thyroid

Come Purge with Me

Over the weekend I was in central Pennsylvania, which is known for the best potato chip. The secret ingredient is lard, which makes everything better. I know this because my Grandma’s pie crust has lard and it is delicious. Pie crust aside, I know this because I love food. I love it too much. So much that trying one bag of potato chips seemed insufficient, so my friends and I decided to have a chip taste test. Kay and Ray’s was the winner, but we got to go through multiple bags and multiple brands. I’m pretty sure I still feel the grease dripping out of my pores.

With this as just one example of how poorly I’ve been eating, I’ve decided it has to stop. I need to make a change for my waistline, but more importantly for how I feel. And even more importantly for the parts of me that I don’t feel—arteries, kidneys, liver—but that I want to fuel in a better and healthier way.

Starting Monday, May 9th I’m going back to my December Detox. See the link for full details. I’m making a few tweaks. I’ll be eating sweet potatoes, quinoa, some rice, and legumes if […]

Come Purge with MeMaggie Downie2018-01-13T16:22:55-05:00

Gluten-Free Update: Second Blood Work Readings

Time flies. As I’m writing this I’ve been gluten-free for over six months. It certainly isn’t the worst thing in the world. I much rather be gluten-free than dairy free. But, as you may recall, if you’ve been reading, I’ve been gluten-free with the hope that it will minimize the effects of an autoimmune disease called Hashimotos that attacks the thyroid causing hypothyroidism. Hopefully, by minimizing the Hashimotos, I can reduce the attack on my thyroid.

After two months gluten free my two Hashimoto’s antibodies had a significant drop of about 20-percent. Three months later I got my blood drawn again. This time the results were less stellar. One antibody was down another 5-percent and the other was up about 5-percent. Both were still lower than my original test that determined I had Hashimotos. Both are still out of the normal range, although I’m not sure they will go back to the normal range. The gluten-free goal is to […]

Gluten-Free Update: Second Blood Work ReadingsMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:28-04:00

Gluten Free: Hashimotos Antibodies

So I’ve been gluten free for about three months with as far as I know only one accidental gluten consumption. If you’ve read some earlier blogs you know that I went gluten-free because I was diagnosed with hashimotos and hypothyroidism. I didn’t want to have to go on medication for the rest of my life (my PCP’s suggestion) and so I thought I would try my naturopath’s suggestion (a gluten free diet). My blood work after being gluten-free for three months showed positive results. My thyroid was back in the normal range. And the antibodies for my hashitmotos (an autoimmune disease that attacks the thyroid) were down 20-percent. I can’t say for sure that this had to do with gluten. According to my PCP it’s completely random, which is typical of thyroid problems. They fluctuate. According to my naturopath it is probably a combination of being gluten-free, supplements, and the body being random. Either way I was happy with […]

Gluten Free: Hashimotos AntibodiesMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:32-04:00

Cold Shower: Day one

I didn’t hop out of bed and get in. I went for a run first and then did some chores. Then I turned the water to cold. But I couldn’t get in the water. My reasonable side informed me I’d actually be foolish to step into freezing water. So I turned the dial right between warm and cold and hopped in. It was cold for me as I normally take steamy showers. Slowly I made it colder and colder. I washed my hair. I shaved and nicked my legs more than I have ever before. Shaving in cold water is a bad choice—whether it’s the shivers or the goose bumps something goes terribly wrong.

Cold Shower: Day oneMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:33-04:00

Hashimotos: Why I’m Gluten Free

So my real reason for doing this two-month gluten free diet is because on February 16th I found out I have Hashimoto’s Disease. I feel silly saying it. It sounds made up. And in the scheme of so many things a person could have, it is nothing.

Hashimotos is an autoimmune disease that attacks your thyroid, most likely resulting in hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid). The first opinion I got thought I already had hypothyroidism. The second opinion was that I had subclinical hypothyroidism and need to monitor it every three months since my thyroid was functioning on the very low end of normal even though my pituitary gland was pumping out excess hormones to convince my thyroid to work.

The first opinion—a naturopath—suggested a gluten-free diet to try and keep the autoimmune disease at bay and therefore minimize the attack on my thyroid. The second opinion—my PCP and an MD—said there was nothing I could do and that I would end up with full blown hypothyroidism but it could be years down the road. I decided to take the advice of […]

Hashimotos: Why I’m Gluten FreeMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:35-04:00