Young, Wild & Synthetic-Hormone Free
Woah! It’s been a minute.
Life has just been a little busy ya know - moving cross country, settling into my new place and my new life, working a full time job, attempting to have a social life, taking an advanced hormone health course, coaching my awesome clients, jumping into the New York dating scene and casually healing my thyroid.
Well kids, good news - this body is officially a DRUG FREE SCHOOL ZONE! It has been three weeks since I took any thyroid medication (Synthroid, Lyothyronine) and so far I feel fine! No symptoms have arisen in either direction, and although it is still a bit too soon to tell, I am very optimistic.
That first morning without medication was one of the scariest days of my life, not to be dramatic; but also one of the most exhilarating. My Hashimoto’s Disease was found back in high school, so it has been present throughout my entire adult life. Basically the fundamental systems in my body (metabolic system, digestive tract, menstrual cycle, brain development, mood regulation, temperature control) have not functioned on their own for as long as I can remember. I am actively working hard to trust that my body will do it’s thing for the first time in a decade. Some of these past days have been internally terrifying, so the gratitude for my support system is unbound. Shout out to the real ones!
THE HOW?
On this blog, you have heard me praise the Whole30 time and time again, and I still do! I stayed on that damn thing for months and do not regret a single minute. However, it was created as a diet, a program, a jumpstart, NOT as a lifestyle.
After five months my body began to ask for (crave if you will) some non-compliant ingredients - maybe the initial excitement had just worn off - but I like to believe that my body knew it was now strong enough to handle a small amount of the things that I used to love, but had been avoiding like the plague…
I began transitioning to a loose Whole30; I like to think of it as a 90/10 where I follow the Whole30 90% of the time. It really has become a lifestyle that works for me. It fuels me and makes my body feel good. I try to shy away from giving my eating habits a “title” because I believe the goal is to be able to eat the widest variety of foods as possible, while promoting peak performance and feeling our best. Severe food restricting for non-medical purposes is silly to me. I wholeheartedly stand for human rights, for equality and for freedom, so as a holistic human, all of my beliefs comprehensively overflow to every realm of life, including my plate.
You are what you eat they say.
Food is absolutely medicine and has healed me in ways I once felt could only be a figment of my imagination. Nevertheless, if I ate ‘perfectly’ or ‘completely compliant’ for the rest of my life, the damage it would cause to my mental health would not even be worth the physical prosperity. As someone who suffered from disordered eating in the past (often due to the lack of control I had over my body and unawareness of its link to my thyroid for proper function), the thought of falling back into that black hole was an absolute no from me, dawg.
That being said, when we are in the process of healing, I totally agree with and understand the need for titled diets. I stuck to the Whole30 strictly for five months and get to reap the benefits day in and day out! It is still so crazy for me to experience eating something unfavorable now, because my body literally never craves it again. I was craving the memory of that food, and when I allow it into my now-healed space, and it begins to wreak havoc, the instinctual awareness in regard with my system makes it very easy to never want to bring that feeling back. Nice to meet you #intuitiveeating.
Learning how our bodies react to certain things, and the never-ending transition to a healthier lifestyle is a venture I welcome with open arms indefinitely. What works for me today may look different next year, next month or even next week. Life is a just one big game of trial and error.
For anyone curious about my current healing path (while everyone has a uniquely individual journey), I basically follow a paleo diet now, but again, if my body is asking for something, I will eat it - very intuitively, and purposefully, and with a heightened sense awareness for how I am feeling that day, and the next few days to follow.
I still cannot believe I am off of medicine. While I confidently spoke of this day for so long, there was always a tiny part of me hiding behind that auto-immune victim. Again, it is still a bit too soon to tell, but I get my numbers checked the week after next, and you best believe I will be giving a blog update. For better or for worse. Thank you all for riding along on this steadfast journey while I heal my Hashimoto's Disease.