar
- Malted milk
- Matzo, matzo meal
- Modified wheat starch
- Oatmeal, oat bran, oat flour, whole oats (unless they are from pure, uncontaminated oats)
- Rye bread and flour
- Seitan (a meat-like food derived from wheat gluten used in many vegetarian dishes)
- Semolina
- Spelt (type of wheat also known as farro, faro, or dinkel)
- Triticale
- Wheat bran
- Wheat flour
- Wheat germ
- Wheat starch
These other ingredients may be less familiar to you, but they also contain gluten:
- Atta (chapati flour)
- Einkorn (type of wheat)
- Emmer (type of wheat)
- Farina
- Fu (a dried gluten product made from wheat and used in some Asian dishes)
Gluten Foods
Double-check the ingredients label on these items, as they’re possible sources of gluten:
- Beer, ale, lager
- Breads
- Broth, soup, soup bases
- Cereals
- Cookies and crackers
- Some chocolates, some chocolate bars, licorice
- Flavored coffees and teas
- Imitation bacon bits, imitation seafoods
- Pastas
- Processed foods
- Salad dressings
- Sausages, hot dogs, deli meats
- Sauces, marinades, gravies
- Seasonings
- Soy sauce
I was shocked to find out that even my hair dye had gluten in it. That’s right, hair dye. For years I have been sensitive to hair dye/hair color. It would last a day and I would have to take Benadryl to control the itching. Then a hairdresser suggested I try putting Sweet N Low (sugar substitute) in the dye mix. That did calm it down a little, but I still had the hives for a day after. After I told my latest hairdresser about my allergy to hair color, he suggested I use a GLUTEN FREE hair dye. What? Gluten is in hair dye? I didn’t think it would work but it did. No more itching or rash.
What other products have gluten in them?
- Shampoo
- Toothpaste
- Lipstick
- Facial Cleansers
- Lotions
- Shaving gels
- Hair spray
- Soap
These products can contain grain and gluten based ingredients that you should be aware of so that if necessary, you can switch to a new product line. Some of the most common terms (yet not obvious) you will see on products include:
5 Sneaky Terms You Shouldn’t Overlook
- Wheat germ
- Hydrolyzed wheat protein
- Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
- Avena sativa (oats found commonly in lotions)
- Triticum aestivum (another name for wheat)
Read more at https://www.glutenfreesociety.org/do-your-cosmetics-contain-gluten-or-other-toxins/#ZefIiFXMjCjgbmFA.99
Do I miss bread?
Butternut squash noodles with red sauce
No, not at all. I get along just fine not eating bread or gluten. Last night I made “pasta” with butternut squash noodles (I bought them already spiralized) and used marinara sauce on top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Loved it. Now the family prefers it to regular pasta. (And I was trying to keep it for myself.) Instead of crackers I bake rounds of grated Parmesan cheese on parchment paper. Let them cool a little and use them like crackers. I like to add a dab of guacamole on mine. Delicious and guilt free.
Gluten Free Chocolate Cake with whipped cream
I even eat chocolate cake gluten free. I make it with almond flour. And it takes 2 minutes to cook in the microwave. Then I serve it with mounds of whipped cream.
I’m putting together an eBook of my gluten-free recipes so if you want to receive one send me your email to TCRryan@gmail.com. FREE..just spreading the gluten-free love.
Why are so many people AGAINST gluten-free?
Well, it’s big money for the wheat industry. Huge money. Do you think they want to see their sales go down? Plus all the chemical companies that supply the farmers. Money, money, money. My opinion…they shoot themselves in the foot. If they constantly serve us a product that is going to make us SICK what do they think? We are going to keep buying bread and pasta?
Do I get a lot of flack from not eating gluten?
Yes, I do get a lot of evil looks when I tell someone that I don’t eat gluten. Kind of like the same look vegetarians get when they say they don’t eat look. What I say to them…Hey, eat all the gluten you want. Enjoy! I don’t judge people if they want to eat bread or pasta. Oh heck, no! And if you are at my house for dinner, I’ll serve you bread.
Here are some products I use with my gluten-free recipes.
Swerve (Sugar substitute)
Almond Flour
Coconut Flour
Thank you for reading.
Terry Ryan
Atkins Diet Cure for Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
By Terry Ryan, Health Blogger and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis patient
I wasn’t too surprised to see a recent article in Woman’s World titled “Atkins Thyroid Cure.” After all, this is a hot topic as millions of women and men are being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Hashimoto’s thyroiditits (HT) is an autoimmune disease that attacks the thyroid eventually rendering it ineffective at producing thyroid hormones. Your body needs thyroid hormones T4 and T3 for proper metabolism. It controls your body temperature, energy, thinking, etc. Usually, first symptoms a HT patient will complain about is fatigue, digestive problems, weight gain, hair loss and dry skin. Your doctor can determine that you are hypothyroid (not enough thyroid hormone being produced) by a TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) blood test, and a TPO (thyroidporoxide) antibodies test will detect if you have HT. I have seen many headlines on magazines whose topic is about the thyroid. People are suffering and looking for answers, so it is selling magazines.
Here is Keto Friendly Chocolate Mug Cake I made last night.
Normally a treatment plan for someone with thyroid disease is a prescription for thyroid replacement. Synthroid for example; is a synthetic hormone.. There are other medications, for example: Armour and Tirosint. Talk to your doctor for the best prescription he/she would recommend for you.
However, while the prescription will add the missing thyroid hormone, it will not treat your autoimmune disease resulting in many patients finding no relief from their symptoms. This happened to me. Frustrating!
After many years of suffering, I started researching for unconventional ways to deal with my HT. It all came down to diet. Out went the junk food, gluten, white sugar, grains, fluoride and alcohol. Then I watched Joe Cross’ movie “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead” and started juicing organic vegetables and fruit with a juice extractor, and drinking 16 ounces everyday along with eating a healthy diet. I also added a good multivitamin and D3.
I use this one without iron. Click here to order on Amazon.
(Note: It is important to order D3 without added soy or unnecessary fillers as tablets may have. Above is a great D3 gel caps with coconut oil. CLICK HERE TO ORDER ON AMAZON
It took months to feel better but slowly I started to regain the energy I once had years ago before my thyroid disease. Life was good again. However, I was not losing any weight, so I tried different diets including vegetarian but to no avail, I didn’t lose any weight. In fact, I was continuing to put on weight. I am short (5’2″) and I was wearing size 16 clothes. There seemed to be nothing I could do to lose weight.
I even tried the HCG diet. This required injecting myself with HCG, a pregnancy hormone, and reduce my calorie consumption to 600 calories per day. That was crazy and I didn’t do that long. Expensive and I felt terrible.
Next I tried going to a weight loss clinic and was prescribed phentermine, a weight loss drug. That sent me into a horrible and long HT crash, (means my symptoms intensified) and my blood pressure climbed to a dangerous level. Also, the clinic required me to come back every week, and it was very expensive. I became too ill to continue.
For a couple of more years, I continued to get heavier and heavier. My endocrinologist suggested weight loss drugs but the side affects were scary, and that was not the method I wanted to use for long term weight loss. What to do?
I discovered the ketogenic diet, a high protein, high fat, low carb diet. This diet was originally developed for children with epileptic seizures. Then doctors discovered it was a great weight loss diet. Ketogenic diet, also know as the keto diet is very close to the Atkins diet. Dr. Atkins wrote a book based on this diet called “The Atkins Diet.” It is also great for thyroiditis and HT.
I embarked on the keto diet (Atkins) the beginning of October and not only have I lost 20 pounds (and losing) my energy level is sky high! I just had a blood test and my TSH is in the normal range (I have been too high for many years.), and my antibodies are continuing to come down. The last blood test I had my TPO was 125 (under 9 is normal) but the test before that it was 275. I heading in the right direction.
So, when at the checkout counter at the grocery store I saw this heading on the front of Woman’s World, “Atkins Thyroid Cure: Heal your “metabolism gland” and LOSE 45 LBS THIS MONTH!” (Okay, losing 45 lbs in one month is a grandiose and unrealistic statement.). I had to grab a copy. It is a two page article explaining the benefit of a low carb diet in relationship to your thyroid. I think calling it a “cure” is a bold statement.
The article has some suggestions for a thyroid-revving Atkins menu.
Breakfast: Eggs and bacon
Lunch & Dinner: Seafood, chicken with cucumber slices. Raspberries with zero-calorie sweetener
Snacks: jerky or almonds.
Page 20 in the January 22, 2018 issue is where you can find the article.
My version of the diet is a lot more liberal. I do not count calories but I do count carbs. I always looking at the carb content on the labels. For example: some pasta sauces have less carbs than others. Try to keep carbs under 21 grams.
How cutting carbs slims
Scientists have long ago known that the body converts carbs into blood sugar and then uses that sugar as its go-to fuel. Trouble is, when we eat carbs in excess – which is easy to do these days – it causes us to overproduce insulin, a hormone that promotes rapid fat storage. Restricting carbs. Atkins forces the body to stop burning blood sugar and start burning fat as its main fuel. Bonus: Burning fat as your main fuel releases natural compounds called ketones that dramatically reduces hunger!
This diet also revs up your thyroid. Possibly, that is why my TSH is in the normal range first time in a long time. You can read the article for more info.
What I eat on the keto diet:
I concentrate on eating protein, usually meat or cheese. A typical treat is to take Parmesan cheese shredded and place mounds on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper in a 350 degree oven for 3 minutes or until melted and brown around the edges. I let it cool for few minutes then I place a dollop of guacamole on top.Yum!
Eggs are allowed, small portions of meat, full-fat dairy, vegetables but no fruit except berries. Absolutely no grains, sugar, bread, alcohol.
Dinner is hamburger without a bun, salad with low carb dressing, a side of sauteed summer squash. For dessert I make 1 Minute Chocolate Cake Keto Friendly with lots of whipped cream sweetened with Swerve and a couple of raspberries on the side.
Keto Friendly Chocolate Almond Bark
I always have Keto Friendly Chocolate Almond Bark in the refrigerator for a quick snack. So good and so satisfying because I add a protein powder.
My Ricotta Stuffed Chicken Breasts is a hit in my house and I serve it with zoodles. Zoodles are zucchini ribbons used in place of pasta. I saute the zoodles in butter for a couple of minutes before I serve. You can now buy these zoodles at the grocery store in the produce section or you can make them yourself with this spiralizer.
So, I give the Atkins Thyroid Cure a thumbs up. It has worked for me and I would suggest that you give it a try if you want to feel more energy and lose weight.
Thanks for reading,
Terry Ryan
D5 Creation