One year since my rock bottom: GAPS update and a summary of my healing

Today marks 365 days since I was as sickest I had ever been in my life. This time last year I was not functioning at all. I was literally in bed (after my pointless visit to the ER that day), able to do nothing and almost without hope. My face was swollen beyond recognition, red, burning and itchy. My arms were covered in itchy, bloody scabs. I had lymph nodes popping out all over the place, some of which were the size of eggs. They were very tender and painful. I had been diagnosed with Mono (EBV Virus) and was also dealing with adrenal fatigue, low progesterone and the autoimmune condition I had had essentially untreated for six years - Hypothyroidism with Hashimotos. There were a lot more symptoms too. To see more of an extensive list you can scroll down to the blue card with bullet points of all my symptoms and diagnosis before GAPS. That list isn't exhaustive either.

I was reading through my GAPS posts and it brought back so many not so distant memories of where I was at and how I was feeling. It also made me grateful for where I am now just one year later. Praise God!

If you want to read about my journey click on the following links:

60 Days on the GAPS Diet: Reflections including a progress report
90 Day GAPS Summary: A piece to the puzzle (part one of three)
90 Day GAPS Summary: A piece to the puzzle (part two of three)
90 Day GAPS Summary: A piece to the puzzle (part three of three)

I found and implemented the GAPS diet about a week after I hit the bottom. I ended up having to stick with GAPS very strictly for 7 months. I had to stay on the intro (stage 1-2) GAPS for almost 3 months! Hard is an understatement. I kept searching the web and seeing people only on intro for a couple of weeks. My body was just not handling that. It was frustrating. I got through it though and have seen amazing healing. I have also learned SO much over the past year. I have probably learned more about our bodies, health and nutrition this past year than I have my entire life combined.

Since this post is a look forward, let me tell you where I am at now. I am grateful, in hindsight, that I only had to be on GAPS for 7 months. Some people have to do it for years. My goal was to finish out GAPS and transition to eating Paleo or AI (Autoimmune) Paleo. Within 7 months of GAPS I was able to start transitioning to eating more Paleo foods. I eat full Paleo now and weave in some GAPS basics like 24 hour fermented raw milk yogurt and bone broths everyday. I am able to tolerate more of a variety of foods and it is such a wonderful feeling. I went from being so sensitive to any foods and not being able to eat things like onions or garlic because of the sulphur content, antioxidants and detox affects to being able to bake with coconut flour and eat all vegetables - even sweet potatoes! It is truly glorious. That transition didn't happen overnight though. I still had to trial each food to make sure I didn't react. Sometimes I was more diligent than others about only doing one thing at a time so I could pinpoint where the reaction came from. That was one of the hardest parts though. Cheating was not really an option ever for me because it would cause such sever symptoms that would affect my entire family because I couldn't function again. I would feel like I was on my death bed again. I really didn't cheat. Now I do occasionally have too much honey or Paleo treats and regret that but my symptoms are nothing like they used to be.

Even though GAPS allows lentils, I still have never had those. They would be too hard on my digestion because I am still not fully healed. I also do not eat nuts. Through trial I realized that nuts were certainly a food that caused my immune system to attack itself. I would get cracked, bloody and itchy knuckles. I pray this is temporary because I do hope to enjoy some nut butter again someday. The Paleo Mom has a good article about nuts and the components that can be good and bad for autoimmune conditions. To read it click here. I can eat 24 fermented GAPS Raw Milk Yogurt and seem to tolerate that well. It is not something I can have everyday though or I start to get symptoms. Once in a while I have a piece of Raw Milk cheese but it doesn't sit well with me so it is not something that I would continue to eat. I have been able to have two small cups (total) of organic decaf coffee in the past two months. I use coconut milk and honey in it and it satisfies me. I would like to try a little ghee in it since having it with coffee is beneficial in certain ways.

Since I have been able to transition into full Paleo now it has been freeing. When I feel symptoms rising up a bit I get a bit more strict and eat the Autoimmune Protocol for Paleo and I still do not incorporate tapioca starch in my diet because of it's gut irritability. I do love to eat this way though. I feel satiated and healthy. I don't feel deprived at all. I did have to go back on intro GAPS for two weeks around the holidays. I thought I was going to be back in the same boat as last year at that time because some wacky symptoms were coming back but it turns out I was having a reaction to Cod Liver Oil after reintroducing it for four days. My body rejects it and I cannot have it. I have tried Blue Ice Fermented, Carlson and other brands and it doesn't work for me.

I am able to socialize and not feel left out with food now. I can have food to eat (that I bring) and I get to introduce people to new foods and ways of cooking. It is so much fun. I also get chances to indulge in Paleo treats that are nut free. There are so many wonderful recipes out there. Here is a link to my Pinterest Board for GAPS/ AI Paleo and Paleo. I will do a post sharing some other recipes in the future.

Quality, clean, whole food has literally saved my life. If you clicked on any of my "journey" links above you will know that food is only a piece to the puzzle BUT it is a very big piece.

Personal Suggestions for those looking into or starting GAPS: GAPS is a diet you have to be wholly committed to. You have to be determined to heal and have the willpower to stick it out often when it is unbearably hard. You have to be your own advocate and do your own research. First and foremost rely on God and His Power to heal you because he certainly can. He is bigger than our health issues. Be sure to form a support system of those that are knowledgeable in GAPS and will encourage you to stick with it, not cheat. God puts people in our lives for many reasons and he does not want us to be alone in the things we deal with. There are a lot of people out there going through the same thing and can relate. There is a lot of support on the net and I have many websites linked up at the right side under "GAPS/SCD and Grain Free websites." Check them out. In this endeavor you MUST be assertive NOT passive if you want to heal. The choices YOU make will either affect you positively or negatively. It is up to you.

This Friday I will have a post highlighting other things that have changed in our lives. We have literally revamped almost every area of our lives. From pots and pans to cleaners and even make-up. I will be sharing what I use and why we changed to certain products as well as all my pinterest boards with some very resourceful links.

Stay Tuned....

~Blessings~

90 Day GAPS Summary: A Piece To the Puzzle (Part three of three)

This is the third post in my three part series on my GAPS journey.  If you would like to read post one about what my GAPS day looks like, click here.  If you would like to read post two about what symptoms and issues I used to have and how I have healed after 90 days click here.

In this post I will address a few big pieces to my puzzle, my Hypothyroidism, Hashimotos Thyroiditis and getting enough sleep and how they affect my progress in healing.

I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism and Hashimotos almost 7 years ago. Having the autoimmune condition Hashimotos has negatively affected my health for a number of years.  It didn't have to be this way but I was deceived into thinking it was nothing to be dealt with and that the thyroid hormone T4 could make it all better. It is just "no big deal," as my old Endocrinologist used to say.  That was SO far from the truth.

Fast forward to the present. I now know that Hashi's is definitely something to be dealt with.  In fact, 80-90% of people with Hypothyroidism have Hashi's and don't know it.  That is crazy! It is crazy because treating Hashimotos Thyroiditis is different than just treating a Hypo-thyroid. Having a thyroid dysfunction impairs every other part of your body on a cellular level. That is because God designed our bodies to run synergistically.  All together.  Everybody works together as a team to make a working, functioning and thriving body.  When one part is off, other parts will be too.  If one part is off for a LONG time (in my case) all other parts get worse and worse along with the main dysfunction. This in turn can cause more infections, more autoimmune conditions and in my case leaky gut. 

It wasn't until recently that I learned that I could actually cause my Hashimotos Thyroiditis to go into remission and that my thyroid could actually heal itself through proper nutrition (whole, non-processed, unrefined foods, rest, and exercise.)  Wow!  This makes sense because God did design our bodies to heal themselves if in the proper balance.

What does all this have to do with GAPS you ask? Well, in my opinion, even though I wholeheartedly believe in GAPS and it's healing abilities there is more we have to address in healing our bodies than just a diet change - especially if you have an autoimmune disease.  Autoimmunity of any type stems from gut dysbiosis and bad pathogens and significant diet changes are a big percentage that can lead to healing but there are other factors to consider.

For instance, I am healing on GAPS but notice that when my thyroid hormones are off I can have some of the same symptoms I have when I am detoxing or have eaten a food I am sensitive too. It is a tangled web to figure out sometimes and that is when I am thankful for my faith in the Lord.  I can't figure it out all the time.

Here is an example: during the first quarter of this year I found out that my Reverse T3 was extremely high.  Have you ever been tested for that?  I can almost assume the answer is no.  Most conventional docs only test TSH.  That cannot, I repeat, CANNOT properly diagnose a thyroid problem OR Hashimotos.  In doing a little experiment with my Naturopath (once we found out about my high Reverse T3) we realized that part of my rashes were occurring because of the high level of this hormone!  I thought all along it was solely from food sensitivities.  Once we remedied the RT3 a big amount of my (rashy) inflammation subsided.  Once the RT3 was low again my TSH shot up though (we knew this could happen) and because of that my Hashimoto's antibodies also shot up.  This rise caused inflammation as well and has affected me in other areas (fatigue, extreme dry skin, hair loss, etc.)  As you can see thyroid balance is delicate.  It is tough to get the right medication dosage while healing through your diet.  The right medication AND right dosage can make all the difference in the world in how you feel though.  For me, maintaining a proper thyroid hormone balance ALONG with sticking to the GAPS diet is crucial in how I feel day in and day out.

I don't just take T4 (like I did for 6 years, making myself sicker unknowingly.)  I take T3 and T4 AND they are compounded. Compounded means that I get them specially made so that there are no dyes or fillers in them.  Did you know that commercial Synthroid has dyes in the tablets in all but one dosage? Yep, it's true. Dyes can affect your healing and health as well. Some of our medications also have gluten in them.  Gluten is very bad for someone who has Hashimotos Thyroiditis. (Notice I didn't call it Hashimotos "Disease?"  It can be healed therefore in my book it is NOT a disease.)

Thyroid is a enormous topic in and of itself and I don't intend to get too deep into the subject here. I just wanted to paint a picture for you that our health is multi-faceted.  Usually, we have to address many different areas of our lives for ultimate healing.  Right now as I heal my gut through the GAPS diet I also have to take thyroid medication (hopefully temporarily) and work closely with my doctor to maintain the proper hormone balance so that my hormones work synergistically with all other parts of my body.  I have to ensure balance so that the gut healing I am doing is not hindered by an imbalance in my thyroid hormones. Make sense?

For me the other facet is sleep.  I am a type A personality.  All or nothing.  Dive in with all I've got.  This can be a blessing and a curse.  I just don't do things half way.  So rest for me is something I am learning.  I like to be "doing," creating, thinking, and contributing.  Down time is new.  I notice that when this aspect of my life is off balance I also start feeling bad. When I stay up late and don't get enough sleep my lymph nodes in the back of my head get swollen and tender again (due to the wonderful Epstein Barr Virus I have that gave me Mono at the beginning of the year and my autoimmune issue.) When I get too little sleep my body starts getting so fatigued that I ache.  I get moody and irritable.  It affects my family and more.  Again, as long as I am addressing my gut health with GAPS, I need to be sure to be getting adequate sleep (9-10 hours a night for someone with an autoimmune disease) otherwise I am hindering the healing that is possible. 

Did you know that between 10pm-4am is when our body does the most clean-up and repair?  It is when we are rested enough (or we should be) that the cells in our bodies start the detox process and fix all the damage so that we can get up and function the next day.  If we don't give our bodies ample time for this restoration then we impede the healing process and we keep feeling worse and worse.  It is another piece to the puzzle. 

This is specifically my puzzle.  Everybodies puzzle pieces are different. It does take a lot of trial and error to figure out how our individual bodies work the best and what we need but I will tell you from personal experience that it is well worth it to commit to figuring it out.  Feeling better and thriving in life is much better than just surviving (as I was doing for quite some time.) It also takes a lot of patience.  The waiting game with labs, finding the right doctor, challenging sensitive foods are all what require this virtue of patience.  For me it has taken great faith in My Lord Jesus to heal me.  I could not be going through this without him as my refuge because there are tough times and discouraging times. He comforts me and is my Shepherd who guides me where I need to go.

I hope I have helped you to understand that we need to address our health issues from many levels.  This is where "Functional and Integrative Medicine" comes in.  This kind of medical practice addresses your WHOLE body as well as your WHOLE health history, not just ONE symptom with a quick pill fix. Our bodies are intricately designed and need a holistic approach to heal. Our puzzles are each unique because we are all specially made and different.

In a future post I will address one other piece to the puzzle and that is what we put ON our bodies.  Make-up, lotions, soaps, shampoos and more. It can affect our healing as well.

For those of you with Hypothyroidism and/or Hashimoto's Thyroiditis I wanted to leave you with some incredible websites that address this topic (way better than I ever could.)  Please see below for links.  For those of you on GAPS or with any health issues that you think I may be able to help with please feel free to comment with any questions or concerns and I hope I can address your needs.

Excellent links for learning about Hashimotos and Hypothyroidism:

Hope for Hashimotos I HIGHLY recommend reading Dr. Haskell's ebook it was THE BEST Thyroid book that I have ever read. It educated me SO  much. I still refer to it to this day.

8 Series audio about Hypothyroidism and Hashimotos A great way to educate yourself on Hashi's by Dr. Alexander Haskell. There are also several other videos on you tube with him as the educator.  Just search his name.

The Paleo Mom This site is a wealth of info. Literally you could read it for hours  If you click on the link search "thyroid," "Hashimotos," or "Autoimmunity" and you will find some amazing facts and information from this Ph.D stay at home mom. She has a book coming out in October 2013 that I literally cannot wait for!  It will address autoimmune conditions as well as eating the Autoimmune Paleo way (AIP.)

Chris Kresser He uses many facts as well as the latest research to help guide you through Hypothyroidism and Hashi's.  I highly recommend spending some time reading the posts on this site.

Dr. Datis Kharrazian Dr. K. wrote an excellent book called Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms? When My Lab Tests are Normal You can search around his site and learn a lot as well.  He is a very knowledgeable doctor in this arena. You can also find a practitioner on his site (for your area) that is well versed in thyroid conditions.

Stop Thyroid Madness This site addresses a lot of the commonly occuring problems with thyroid that aren't addressed by conventional doctors and has recommend lab work that you need to have if you have a thyroid condition. This is also a site worth spending some time on.

Hashimotos 411 There are so many resources on this website from book recommendations to how to avoid gluten, what supplements to take and more. Please take time to check it out! There are also forums on this site that allow you to chat with other people going through a similar trial.

I hope somehow you are encouraged or find some help through this post.  Please remember that our bodies literally are puzzles and all the pieces fit intricately together. Through much research, trial and error, and support you can and will get better and could potentially heal your thyroid!

~Blessings~

Please note - I am not a medical doctor.  What I say on this blog is based on my own research along with my own personal experiences.  I assume no liability and my advice, ideas or suggestions should not replace those of your own practitioner.

90 Days GAPS Summary: A piece To the Puzzle (part two of three)

This is part two of a three post GAPS Series.  If you want to read part one click here. It was about what my day looks like eating the way Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride discusses in her Gut and Psychology Syndrome book. 

In this post, part two, we will talk about the symptoms I had when I started GAPS and how I am doing now; after 90 days on the GAPS Diet.

I have experienced a lot of healing on the GAPS Diet so far.  When I started this diet I barely had the energy to even make the food. Heck, I barely had the energy to even think about making the food!  I certainly couldn't go shopping for the food.  All I could do was research what I needed to do.  By God's grace I was eventually able to read the GAPS book and figure out a plan.  I started simple, with just broth and a little veggies and some meat.  I noticed small changes within a week in my energy and healing.

Before I get ahead of myself, here is a small list of symptoms I had before I started GAPS

As you can see I was a mess. I was getting no help from conventional doctors or allopathic medicine and in fact was getting worse and worse. I am convinced that had I continued on that path I would have gotten some form of cancer.

Praise God that through my Functional and Integrative Medicine Doctor she suggested trying the GAPS diet. That is when the healing began.

**Funny, unlike when I was on the dreaded ALCAT diet, this 90 days on GAPS has flown by.  I don't find myself counting the days like I did with the 6 months on ALCAT.

Here is a quick synopsis of my healing and symptoms that I still have as well as ones that are gone

I still have Hypothyroidism and Hashimotos Thyroiditis.  I will be going in June to have an ultrasound on the nodule I have on my thyroid.  I pray that it is gone due to this diet and healing in my body. Only the Lord knows. My thyroid hormones have been a roller coaster due to some experimenting with medication (we will talk about that in post three of this series.) I can tell that my leaky gut is healing because my rashes on my arms are about 95% gone!  My skin is still dry but the weeping burning sores are almost all gone. I still have some just on my hands. I am still fighting a small imbalance of good vs. bad bacteria in my intestines.  It is a slow healing process though.  I have to remember how big my small intestine is.  Then I need to think about how many trillions of inhabitants there are in there!  Healing takes a long time. I am not sure about my female hormones.  I think they are off because of the irregular periods and would like to have those checked eventually. As I stated in the card above, my adrenal fatigue is pretty much gone and my energy level is mostly normal again. I am thrilled that my White Blood Cell Count (WBC) is in the normal range.  White Blood Cells help to fight off infection, aid in healing and are an integral part of our immune system.  Without the right balance I was susceptible to everything (why I got Mono).  Now I feel much more protected and notice a huge difference in how quickly I heal and how I fight off infection or colds.  A month ago our whole family was sick. My husband was sick for 9 days and my sons got it too, really bad.  Coughing, fevers, etc.  I did not get it. I attribute that to God protecting me (first) and eating a diet that is "clean" and free of sugars, starches (second.)

I am enjoying crawling into bed at night without fear.  I used to fear if I would wake up itching through the night (which happened multiple times a week), not be able to sleep (more adrenal fatigue), or wake up swollen.  Now mostly I sleep like a baby for a solid 8 hours or more. I am able to get up before the boys, around 7, and do my bible study too!  Before GAPS I could barely wake up at 9 am and when I did I was still fatigued and couldn't function.

My energy level is wonderful. I have been able to plant a full garden this year and do all the manual labor that comes with that.  I get muscle fatigue that is normal rather than before feeling fibromyalgia like symptoms after doing any kind of light muscle work. I am able to cook, clean and take care of my boys like normal.  We also just finished our homeschool year and co-op and that definitely takes a lot of energy.

I have gained a few more pounds and hope to gain a few more.  I enjoy fitting in the clothes that I do and shopping is getting to be fun again.

Even though I am healing I am still in a fragile state.  My body needs the right foods and supplements as well as the least stress possible and adequate amounts of sleep.  If any one of these things is off balance or I introduce something new or take more probiotics I find I feel it the next day. The balance is probably the toughest piece to the puzzle for me.  Once I start feeling good I tend to want to go full boar into everything I do.  This is where the Lord is working on me though. Key word = rest. I am learning. 

Anyway, there's my symptom summary. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment and I will reply. The internet and blogs helped me in a HUGE way (and are still) on this journey and I would love to help you if you need it.

I believe in GAPS in a big way and encourage you to try it for a month if you have any of the symptoms I had above. You will see changes and the challenge of it is worth it to feel better. If after a month you notice changes it will make you want to stick with it for complete healing!

~Blessings~

Please note - I am not a medical doctor.  What I say on this blog is based on my own research along with my own personal experiences.  I assume no liability and my advice, ideas or suggestions should not replace those of your own practitioner.

90 Days GAPS Summary: A Piece To The Puzzle (Part One of Three)

Can I just tell you I am a HUGE fan of the GAPS diet! I have read so many wonderful stories of healing in people's lives from doing the GAPS diet for a season of life (everyone is different and it could be months or a couple of years.)  However, the main reason I am a big fan of this way of eating and internal healing is because I personally have seen such drastic improvement in my own health is just a matter of 90 days!  Praise God! It is amazing.

I really do Praise Him because he is the ONE allowing GAPS to work to heal me.  By His Grace alone....

Over the next three posts I would like to summarize for you~
1.) What my day looks like on GAPS each day and what I take supplementally
2.) Symptoms that are gone and some that are still here
3.) Addressing other pieces to the puzzle like my thyroid and getting enough 
     sleep that are helping me heal.

What my GAPS day looks like:
I wake up and take my thyroid medication on an empty stomach (T4 and T3.)

About 20 minutes later I take my probiotics of which I have been able to work up to the therapeutic doses finally. I take GutPro (because is it dairy free and has NO fillers)and Prescript Assist (because these are the soil based probiotic organisms that we need) right now and when I am done with those will be switching because we are supposed to switch probiotics frequently so as make sure we get a variety of good bacteria in our intestines.

A few minutes after the probiotics that I take L-Glutamine powder in some water.  L-Glutamine is a great gut healing amino acid!

Now we are about 30 minutes from my waking and I get to have my morning cup of "coffee!"  My morning cup of coffee is actually juice. I have been able to successfully introduce juicing into my daily routine and I look forward to it everyday.  It rejuvenates me and wakes me up!  My morning juice consists of 2-3 carrots, a piece of cucumber, a few dill sprigs, sometimes a yellow or red beet, several beet greens, a few big leaves of kale, & 2 celery stalks. It is so tasty! It ends up to be about a cup and a half.

While I am cleaning my juicer I have already started my breakfast broth, meat and veggies simmering on the stove.

About a half an hour after I have had my juice my breakfast is usually ready. 
**It is good to let freshly made juice be in your stomach with no other proteins or foods for about 20-30 minutes to get your digestive enzymes flowing as well as allowing your body to get all the nutrients from the juice without much work.

My breakfast varies in how it is prepared but usually the variety of food I eat is close to the same each day/meal.  I eat a bowl or big cup of bone broth (usually homemade beef or chicken) with every meal. In the broth (for a soup) or on the side is usually some form of good meat like Wild caught Salmon or Halibut, Grass Fed Beef, Organic and Antibiotic Free Chicken, or Nitrate and Sugar Free Pork Bacon that is antibiotic free.  Along with the meat I add lots of veggies to the pot.  The veggies I eat are usually avocado, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, bok choy, mustard greens, carrots, acorn squash, spaghetti squash, & zucchini squash.  I would like to reintroduce onions and garlic again soon and hope to be able to have those.
*It is good to be sure to eat some form of squash with each meal because there is carbohydrate energy in those and it keeps the GAPS patient from going into a state of ketosis. We need some form of carbohydrate but not coming from starch or starchy veggies.

I don't eat all my meals in the form of a soup.  I do make my own beef sausage patties to have on hand. They are seasoned with salt and pepper, sage, thyme and sometimes rosemary.  I make a lot of these to store in the freezer.  Chicken I usually roast, grill or make in the crock pot.  Fish I usually sear on the stove, bacon of coarse is fried and other beef cuts I usually do in the crock pot as well. Sometimes I make little croquettes with chicken or beef, avocado and squash and fry them up.  Sometimes I make meatballs and throw them in a pureed cauliflower or carrot soup I made.  Regardless of how my food is prepared I always have some form of fat added to my dish like reserved bacon fat, beef tallow, and/or avocado.  I cannot tolerate coconut oil still and do sometimes use olive oil drizzled over my fish wish some dill. I also like to julienne cut my veggies to add variety or sometimes I even make "noodles" out of my zucchini for a change.

Before I eat I take my HCI and GUTzyme digestive enzymes to help me digest my proteins, fats and carbohydrates. I don't make enough stomach acid to properly digest the foods I eat.  I am hoping this is temporary but my doctor says that I have a genetic marker that doesn't allow me to digest my proteins properly so I may need to take HCI the rest of my life.  We will see. Only the Lord knows. My goal is to be off all medications (thyroid) and all supplements, except for a Multi Vitamin, someday.

After that part of the routine I can sit down and enjoy my breakfast! I usually have two big bowls of soup or a big plate of meat with veggies and a side of broth. On my second portion of food I pour a dose Flax Oil (optimal EFA's) over the soup or meat to make sure I am getting my essential fatty acids in. Sometimes it is just flax oil and sometimes a mixture of Flax and Borage oil. This is also a source of good fat.

I still would love to be able to have egg yolk, raw milk yogurt and homemade sauerkraut.  I will try these over the coarse of the next few weeks again to see if I can tolerate them yet. I did buy some beef gelatin for an egg replacer and look forward to using that soon.

After breakfast I take my vitamins. This will vary for every individual but I have been tested for my vitamin and amino acid levels through a NutrEval Test and need to take the following:

• Vital Nutrients with no Iron or Iodine (no iodine until my Hashimotos antibodies come down a bit)
• Folic Acid (I need a bit more that my multi provides.)
• Blood Builder (I need a little supplement of iron but not as much as comes in a multi)
• GLA (Gamma Linolenic Acid)
• ALA (Alpha Lipoic Acid)
• Vitamin D (I take this additionally after lunch since I need a bit more than my multi provides.) 

I really don't snack throughout the day unless I have some bacon cooked up. Then I might have a slice here or there.  I may also have a piece of acorn squash as a snack.  Usually I just eat my three meals a day.

For lunch it is the same as breakfast and I do take my Vital Nutrients Multi vitamin after I eat.

In between lunch and dinner I take more T3 for my thyroid.

For dinner it is also the same as breakfast but sometimes I prepare something a little more fancy (again, same food just prepared differently) to satisfy my desire for something special. After dinner I also take more of my multi vitamin and two more GLA capsules.

The hardest parts of being on the GAPS diet for me are:

• Lack of variety at this point in time. It is such a slow process reintroducing foods ONE at a time and I also have to introduce supplements ONE at a time.  This means that I try something on one day and have to wait as much as three to four days before I can try something else.  Sometimes if I have had a reaction I have to wait longer until the reaction subsides. I can't wait to not be so limited. I know it will come with time and patience with this healing.
• Not being able to eat freely is hard too. I miss being able to just pick up a piece of food that is at a potluck or someone's house or even mine for that matter, and enjoy it.  Instead I literally have to think about every single thing that enters my mouth and how it will affect me.
• I still have sweet cravings a lot and wish I could just have a piece of fruit here and there. Hopefully soon!
• The prep is also hard.  I have gotten a good routine going though.  I make 21 quarts of broth every 4-5 days. I make sure my veggies for juicing are prepared on a tray the night before.  I have all my veggies cut for the next day the night before and either my meat cooks in a crock pot all night for the next day or I have it prepared for the next day.  It takes a lot of forethought but makes the days easier in that I am not in the kitchen 24/7.

Stay tuned for the next two parts to this series!  The next one will be all about my symptoms that have disappeared and some that are still sticking around.  The third and final post I will talk about a big piece of the puzzle to my healing ~ my thyroid imbalance/balance as well as getting adequate sleep.

How is GAPS going for you?  Do you have any questions for me? Do you have Hashimotos Thyroiditis and Hypothyroidism and have a tip or idea to share with me?

~Blessings~

Please note - I am not a medical doctor.  What I say on this blog is based on my own research along with my own personal experiences.  I assume no liability and my advice, ideas or suggestions should not replace those of your own practitioner.

Food, Chemical and Herbal Sensitivities (ALCAT Testing)

This is for all my health friends/family out there and anyone searching on the Internet to find some answers to healing symptoms of chronic inflammation.  I haven't done a health post in a while and I figure it would be quite timely if I did one now.  My health has been consuming me for months now.  Not by choice but by force.  Unfortunately my Hashimoto's symptoms have been getting a lot worse (at least that is what I finally narrowed it down to.)  The doctors ruled out Lupus (thankfully) and Psoriasis as well as Rheumatoid Arthritis. I am grateful the doctor I have was willing to help me rule these things out.  Boy when Hashimotos Thyroiditis gets out of hand it can be a beast to tame!  It can lead to breast cancer, ovarian cancer and even more autoimmune diseases none of which I want.  What it all comes down to is chronic inflammation.

I have been researching like crazy lately (again not by choice but by force as I would way rather be scrapbooking) about various foods and things to help inflammation and supplements to take to help my symptoms.  I have found out some really good information that I thought I would share with you.  Blog posts and websites on health can really be helpful for those people out there with chronic problems with their bodies. They have helped me big time!

One test I came across (miraculously because I had never heard about it before but God put our landscaper in my life to tell me about it) was the ALCAT testing. I know I am sensitive to certain foods and chemicals as well as certain herbal remedies so I wanted to figure out exactly what to avoid.  Afterall anything you put in your system that you are sensitive to will cause inflammation.  I want to minimize this.

Steve and I decided to have an ALCAT test done on me in order to get some answers.  I had 200 foods tested, various chemicals and molds found in the environment and household products and many female herbs tested for sensitivities in my body.

Much to my disappointment I had A LOT of sensitivities. :-(  The good news is that I wont have to avoid these things for life though!  Let me tell you a little of the science behind the ALCAT testing.  It was so interesting so I have to share it with you!

ALCAT takes your blood (the lab came to my house) and then tests the various items (food, chemicals, etc) against your white blood cells.  If your white blood cells react in a certain way to what they have tested (they have a formula) then you are marked for a sensitivity.  These sensitivities come from consuming too much of the same thing too often and your bodies ability to digest or dispose of the item properly.  Anyway, they give you back a results packet with Severe Intolerance, Moderate Intolerance, Mild Intolerance and and OK columns as well as details on how their "diet" works.  I hate the word diet because it is NOT a diet really.  Our white blood cells reproduce every ninety days.  This means that in our bodies every ninety days we have new white blood cells floating around.  ALCAT suggests avoiding "Severe" items for 6 months, "Moderate" items for 4 months and Mild items I can have once in a while.  You cannot eat the same food two days in a row either. Here is more of the science part: Our white blood cells do not have a memory.  This means that after 4 months or 6 months of avoidance I should be able to reintroduce (one at a time) the foods (or herbs, etc.) that I was most sensitive too and not have a reaction.  The "build up" will have gone away due to the renewal of my WB cells and their lack of memory.

I was always the type that said "I could never - avoid dairy or sugar!" Well, as usual I am learning never say never.  I should have said "I don't want to ..." instead. 

Let me show you the foods I can have (it is a smaller list to type than the foods I can't.)

Veggies: Beet, eggplant (can't really have because it is a nightshade and that can also cause inflammation), lentils, romaine lettuce, black beans, fava beans, lima beans (yuck), yellow squash, black eye peas, Green pea, Mung beans (which are bean sprouts), watercress (yuck), carrot, kidney bean, portobello mushroom

Fruits (I have to stay away from these often because even natural sugars can cause inflammation) Apricot, Kiwi, Peach (my favorite), Strawberry, Avocado, Lime, Black Currant (cant find these anywhere), Nectarine, Pumpkin, Honeydew Melon, Orange, Raspberry

Meat: Beef, Chicken (thank goodness)

Dairy: egg yolk.  Yea, like I am going to just eat egg yolk!  I have a reaction to Whey as well which is in almost all dairy - so there you go, no dairy. :-(

Seafood: we can really leave this one off because I really can't stand most seafood.  Clam (yuck), Halibut (yuck), Sea Bass (yuck), Sole (yuck)

Grains: Amaranth, Buckwheat (has no gluten), Gluten Free Oats, Tapioca

Herbs/Spices: Bay Leaf, Clove, Paprika, Thyme, Cardamom, Coriander, Parsely (yuck), Cayenne Pepper, Cumin, Saffron, Cinnamon, Dill, Sage

Nuts/Oils & Misc. Foods: Green Tea, Chamomile, Hazelnut, Pistachio, Brewers Yeast, Cocoa (yay!), Hops, Caraway, Cottonseed, Peanut, Cashew, Flaxseed, Pine Nut (this is the expensive group BUT has been saving me for snacking!)

So there you have it.  That is what I can eat.  Not much.  I also have to avoid certain dyes (in all products like prescriptions, shampoo, makeup, etc.) that I am sensitive too.  That has been an adventure. Just realized my thyroid medication I take everyday has the dye I am sensitive to in it! Now I get my medicine compounded from a custom pharmacy.

After I got this list back I chose to pay ALCAT to create a menu for me.  There was no way I could figure out what to feed my family and me based on this list.  They gave me 32 different recipes and 8 days worth of a menu that I can repeat.  It has been a lifesaver.  There are quite a few things I actually like on there.

ALCAT services has helped me to learn how to make different recipes using a lot more vegetables that I am used to and helped me to manage not being able to eat the same thing for two days in a row and avoiding certain things for 4 days at a time.

I have been on this for 16 days now.  No dairy and no sugar!  Only 5.5 more months to go! I never thought I could do this. 

The first week and a half was rough with symptoms of withdrawl and my body clearing itself of toxins and allergens.  It is getting a bit better now and I don't feel as tired, etc.  All of my symptoms are not nearly gone but we will see what 6 months does.

If you have read all the way to the end then obviously this is something that interests you or an area you need help with (or maybe you just want to know what I am personally going through.)  I have more health information I want to post in further "health" posts but can't here because this one is already too long. If you are on a journey to feel better then ALCAT testing might be a place to start (or end for that matter.) It is pretty costly but worth it if you are at the end of your rope and need some answers.

I personally have noticed some positive changes so far in my health since starting to avoid certain prod and I pray that there will be more to come.  On a side note.  This is not ALL I am doing for my Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.  The other things I will save for a future post specifically on Hashimotos's and Hypothyroidism.  There are some AMAZING things I have discovered that I can't wait to share.

~Blessings (and health) to you~

Tidbits

How about some little tidbits of information to catch you up on our lives?

*School will be done for us in a couple of weeks!  Yay!  We are all excited for Summer Break.

*We had a wonderful Easter spent with my family complete with and Easter egg hunt and a wonderful lunch together.

*A couple of weekends ago I got the privilege of going on a Women's Retreat with our church.  We went to our local resort mountain town and had a blessed time. 

The lake was like glass one of the mornings I was there.

*The "creating" I posted about here is almost done!  It is coming along nicely and I would have been done sooner but I decided to add some finishing touches that are taking a bit longer.

*We recently had a death in our family.  Corbin's frog "Lake" died.  He was very upset.  I can tell he is growing up because a couple years ago when the other frog we had died it didn't phase him a bit.  This time he was so sad. We had a burial for him in our garden bed.  Now that portion of the garden will be called "Lake's Garden."

*We have gone fishing twice now.  There is a pond a block away from our house and a fishing trailer comes every couple of weeks to teach the kids how to cast and catch fish.  It is so much fun!  I took the boys yesterday to the pond and we tried hard to catch something.  They were catching 6lb. trout out of this pond! I really tried to recruit some of the male gender to come along because I REALLY didn't want to have to touch and poke a slimy old worm.  No luck though!  Steve had to work but did really want to be there.

This gentleman was there teaching casting to the kids.  There were also men there to bait the hooks (only the first time though we had to do it the other times!)

I combed Corbin's hair.  I promise!  The wind was just blowing.

The nice man gave me eggs for bait because he knew I didn't want to touch worm guts.  Under this cup of eggs is a marshmallow cup and a worm cup eewwww!

We are so blessed!

*A LOT of these (see below) have been popping up around our house lately. We have been getting rid of them quickly!  This is the season that the wasps decide to build their nests.  What an education for Corbin.  We are reading this series of books and they talk a lot about bees and wasps and their intricacies and instincts God gave them. A couple of weeks ago I checked this movie out of our Co-Op's library and it has fit perfectly into the spring season with bees and wasps all around.  I highly recommend this movie series (by Moody Institute) and the above book series. He has gotten to keep some of the nests in his "nature collection" box.

*Speaking of school, last week we had our last co-op day.  In the evening we had a presentation night that was a lot of fun.  We got to see performances from singing to taekwondo.  All the students projects were laid out on tables and it was a blessed time.  I am grateful to have been a part of this co-op this year.  Corbin had a blast and I got meet some wonderful mothers with like minds.

He made a Native Americans Lapbook in his history class.

Corbin did a Lego Club with public speaking class too.  He said he was nervous the first time speaking but got used to it after a while. He did some other classes too but I didn't have pictures of P.E. (with kickboxing) or Armor of God class.

*Time to plant our seedlings next week!  No more sign of frost and now my counter will no longer be the greenhouse.  Yay!

*I am going to do a 10 day cleanse coming up in a week and a half.  Hoping to improve my symptoms of Hashimotos Disease and Hypothyroidism.  I am not looking forward to it very much but excited to feel better.

*Cody just wanted to say hello!

~Blessings~

One year Gluten Free!

Today is my one year anniversary of being gluten free.  It has been a journey.  You can read my initial posts early on in my journey here, here and here.  If you read any of those links you can see how dreadful it was to have my doctor tell me that I needed to eat gluten free one year ago. I literally called it my "death sentence."

Before I update you on where I am at today in regards to eating gluten free let me just tell you why I have to be gluten free. I get asked the question a lot so I figure I will tackle it here...

I have Hypothyroidism and Hashimotos disease (an autoimmune disorder.) Click here to find out more about it.  Hypothyroidism can be treated by taking a thyroid hormone - either synthetic or dessicated.  Hashimotos can't be helped by that hormone.  I didn't know this until last year on March 21.  You see my Endocrinologist only ever told me that my thyroid medicine would help everything.  Then I saw my Integrative Medicine Doctor (otherwise known as a D.O) and she told me that taking a thyroid hormone does not do anything for Hashimotos. That explains why I never felt most of my thyroid symptoms went away just taking the "medicine."  My D.O told me that there are a lot of antibodies attacking my thyroid making it not work and making it lumpy and abnormal.  She said that the more gluten I eat, the more antibodies there will be.  Getting off of gluten won't make ALL the antibodies go away (I wish) but staying away from it will allow less antibodies to be formed and make my symptoms lessen.  I wanted my symptoms to lessen so I chose to take the D.O's advice and stop gluten. Just a side note ~ there are other things necessary to help the symptoms of Hashimotos and eating gluten free is just one of them.

Sorry to get all technical but I hope that makes sense as to why I don't eat gluten.

In a nutshell let's get into the past year and my progress and what I have learned....

I had concerns when I first went GF.  How would I eat out, How would I feed my family of boys, How would I travel, and How would we afford this?

It was hard at first but now it has gotten a lot easier.

I do eat out.  My family and I only go to places that serve GF items and are knowledgeable about gluten.  If they aren't knowledgeable then we steer clear.  We don't eat out a lot though.  It is just safer to eat at home.  Having said that, there are A LOT of restaurants that have gluten free menus.  You just have to be your own advocate and know there is potential for cross contamination. Make sure you do your research online about a particular restaurant or call ahead to find our your options.  You may be sorely disappointed if you go in expecting options and there aren't. I also have had to accept that there are places I just can't go anymore.  At least not until they offer something I can eat.  I am OK with that now.

My boys and I do eat good healthy meals (and sometimes not so healthy.)  Throughout this year I have learned many tricks on how to make the same food we have always eaten gluten free.  For instance - I use La Choy Lite Soy sauce, wheat free tamari or Braggs Liquid aminos for recipes that call for soy sauce.  I have found a yummy brand of GF pasta that I like called Tinkyada. I also buy GF pasta in bulk at a local store. If I am buying canned foods or more "processed" foods I always check labels.  Modified "Food" starch and "natural flavors" can be a killer. Sometimes I have to call the company to find the source of their food starch or natural flavors. To thicken gravies or sauces I use GF cornstarch or Mochiko Sweet Rice Flour.  I make my own broths and freeze them in bulk to ensure they are free of gluten. I have found myriads of ways to adapt and be able to eat our favorite recipes.  Thank you Lord! On occasion we can still eat things like The Pioneers Womans Mac N Cheese or Paula Deens Bobby's Goulash, making it GF of course. I am looking forward to our garden and canning and eating fresh organic fruits and veggies this year.  All fruits and veggies are naturally GF!

We do travel. This past year we have traveled.  We have taken mostly road trips which are the easiest. I have to really plan ahead for traveling though.  Making sure I have all proteins, fruits, veggies and snacks is key.  I like Justin's Nut Butter packets for protein to put on celery or just to eat by themselves. I like having mixed nuts, GF yogurts, cut up carrots and various fruits (fresh and dried).  Homemade chicken salad to put on GF crackers is yummy. GF Beef Jerky was also a fun snack on the road.  There are ways to do it you just have to have a cooler and plan ahead for what you will need to eat and plan that you will not be able to find a place with GF items available.  There is nothing like traveling and being hungry (and grumpy in my case!) 

We do afford it. As I stated in one of my earlier posts about this journey "I have to learn to bake GF from scratch and not use mixes." In order to make eating GF affordable I truly have had to learn to make things from scratch.  Having a mix (like this one) is nice in a pinch but there is no way we could sustain those costs all the time.  The mixes are expensive.  I learned to make my own GF all purpose flour (made from a ratio of White Rice flour, Tapioca Starch and Potato Starch.)  I use that mix in whatever I am baking and then add a whole grain flour like sorghum, almond or coconut flour to make what I am eating healthy.  The least expensive way I have found to keep this all purpose flour on hand in big tubs is buy the flours at the Asian market and mix them together at home.  The Asian markets have the best deal on the flours in my mix.  I also order some GF items online at Vitacost which has the best prices on most products.  I make my own loafs of wholegrain bread once a month and freeze extra I will not use right away.  The best book I have found with really yummy recipes on a budget is Gluten Free on a Shoestring by Nicole Hunn.  I love Nicole.  She makes good recipes, takes good photos and has a great sense of humor.  Her book has made my life easier.

I am healthier.  I am not symptom free but I have lost 10 pounds and kept it off eating gluten free. While eating GF I naturally just eat less sugar and more whole grains and like quinoa, millet, and sorghum.  I use healthier ingredients like almond flour, coconut flour and oil, more veggies, and fruits, etc. Mentally I feel better knowing that I am not putting something into my body that is causing my thyroid to worsen which in turn can cause a chain reaction in my body.  Things like heart disease, high cholesterol, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, etc., can be caused by an untreated thryoid condition or in my case eating gluten.  I really don't want to have those problems and pray that eating this way will help stave those off.

If you are still reading..... I hope this was helpful to you.  Maybe it gave you an idea about eating GF, maybe it encouraged you to stick with it, maybe it helped you know more about me?  I realize this post wont be interesting to some people out there (especially who don't have food allergies) but I pray for those who have read to the end that it was worth your time.  Afterall, my main objectives on this blog are to inspire, ignite and encourage.  If you are trying to eat GF and it is hard, stay the path.  Seek out books and blogs for helps.  Maybe there are GF cooking classes in your area?  I assure you it will get better and easier.  It is just about education, practice and commitment.

Stay tuned for Friday's post on gluten free mini cinnamon & sugar donuts!

~~Blessings~~