Hashimoto's and My Health

     Good afternoon blog lovers! We are on the brink of warm weather and sunshine. The past few days have been gorgeous and I love it! In all honesty, my life has been ridiculously boring and uneventful. Per usual, I spent my week going to classes, working, lifting, playing with my puppy and hanging out with friends. I wish I could say I went on a trip or tried new food, but I did not. On the other hand, I go home every weekend and spend time with my family and my boyfriend. I love the weekend, even when it is uneventful. Thankfully, our ice cream parlor finally opened and it is the BEST and most delicious ice cream in the world. For those interested in trying, it is called Sycamore Drive-In and is located in Van Wert, Ohio. Ironically, I am lactose intolerant, but I refuse to stop eating or drinking dairy. In regard to food, I have a fun fact for my subscribers. I have Hashimoto's Disease. You may be wondering, "what the heck is a disease with a name like that"? 

    Hashimoto's is a thyroid disease. A little less than a year ago, I found out many of my lab levels were significantly low. For example, my Vitamin D was low, iron, thyroid, and a couple others. Those levels indicated I had hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is when the thyroid is underperforming, resulting in a slow metabolism. This diagnosis explained my constant fatigue, mood swings, dry skin, weak joints, and weight gain. Not only did I have these symptoms, but I also had large nodules on my thyroid. I still have those nodules because they are non-cancerous. Then, a couple months ago I found out about Hashimoto's. The difference between Hashimoto's and hypothyroidism is that my antibodies are constantly fighting against my thyroid. My number of antibodies is in the thousands when they should be low. Thankfully, my diagnosis has explained many issues in my past like my knee surgeries, anxiety, and tiredness, but I will never live without this illness. An even more startling fact is that I would be at very high risk of miscarriage or having an intellectually slow child. Ok, enough sad news. Let's talk about the effects of Hashimoto's and my eating habits. 

    Many doctors recommend those with hypothyroidism go on a diet. However, this is a terrible idea. Reducing caloric intake slows metabolism in order to save the food I eat and turn it into fat so I do not starve. Unfortunately, I have always been awful at eating and my metabolism is ridiculously low. I never lose any weight because my metabolism turns everything I eat into fat. It is also recommended individuals with this condition follow a paleo diet. This diet seems to be extremely effective, as it consists of eating high amounts of protein, fish, red meat, and vegetables. Consuming these foods also combats the common symptom of weak muscle proteins and joints. It is upsetting to find out that I have this condition because I work out so much and I care a lot about my health and my physique. From now on, I will have to be even more careful with the foods I put into my body. Hopefully, this information intrigues and informs my followers. I have one request from all of you: please go to your yearly physicals and have your bloodwork taken! Have a great week!